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To dac or not to dac

Currently i am using a marantz dv 7600 universal player for my two channel needs, I really like its ability to play all formats such as sacd and dvd audio. Although, since its a dvd player I would like a stand alone cd player, I thought about moving up to the 8001 for cd playback only but that would require selling the 7600 and thereby losing the format flexibility, although I could still play sacds. I than thought about using a beresford dac which go for under 200 bucks. My dealer using one at home and he says it makes his universal player sound like a 2000 dollar stand alone player, he suggested getting it. This was very influential for me because he does not sell the beresford, therefore he would get no commission and he is no way related to the company. He must really think its a great piece. What would you do?
bigmoneyv4

Showing 1 response by sugarbrie

sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
I use a DAC and love it. A DAC on a basic level is just the guts of a CD player, without the mechanism to spin and read the disc. Better guts, better sound. There is also some benefit in separating / isolating the two parts of the equation (CD reader and DAC).

The DAC does not make your CD player sound better. You are listening to the DAC itself. Your universal player just provides the signal, much like a DVD player feeds the Dolby Digital signal to a Home Theater Receiver, which actually produces the sound.

The player can still have an impact on the sound, depending on how well it reads the information on the disc. Generally the DAC has a lot more of an impact on the sound than the player (called a transport).
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