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DAC to match $2-3K CD player

Listened to the Rolling Stones' Beggars Banquet last night--first streaming Apple Lossless files via Squeezebox Duet, then on my Naim CD5x. Of course, with the bare Squeezebox and no external DAC, there was no comparison. What I'm wondering is how far up the DAC food chain would you need to start looking to match the sound quality of a $2-3K dedicated player? (I tried a Musical Fidelity V-DAC in my office and was unimpressed, so I'm not looking for a giant killer.) I'm not going all digital any time soon, so my question is really out of curiosity and to start a conversation if anyone else is interested.
afranta
audiowoman
249 posts
 
We have the Wyred for Sound Dac 2, listened on the weekend to a nearly decade old Classe CDP 1.5 and a brand new Arcam CD 17. Dac 2 through Squeezebox was the best sounding by a very small margin. It's a bit more up front in it's presentation compared to the Classe which is very smooth sounding. Mind you the Dac 2 has only about 50 hours on it thus far. We are liking it very, very much!
smholl
190 posts
 
Afranta- W4S DAC-1 has more detail (don't take that as harsh, etchy)and bass is more solid. CD5x tended to call attention to some parts of the audio spectrum, while seeming to attenuate others. Not knocking the CD5x, I had it for about 2 years and enjoyed the sound.
But as I started to get more and more into ripping CD's and purchased the DAC-1 to go with the Duet, I was using the CD5X less. I enjoyed the ripped CD going through the Duet/DAC-1 more than listening to the same CD through the CD5x. Just a matter of preference I suppose.
plinko
256 posts
 
Smholl, I have read your comments with great interest. What is the rest of your system? Thanks.
afranta OP
180 posts
 
Thanks, Smholl (and Audiowoman). I've begun ripping my cds, and your description of the W4S dac makes me think that maybe I'm closer to going that route than I thought ...
devilboy
1,176 posts
 
Big surprise coming from D'boy......A $5,000 dac will SMOKE a $2-3K player going from a transport or, here's another one.....a hard drive. To the OP: Is $2-3K really what you consider on par with a source feeding a $5,000 dac? What dacs have you heard that can't compete with a $2-3K cdp? I'd love to know.
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