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Getting more from my DAC

I need some advice. I've put together a mid-fi office system over the last few months:

Sony XE500 CDP acting as a transport
MSB Link DAC III with 24/96 upsampling
McCormack Micro Integrated Drive amp with upgraded PS
Tannoy System 600 nearfield monitors

Toslink cable between transport and DAC. Ratshack gold series interconnect between DAC and amp. Audioquest Type 6+ wire between amp and speakers.

I was fairly happy with this system until I tried connecting the Sony CDP directly to aux posts on the amp and switching back and forth between the CDP/DAC combination and the stand-alone CDP. On a straight A/B comparison, using the selector switch on the front of the amp, I hear almost no difference, even with well recorded piano music/female vocal/jazz.

This is disappointing. The amp is low powered but pretty transparent, I believe - as are the speakers, which were designed as pro monitors and have a reputation for being revealing. So why aren't I hearing a more perceptible improvement - change, even - in the sound when the DAC is introduced into the system?

Are my crappy cables strangling the DAC? Is the transport too cheapo to let the DAC do its work? Do I need to follow the MSB/Modwright upgrade path before the DAC will really shine in my system? Or is the whole system a bit too bargain-basement to benefit from a decent DAC?

Words of wisdom gratefully received.
spartane5c

Showing 1 response by spartane5c

spartane5c OP
3 posts
 
Thanks for all responses so far. It sounds as if I should start with the transport and/or interconnect between the transport and DAC.

This raises an interesting question: is it really worth getting the an inexpensive player like the Sony XE-500 modded?

This was Sony's least expensive single-disc CDP when new in 98/99 (retailing for $180). It was reckoned by one reviewer to make "a respectable entry-level transport" when mated with an outboard DAC. But, even so, it is five years old, supports only Toslink and coaxial line-out, and cost me $35 used!

Surely I'd be better off investing the cost of mods in a better transport? Or selling the MSB DAC and investing the proceeds (plus a bit more, maybe $500 in total) in a nicer stand-alone CDP?

Please feel free to chip into this thread if you've not already done so. I've never had a component modded - so I need all the advice I can get.
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