Is the 7520 what I need?

[Spod]

Right then, I've read my way through the zillions of relevant pages on here, so I suspect I know the answer but I'm going to ask the question anyway as it would be good to get some confirmation before I start spending.

As I've mentioned in my intro I'm trying to breathe life into my limp, metallic Arcam CD37T CDP so I'm now thinking DAC (with the Arcam as transport). I'm after vocals that sound like the artist is singing in the room, rather than in the room playing a recording of themselves singing. But mostly I want to feel, even with medium pace music at moderate volumes, like I'm being repeatedly punched in the stomach. I get the vocals and a little of the violence with my ancient budget Sony CDP so I know the rest of the system (Nad C352 amp, Kef IQ5Se's) can deliver, but with the Sony I don't get the detail or soundstaging of the Arcam. i.e. I want the best of both worlds ... but preferably more so.

Contenders, based on price, ease of acquiring and comments on here and elsewhere, are the Beresford 7510, 7520 or the DacMagic. I get the distinct impression from reading through threads on here that the 7520 may be the closest to what I'm after and the DacMagic will be too genteel.

Or am I misguided and they will all take the sound in the wrong direction for me - I get the impression they'll sort out the vocals but are they all a bit too calm? Is there a different easily-available DAC at this price-point I should be considering instead?

Cheers for any input.

(Apologies if "being punched in the stomach" isn't the recognised term for what I'm after, but its the best description I can come up with! I'm not talking about ear-ripping shrieking or earth-shaking rumbling but inner blood-racing pit-of-the-stomach thumping .)

[Covenant]

Sorry I dont think you on the right track at all.
Dac's just replicate what is recorded. The differences between them are not huge and is nothing to do with bass slam.
It sounds like you need good old fashioned big floor standing speakers and a powerful amp.

[Dougr33]

Sorry I dont think you on the right track at all.
Dac's just replicate what is recorded. The differences between them are not huge and is nothing to do with bass slam.
It sounds like you need good old fashioned big floor standing speakers and a powerful amp.

You don't hear differences in bass reproduction in a given system between different DACs???

[Spod]

Its not bass in itself I'm after - the system I first heard/felt the effect on, better than I get now, involved Mission 701 standmounts with virtually zero bass compared to floorstander speakers I've used since - the lack of bass being why I don't want to go back to using the old speakers.
The amp I had then, now dead, also had a little less power than the Nad. And I never listen that loud anyway (semi-detached house volumes!).
Its more an excitement thing. The Arcam CDP successfully pulls it almost completely from the music, compared to the olde Sony.

[Covenant]

I still dont think you will achieve what you are after with a dac.
Have you considered active speakers?

[Dougr33]

Do you mean Arcam 73t? If so, I had that with your NAD. It's a very nice CD player, and while I'm loving the 7520, it certainly doesn't crush the Arcam or drastically alter the bass response. But I think it's a nice improvement overall, including bass.

[Spod]

Have you considered active speakers?

No, but I'll do some research, I'm thinking they're probably a tad more expensive than I'm looking to spend at this time, plus I'm rather fond of my Kefs.

It seems to me that as the Sony CDP takes me so much further along the path than the Arcam, and its a zillion miles from top-level/state-of-the-art, then logically there's further improvements to be made at this point in the chain.

Question is, will a DAC go in the right direction or back towards the Arcam in limpness. Or will it at least have the Sony excitement/natural vocals while improving soundstage and detail, which would be nice.
And if the DAC would go in right direction, which is the better one for me?

Do you mean Arcam 73t? If so, I had that with your NAD. It's a very nice CD player, and while I'm loving the 7520, it certainly doesn't crush the Arcam or drastically alter the bass response. But I think it's a nice improvement overall, including bass.

Yes, sorry, 73t (Sunderland won the FACup in '37 and '73, I always get them mixed up!). I really don't like the Arcam's sound. I was hoping the 7520 would change it, bringing natural vocals and boosting the excitement.

[NRG]

I don't agree with DACs just replicate the sound and there is very little difference between them. They can have a very significant impact on the sound and the only reason they may sound the same is due to data sheet engineering. I would suggest to the OP to take a look at some of the TDA kits available on Ebay as they will give a very different presentation to the BurrBrown, Wolfsen etc etc DAC's. A well sorted TDA based DAC will do exactly what the OP is looking for.

[Spod]

I don't agree with DACs just replicate the sound and there is very little difference between them. They can have a very significant impact on the sound and the only reason they may sound the same is due to data sheet engineering. I would suggest to the OP to take a look at some of the TDA kits available on Ebay as they will give a very different presentation to the BurrBrown, Wolfsen etc etc DAC's. A well sorted TDA based DAC will do exactly what the OP is looking for.

Sounds highly promising, but... wot? Tried sticking TDA into ebay and came up telephones, extension cables and a 4 drawer freezer.

[Covenant]

From the first post Spod was talking about 'getting punched in the stomach'.
If his system doesnt give that now a change of dac wont give it. Speakers that can move a lot of air will.