[CDCollector]

Hello. I'm looking to set up a modest audiophile headphone system to listen to my CDs. I already own the Sennheiser HD 600, but I've been listening to them out of a Harman Kardon HK 3385 A/V receiver coupled with a Technics SL-PD887 CD player, which doesn't have digital out.
 
The first thing I'll purchase is a headphone amplifier. I've been looking at Schiit amps, and am torn between the Asgard and Valhalla.
 
Next I have to decide what to use for a source, and this is where I ask for your generous advice. Should I get the Marantz CD6004 and plug it straight into the headphone amp, or get a more modest CD player with digital out and couple the amp with the Bifrost DAC? Which is bound to give me greater clarity and detail at low volume?
 
I listen to classical music, jazz, and classic hard rock and metal, along with some "world music", will be using CDs exclusively, and will never ever migrate to downloads or anything that involves a computer.
 
Any recommendations are welcome!
 
Thanks in advance.

 

[CDCollector]

No one?

 

[PurpleAngel]

I vote a modest Blu-ray player (with coaxial or optical digital out) and the Schiit Bifrost DAC, keep using the H/K 3385 as a headphone amplifier.
A Blu-ray player is designed to read a disk 50 time denser then a music CD or six times denser then an Audio-DVD.
On eBay they sell DACs from $60 to $100 (made and shipped from China).
SMSL AD-793 & SMSL AD-1955.

 

[planx]

I use my Marantz CD5003 with my HifiMan EF2A amp and it works wonders.

 

[Penarin]

I have an Onkyo C-7030 CD player hooked up to my Asgard and really like the sound.  It has optical and coax digital outs, so I can upgrade to a Bifrost if I get the urge to upgrade.  The Bifrost looks like a beast of a DAC for the price. 

 

[CDCollector]

A year and a half later and I've been listening to the original Asgard and my Sennheiser HD 600, but still the same CD player with no optical out.
 
The question stands, should I get the Bifrost DAC and a regular CD player or a Marantz CD6005 with incorporated DAC?
 
I would really appreciate any advice.
 
Regards.

 

[Shub-Niggurath]

  A year and a half later and I've been listening to the original Asgard and my Sennheiser HD 600, but still the same CD player with no optical out.
 
The question stands, should I get the Bifrost DAC and a regular CD player or a Marantz CD6005 with incorporated DAC?
 
I would really appreciate any advice.
 
Regards.

I can't speak to the quality of the DAC in that Marantz unit, but for myself the decision would boil down to the simple fact that I could connect a Bifrost to anything with a USB or optical connection and enjoy its benefits, whereas the CD player would always be just that. Now if there is a significant jump in quality in the CD player's DAC that makes it worth considering over a Bifrost, it's another matter.

 

[CDCollector]

Thanks for the reply.
 
The only aspect to consider in my case is audio quality. I listen exclusively to my CD collection and have no interest in making use of a PC or anything else.
 
What will sound better, the Marantz with incorporated DAC, or a CD player + Bitfrost?

 

[Shaffer]

Hello. I'm looking to set up a modest audiophile headphone system to listen to my CDs. I already own the Sennheiser HD 600, but I've been listening to them out of a Harman Kardon HK 3385 A/V receiver coupled with a Technics SL-PD887 CD player, which doesn't have digital out.

The first thing I'll purchase is a headphone amplifier. I've been looking at Schiit amps, and am torn between the Asgard and Valhalla.

Next I have to decide what to use for a source, and this is where I ask for your generous advice. Should I get the Marantz CD6004 and plug it straight into the headphone amp, or get a more modest CD player with digital out and couple the amp with the Bifrost DAC? Which is bound to give me greater clarity and detail at low volume?

I listen to classical music, jazz, and classic hard rock and metal, along with some "world music", will be using CDs exclusively, and will never ever migrate to downloads or anything that involves a computer.

Any recommendations are welcome!

Thanks in advance.

By the time you're done, you could have an Oppo 105 that'll offer all the bells and whistles of the separates and more, substantially better sound quality, virtually unmatched versatility and a HP amp worthy of some praise. It took a Violectric V200 to better it. Good luck.

 

[allets]

marantz cd6005 deserves more attention and respect than it's received. My itch to re-collect CDs has been justified with this amazing player that has everything incorporated. I'm really happy with CDs but I also like the fact I can plug in hi-res WAV files to play. Some places sell this unit for under $500, that's a bargain compared to DAC+AMP+CD player setups I've been seeing.

 

[CharlesC]

If you get the CD6004 you may still want the Bitfrost but if you get the Bitfrost you won't have any need for the Marantz so get the Bitfrost.

 

[allets]

  If you get the CD6004 you may still want the Bitfrost but if you get the Bitfrost you won't have any need for the Marantz so get the Bitfrost.

Charles, don't confuse CD5004 with CD6004 my friend
 
However knowing CD6004 is close to CD6005, I'd like to see what people make of the Bifrost in comparison.

 

[CharlesC]

  Charles, don't confuse CD5004 with CD6004 my friend
 
However knowing CD6004 is close to CD6005, I'd like to see what people make of the Bifrost in comparison.

Ha.  I meant to say CD6005.  I'm just assuming that the Bitfrost will be a better DAC than that built into the Marantz but I don't know. I have a lot of respect for the DAC in my CD5004 and wouldn't replace with a Modi but if I had the cash I wouldn't mind going for the Bitfrost/Asgard2/HD650.  But, hey, I'm happy.

 

[oqpi]

Let's make a few  things clear:
1) Economically is not feasable to get a CD player and a DAC; an asynchronous DAC is mostly useful for streaming over USB ports; if you have a decent CD player you would not need an external DAC, as CD is a medium simple to decode for its own internal CD player synchronous DAC,
2) if you want to run music out of a PC or online, you may need an external DAC such  as Schiit bifrost or so; its purpose is to clean the jitter out of the USB port signal, which is horrible and really hard to handle; 
3) if money is no object, well, yes, you can get a Blu-ray player and also an external DAC and you maybe get some 2% better sound than a regular CD player (like Onkyo c70-30 mantioneed),
4) for headphone listening, my personal experience is: get a good headphone, such as Grado, and stick it in the audio out of a Laptop and you will get the best sound possible that you get out of a $30k separates system (no joke); why is that possible? because inside the PC the decoding is very easy, as everything goes directly from digital to analog without jettering ports (such as USB active);
Conclusion:
External DAC is critical and necessary for USB active signal sent from a PC to an amplifier; usually amplifiers do not have such a great internal DAC and the best is to insert an external one in between.
For simple CD listening, the best solution is a decent CD player with no external DAC, into a decent amplifier (integrated, separates, or receiver) and make sure you get speakers that cost around all the rest of the gear minimum.
For Headphones listening, a CD player with headphone out, or a simple laptop with audio out is perfect, no need to speng zillions for just 1% improvement in sound.

 

[hodgjy]

  Let's make a few  things clear:
1) Economically is not feasable to get a CD player and a DAC; an asynchronous DAC is mostly useful for streaming over USB ports; if you have a decent CD player you would not need an external DAC, as CD is a medium simple to decode for its own internal CD player synchronous DAC,
2) if you want to run music out of a PC or online, you may need an external DAC such  as Schiit bifrost or so; its purpose is to clean the jitter out of the USB port signal, which is horrible and really hard to handle; 
3) if money is no object, well, yes, you can get a Blu-ray player and also an external DAC and you maybe get some 2% better sound than a regular CD player (like Onkyo c70-30 mantioneed),
4) for headphone listening, my personal experience is: get a good headphone, such as Grado, and stick it in the audio out of a Laptop and you will get the best sound possible that you get out of a $30k separates system (no joke); why is that possible? because inside the PC the decoding is very easy, as everything goes directly from digital to analog without jettering ports (such as USB active);
Conclusion:
External DAC is critical and necessary for USB active signal sent from a PC to an amplifier; usually amplifiers do not have such a great internal DAC and the best is to insert an external one in between.
For simple CD listening, the best solution is a decent CD player with no external DAC, into a decent amplifier (integrated, separates, or receiver) and make sure you get speakers that cost around all the rest of the gear minimum.
For Headphones listening, a CD player with headphone out, or a simple laptop with audio out is perfect, no need to speng zillions for just 1% improvement in sound.

For a first post, this is one of the best, even-keeled, and rational posts I've read. I would beg to differ on one point, though. Listening straight from a laptop headphone jack is often undesirable because of noise. I have an HP laptop with some brand we won't mention "premium sound package" and the noise floor on the headphone jack is unbearable. There's a constant hiss that never goes away. YMMV, though.