cd player vs soundcard

[ashish]

Currently I have a PC with Turtle Beach SantaCruz sound card.
Will a CD player like Nad C521i or Nad C541i provide significantly better quality than my soundcard ?

 

[Zanth]

Yes

 

[grinch]

definitely. unless you really get into it and buy an outboard dac, the cdp will always beat the balls off of any computer setup.

 

[briano]

BTW, the Santa Cruz has a digital out. If you have an average home theater amp, you can wire it to the amp digital in. Then you are using the Amplifier's D/A converter instead of the sound card. Wired this way, you will get the full quality of the Amp. Plus, no hum from ground loops.

 

[ashish]

Thank you all for your replies.

How is NAD C541i/NAD C521i in comparison with Marantz CD6000 OSE LE ?

 

[Whitebread]

Well, would it matter what card you have as long as you use the digital out? The card wouldn't have to process anything, just send the signal from the CD player to the digital out and to the receiver, right? I'm debating getting a DMX 6fire or a CD play, for 250 or cheeper. Which one will sound better when playin CDs?

 

[lan]

Quote:

Originally posted by Whitebread Well, would it matter what card you have as long as you use the digital out? The card wouldn't have to process anything, just send the signal from the CD player to the digital out and to the receiver, right? I'm debating getting a DMX 6fire or a CD play, for 250 or cheeper. Which one will sound better when playin CDs?

If all you're doing is sending Digital I/O, get a cheaper soundcard. I like the Audiophile 24/96. Some soundcards introduce more jitter into the datastream than others.

When we're talking better, I'm not sure the differences are that huge. Afterall at this price range, the stuff in a CD player can't be super.

 

[grinch]

Quote:

Originally posted by Whitebread I'm debating getting a DMX 6fire or a CD play, for 250 or cheeper. Which one will sound better when playin CDs?

as i said above, a cd player will always sound better than a pc.

also, the dac's in integrated amplifiers usually aren't that hot, so i wouldn't rely on those to give you quality audio.

 

[scottder]

On the topic of less expensive CD players is there any decent Redbook player in the $250-$300 range. I have no real Redbook source at home, save the DVD player in the living room and the CD-ROM in the PC in the Den. Working on building a decent yet inexpensive listening station for home. (Looking at buying and building a Bottlehead Foreplay as a Pre amp for this setup.)

Scott