does CD transport affect the sound?

[vaibhav.gadade]

ever since i brought an external DAC, i was wondering if the CD transport i am using will affect the sound in any way? would sony be better than philips and so on, or digital signal is digital signal....and other than mechanical jitter, it is all going to sound the same.

 

[marsilians]

ever since i brought an external DAC, i was wondering if the CD transport i am using will affect the sound in any way? would sony be better than philips and so on, or digital signal is digital signal....and other than mechanical jitter, it is all going to sound the same.

All CD players have a certain sound signature. If you have a really good Dac, it will minimize the impact of the CD player while enhancing the quality of recording. HOWEVER your current player will not impact much in the sound reproduction due to its output quality (its an average player, nothing good or bad about it)

 

[vaibhav.gadade]

thanks! looks like my samsung dvp is indeed good. AB comparison with the DAC shows it can hold its own.

 

[hemantwaghe]

thanks! looks like my samsung dvp is indeed good. AB comparison with the DAC shows it can hold its own.

which dac?
what was the experement?

 

[vaibhav.gadade]

vaibhav.........the CD transport dose effect the sound, try your dac with cdp transport rather dvdp transport............its not only the dac which dose everything, but you need good digital extractor.............

hope your problem is sorted out with d1 and did he get back to you?

well, i guess i am learning to live with it. the reply i got was that the CDP switches the digital output off when cd is not loaded unlike some new models and hence the DAC relay accordingly switches on/off, sending those clicks.

@hemant, the experiment was between the samsung DVD player and maverick DAC. the samsung i believe has a dolby certified 192/24 DAC that i think is indeed reasonably good. or, let me the first one to very openly say, that maybe the Maverick audio DAC in its reviews is a bit overrated. yes the dac sounds a tad better than my cheap DVD player, ( Rs 3000 vs Rs 13500 for the DAC) it is very versatile and convenient to use, especially with the tube pre amp and PC connectivity, but for CDs, maybe a beginner marantz CD player is still the higher SQ option.

 

[hemantwaghe]

thanks
hey which speakers are these. how much you paid? and how come you landed at malad?( yes I went through their site.

 

[esanthosh]

let me the first one to very openly say, that maybe the Maverick audio DAC in its reviews is a bit overrated. yes the dac sounds a tad better than my cheap DVD player, ( Rs 3000 vs Rs 13500 for the DAC) it is very versatile and convenient to use, especially with the tube pre amp and PC connectivity, but for CDs, maybe a beginner marantz CD player is still the higher SQ option.

Sorry! But I've said that before you - very openly

Except for the convenience and the "fun factor" i.e., opamp rolling, tube rolling ... it's a disappointment considering the hype created in that head-fi thread. I liked it's headphone out (when I used it way back when) though.

 

[iaudio]

So did I! And the search still continues for a budget DAC which sounds almost as good as an entry level cdp!

 

[vaibhav.gadade]

so i correct myself, i am the third one.

you both were right. but now i am confused if i should return it and bear a 3000 Rs ka fatka or experiment with some other tube and opamp and hope that the sound improves.

 

[esanthosh]

^ I've already done that. Let's say Mav with stock opamp is shit, you dip into savings and may be you'll improve it a bit, but can you make it a hit?

At the end of the day, it's the same old DAC in new clothing. Opamp rolling (like LM4562NA) would improve the performance by some margin, but still it wasn't enough to beat STX to my ears. It does get close on further experimenting & after spending a lot of money. Get a Raytheon / WE tube and you will see some more improvement in the tube out. But then, tube signature is also a matter of taste, so make sure you read up on them.

In short, will opamp and tube rolling make it better? yes. But, if you want it to turn into something spectacular, I guess you won't. I am retaining it because it still is good enough to drive any headphone I get in the future. Besides, I can use most of the opamps in STX.

 

[vaibhav.gadade]

thanks for the heads up man! does rolling the opamp bring it closer to the marantz though?? or is marantz better than the stx?

 

[esanthosh]

Not really! Let's say STX is closer to CDP, but still CDP has that slight "intimacy" factor I like. I personally prefer to use STX most, if not all of the time because I am a lazy bugger who refuses to move from the seat once the playlist is on. For my ears, STX still beats D1, but the difference reduces a bit on opamp rolling.

Let's say CDP >= STX (opamp rolled: 49720NA x 2 in IC, 49710HA x 2 in Buffer) > D1 (opamp rolled) >> D1 (stock).

Purely my subjective opinion, of course

 

[vaibhav.gadade]

looks like me needs to get the CDP. will keep the DAC though, for that tube flavour and the fun factor. will roll the opamps first. man.........more money gone!