Laptop + external DAC versus USB input on Marantz CD6003

[steenbok]

hello everyone,
this is my first post and am really grateful to everyone as most(if not all) of my understanding of hifi has come from reading in this forum. Please guide me in this seemingly never ending confusion as to what to buy.

i want to use my laptop (MacBook) as my music source. Most of my music is 320 kbps/VBR MP3s, but i plan to start listening to FLAC files as well as I have heard good things about them. I am trying to decide between a Marantz CD6003 and a laptop+external DAC. The DACs that I have in mind are Arcam rDAC, CA DACMagic and V-DAC. My budget for either of the above is 25K-30K. I have read a few other threads in the same regard but haven't been able to come to any clear conclusions.
http://www.hifivision.com/cd-players/12921-cd6003-nad-c545bee-dacmagic.html
I have a pair of Usher bookshelves (S-520) that I plan to use in this setup and I have decided to buy Marantz PM6003/4 as integrated amp. I have the following questions.

1. The Marantz CD6003 can take USB from a laptop and a USB stick. Is there any difference w.r.t sound quality when a MP3 music file is played from a USB stick as compared to playing in on a music player like itunes on the laptop and using the USB input on the CD6003? I read something about asynchronous USB, but couldn't make much sense of it.

2. The CD6003 has 1 x Cirrus Logic CS4398 whereas DACMagic has 2 x Wolfson 8740. From what I could find, the Cirrus chips are better Wolfson. Does that mean that the inbuilt DAC of the CD6003 could be better? The reason that I want to go for a dedicated DAC instead of a CDP is that I expect the DAC functionality of a dedicated DAC player is going to be better than that of a DAC within a CDP.

3. Is it true that with most DACs the USB interface is a poor second to other interfaces. I have heard of firewire ports, but my macbook doesn't have firewire ports, so I am left with only the USB option. Is this something I should consider as well?

4. If DAC is the way to go, any suggestions as arcam/dacmagic/v-dac?

thanks

 

[hemantwaghe]

1)In DAc more important is the way chip is implemented ie circuit is designed and executed ,also important is gateways ,ie usb to data converters ,optical to data interface etc.
2) DAC adds colour but cdp too imho, so by experementing you will come to knosw
3) YOU MAY NOT REQUIRE USB . MOST OF THE MACS HEADPHONE JACK HAS OPTICAL OUT ( WHAT I'VE READ) YOU'LL REQUIRE 3.5 MM OPTICAL CABLE. This way usb may be completly bypassed.
4) What I've read mac has inherant audio / video qualities ,so results for pc's and macs maybe different.
5) is marantz processses Flac? and what about big hdds?

 

[hydra]

3. Is it true that with most DACs the USB interface is a poor second to other interfaces. I have heard of firewire ports, but my macbook doesn't have firewire ports, so I am left with only the USB option. Is this something I should consider as well?

Not necessarily. In fact, some DACs are known to give best results over USB.

The Arcam rDAC is known to give best results with USB input. I think the Dacmagic does a good job with all inputs -- I'm not sure which of the inputs gives best results there. The V-DAC is considered to give best results over coaxial digital input, but apparently it does nearly as well with USB input too.

In your case, I'd suggest the Arcam DAC. Since you have a Macbook, you have only 2 options -- USB and Optical.

From what I've read, the Optical interface is known to be inferior to the coaxial interface because of higher levels of jitter. If you need to take a coaxial-out from the Macbook, you'll need something like a V-Link or a M2Tech Hiface or a Halide Bridge (a lot more expensive) that will convert the USB to coaxial digital. This means more expenditure.

That leaves the USB interface only. In any case, as I mentioned above, the Arcam rDAC gives best results over USB (they have licensed technology from dCS).

4. If DAC is the way to go, any suggestions as arcam/dacmagic/v-dac?

All these DACs are known to be quite good in this price segment. Other than price and availability, you will need to consider the interface (input) aspect and the sound signature of the DAC to take a decision. vasista.sushant here has experience with the rDAC and the Dacmagic. abhi_jollyguy uses a V-DAC. You can perhaps get in touch with them to get an idea of how these DACs sound.

I have not listened to either of these DACs, but I've read quite a few reviews of DACs. Based on what I've read, and considering you're using a Macbook, I'd suggest the rDAC

 

[spirovious]

Some thoughts from a member abt rDAC-
http://www.hifivision.com/my-audio-video-setup/17554-making-baby-steps-into-hi-fi-10.html#post277943
http://www.hifivision.com/cd-players/14941-dac-buy-not-buy-confused-27.html

V DAC-
http://www.hifivision.com/cd-players/14941-dac-buy-not-buy-confused-28.html

Rega DAC-
http://www.hifivision.com/my-audio-video-setup/17554-making-baby-steps-into-hi-fi-11.html

 

[ravi_d]

1. The Marantz CD6003 can take USB from a laptop and a USB stick. Is there any difference w.r.t sound quality when a MP3 music file is played from a USB stick as compared to playing in on a music player like itunes on the laptop and using the USB input on the CD6003? I read something about asynchronous USB, but couldn't make much sense of it.

From my understanding Marantz CD6003 has USB just for convenience to play mp3's and WAV files from USB stick or may be external HDD. Going with Marantz CDP you may not be able to use your laptop as a source.
Connecting HDD to Marantz the folder navigation may be not convenient. Also I have read somewhere Marantz cdp having trouble detecting external HDD.

 

[gobble]

From my understanding Marantz CD6003 has USB just for convenience to play mp3's and WAV files from USB stick or may be external HDD. Going with Marantz CDP you may not be able to use your laptop as a source.
Connecting HDD to Marantz the folder navigation may be not convenient. Also I have read somewhere Marantz cdp having trouble detecting external HDD.

Yeah but copying your music collection (sync'ing with briefcase?) to a 8GB usb stick for about a 1000/- frees up your laptop for moving around the house while you still enjoy a backup copy of your music collection.

I would take the CD6003 any day unless you want to lug the DAC around to different places. And knowing that these other places wont have the same quality amplification + speakers, the onboard sound card should suffice for temporary listening elsewhere.

--G0bble

 

[vasishta.sushant]

DAC + Squeezebox Touch with music over USB is the best bet. Who buys CDs anyway, these days

 

[srinisundar]

DAC + Squeezebox Touch with music over USB is the best bet. Who buys CDs anyway, these days

I am buying since for the last two years only into Stereo music and before that an hardcore movie buff. But now moving into digital too.

 

[steenbok]

the squeezebox touch looks like an amazing product. it has a reasonably good DAC and i have seen comparisons of this in-built DAC with dedicated external DACs like DACMagic. As you have both, how do you think the 2 stack up to each other.
I was wondering if i could start with the inbuilt DAC of SBTouch and later add an external DAC if i feel the need for it.

cheers

 

[steenbok]

DAC + Squeezebox Touch with music over USB is the best bet. Who buys CDs anyway, these days

the squeezebox touch looks like an amazing product. it has a reasonably good DAC and i have seen comparisons of this in-built DAC with dedicated external DACs like DACMagic. As you have both, how do you think the 2 stack up to each other.
I was wondering if i could start with the inbuilt DAC of SBTouch and later add an external DAC if i feel the need for it.

cheers

 

[Amarendra]

Hi,
Just went through this dilemma about a month bck . Finally I ended up auditioning the Marantz6003 which I did not find worth the additonal spend compared to my old Philips DVD player. Ofcourse the sound was better but relatively speaking wasnt worth the price difference. The Ipod touch however sounded better through the Marantz. Finally bit the bullet and bought the HRT Music Streamer II and made my laptop into a music server !! Music never sounded so good-particularly when your gadget costs only US $ 149.

Cheers !!

 

[Bluu]

I was wondering if i could start with the inbuilt DAC of SBTouch and later add an external DAC if i feel the need for it.

You could and should. It's the best approach. You would be hard pressed to surpass the Wolfson on the SB Touch with anything south of 500USD. Plus it is an excellent streamer!

 

[vasishta.sushant]

You could and should. It's the best approach. You would be hard pressed to surpass the Wolfson on the SB Touch with anything south of 500USD. Plus it is an excellent streamer!

This statement irks me like anything. The DAC within the Touch is average at the best. And telling that it bests all the other DACs under 500USD mark would be a sheer blasphemy.

Its no good (yes NO GOOD), when compared to the DACMagic. rDAC even betters dacmagic. Heck, even streamer II works better than the inbuilt DAC of the Touch.

I'd agree to the fact that it makes more sense in buying the Touch first. Get accustomed to its sound and jump on to something better later. As a transport, Touch is an unsecondable. The comfort it brings with itself is just beyond words. But this device can be considered anything but audiophile. If anyone wants to get the best out of the Touch, he'll have to jump on to a dedicated DAC.

 

[heliumflight]

+1

I also use an external Beresford 7510 MK4 DACc with my SB Classic and it brings life back into the music.

--
helium
SB Classic> Beresford DAC 7510 MK4> Lyrita SET GM70 + PMC TB2/ Vintage highly modified B&W DM4 > Lyrita ICs + Cables => MUSIC

 

[steenbok]

thanks everyone for your suggestions.
both SB touch and HRT streamer II are great products and I am tempted to buy them both.

@vashista: i have a few questions on the touch. i believe sb touch can access your computer HDD over wifi and hence would you need to keep your computer switched on if your music resides on the computer. does the SB touch maintain its own media library like itunes etc or you have to point the touch to the location of the music files.

@amarendra: thanks a ton for letting me know about the HRT streamer II.

Logitech is not very MAC friendly, so I will probably read up more and let this friendship develop for a while before i pick up the touch.

I believe the cables and inputs that we use make a difference and could you guys suggest cables/inputs for the setup. are there varying qualities of the USB cable used to connect the laptop to the DAC as well ?

so my setup is going to be like MACbook/SBTouch?->HRT streamer->PM6003/PM6004/NAD326->Usher S-520

has anyone got their hands on the Marantz PM6004 as yet? PM6003 is a great product, but is it safe to say that PM6004 can only possibly better it? in other words, is it safe to take the plunge before the reviews pour in or rather go in for the NAD326 which i hear is very musical as well. music that i like to listen to are indian ocean, belle and sebastian, arcade fire, radiohead etc etc.

thanks and thanks