2. digital
  3. 1146935599

How do I decide on a CD player or adding a dac?

I have been trying to figure a way to find a solution to my fatigue from my digital and SS rig. I run a Pair of Odyssy Stratos Plus Mono Blocks from a Odyssey Etesian (Passive or Linestage) to a pair of Apogee C Minor hybrids. My room is very small 14 ft by 9 1/2 feet and 8 ft tall. Hardwood floors with an Inca wool rug in my nearfield listening area. No room treatments yet the wall are bare because we just moved and I wanted to have a fresh start. Nothing else is in the room, but me and my seat. Pics are on my Budget system.

I need to know if anyone has any suggestions for a source, I use a Pioneer DV 578a universal player for now and have thought about running it as a transport with an external dac, but am a bit overloaded to make a good choice. I have looked at the Dac Ah and Audio Mirror units as well as the Cal Audio Dacs. Others that have been suggestions were CIA Dac and power supply and a van Altine OmegaIII. I know just enough to get confused.

Should I get the dac and use the pioneer as a transport or should I get a new one box cdplayer. My budget is only about $350 to $400 at the most, the lite ah could be had for about $150 as can the Van Alstine.

Please help.

andy
brownsanandy
cmo
471 posts
 
I know this isn't really answering your question but......... I would strongly urge you to do some room treatments first; even if it's adding some furniture, wall hangings etc. With nothing on the walls and only a rug over hardwoods the acoustics must be kind of crazy. After you get the room tamed then see how the system sounds and go from there.

Chris
vegasears
1,173 posts
 
What ever you do don’t get a CAL Audio DAC. They are very expensive and the longer you have one the more it cost. I got rid of mine and I am still paying. You see it’s the tubes. It starts with a Tube DAC. Then you WILL say “This sounds really smooth” then you start thinking, will a tube pre amp add a little more of that warmth. The next thing you know shopping for tube mono blocks. Oh lets not forget the TUBE’s. All that tube rolling cost big bucks. I would love to tell you more but I gotta go answer door UPS is delivering some very rare NOS RCA Black Plate 12AT7’s.
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
perhaps your fatigue is caused by the amp, passive preamp, cables and/ or room ?

i think a tube component or 2 might help inspite of the costs of tubes. tubes do last a while, especially NOS.
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