Help with dac selection please.

[Martinh]

Wow, thanks for the replies and suggestions.

Looks like I've got quite a few options to consider:

1. Go 2 channel with a new ~£500 amp and something like the bushmaster on the front end. Amp needs remote control to keep everyone happy, so Bantams would not be an option, sadly.

2. Try and find a "musical" AVR at a reasonable price.

3. Investigate the possibilities with my current amp i.e. check out the analogue inputs/bypassing the built-in dac.

4. Try adding an integrated (or power) amp to my current system, using my current AVR as a preamp.

5. Any other options?


In the meantime, I'm going to have a play with my current AVR - I've got a couple of Denon 1920 DVD players in the loft (don't ask) that supposedly have pretty good dacs built-in.

I could use a 1920 player, fed into the AVR analogue input and compare this with the same tracks played through the Apple tv2s optical output. Should give me a sense of what is possible without spending any cash at this stage.

What do you think?

Martin

[bobbasrah]

For the price of a decent RCA interconnect? Um, yes.

[Mr.Ian]

I think there is a need to go back to reviewing what you are trying to achieve.

A high quality combined music/AV system with ease of use is going to be expensive. A full blown Meridian system would probably do the trick for you but even second hand you are likely to be talking £5000 rather than £500.

There are going to have to be compromises, be it music quality, ease of use or spend.

On the ease of use front upgrading the AVR is the easiest route but finding one that's sounds good is going to be a real challenge. I have an MC12 but I don't use it for music, actually its not bad, but even the standard Caiman is better.

Adding pre amps, power amps etc etc will be cheaper but it will require more switching and unless you move to units that are fully remote controllable and then but something like a Harmony remote, its not going to be easy to power up and use.

By the time I have switched on the source, the processor, the pre amp, the power amps, the cooling fans, the display and all in the correct order mine is not an easy system to use. The dac is on 24/7.

One other option you might want to consider is a Beresford TC7220. This would allow you to keep the existing set up for AV/Music but add a HiFi Dac and Integrated with manual volume control for more serious music session. Most sources offer optical and coaxial out so one set would feed the av receiver and the other the dac.

Your speakers are pretty efficient so a low power low cost class D amp such as the Bantam would work.

The other option is to look for a class D amp with more than one input and a remote. This way you could also feed the front line out of the processor into the hifi pre and get sound improvements on both (but with loss of ease of use). search on ebay for Class T remote in the consumer electronics category.

Do you need ease of use all the time or just some of the time ?

[Mr.Ian]

For the price of a decent RCA interconnect? Um, yes.

definitely worth a try - and don't forget the source direct button too

[Martinh]

I'm off to the loft right now to see what I can find...

Martin

[Martinh]

OK, here's what I've got:

Denon 1930 DVD/CD player.
Cable talk purple interconnects.
Cambridge audio P55 integrated.

The denon and cable are connected and warming up...

Martin

[Martinh]

Yahooo, we have a solution.

I took your advice (thanks chaps) and connected the DVD player to the analogue inputs of the pioneer AVR and compared the results with the same tracks via the apple tvs optical output.

The results were not really much different, the DVDs analogue out sounded less focussed and the bottom end was a bit loose. The apple tv sounded much tighter and more controlled in comparison. I listened to a number of albums, ranging from pop stuff to gorillaz, eagles, pink floyd etc.

Both ways sounded very lackluster, lacking in scale, rhythm and dynamics - OK but not great.

This morning I connected up my old Cambridge P55 integrated amp (£400yonks ago) and it all sounds magnificent!

Music hasn't sounded this good in my house for a long, long time.

The P55 has a very smooooth top end and a big wobbly bottom end (!) thats very easy on the ear indeed. I've been listening to the same tracks again and it's a revelation!

Maybe it's a bit long in the tooth and hasn't got a remote, but the P55 still sounds great!

Anyone know of a good £4-500 amp (new or second hand) that would give me a similar smooth presentation?

Thanks so far,

Martin

[bobbasrah]

Wow. Unexpected result, but vindicates your previous view of the Pio if the old Cambridge can better it.... The P55 will be better known around here as a benchmark to make recommendations I would think....

It sounds as if the Pio may be better put up for sale if you can get a decent price for it, which should give a bit more in the kitty... Meanwhile you can use the Cambridge and rethink the surround aspect. It may be worth re-evaluating whether surround is really necessary....

[Martinh]

Hi all,

Can anyone recommend a decent 1m interconnect for around £20-30?

Perhaps one that I can pick up locally?

Cheers,

Martin