New to dac/cd transport concept

8260 will not output a digital signal when SACD is playing. you can use the analog outputs of your 8260 to listen to SACD and at the same time have a digital cable going from 8260 to a separate dac for redbook playback. you just need to use 2 different inputs on your preamp, one for dac and one for 8260. Of course you will have to have 2 sets of anlog interconnects as well if you want to do this, unless you are going to switch them between the dac and the player.

IMO, if you get a good used dac, playing a redbook disc on it will most likely blow away the 8260 playing the same disc SACD version, so you will have no desire to listen to SACDs on it.

You might very well get some improvement on CD with a separate DAC, but I would try to borrow one before taking the plunge. There have been steady improvements with CD over the years and some current budget players can equal or exceed the top DACs of yesteryear. With respect to SACD, forget about an outboard DAC. The digital signal is different and requires a special transport and DAC. EMM Labs makes such a combo but you're talking many thousands. Other campanies may be producing similar, but they are still expensive.

>>There are no outboard DACS that will decode the DSD datastream of SACD.
>>You will not find a high end Transport DAC combination that will play SACD as it is a proprietary format.

Where did you get this from? There are several transport/DAC combos that play SACD, including but not limited to EMM Labs, Esoteric, dCS, MBL and you'll find many others by searching around in here.

Osgorth,

What connections are these manufactures using from the transport to DAC. I am interested as my DAC is DSD capible but only has RCA and optical inputs.

Thank you

I can't answer you there I'm afraid, since I have no experience with any of them. :) I play only regular CDs for now.

Check out the thread called "Reference DACs - an overall perspective"-something and ask the guys in there, they are very knowledgeable.