CD Player or DAC for Valve Amp please

[jiten]

Dear All,
Just an update on kit 34. Replaced all the EL 34 and power supply valves. the ecf 80 Mullard with telefunken valves. Replaced the tannoys with Monitor audio GX200. Everything sounds superb though the difference between the tannoy 611 and the monitor audio is not that great - even with the tannoys being many years old.
Any ideas on which CD player best suits a valve amp? I have an ARCAM 72 which does not sound as open as the Yamaha ( the yamaha is at least 20 years old).
Thank you for your help and especially for your help in getting the amp going again.
Jiten.

[Ali Tait]

I'd be looking at file audio rather than a cd player IMHO, sounds better when done well, and you can listen at higher resolutions.

[pre65]

I still use my first ever CD player in my second (office) system. It's a Yamaha CDX-810 and I think it's great.

Must admit my main source in the first system is digital via a Squeezebox, but I also use a home made CD player using a PC DVD ROM with an e-bay display/control panel and SM power supply all fitted in a small form computer case.

[pre65]

Another CD player that springs to mind is the NEC CDR-602 CD rom reader.

This was a bit of a "cult" item a few years ago. It's an old type CD rom reader in a self contained housing and has audio out and digital out RCA sockets. They are very well made, and compact. The CD has to be inserted into a caddy before use, but that is a minor downside.

I could be persuaded to part with one of mine.

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n.../NECCDR602.jpg

[jiten]

Dear Philip, Thank you for the suggestion.
I was told by the local hi fi dealer that the main thing is to get a good DAC as the digital signal is going to be the same. so what DAc would one get? I guess the DAc would have to take a usb type external hard drive or an SD card.
And how does one ensure that the transfer of the original CD via computer is accurate and not too compressed?
Is it possible to build a DAC or are there quality DACs on Ebay?.
And as I am on an ebay buying spree, have got a REL sub woofer to enhance the Monitor audio speakers.
Many thanks, Jiten.

[colin.hepburn]

Hi Jiten
Have a read of these links for the EBay Dacs some of us here are using the AK4396 doesn’t have usb input though
But theDAC-05 WM8741+WM8805+TE7022 DAC board (USB + Coaxial + optical is also a good sounding Dac
I have both the dacs at the moment

http://www.world-designs.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=6315
And http://www.world-designs.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=6686

[jiten]

have looked at the various DACs. What makes a good DAC? They range in price to thousands of pounds in the hifi magazines.
is the difference the components, is it the basic chip or the flashing blue lights?
Of the ones listed by Philip, a fully built DAC with what appears to be the better chip WM 8741 is only about £100. The yamaha cdx 870 has a coaxial and optical output. The question really is - is the drive speed important or is it the analysis of the signal.
And if one copies a cd onto a hard drive for example, is it a pure digital copy with no influence of the cd players or computer drive accuracy or will that affect the copy?
Sorry might be too simplistic a question.
jiten

[Greg.]

If it were me, I'd start a new DAC thread. Kit 34 title is no longer relevant.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by Greg.

If it were me, I'd start a new DAC thread. Kit 34 title is no longer relevant.

done

[Black Stuart]

jiten,
I'm in the same boat but everything seems to point CD-Rs rather than playing from hard drive.

I took delivery the other day of a Project CD Box SE. It has a small footprint but is very solid in it's construction, I hav'nt taken the lid off yet to see the entrails.

It comes with an all metal slot loading mechanism which is made by the same Austrian company that supplies Wadia and Ayon (probably is the same). This is so smooth and the chance of damaging the CD is zero. It is also silent in operation and makes my old 63KI Sig. Mk11 seem noisy in comparison.

I bought it to use as a transport but as my power and h/amps are all being modded I had to use a friend who lives down the road to verify if everything was working OK. He only has a stacked system but it sounded way better using the Project CDP - the bass especially was deep and very articulate and vocals were very good.

I refuse to be ripped off with prices in Europe - £500 but $500 in the US. I was lucky to get a very good deal in Germany on an ex-demo one that I paid £303 for including delivery by UPS tracking. I can bodge solder some resistors into the Bada h/amp and see what a good h/amp can do with the o/put.

See my post on another thread about building your own dedicated music PC