Is this experience an Abnormality with a DAC? (& MF Tibe Buffer X10 V3?)

[Hershon2000]

I realize nothing seems to be a given in the wonderful world of audio but I'm a bit confused on something here & hopefully someone will clue me in. If you read some of my other posts, I just got a Musical Fidelity Tube Buffer X-10 V3 & its fantastic & makes a night & day improvement on my audio sound. My current Pioneer PD-59 CD player for which the Tube Buffer made the analog sound totally amazing, has in fact a lousy, mediocore at best internal DAC, which is why I always played it through optic cable before. Anyway, I'm hoping once I have the money to upgrade to a Musical Fidelity X-10 V3 DAC which I am assured by alot of people will improve my new fantastic sound some more. In the meantime though, as a stop gap, I got an Entech 203.2 Number Cruncher external DAC, which has gotten very good reviews, for $60 new on Ebay- it lists for $300. However, when I use the 203.2 while it doesn't sound bad, in fact it sounds a bit forced & in your face, as opposed to the more natural relaxed sound of listening without it. The 203.2 is connected to the cd player buy digital cable only & analog cable to the Tube Buffer which is connected by analog RCA cables to my receiver. If I connect it direct, it goes from analog cables of my CD player to the tube buffer to analog cables to my receiver. As my internal CD DAC is not very good, how come the sound is slightly worse adding the 203.2? Will the same thing happen once I get the Musical Fidelity X-10 V3 DAC?

[granodemostasa]

hi
only your ears can decide if something is worth it. in the mean time, dacs in the under 300 category all may or may not sound better than a mid-fi piece of equipment, depending on the set up... i never gave any serious thougth to the number cruncher as others have... however, the music fidelity dac is certainly in another league.

[kool bubba ice]

Originally Posted by Hershon2000

I realize nothing seems to be a given in the wonderful world of audio but I'm a bit confused on something here & hopefully someone will clue me in. If you read some of my other posts, I just got a Musical Fidelity Tube Buffer X-10 V3 & its fantastic & makes a night & day improvement on my audio sound. My current Pioneer PD-59 CD player for which the Tube Buffer made the analog sound totally amazing, has in fact a lousy, mediocore at best internal DAC, which is why I always played it through optic cable before. Anyway, I'm hoping once I have the money to upgrade to a Musical Fidelity X-10 V3 DAC which I am assured by alot of people will improve my new fantastic sound some more. In the meantime though, as a stop gap, I got an Entech 203.2 Number Cruncher external DAC, which has gotten very good reviews, for $60 new on Ebay- it lists for $300. However, when I use the 203.2 while it doesn't sound bad, in fact it sounds a bit forced & in your face, as opposed to the more natural relaxed sound of listening without it. The 203.2 is connected by either optical or coaxal cable to the Tube Buffer which is connected by analog RCA cables to my receiver. If I connect it direct, it goes from analog cables of my CD player to the tube buffer to analog cables to my receiver. As my internal CD DAC is not very good, how come the sound is slightly worse adding the 203.2? Will the same thing happen once I get the Musical Fidelity X-10 V3 DAC?

Depending on your price range, I would really forgo the XDAC3.. You need the XPSU & the X10-3 (which you already have) to really make the DAC sing...

[Hershon2000]

I should have mentioned I also added (just ordered) the "Little pinkie" which Kool Bubba & others have recommended to use instead of the PSU but am a little confused with what your saying about the MF Dac. I guess that X -DACV3 is the major leagues as opposed to the number cruncher being Little League & it looks like I'll have to save for that.

[educator]

Originally Posted by Hershon2000

The 203.2 is connected by either optical or coaxal cable to the Tube Buffer which is connected by analog RCA cables to my receiver.

Does the tube buffer have a digital input?

[Hershon2000]

The X-10 V3 tube buffer just has analog inputs & outputs.

[educator]

Then you don't connect the 203.2 to the tube buffer with an optical cable. Generally coaxial cables are digital also.

[Hershon2000]

I don't understand what you are saying. The 203.2 is connected to the Tube Buffer by analog cable only. The only digital connection is you must use a digital cable to connect your cd player to the 203.2 input.

[hciman77]

Originally Posted by Hershon2000

I don't understand what you are saying. The 203.2 is connected to the Tube Buffer by analog cable only.

That is not what you said in your original post

I got an Entech 203.2 Number Cruncher external DAC... The 203.2 is connected by either optical or coaxal cable to the Tube Buffer which is connected by analog RCA cables to my receiver.

As for your preference of having the 203.2 out of the loop. Are you talking about a direct connection from CD player analog out to Tube-buffer to receiver. So you prefer

CD analog......Tube buffer..........Receiver analog in to

CD Digital.......203.2........Tube Buffer.........receiver analog in

I am wholly confused as to why you put another DAC into the loop. I would have though that the tube buffer would have been the strongest influence on the sound and as you liked the pioneer DAC when filtered through the Tube buffer but not as straight analog.

[Hershon2000]

Thanks for pointing this out I'll try to reedit the original post so it makes sense. My mistake I should have proofread it
In regards to why I was using both an external DAC & a tube buffer, the DAc in my Pioneer PD-59 by itself is mediocore at best & produces mediocore sound. Somehow the sound when connected direct to the tube buffer is amazing. Therefore I thought that if I add an external DAc to my CD player & then connected this to my Tube Buffer the sound would be even better. It wasn't. Supposidly if I add a great DAc like the Musical Fidelity X=DAC V3, it will be.