Cal Audio Alpha 24/96 upgrade?


I have a Cal Audio Alpha Dac, and I am wondering if it is worth having the 24/96 upgrade done. Is it worth the cost, ($450)? Will it make that big of a difference? Or is it money that should be saved for something else? by the way, I am using a Cal Audio Delta CD Transport.

Thanks in advance.
ton1313

Showing 1 response by gvwaudio

I bought my Cal unit from Galen Carol Audio.
At that time, he ststed(and I purchased) a matched
set of low noise RCA 5751's. They sound much better
than the stock tubes and only(?) cost $20 each. I also
have a VAC and Aronov tube preamps so I have tried
NOS tubes of different makes in the Cal. I always
return to the5751's. It is a matter of personal
taste in sound and your system in general. I have also
heard the upgrade degrades the overall sound quality.
I am putting my $450 plus shipping towards either an
EMC-1 or Audiomeca unit.If you have the matching Cal drive,
it reportedly won't read 24/96 formated disc's. You will also need a new transport. Buy a new player and save thecost of a better drive and cable.