I need help - Better DAC or NEW CD player?

The rest of your system is quite good. I think that you want to get as good of a source as you can and as good as the DacMagic is - and it will do a better job than the DAC in the RC-1072 - with the budget you are suggesting you can do better. There are at least two ways I think you can go:

1) a CD player that can function effectively as a DAC, like the Cambridge Audio Azur 840C - very good CD player and very good upsampling DAC with a nice array of digital inputs

2) stand alone DAC like the Benchmark you mention, and using your existing gear as transports. There are other more expensive DACs I would also consider, even if it means waiting a bit, like

-Bryston BDA-1
-Bel Canto DAC3vb

Regarding Sufentinal's comment:

"...unless you get one of those relatively rare CD players that does have digital inputs."

This is why I recommended the Cambridge 840. It has an excellent transport, power supply and chassis, better DAC's and electronics than the DacMagic, and the ability to play disks or serve as an upsampling DAC for external transports. In it's price range, it is a "relatively rare CD player" in terms of sound quality, versatility and value.

The company has been on a roll lately, and my guess is that they will be coming out with the successor to the 840 soon, probably called the "850". So the 840's may be available new at discounted prices soon, and a new and likely more capable player will also available to purchase at a price point near the previous model.

To provide one person's opinion on the DacMagic versus the DAC performance in the Rotel 1072 - there is no comparison. The DacMagic is much more musical, with better PRAT and overall resolution. Not a horizontal moove in my opinion.

That said, the Cambridge 840 is more natural and "analog" sounding than either.

Are you in a position to go listen to the 840 and compare it to other CDPs or DACs? It didn't sound "thin" to me.

Yes, I have heard it. It is very good at its price point. For comparison, most cheaper Cambridge players have a forward sonic balance with fairly flat frequency curve, meaning that bass and treble are not attenuated in favor of mid range tones, as some other manufacturers of budget players prefer to do (NAD comes to mind here). The other Cambridges tend to put their empahsis on resolution and timing over soundstage width and depth - so you get musical details and tunefulness, but not necessarily the best "hiFi" effects. The DacMagic is at the very musical end of these characters, having essentially the DACs and upsampling electronics from the CA 740C, which is one model and several hundred bucks down from the 840C.

For comparison with the player you are familiar with, I find the Rotel sound to be fairly accurate and flat in frequency resoponse, but somewhat sterile or dry (lifeless is probably too strong a term) overall in comparison to say, the Cambridge 640C, the Dac Magic or 740C.

The 840C on the other hand to me sounds warmer and more liquid through the mid range than its littler siblings. It keeps the tunefullness and resolution, but wraps it in a tropical breeze, and does a better job of building a believable soundstage. Soundstage size is still not top o0f class for the Cambridge compared to other players in its price range, but the other things it does well more than compensate in my mind.

The reason for the leap in capability for the 840 over its sibilings probably results from the fact that it uses a completely different set of DACs and I believe different algorithms for upsampling among other upgrades. In any case, your amp has balanced inputs, and if you fit the 840C with good balnaced ICs and a capable and compatible power cord like the Analysis Plus Power Oval 2 or Shunyata Diamondback Platinum or better, you can maximize the positive traits (including expanded soundstage) for both CD playback and use of the 840 as a stand alone DAC serving other sources. I think you would enjoy it.

That has the capability to act as an external DAC for other sources if necessary, or just a good $1000 +/- CD player?

??? A really better one? The 840C is better. Nothing for $1000 is better, or likely just as good.

The DACs I directed you to earlier are "really better" than the Rotel, but they cost $2K to $2.5K.

I can think of other CD players for about $1500 that are better than the Rotel - like the Naim CD5i or the Moon CD1, but in about the same league or perhaps not as sophisticated as the 840C.

"Really better" for $1000 is "really" tough.

Good luck

Demianm,

Just so there is no confusion, I think the Cambridge 840 is one of the best sounding and most flexible CD players available for the money - any criticisms leveled are in the absolute sense comparing it to reference players costing many dollars more.