The DAC route?

[da2222]

Hi Guys

I have a very nice Lector 7 MK3 CDP and very much doubt I could better it with a stand alone CDP without spending crazy money. As an alternative I wondered if a 'standard' transport plus good DAC could offer more performance, and if so, what kind of outlay I would be looking at. I can't remember where, but some time ago I read that a transport plus good DAC could theoretically better most CDPs on the market. Nonsense or a possibility?

[Ali Tait]

I think you'd have to spend very serious wonga to better the Lector...

[da2222]

Most probably Ali...It has an almost analogue presentation which is very appealing indeed


I think you'd have to spend very serious wonga to better the Lector...

[Spectral Morn]

I think you'd have to spend very serious wonga to better the Lector...

+1

Separate transport and DAC is an approach fraught with potential issues the main ones are jitter and clocking errors. The choice of connecting cables also can affect the sound. In the main it was these issues that pretty much killed the two box approach until computer audio brought the DAC back to life again.

Thing is most budget DACS are computer centric in their main design goals and to get one that will do justice to red book CD playback as well will cost money and getting a good transport, a dedicated one will also cost money and these from new are now quiet rare beasts.

You could buy a S/H transport but that is a risky venture as replacement CD mechanisms for many older transports are now hard to get and expensive if available.

I am not sure what to suggest. Knowing your budget would be useful


Regards Neil

[StanleyB]

If it is a CDP, then we can safely accept that it is a 16bit/44.1kHz disc that will be played. At that bitrate and frequency, a decent modern day DAC would have no problem playing a disc with extremely low jitter and clocking errors. Modern day receiver and reclocking chips that are used in DACs are far superior than the chips used in a CDP for that purpose. Even less well known is that the CD format contains quite a bit of additional data that was designed to be decoded with "future" technology, where that technology did not exist at the time that the red book CD format was devised. CDP manufacturers experimented with that technology in the 80s' and 90's for a while, but it appears to have been abandoned in favour of higher bitrates and sampling rates.
I myself have gone back and revisited some of the technology that CD WAV files can be subjected to in order to get that additional info decoded. And most of those who have listened too their CD collection that way have not been disappointed with the results.
That's not to say that all modern DACs that can handle CD can also produce a good sound from it. I am still to recover from a spell of listening to a CDP through a DAC1.

[loonytunes]

... I am still to recover from a spell of listening to a CDP through a DAC1.

Stan, are you suitably impressed with the Benchmark DAC1?

[StanleyB]

Stan, are you suitably impressed with the Benchmark DAC1?Quite the opposite. Far too electronic and devoid of any warm spells.

[loonytunes]

Quite the opposite. Far too electronic and devoid of any warm spells.

Getting the best out of the DAC1 ... http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=137152