[Calle]

I have been searching the net for a good CD player, but I also need a DAC. I found these two solutions but would be good to hear some thoughts on this. On a side note... The Blu has a DAC built in, so why do they use the DAC64 combo in different reviews around the net?

Other fine CD players w/ DAC are also welcome in this thread. As I wrote in my last topic... It's the friggin noob from Denmark!

 

[Jon L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calle /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have been searching the net for a good CD player, but I also need a DAC. I found these two solutions but would be good to hear some thoughts on this. On a side note... The Blu has a DAC built in, so why do they use the DAC64 combo in different reviews around the net? Other fine CD players w/ DAC are also welcome in this thread. As I wrote in my last topic... It's the friggin noob from Denmark!

Sorry for your wallet, but there's a recent review of the Chord Choral Blue and Choral DAC 64 ($15,400 combo) in Stereophile, which is quite a rave.
http://www.stereophile.com/cdplayers/807chord/

 

[Calle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon L /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sorry for your wallet, but there's a recent review of the Chord Choral Blue and Choral DAC 64 ($15,400 combo) in Stereophile, which is quite a rave. http://www.stereophile.com/cdplayers/807chord/

Yup, already read it. Sounds fine-tingly-dingly. I have no doubt that it is exceptionally well crafted. I just don't know which one of the two is better. Or if there might be a third candidate. So far these two are the ones I am looking at.

 

[howiebrou]

Don't forget Chord's newest Red Standard CDP or Red Reference CDP. BOth have digital inputs to use the Dac. Standard is a little more than the Blu/Dac64 combo but reference is a lot more.

IMHO both all three are beaten by the Meridian 808 (i) which is about the same price as the red standard player.

howie

Edit: other ones to consider with built in digital inputs: Burmester 061/001, Wadia 581i, DCS P8i, Audioaero Prestige CDP, combos: MBL 1521/1511, Accuphase DP800 DC801 or even DP500 + DC801, Mcintosh MCD1000 / MDA1000, and of course the Esoteric lot. If you like "musical" as opposed to super detailed but perhaps bland, I would rate Accuphase, Meridian and MBL above the rest.

 

[humanflyz]

Other top of the line transport+DAC combos can be found from EMM Labs, Esoteric, Zandeen, and dCS.

 

[Calle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by howiebrou /img/forum/go_quote.gif Edit: other ones to consider with built in digital inputs: Burmester 061/001, Wadia 581i, DCS P8i, Audioaero Prestige CDP, combos: MBL 1521/1511, Accuphase DP800 DC801 or even DP500 + DC801, Mcintosh MCD1000 / MDA1000, and of course the Esoteric lot. If you like "musical" as opposed to super detailed but perhaps bland, I would rate Accuphase, Meridian and MBL above the rest.

Lots of choices there. Been looking at a few of those and they all seemed great. I guess choosing a CD player is a personal liking to sound and aesthetics. In the end they might all be good, each in their seperate way. Hmm, getting even more confused than before.

 

[Elephas]

The Chord Blu is a CD transport that can resample up to 176.4 kHz and send the resampled signal via dual BNC cables to the DAC64 MkII. It has a WTA filter like the DAC64. Note that the previous version of the DAC64 doesn't have the dual BNC inputs. There might be other differences.

I've owned the DAC64 MkII for some time, but I don't have the Blu transport. I'm using the DAC64 primarily with a PC-based system, fed by an RME HDSP 9632 sound card.

I use foobar and the Secret Rabbit Code Resampler to resample to 176.4 kHz. I think the DAC64 sounds very good in this configuration. It also performs very well with an Accuphase DP-500 as transport.

I've never heard the Blu+DAC64 MkII combo.

Here are a few shots of the DAC64 in action. (click to view)