Digital Front End: Critical Listening

yep, learned this from personal experience as well. moving up in digital didn't really net much for me... small differences for big bucks.

I know what you guys are saying is true but recently wehn I tried a few different preamps in my system one really changed my system significantly versus the others having mreo of this or more of that. Also when I had my ystem build around the B&W Matrix 803 speakers, differences were not that great. Now the system could be the limiting factor so before you make your decision, try a differnt DAC like the ELectrocompaniet and see what it does in your system for example and see what you hear with it. If it does not change the sound you are hearing (maybe not significantly but for the better over the Marantz) then your system could be the limiting factor.

Just my opinion and guessing at best.

This really is the law of diminishing returns. The jump from an off-the-shelf Radio Shack player to Marantz is more than worth the differance in cost.

But, having made that jump, is the differance between your Marantz and 'high end' worth the extra dollars?

Probably not, working from some kind of a linear 'bang-for-dollar'equation. It is kinda like the fellow who has a very decent stereo system who goes shopping for a $5,000-$10,000 improvement and finds it.....and then comes home and re-listens to his existing system and says, "okay, what I just auditioned does sound better but not $5,000-$10,000 better".

I admit to paying 200% more for 50% increae in quality. I am, however not crazy to pay 800% more for 25% improvement in quality, although I too, have my dreams. The only solution has to do with your own sense of value. I know lots of people who believe in going to consumer reports and finding the highest rated name-brand unit and buying it and that-is-that. I come here to audiogon and I research what opinions I can from prople I respect and then I try to give it a listen and, if I agree I buy it, and I stop looking.

I have done more experimenting with digital sources than any other part of my system. I'm not a big experiementer, so this isn't saying a lot, but I've probably tried six different digital front ends a serious listen. I just have never found the differences to be big. The only front end I've heard what I thought to be a significant difference was a Muse Model 9 Signature player - it was still largely a qualitative difference, and one that I'd have been hard pressed to a/b differentiate.

For me, I either haven't heard or don't buy that a high-end transport or a high-quality digital cable is going to make enough difference to warrant the cost. There do appear to be some differences in DACs, but I attribute this mostly to voicing and preference.

Many will tell you that your system isn't resolving enough, your ears not trained enough, etc., and they may be right. For me, I have found it both liberating and cheaper to accept that there just isn't much difference.

I agree with the above posts. The different in digital is small.

I'm not starting fire,but digital VS analog is a big different.