Best Digital Source That Money Can Buy?


(1) Either single unit CD Player or Transport/DAC combo.

(2) no modded units please, only factory stock models

(3) please rank them if you can

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A few come to my mind:

EMM Labs, DCC2 SE + CDSA SE combo
Esoteric, P-03/D-03/G-0Rb combo
Wadia, 581 Pro
...
abe_av
has anyone compared these esoteric and expensive products to an amr 77 ? if so what were the results ?

it helps to have a personal criterion for the designation "best". in my case, best means, least timbrally inaccurate, relative to the sound of an instrument, not the sound of a recording.
I wonder has anyone compared the top players with some of the smaller exclusive brands like the Soulution 740 or the Vitus SCD-010 player???

I have the Emm Labs CDSA player and a friend of mine compared it to the DCS Puccini. He enjoyed the mids and high from the DCS much better than the Emm Labs but the Emm Labs had much better bass. (With his system of course).

I wonder if the Vitus and/or Soulution would be the best of both worlds?
I forgot to mention that my friend used the DCS Puccini directly into his poweramps. Wonder if you put it through a pre the bass would improve????
JB0194, you mention that you agree with Newly.....

are you saying that you think that the DCS Puccini is 'best' compared to the others that Newly mentioned.....which infers he has compared these units?

Without any doubt the best today available digital front is dCS Scarlatti, forget Payback designs, EMM labs, Zanden and others toys, I dont own it, but if one day I have the money..., and sorry I have one EMM labs combo that is vey good

or that you really like the Puccini and prefer it to others you have heard?

these are two quite different things to say. i am still waiting for Newly to answer DCstep's question about whether Newly has actually compared the Puccini to those he mentions or is he just guessing.....specifically has he compared the Puccini to the Playback Designs (which has only been on the market since mid-June).

btw; the Puccini may be best but i have not done any comparisons to venture an opinion about that.
Mrtennis; a friend did recently take delivery of his Playback Designs, a few weeks later he sold his AMR-77. i believe his AMR was not the very latest version.

we discussed his opinion but as it is second hand info i don't think i should post it.