[Cerebrius]

Got my 650's today but not using them until I have the right equipment.  
 
So here is my dilemma.  I was going to buy a combo or set of headphone amp and DAC, but my naivety in the world of audiophile is really showing.  
 
Now I'm considering the option to buy a CD player that includes a headphone amp and DAC.  I don't know if anyone has experience with this or not. Does such a system exist that doesn't drain my wallet? Or am I over thinking things here?
 
Should I buy the headphone amp & DAC separately from the CD player?  Or does a CD player exist that will take full advantage of my 650's and include the amp and DAC that will bring my listening experience to full bloom?
 

Why the CD player?  I think a true audio experience is having the full spectrum available and not the compressed audio available on MP3.
 
 
Any other suggestions please feel free to list them out.
 
Thanks

 

[billybob_jcv]

If I were you, I would rip all the CDs to lossless audio files and play them from your PC. A lossless format like FLAC or ALAC is exactly that - lossless. It is bit-for-bit exactly what is on the CD. No compression, no loss of quality. The advantage of doing this is that the ripping process will include verification that the file has been read, and from that point forward, there is no longer any need to worry about a scratched CD, or a dirty laser lens, or a bad motor in the CD player.

If you absolutely insist on using CDs, then you still have several options:

1) Get a home DVD/CD player with analog audio outputs (red & white RCA jacks), then get any headphone amplifier appropriate for your headphones. For example, you could get a Schiit Magni and connect the audio out of the DVD/CD player to the audio inputs of the Magni.

2) Get a home DVD/CD player with a digital output (either TOSLINK or digital coax), then get a headphone DAC/amp or DAC+amp with matching digital inputs. For example, you could get a DVD/CD, then get the Schiit Modi 2 Uber, plus the Magni amp, or if you get a DVD/CD with a digital coax output, you could use the Fiio E10K plus a USB power adapter.

3) Use a PC with a CD drive, then use a USB DAC/Amp for the headphones. You could use the Schiit Modi2+Magni2, O2+ODAC, Fiio E10K, or any of the other usual suspects.

 

[Erik Raucher]

Post

 

[Cerebrius]

Thanks for the replies and extremely helpful information. My reasoning for the cd's is for the highest quality audio and I will definitely use the lossless format. I just didn't want to buy more equipment then I need to.

Just for Schiits and giggles, is there a CD player that has a headphone amp and dac that would take full advantage of my 650's?