Cd or DVD trans for Bel Canto Dac 1

I use the Pioneer DV525 with a 2 meter XLO Toslink. I like this combo. Another advantage is you can always watch movies if you don't find it to your satisfaction. BTW, the Pioneer DV333 is the close replacement of the 525. I believe you can find it for $200 or less from Cosco, so about the same as your digital ic. There is a guy in Auburn, AL who makes a supposedly killer toslink for cheap, according to Stan Warren at Supermods. I can't find the guy but maybe someone reading this might know. You should check past threads as I have left links to website reviews that discuss various setups with the DAC1. Good luck! Charlie

For what you could sell the Rotel for you could get the DVD player and the good digital cable.

It's probably a question of what your 'ears prefer.' I tried a Pioneeer DVD with a TOSlink connectection and compared it to a coaxial connection to a cd player similar to your Rotel 971. To my ears, the cd/coaxial seemed quite a bit better.
Good luck.