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High-end CDP/DAC into Pre-pro

My general question is this: is it worth buying a high-end CD player with a high-end DAC, only to run the analogs out to a pre-pro that's going to go through its own AD-DA conversions for bass management (I have a sub/sat set-up), leaving me at the mercy of the pre-pro's DAC in the end anyway?
For example: let's say I have a CDP with a QUALITY 9 DAC. I run the analog out into the pre-pro, which does its conversions, and then runs it through its own QUALITY 5 DAC. Will the output always be limited to QUALITY 5, or will it be something more like 7 or 8 (a slight degredation of the original 9 signal from the CDP)?
Thanks for your input!
128x128hthf

Showing 2 responses by 4est

4est
507 posts
 
Most likely you'd be better off going digital straight into your processor. If I understand your analogy, the sum will be more like QUALITY 3/4.
4est
507 posts
 
Hthf,
I meant no disrespect, and I think Blindjim dicovered what I am talking about. What you are describing is DAC>ADC>DAC which will give you accumulated distortions. Imagine starting with faxed image, make a photocopy, then fax it and compare it to the original (not the original fax, but the original image). In this case, no matter how good your cd player is, the processor is does two conversions. If you use a digital in, you skip the first two conversions and end up with QUALITY 5 or maybe 6 if the ADC is culprit. Put yet another way: if your scale was 1-10, 9=90%. 90%of 50% = 45%- OK, so my math was off before. Bottom line is that the more you put in the chain, the worse it will get. You might be surprised at how good the digital in is on your processor in conjunction with your room correction. Nowadays I run as much digital to my stand alone dac as I can decode.
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