Chris--I didn't try anything else, since, as I said, all other DACs appear to use the same up- or over-sampling devices. I'm sure I'll get an argument on this score, but that's my feeling.
As for trying other components, I'd like to know how this realistically can be done. I imagine if I lived in a major metropolitan area there would be shops more than anxious to lend equipment for home trial (although even under those circumstances possibly excluding components as new and rare as the DAC64?), but this is impossible in my town of approx. 35K population. As for auditioning equipment in a shop, I feel this is a lost cause. Room acoustics, equipment combinations,limited audition time,etc.
strike me as making it highly misleading. Chances of getting equipment/room mixes representative of one's actual home environment are slim and none.
No, I may be crazy to do so, but I rely on the "golden ears" of the audio mags, primarily TAS. I can't recall a time when I have been led astray by this method, every component "upgrade" being just that: an upgrade, however subtle. Sometimes there is a more-than-subtle improvement, like the DAC64 accompanied by the CEC transport. (I'm not truly convinced that, as declared in TAS recently, the belt drive feature makes a lot of difference, but the CEC is truly a joy to look at, listen to, and simply to use. Perhaps it's the rather retro feature---the "ritual", if you will---of sliding the glass cover back, removing the weighted platter, placing the CD on the "turntable", etc. that I enjoy.)
As for your question regarding the performance of the Chord, I replaced a Wadia 830 (retail of about $3800 as I recall)with the Chord/CEC combo (for about $6000) and I certainly don't regret the expenditure. It's my feeling that since we are obviously "stuck" with some sort of digital format, at least for the forseeable future, we must go as far as is affordable toward getting the most out of the recordings that we have. Otherwise, we may as well pursue another hobby (read: "addiction").If I could be convinced that a Burmester 001 is another substantial step up, I'd seriously consider its purchase; I'm happy for now, however.
Jim
As for trying other components, I'd like to know how this realistically can be done. I imagine if I lived in a major metropolitan area there would be shops more than anxious to lend equipment for home trial (although even under those circumstances possibly excluding components as new and rare as the DAC64?), but this is impossible in my town of approx. 35K population. As for auditioning equipment in a shop, I feel this is a lost cause. Room acoustics, equipment combinations,limited audition time,etc.
strike me as making it highly misleading. Chances of getting equipment/room mixes representative of one's actual home environment are slim and none.
No, I may be crazy to do so, but I rely on the "golden ears" of the audio mags, primarily TAS. I can't recall a time when I have been led astray by this method, every component "upgrade" being just that: an upgrade, however subtle. Sometimes there is a more-than-subtle improvement, like the DAC64 accompanied by the CEC transport. (I'm not truly convinced that, as declared in TAS recently, the belt drive feature makes a lot of difference, but the CEC is truly a joy to look at, listen to, and simply to use. Perhaps it's the rather retro feature---the "ritual", if you will---of sliding the glass cover back, removing the weighted platter, placing the CD on the "turntable", etc. that I enjoy.)
As for your question regarding the performance of the Chord, I replaced a Wadia 830 (retail of about $3800 as I recall)with the Chord/CEC combo (for about $6000) and I certainly don't regret the expenditure. It's my feeling that since we are obviously "stuck" with some sort of digital format, at least for the forseeable future, we must go as far as is affordable toward getting the most out of the recordings that we have. Otherwise, we may as well pursue another hobby (read: "addiction").If I could be convinced that a Burmester 001 is another substantial step up, I'd seriously consider its purchase; I'm happy for now, however.
Jim