[Jam_Master_J]

Currently I have the following sources of audio for my Grado SR-80s. I will rate them from best to worst:

1)RCA DVD player > Pionner VSX-D510 reciever(via digital coax). This sounds generally the best, frequency balance is great and overal sound quality is very good, even when using a Rat Shack 6M extension cable. No noticeable hiss. When I use analog the sound is different but of similar quality. Although the digital does have more of a "bite" to it.

2) Venturer CD/MP3 player(sells for $85 Canadian). Surprisingly this is fairly decent. A slight hiss only noticeable in extremely quiet areas. Bass sounds a little weak though.

3) JVC mp3/cd player (sells for about $180 Canadian). Oddly enough this sounds considerably worse than the cheap Venturer. Noticeable hiss, thin bass and the highs seem a little rolled off.

4)PC with SBLive. This sounds awful, although this is probably due to the fact that I am running them through crummy $20 speakers so I can use the volume control. The bass is overblown despite running the sound card flat and the tone controls on the speakers centered. Highs are nearly absent and the midrange just doesn't sound like Grado anymore.

So here are my questions:
1) On my dvd-receiver combo sound quality would only be improved by buying a better cd player and using analog mode on the reciever right?

2) Is the sound card crummy or is the circuitry in the speakers burchering the sound(on the PC)?

3) Since a headphone amp works on an analog source, would it even be worthwhile to buy an amp to use with the low quality cd player?

 

[fewtch]

Thought I'd address (2) and leave the rest to someone else...

The sound card is crummy (so are the speakers). I'd guess an M-Audio Revolution ($100) or if you want to spend more and prefer a tighter feature set, the M-Audio Audiophile 24/96 ($150). You could get a headphone amp and listen to headphones through one of these cards rather than crummy $20 computer speakers, which would definitely take things a giant step up -- or get some much better computer speakers.

SQ between the Revo and 24/96 should be similar, except the 24/96 uses RCA jacks on analog I/O (and decent quality ones, too) rather than minijacks. Feature sets are different, and worth investigating before making any snap decisions.

The 24/96 is really aimed at the semi-pro and professional musician and audiophile market, whereas the Revo has a more consumeristic bent and features without losing the 24/96's good sound.

There are other soundcard options, these are just the two I personally suggest and recommend to people due to good prices and good sound. The Terratec EWX 24/96 is another example of a well known and respected card.

If this sounds like a bit too much at once, you could always start with a decent headphone amp (maybe a Mint or Meta42) and listen to the SBLive through that... it's not a horrible card, but the above two are substantially better.

 

[bundee1]

Start looking for used NAD 521i on Audiogon and Ebay as the new 521bee was just released. You can find them for around $200, also check out an older NAD for about $100.

 

[Jam_Master_J]

I was in a stereo shop today in Halifax. I was getting prices for Studio 20s, dedicated 2 channel amps and a good cd player. I noticed that their "low-end" Cambridge CD player was about $450(Canadian). This is a little pricey for me but it is doable. The salesman said the Cambridge DACs are on a totally different level than the other consumer level stuff I had been listening to.

Basically I want to know if this player would be a noticeable upgrade in my system. For now it would be a source for my Grados(I forgot to look for a headphone jack on the unit) and my 5.1 reciever that drives my Titans/Tempest combo.
Evantually I would add a headphone amp and a dedicated 2 channel amp to power some nicer speakers in the future. Would the player then become the bottleneck of the system or would it still be matched to the rest of the system?


Should I bother with a headphone amp before I get the new CD player, since my current sources aren't the greatest?

Thanks for the advice so far.

 

[davidmiya]

I can't say much about the model that you mentioned because I haven't seen/heard it before. However, the normal upgrade path goes as follows:

1) Headphones
2) Source
3) Amp
4) Cables, Power supply, tweaks.

That'll give you a general idea of where you stand in the never-ending process

Oh, and one more thing, you might consider waiting a bit until the NAD 542 comes out. When that happens, A LOT of people will unload their NAD 541i's for really cheap. Then again, I just got a Brand New NAD 541i from Yawaonline.com for $400 USD. (I wanted the warranty if you all were wondering why I bought new)

 

[picklgreen]

I would try a listen to Rotel. It is cheap, sounds great, and should have the sound you are looking for compared to the cheap japanese electronics you have now.