[fyleow]

I was looking at my setup and I was wondering if I could do better with a source upgrade.

Currently: Cambridge Audio D500SE --> Outlaw PCA --> Stax 3030 Classic System II.

I'm thinking my headphones + amp outclasses my source quite a bit now, and upgrading them would be pointless. I was thinking about adding either a DAC (something upsampling, maybe the MSB Link III if I had the money or a heavily modded Art DIO) to the system or changing my source entirely. The DAC in the CDP is already a 24/192 crystal chip though so I doubt it would make much of a difference.

The other option was a new CDP like the Philips 963. Think it will make much of a difference or should I wait until I have more fund available to make a larger upgrade?

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

I believe that in a HEADPHONE system the component that generally costs the most to improve is the source. You will find small differences between $500.00 verses $1000.00 CD players in refinement. I would stay where you are unless you intend to spend much more.

 

[markl]

I agree that unless you have a larger budget for a new player than you had for your current player, you might just want to stay put. Probably not that much worthwhile differences between different $500 CDPs. I do think that if you had a $1K budget, *in general* you could indeed look forward to noticeable gains over a $500 CDP.

mark

 

[elrod-tom]

I'm a big fan of outboard DAC's, and would recommend that you strongly consider upgrading. I don't know what your budget is, but the MSB Gold Link III DAC has brought out details and fullness of sound that I didn't know existed in my redbook CD's. It has standard upsampling to 132K, with optional 192K (which has other advantages such as clock stability). It should provide superior DAC properties to your current player. The MSB Nelson would also be a good choice, with many of the same options.

 

[JMT]

I'm with elrod-tom regarding outboard DACs. Another DAC option would be to look into a Bel Canto DAC2 which upsamples to 192K. I sorely miss my DAC1.1 and will probably look into a DAC2 when the time is right.

 

[elrod-tom]

Quote:

Originally posted by JMT I'm with elrod-tom regarding outboard DACs. Another DAC option would be to look into a Bel Canto DAC2 which upsamples to 192K. I sorely miss my DAC1.1 and will probably look into a DAC2 when the time is right.

I was speaking to Jude recently, and he is very high on the MSB Gold Link III that he was reviewing. I'm not sure which Bel Canto DAC he has, but he was saying that he likes the MSB better...if price were no option. Oh, and isn't it always!!!

 

[dougli]

Quote:

Originally posted by elrod-tom I'm a big fan of outboard DAC's, and would recommend that you strongly consider upgrading. I don't know what your budget is, but the MSB Gold Link III DAC has brought out details and fullness of sound that I didn't know existed in my redbook CD's. It has standard upsampling to 132K, with optional 192K (which has other advantages such as clock stability). It should provide superior DAC properties to your current player. The MSB Nelson would also be a good choice, with many of the same options.

I second this recommendation. I've been enjoying a new MSB Nelson Link III (not Gold) with the 132K upsampling for a couple of weeks now. I much prefer it to the Musical Fidelity A324 DAC, although unfortunately I didn't have an opportunity to compare a Bel Canto DAC2. I use the MSB with a NAD C541i; that CDP was previously my sole source. The difference has been very dramatic. A major benefit of improving your source is that everything else you ever change downstream will be able to be utilized closer to its maximum potential. Sooner or later you just have to grit your teeth and do it.

 

[Gallaine]

The Philips 963 does provide a capability that, from your equipment list, you do not currently have, SACD playback. Whether or not that is important only you can decide. If it isn't, you might want to wait until you have a little more money to spend; whether it is on a DAC or a CDP.

Though I am a big fan of outboard DACs there are reasons not to buy them - space issues, the necessity of buying yet another cable, whether or not your current CDP makes a decent transport, etc. I've owned both the MSB Link II and Link III w/upsampling. They are good values and certainly provided an improvement over my existing, at the time, CDPs. But they don't provide SACD playback capability. And that ultimately was what I wanted.

 

[markl]

Quote:

whether or not your current CDP makes a decent transport

I agree this is a very significant consideration. So then the solution becomes having to buy an upgrded CDP to use as a transport for your new $1200 DAC. In the end, my opinion at least is that a one-box solution is probably best, and a more economical way to go.

A one-box solution also opens you up to buying a player that supports DVD-A or SACD. No outboard DAC (that I'm aware of, unless it's some obscure $10K+ system) can process the new hi-rez formats and that won't change for some time (years), for a whole host of technological, political, marketing and economic reasons.

Mark

 

[fyleow]

Thanks for all the input guys. I think I will just wait and see for now and enjoy my current setup. The war between SACD and DVD-A has not yet come to a close (who knows, it may never) and the Philips offers SACD but not DVD-A playback. I thought about getting an outboard DAC but like the others have mentioned here I would be stuck with a transport that does not support the new formats. Maybe when I get more cash I can do a nice upgrade and get a transport with a full range of support and a good built in DAC.

 

[elrod-tom]

Actually, the MSB Network does allow for the use of the new hi-rez formats. It does require another coughing up of cash to install the output board into your transport. I suspect that in the end the superior analog section of an outboard DAC (provided it can handle the new hi rez stuff) will be superior to that available in most single box players.

 

[markl]

....

 

[Gallaine]

Quote:

Originally posted by elrod-tom Actually, the MSB Network does allow for the use of the new hi-rez formats. It does require another coughing up of cash to install the output board into your transport. I suspect that in the end the superior analog section of an outboard DAC (provided it can handle the new hi rez stuff) will be superior to that available in most single box players.

I just spoke with an MSB rep. While he did say that the MSB Network upgrade does allow output of DVD-A and SACD he also said that they can only do SACD with a couple of the combo-players; he specifically said that this cannot be done with the Sony players. In addition, he also said that the SACD output stream isn't exactly SACD but we didn't go into any details so I don't know if the differences are insignificant or not.

 

[Kalkin]

Hi Fyleow,

When I changed my source few months ago, I was planing to buy the same Cambridge Audio D500SE as yours... then I heard the Rega Planet... damn, the sound was really clearer and less aggressive than everything I've heard under 1500€. I ended with spending 1K€ instead of the 500€ I had decided to... but the music was here ! Since then, I've been enjoying every second of my listening with this player.
IMO, before purchasing anything else, you should try to listen to this great player

I also listened to the Philips 962SA (which should play Redbook just like the 963) and it was less acurate, with a brighter sound that would really not compete with the Planet, which isn't surprising considering the differences in price and commercial positioning for these players. It might play just as well as your Cambridge, but not better (with Redbook CDs I mean).

So... just give it a try

Hope this could help

 

[JaZZ]

Quote:

Originally posted by Kalkin ...I also listened to the Philips 962SA (which should play Redbook just like the 963) and it was less acurate...

From all I've read, the 962 is far inferior to the 963 in every respect. I'm not sure if the 963 really could compete with the Rega Planet, but it's by all means a superb player, even independent of the cost. And it is a great transport, too (not in terms of handling convenience, but of sound).

Quote:

Originally posted by markl A one-box solution also opens you up to buying a player that supports DVD-A or SACD. No outboard DAC can process the new hi-rez formats...

That's really something to consider and what I probably would do in this case (you may even add an «and/» to the «or»). Unfortunately (

) I already have my Bel Canto DAC2 and use it for redbook with my 963SA, whereas the latter's analog-out jacks are exclusively used for SACD. Unfortunately (

) thus the difference between CD and SACD sound quality is considerably reduced. As good as the 963's CD playback is, the DAC2 does it even slightly better. So I'm considering to use it further for redbook even in the case that I'll upgrade to a better SACD or multiformat player.

JaZZ