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I have a very midfi system:Sony DVP500s SACD/DVD Player
Cambridge Audio a300 v2 intergrated
Paradigm Monitor 7se
Sota Sapphire w RB250 & Shure V15
Musical Surroundings PheonomenaI am looking at doing an upgrade and am thinking that the CD player is the weakest link. I have about 700 USD to spend
Am I better to use the sony as a transport and an external DAC or should I just go for a new CD player?
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I was in nearly the same situation. Same Sony, then Arcam and Martin Logan. I went with the Benchmark DAC-1. IT's a little above your price range at 1K. But, there a DAC-2 rumoured, so maybe some upgraders will sell and you can pick one up used :)
The Sony is a perfectly fine transport for the DAC-1. Stereophile even recommends the Tosh 3950 as a transport for it. The DAC-1 was Sterophile "Editors Choice" for 2004.For me it was the perfect choice.
Sounds great. CD on the DAC-1 sounds better than SACD on the Sony.
I can also drive the DAC-1 from my PC server (Three sets of inputs).
It can decode 24/96 DVD-V/A stereo tracks.
I got a great Headphone amp.
There's no fuss. I wasn't willing to deal with batteries, or odd output voltages, or modding new purchases. Buy it. Plug it in.
Finally, If I want to upgrade to a new SACD player or other new format, I don't have to worry about it's CD performance.
Have 3 CDP's: the same CA unit, Eastsound and Tosh 3960. First there are levels way beyond the CA 300. So either way you go you can expect a solid improvement.But don't dismiss the CA as a transport. There are quite a few who are using DVD players like the Tosh 3960 as transport and are getting very good results. I would take the 300 over the Tosh as transport over any of those cheap DVD players.
Much better build quality and I'm sure you already know how fast it loads, especially in comparison to the 3960 which takes an eternity to load.
Oops! You've got the amp not CDP. Still don't waste your time on a cheap DVD player, what you have should work just fine.
Depends on your priorities. If you're interested in the best sound you can get for the least amount of money then a good dac would be just the ticket. However, if how your system sounds and LOOKS matters, I would go with a really good value one box player like the Eastern Electric Minimax or the Jolida JD100, which you should be able to find on Audiogon. I only bring this up because I've gone down the path of best sound only... a dac here, a power supply there, a tube buffer here, wires everywhere... a system that sounded great but looked like a garage science project gone bad. Just something to keep in mind.
Ever hear the saying "throwing good money after bad?" That's exactly what you'd be doing by adding a DAC to a CD player/transport you already regard as subpar.I'd get the current player out of the system completely and re-start with a good transport/DAC combination or a good CD player.
If the sound of that CD player seems not to measure up for you now, it's not likely to do so as a transport.
I disagree that with the above statement. Just because you don't like the Sony as a complete player does not in any way effect its performance as a stand-alone transport. As long as it can read discs bit-perfectly, a good reclocking DAC is worth its weight in gold. It's also great for future upgradeability.
I do not mean to imply that transports are inconsequential, I just believe that the DAC is more important.One word of caution though: in your system, it is impossible (without modifications) to pass SACD and DVD-A to an external DAC without downsampling first. Not sure if that matters to you or not.
When I had my mid-fi system the Adcom CD changer was the weak link. Adding a decent external DAC made a HUGE improvement even though that Adcom CD changer wasn't exactly an outstanding transport. I agree, the DAC will make a bigger improvement vs a better transport and is often more cost effective than swapping out the entire CD player.Unfortunately, there are several weak links in most any system with small incremental improvements to be made along the way piece at a time.
Thanks for the replies. What DAC are you using or recommend for $700 or less.Oh and I realise I will loose SACD but seeing as I have only two that aren't hybrids it is not a big loss. (or with a DAC I could double wire analog out for SACD digital to the DAC)
People seem to like the Benchmark DAC1 ($975) but I have no experience with it. The DAC that I used several years ago with my Adcom CD changer was the MSB Gold Link III but I think you can do better today for less money.
For $700 you might have to check out audiogon or the DIY community. For a little more, the popular recommendation is the Benchmark DAC1 @ $1,000. Couple that with a $150-ish DVD player and you'll still have a few hundred dollars in hand as compared to a Denon 3910.ps-I have no personal experience with the DAC1, I have just read and heard a lot about it. Be wary of the claims of "zero-jitter" and "complete transport insignificance" though. They're not doing anything radically new and different, they're just good at spinning it that way.
Tweak the player and buy a new dac. I'm using a Apogee Mini Dac in my mobile rig that would match your Sony very nicely. Tweaking the Sony is easy.1. Add Furutech gold plated copper iec and reaplce the powercord with at least a 12ga pc.
2. Add parallel filter (the diy noise hound is fantastic....see below).
3. Upgrade filter caps.
4. Add dampening to the chassis and transport (use Microsorb under the transport, use Microsorb on the top cover with a layer of TI Shield for RF shielding....ground the shield).
5. Replace stock feet with Vibrapods.
6. Upgrade digital out to a Canare 75 ohm rca or bnc.DIY Noise Hound Parallel Filter:
2 - .1uf Multicap PPMFX 600v
2 - .22uf Multicap PPMFX 600v
2 - .47uf Multicap PPMFX 600v
2 - 1.0uf Multicap PPMFX 600vPlace the caps from smallest to largest value. Solder the caps to a 18ga copper or silver lead wire. Solder the filter to the iec from the smallest cap value (.1uf). If you purchase the caps from Mike Percy you'll notice a black dot on one side of the cap. The black dot should be wired on the neutral side of the iec.
...a new external DAC will have a bigger effect on the overall performance of his player than all of your listed mods combined. I'm not saying the mods don't work... I'm just saying he will get a bigger bang for the buck with an outboard DAC.
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