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External DAC for Cambridge CXN (V2) and Sony XA 5400 ES

The Sony was Stereophile A+ rated in 2014 which is probably prehistoric in digital years although still wonderful, especially on Redbook.  The Cambridge is excellent too although if I rated the Sony @ 100 the Cambridge would be 97 with extremely slight detail differences and a background that's just not quite as black.
I'm wondering if a nice external DAC would give me a detail and depth of stage boost?  I'm considering a Benchmark DAC 3 b to feed my Audio Research vintage (tube) pre-amp although Mytek (Liberty and Chord (Qutest) seem to have highly rated offerings.  Benchmark has a 30 day trial offer that might work as I'm well past the point of buying anything I can't hear in my room.. I'm leaning towards the Benchmark for the trial offer and I don't need a volume control since the AR pre has a remote volume.
Opinions?
midareff1
cal3713's avatar
cal3713
1,421 posts
 
You might consider just having Modwright upgrade your CXN. Supposedly a great performer when modified.

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=169517.40
http://www.modwright.com/modifications/cambridge-cxn-v2-tube-modification.php
cal3713's avatar
cal3713
1,421 posts
 
Whoops, sorry for repeating the above suggestion...
midareff1 OP
182 posts
 
Well..  I've decided (I think) to order the Benchmark DAC 3b this coming week from Benchmark.First shootout will be the Benchmark fed by the Cambridge digitally to my AR preamp via balanced interconnects against the Cambridge on it's analogue cables to my pre.
If that is successful the second shootout will be the Sony XA 5400 ES feeding the Benchmark digitally vs. the Sony on RCA analogue and on the reverse, the Benchmark on RCA vs. the Sony on balanced.
Cables will be Digital Belden 1694A with Canare jacks as that's what Benchmark recommends and sells.  I also have some Digital Straightwire Silver Streak II on the way in for testing.  Balanced cables are Straightwire Virtuoso (one of their level 4 reference cables) and a Straightwire Expressivo level 3 high end audio RCA cable.  I have some others I could try but the Straightwire cables (including Maestro) outperformed everything else I ever tried so that is what it is.  Power cord will be an 3m Audioquest.
I did have some concerns about SACD playback but after considering that situation I listen mostly now via streaming, and while I have a nice 700+ disc collection just don't play CDs very often,  and SACDs perhaps a couple a year now.  Throwing another $1800 at this to cover SACD playback from the Sony HDMI outputs (to a Bryston D/A)  just doesn't make sense to me.  I would expect the next step, if I take it would be to re-digitize by re-recording all my disks in FLAC or WAV on something like a Bluenode Vault 2i.  The downside to that is they say it runs about 20 minutes a CD and WTF, I'm 73 years old this month.  I'm not looking for nearly year long projects.
cal3713's avatar
cal3713
1,421 posts
 
@midareff1 Regarding re-digitizing, I put my entire collection on a hard drive years ago using bit prefect eac rips. I find that I usually prefer Tidal's version to my own, so probably not much need to rip disks that are also streamable.
midareff1 OP
182 posts
 
That's actually an excellent point.  For the $1299 cost of a Blue Node Vault 2i, and a quality power cord and cable I could probably pay monthly  for Tidal for fifteen years or more.....    since I'll be 73 this month I guess it's time to try Tidal and forget any idea of re-digitizing.  Thanks again, it was a concept I was missing.. 
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