Use a gDVD/CD player as transport with a good DAC?

I can't comment, because I'm in the process of trying the same thing. I haven't found a DAC that I could use yet. But I have heard the same thing. I think the D/A converter in most DVD players is garbage. So using a separate DAC would fix that. I've been looking on the used market and I think the Bel Canto DAC2 would be a really good one. Although it's a little expensive. I also would be interested to hear anyone's respones about how it changes the sound. (A lot of a little)

Even better, get a cheap Sony SACD player and do the same thing. Then you can have your cake (standard CD's through the dac) and eat it too (the great SACD's through the analogue output of the Sony).

Unfortunately, that transport combination will not do any really good DAC justice. We have domonstated time and time again how a better transport in most cases makes a more siginificant difference than moving up one or two grdes in DAC's> As an example, we got better results using a $2950 transport with a $1500 DAC than we did using a $999 transport with a $5-8k DAC. We have also compared and used an inexpensive well built $999 transport in place of expensive cd players & DVD players used as transports, and always found the dedicated transport to sound better. We also have had many customers tell us the same thing. Your friend was right though, it is a cheap way to get into it and can upgrade later.