[lewdog]

This is assuming I'm buying brand new and that it'll be purely for redbook cd listening. I'm interested only in which will provide the best sound quality. I already have a transport I can use if I go with the dac.
Examples of what I'm thinking of are:
Sony SCD-CE595
DAC AH
I have spent so much time searching that my eyes are crossing. I know the best solution is to buy and sell or go listen to a million things, but I have neither the money nor time to do either. I trust you guys!

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lewdog /img/forum/go_quote.gif This is assuming I'm buying brand new and that it'll be purely for redbook cd listening. I'm interested only in which will provide the best sound quality. I already have a transport I can use if I go with the dac. Examples of what I'm thinking of are: Sony SCD-CE595 DAC AH I have spent so much time searching that my eyes are crossing. I know the best solution is to buy and sell or go listen to a million things, but I have neither the money nor time to do either. I trust you guys!

Thats the ideal set up for people on a budget. I would highly recommend it..

 

[Davesrose]

What are you using as transport? If it's a component CD player, then I'd be looking to make sure you have a good amp/etc. IMHO, DACs under $300 are not going to give you a big difference in SQ compared with the Sony 595 or other competant CD players. The Sony is a good CDP for its price. My DAC1 outshines its DAC for redbook CDs, but then the DAC1 retails for quite a bit more!

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davesrose /img/forum/go_quote.gif What are you using as transport? If it's a component CD player, then I'd be looking to make sure you have a good amp/etc. IMHO, DACs under $300 are not going to give you a big difference in SQ compared with the Sony 595 or other competant CD players. The Sony is a good CDP for its price. My DAC1 outshines its DAC for redbook CDs, but then the DAC1 retails for quite a bit more!

I'm sure the DAC AH will smooth out the sound a bit. I read good things about the 595/AH..

 

[tom hankins]

You might want to check out the new $149.00 universal player reviewed in the latest issue of THE ABSOLUTE SOUND.
Oppo Digital DV-970HD Universal disk player
Looks very promising. Here is there website www.oppodigital.com
This looks like a great entry universal player. with dvd-a, and sacd to boot. Looks like all the reviewers from several mags have been very impressed. Good luck!

 

[lewdog]

Quick responses. Thanks.
I have a vintage (read old, but "vintage" makes me feel better about owning it

) Denon cd player (mid 80's, I think) and a late 90's low-fi Panasonic dvd player. My assumption is that a newer dac would be much better than the dac in either of those components, and I could use the digital out of the Panasonic to feed a dac.

Just to clarify--I am thinking about one of the two I mentioned--DAC AH OR the Sony.

So, I think the issue I'm wrestling with is this: Which would provide superior sound quality at that price--a stand alone player or a dac?

 

[Davesrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom hankins /img/forum/go_quote.gif You might want to check out the new $149.00 universal player reviewed in the latest issue of THE ABSOLUTE SOUND. Oppo Digital DV-970HD Universal disk player Looks very promising. Here is there website www.oppodigital.com This looks like a great entry universal player. with dvd-a, and sacd to boot. Looks like all the reviewers from several mags have been very impressed. Good luck!

Only thing about SACD and DVD-A is that you can't play them over digital outputs......you can only use the player's internal DAC (it's a nutty copy right scheme called DRM). So that sort of defeats the purpose of an external DAC with SACD.

Well actually, your Panasonic DVD player more then likely has digital audio out. You could use it as a transport for the DAC AH.....I don't know anything about that DAC, but looks like it's getting good reviews.

 

[lewdog]

Anyone have any idea about which dac would sound better--the DAC AH or the one inside the Sony SCD-CE595?

 

[lewdog]

A little bizump. I bet others would find this information very helpful too, seeing as how it's a pretty popular pricepoint.

 

[Meyvn]

The DAC-AH has a reputation for a "rounded out," "smooth," "warm" sound. Personally, that's not my thing, so I'd go for the Sony standalone player. Not to mention, it'll offer more upgradeability as a source for any later DAC considerations than your other transports.

 

[jandl100]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lewdog /img/forum/go_quote.gif Which would provide superior sound quality at that price--a stand alone player or a dac?

My experience of older CDPs is they make fairly boring sounding transports. A bit slow for my more upbeat taste (ymmv, of course).

If it were me spending my money I'd get a cheap DVD player (Chinese or Taiwanese) - and I mean CHEAP ; $50 tops - and pair it with a hi-reputation cheap DAC. I've run a $30 Alba DVD player into a $180 Beresford DAC with amazingly good results. (The cheap DVD player gives quite poor DVD image quality though, and don't even think about using its on-board DAC - it's awful!!). If you like a fast clean dynamic sound, I seriously think that Chinese DVD players used as CD transports are the way to go. I've used 2 quite different ones and they are waaaay ahead of several CDPs or dedicated transports + DACs less than $500 or even $1000++ that I have owned. ..... before the Flames start - TRY IT ! - it doesn't cost much.

NOTE Japanese DVD players don't seem to do this trick - they sound pretty boring as CD transports.

I seem to have exceeded your $150 budget - but I think the few extra tens of $ are well spent, if you can stretch that far.

 

[infinitesymphony]

Don't forget about buying used equipment. You can find some serious deals, especially in redbook CD players or universal DVD players. The universal players often have great DACs that most consumers overlook. For example, I purchased two Pioneer DV-578A-S universal players (DVD-A/SACD), which have Burr-Brown PCM1742 DACs, for under $50 a piece used. Admittedly, these aren't close to being the greatest players or DACs around, but they certainly compete with other offerings in the $150 range. One Head-Fi member even commented that the audio output of his 578 "blew away" his Oppo 970. Just something to consider.

 

[odmanca]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meyvn /img/forum/go_quote.gif The DAC-AH has a reputation for a "rounded out," "smooth," "warm" sound. Personally, that's not my thing, so I'd go for the Sony standalone player. Not to mention, it'll offer more upgradeability as a source for any later DAC considerations than your other transports.

Actually, as an owner of the DAC-AH (modded) I don't find it to be "rounded out," or particularly warm. DAC-AH is very detailed (as discovered/described by many others in the DAC-AH threads,) but not screechy if that's what you mean. It's true that the DAC-AH loses some details in comparison to higher priced DAC's such as the Benchmark DAC1 but for the price it's hard to beat.