[zachary80]

What sounds better at that pricepoint, a new DAC or new CDP?

The cd player would be a Nad C541i. Not sure of the DAC, but buying a prebuilt DIY one is also an option.

I assume a DAC would be better for the money because it has less parts. Is there a difference between coaxial and optical sound quality? Right now my DVD player (sony) and computer (gtxp/tbsc) have both. My xbox has a optical out. Would it be a good choice to use as a transport?

 

[zachary80]

Anyone?

 

[calaf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zachary80 What sounds better at that pricepoint, a new DAC or new CDP? The cd player would be a Nad C541i. Not sure of the DAC, but buying a prebuilt DIY one is also an option. I assume a DAC would be better for the money because it has less parts. Is there a difference between coaxial and optical sound quality? Right now my DVD player (sony) and computer (gtxp/tbsc) have both. My xbox has a optical out. Would it be a good choice to use as a transport?

for that kind of money you can get a Channel Islands VDA-1 which is considered to be very good value for money. It also has a reasonable upgrade path: later on you can get a $150 PS upgrade for it and for a similar amount of money you can get it modded with better parts (search for VDA-1 and you'll find out who can do it). If your transport is half-decent I bet you'll get better sound (and more flexibility) from a standalone DAC