2. digital
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What seperates "hi-fi" from "mid-fi" in cdp's?

I find that in my search for the right CDP I really don't know what, mechanically, seperates the good from the not-so-good. Although I understand which brands are more highly regarded than others, I don't understand why.
Along those lines, I would also really appreciate a very brief description of the primary working parts of the cdp and how they differ among "levels". For instance, how does the number of bits matter? Or is it just another useless audio stat?
Or, if I am asking a bigger question that I think I am, maybe you could direct me to a good reference for this issue? Thanks JB3
jb3

Showing 1 response by ultrakaz

ultrakaz
187 posts
 
I agree with the above posts about listening and forgetting about specs and bits. I disagree with the above posts that say that 16 bit is outdated. The 47 Labs DACs are 16 bit are currently produced and sound very refined.

Having said that, some things to look for are a beefy (and/or outboard) power supply and minimalist circuit design. Also, manufacturers that pay attention to resonance dampening (heavy chassis) and shielding (copper case) usually have fine sounding cdps.
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