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I need help - Better DAC or NEW CD player?

I am in the middle of purchasing some components for my new system, unfortunately, reading posts on a rainy night on Audigon only makes my "upgradeatitis" syndrom more acute.

The problem is that some time ago, I bought a squeezebox Duet, to use as transport for lossless files. The idea obviously was to get a good DAC to go along with it.

The one I was almost set on was the Dacmagic, which gets very good reviews here and almost everywhere you look. But, on the other hand, I am willing to spend a little more......Now, the thing is my current CD player is a Rotel RCD 1072, and was wondering whether this Dacmagic would give me any improvements if I use the rotel as a transport for it.

Or, I could get for example a Wyred DAC or a Benchmark DAC1 and use the Rotel for transport, but I dont know the limits of the Rotel as transport alone, I dont want to spend 600 more bucks on a better DAC to be fed with 2 "not so good" transports (the Duet and the Rotel).

So I am kinda stuck!! On the other hand I am contemplating getting the Dacmagic to use only for the Duet, and getting a new better CD player altogether, which puts me into another doubt, I dont know if the little money I can for the rotel + lets say 1000 more will really give me any improvements in the system if I purchase a whole new CD player since the Rotel is said to be very capable.

FWIW my amp will be a W4S STI500 and speakers are B&W 803D.

Let me know what you think about this and your suggestions on what you would do.... thanks in advance for all your help!
demianm
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,428 posts
 
"The Benchmark is not really async, but adaptive if I understand it"

- You don't. Benchmark resamples data with new asynchronous clock.

"you contradicted yourself. First you said that transports won't make a difference. Now you are saying Once you have different transports all bets are off".

- No I did not. Transports don't make any difference as long as they are "bit transparent". Cheap DVD player might deliver the same performance with Benchmark as expensive transport - not true with other non-jitter rejecting DACs where sound quality is proportional to transport quality (jitter). CDP with dirty or weak laser (or digital volume control or DSP processing etc) might not be "bit transparent". I was merely trying to understand how you can hear -160dB.

I will also restate that spdif cable quality does not make any difference with Benchmark.
4est
507 posts
 
Sorry Swanny,

That wasn't meant as a nitpick, but a by the by sort of thing. Async USB is new, and it gets thrown out there a lot. I was just trying to stay accurate with my posts.

Mapman,

It is entirely relevant when you say that you do not understand or can't hear it. Benchmark is a great product, but you do the OP and others a disservice leading them to believe it is perfect or that transports don't matter. They do. A poor transport will cripple any DAC. A poorly set up server can suck too- even if it is bit perfect. Itunes is bit perfect, Pure music sounds better and it is bit perfect too. Presumably Amarra is better yet, but I don't want to spend that much on software. There is complicated math that goes on in the conversion processes that mates with important clocks. It is amazing anything close to music comes out at all. I don't pretend to understand it all, but I have repeatable evidence. Different systems with similar results on various DACs. YMMV
4est
507 posts
 
Kijanki-

You do no understand async then my friend. For it to be asynchronous the dac would have to control the cpu and it does not. I am not saying it is bad. Async USB is Ayre, dCS, Wavelength and some adapters give or take a few. Firewire is intrinsically async. I don't want to get into a battle over the sounds of cables or whether or not they matter or wheter or not async usb is better than adaptive. It is pointless. If I may use your own words from your virtual system:

"I enjoy the sound a lot, especially Hyperion speakers but my experience in Audio is too limited to make any judgments or claims."

Mine is not. I was around when fancy cables came out. I couldn't hear it then, but I can in today's designs. Quit trying to be an armchair digital engineer by quoting specs. Sonics trump numbers, besides Elias of Benchmark is plenty capable of defending his product (and helpful to boot)!
sufentanil's avatar
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sufentanil
782 posts
 
Demianm,

To get back to your original question, your Rotel is a pretty decent CD player. I haven't heard the DAC Magic but suspect that it's likely a lateral move from the Rotel. Maybe someone who has heard both can comment much more intelligently.

If I were you, I would get a DAC as opposed to a new CD player because it gives you the opportunity to both play CD's (through your Rotel CD player via a digital link to your DAC) and to player computer-based audio. Thus, it's much more versatile, unless you get one of those relatively rare CD players that does have digital inputs.

Now, the question of which DAC to get is much more nebulous. You can search the archives here and you will be given a number of different choices, and that includes the Benchmark and Bel Canto mentioned above, and numerous others.

If you're happy with your W4S amp, then you might consider trying the W4S DAC. They've built a reputation as a high value manufacturer. And they do offer a 30 day money-back guarantee, but with a 15% charge according to their website. So you could at least have the peace of mind that it is returnable (and likely easily sellable on Audiogon) for not too much less than the cost of the DAC. I say go for it.

Michael
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,428 posts
 
"For it to be asynchronous the dac would have to control the cpu and it does not."

I'm not sure where you're getting this stuff from. Asynchronous sampling just means that two clocks are not related. I modestly mentioned limited experience in audio but I know electronics.

Read this datasheet: http://www.analog.com/static/imported-files/data_sheets/AD1896.pdf - (upsampler used in Benchmark DAC1) and look at the title. It says "Asynchronous sample rate converter".

"Quit trying to be an armchair digital engineer by quoting specs." - you really puzzled me with this one. Now I don't know what to admire more - your ignorance or your rudeness.
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