2. digital
  3. 998442935

Buy a DAC or buy an SACD player?

O.K guys and gals...help me out here. I love my Odyssey
Stratus amp, I love my BAT VK3i pre-amp, and I love my
Hales T-5 speakers, so now it's time to upgrade my source.
I am currently using a Sony DVP S7000 as my CD player, and
want something better. Should I buy a DAC (if so, which one?) or should I invest $550 in a Sony SCD 333 ES or
similar SACD player (and have it upgraded)? I have about 400 redbook CD's, many of them HDCD, and of course, no SACD's. I want to spend under $1000 and really be able to hear the difference. What to do?
Thanks,
Dave
Ag insider logo xs@2xdave43
genesis168's avatar
genesis168
409 posts
 
DAC! MSB link dac 3 w/HDCD option. SACD may sound fantastic but most of their players do not do CD's well.
ton1313
272 posts
 
I also have a startos. I am using a CAL Alpha DAC with 1963 GE Long Plate Tubes. I love my DAC, it has let me know there is more to CD's than you've previously heard. As far as SACD, there is not a whole lot of titles out there. The SACD format is amazing, I've heard it on a Sony 9000 DVD/SACD player. It sounds great for SACD, but I feel your current CD selection will benefit from a DAC. Wait a year or two till they have a combo SACD/DVDA player. There are a lot of reasonable DAC's out there, but a Tube DAC will let you change the sound.

Regards
dweller's avatar
dweller
3,781 posts
 
MSB Platinum DAC (around $3000) and another $600 to mod your CD player with MSB 192khz interface. In my book, SACD goin' no where (I own an SACD player -can't get decent soft stuff).
More to discover