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Hard Drive based system

I've read all of the threads I could find on a "server" type system. I plan on running a hard drive, to a Waveterminal, to a DAC. My question is, can a system like this sound as good, or better than, my cd player? Is it all up to the DAC?

I currently have a Marantz 8260 CD/SACD player.
ecruz

Showing 2 responses by audioengr

audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Read this white-paper that I wrote that just got published on positive-feedback.com:
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue22/nugent.htm
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Morbius is correct, if the master clock is local to the DAC chip itself, then the jitter will be minimized. This is not necessarily the case with external "bit clocks" that a few DAC's and CD players utilize. This is often more difficult than it seems at first blush. The master clock must generate several clocks or at least a very high-frequency clock from DAC to transport. Some of the transport chips may use the higher frequency clock, such as 16.9344 MHz. The analogy to the disk-based system doesn't hold water though, IMO.
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