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DAC or CD Player. Help!

Dumb question but I am new to the Hi Fi Field. When you hook up an DAC to your CD player which unit is dictating the sound that you hear. Does the CD Player really matter or is the CD player running the sound? Thanks!
128x128rsa
wmarkhall's avatar
wmarkhall
26 posts
 
Worse than the AC cable snake oil is without doubt the cable risers. Spend major bucks on foo-foo cable jackets and 'flex' mesh pixie powder that they slip over the three-layer cable jacket only to determine that if the cable lays on the floor the sound is diminished. That's not synergy, it's idiocy.
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,428 posts
 
Audioman2015, OP was merely asking what plays major role in CDP - DAC connection.  I believe that everything is important.  Jittery CDP will never sound good with the best DAC.  Poorly matched digital cable might affect sound of otherwise great CDP/DAC pair, etc..
oddiofyl's avatar
oddiofyl
3,833 posts
 
DAC..... I had the same thought,  it's just that a good DAC can handle several inputs and serve more as the hub of a good digital system.  I bought a DAC , and then a year or so later I bought a good universal player.   I play everything through the DAC,  TV, Netflix, streaming audio, BluRay, and it provides great sound for all media.
mesch
3,481 posts
 
Rsa, as with oddiofyl, and something I should have mentioned prior, I also use my DAC for both a disc player and computer audio (via USB/SPDIF converter).  I enjoy the synergy my DAC brings together with my Pre, amp, and speakers. This synergy s maintained regardless of digital source primarily due to their output being run through the same DAC.  

cycles2
206 posts
 
RSA,

I agree with audioman2015. If you haven't purchased a CD player or transport, you may want to consider using a computer or music server device and DAC instead.. With so many subscription streaming options available such as TIDAL HiFi (Lossless), there's no reason to use CDs any longer.

Since I've had my TIDAL Lossless music subscription, I don't think I've purchased a CD as I can access over 35 million tracks at Redbook CD quality level at home, in my car or on the road. When TIDAL or other subscription services offers MQA as an option, CDs will be the low man on the totem pole when it comes to sound quality.  

You can rip your existing CDs to your computer or music server. Although not as easy, there are options to rip SACDs in the event you have a large collection of SACDs, 

Hope this helps.
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