Please Help me Upgrade my CDP/Source

Abhi
As you know I have the Rega Jupiter which is very good,very musical, great dynamic range.
My suggestion, based on what I have read...why dont you go for the Rega Apollo. It's supposed to be a major improvement over the Planet and even the Jupiter. It will cost approx 900 USD though but you have the newest model.

abhi.pani schrieb:

I am also not very sure how good will the NAD serve as a transport. I anyway dont expect it to do anything esoteric but atleast can I consider it to be a decent transport ??

It is a very decent transport. all if you dampen the cabinet with cork it becomes even better.


For the money, i would suggest a DAC as a VFM upgrade as you already have a decent transport..especially if you are buying used as the Transport is what has a tendency to fail the most. the DAC is the safest to buy used

Numeric is nice.and old school (which is good!)..but the Benchmark is amazing in terms of an upgrade to your setup.

Rega is not the last word in accuracy (which is the primary function of the source)

Arcam is nice..their DAC section is also pretty good.

BTW i have a 521BEE as my transport it is damped heavily and i even have blu-Tac on the underside of the transport drawer to make it more stable.

Hi Jeeves,
Yes, I do know that you have a Jupiter and infact I wanted to check it out just to see if Rega floats my boat. The way its sound is described really excites me...Analog, Punchy, Rhythmic..but as I have other options so I have to weigh it out. Regarding Apollo, I am not getting it in the used market at present..a new apollo costs close to $2000, never in my range. BTW, some people say Rega has build issues..how far is it true ??

Arj Ji,
Numerik is something that I am seriously thinking about, the Numerik I am getting is a new generation DAC known as Numerik3..released after 2000. The only thing I am unsure about is the "Linn Sound" . I really have no idea about their sound signature. Will they do well with rock, Pop, funk ?? Again I am not getting the Benchmark for this price range else I would have certainly included it in my list.
Arcam has got very good reviews and so has Rega...looks like two different schools of sound with their own fan following .

Jeeves buddy, any comment on the Rega Soundstage ?? I would anyway try to come over and listen asap, but still your comments are valuable.

Bhayya, besides Arcam why shouldn't look at Cyrus & Creek? They too are very good CDps. What gels well with your Plinius amp is also an issue. Pl check which brands of CDps are commonly used with Plinius amplification. IMO Arcam should do well.

abhi.pani schrieb:

Arj Ji, Numerik is something that I am seriously thinking about, the Numerik I am getting is a new generation DAC known as Numerik3..released after 2000. The only thing I am unsure about is the "Linn Sound" . I really have no idea about their sound signature. Will they do well with rock, Pop, funk ?? Again I am not getting the Benchmark for this price range else I would have certainly included it in my list. Arcam has got very good reviews and so has Rega...looks like two different schools of sound with their own fan following .

You cannot go wrong with Linn as they propagated the source first theory and hence their sources are usually great. the linn sound was a niche ..but i guess they are very much "mainstream " now.
I think Linn (with naim) also belonged to the "FlatEarth" group where soundstaging was not given preference but PRAT was their driving force. although they are not the same now. I sicerely doubt if a DAC/CDP will have a say in the type of music..in the end it is about converting the 0/1 to analogue. you either do it well or you dont !


Rega Apollo is very good as they have redone/redisigned it..but it is not cheap. at that price you can get a DAC which will get quite High End. additionally it playes MP3s and has a RAM built in as well.

of course with a DAC you need to budget around 100 USD for a good digital cable as well as a bad cable causes jitter.

But ,
please do not buy used CDPs as they are the only audio component with so many mechanical parts..uness it is from a trusted source.

and if you can even find a benchmark at audiogon and buy it, it will be well worth the price. it is one of the most accurate DACs that i know of at that price (not that the numeric is bad..but the only LInn i have heard is a classik which was pretty good)

dont worry about CDP Musicality..leave the musicality to your Amp (and you have a good one) and get the source as accurate as you can

Arj schrieb:

abhi.pani schrieb: I am also not very sure how good will the NAD serve as a transport. I anyway dont expect it to do anything esoteric but atleast can I consider it to be a decent transport ?? It is a very decent transport. all if you dampen the cabinet with cork it becomes even better. For the money, i would suggest a DAC as a VFM upgrade as you already have a decent transport..especially if you are buying used as the Transport is what has a tendency to fail the most. the DAC is the safest to buy used Numeric is nice.and old school (which is good!)..but the Benchmark is amazing in terms of an upgrade to your setup. Rega is not the last word in accuracy (which is the primary function of the source) Arcam is nice..their DAC section is also pretty good. BTW i have a 521BEE as my transport it is damped heavily and i even have blu-Tac on the underside of the transport drawer to make it more stable.

Agree completely with Arj again.

YOu know what i think would be the best DAC with your setup.
The MSB Link Dac 3 with the Powerbase power supply.
I have see a few up on sale on audiogon .com and seriously getting one for myself for headphone listening .

If you must know, PLinius and MSB tech gel really well and MSB uses PLinius in their demo rooms IN CES.

Just do a search and am sure you will find the same thoughts being echoed in most places.

My two bits..
-Saachi

sachi, are you going for the full nelson upgraded one ?


MSB is no doubt a good DAC as is the Monarchy (22B ?) and the SOnic Frontiers DAC1.

but i would still root for the Benchmark..it is one of the better engineered/designed, yet good sounding DACs in the market and it has a focus on accuracy without being "Analytical"

Also has a pretty good Headphone output with Volume Control.

hmm buddies, please keep it coming.

Sachi,
I think I have heard about Plinius/MSB link ..needs to find out some more though.
Arj,
I have found on the net that a MSB dac with full nelson upgrade costs about $950...any idea about how much is the difference (in SQ) between the basic DAC and the Nelson upgraded version ?? The basic DAC is just around $400

Its a very big differecnce.

When I had my CDP modded, the comparison was heard with a Basic MSB on Gradient Speakers (Dont remember the amp)

i could say that the CDP sounded smoother and less harsh than the MSB

but the full/half nelson upgrade with the powerbase is supposed to be really remarkable.(hence my query to Saachi)

Hmm..I think i came across a Nelson upgraded one with the powerbase for abt 550$.

The base one costs just 150$ on audiogon.

Arj,
I am still contemplating on it.
The main bottleneck is with my laptop.
It has an express card slot and hence upgrading to a better sound card via PCMCIA is ruled out.
So i donot have a digital out to feed a DAC.
Only other option is to go for a USB or FIREWIRE DAC.
USB DACs have some issues and i haven't found a firewire DAC yet.

I came into some money and hence, currently my sights are squarely on getting a pair of RS-1s..probably sell off the HD580s and the AL iM716 IEMs.

Sorry for digressing a bit Abhi..

Back to the topic, Arj, The Benchmark DAC1 looks very tempting to say the least.
I occasionally spot one for about 700/725$ on audiogon.
Sweet deal considering you get a kickass DAC and as you rightfully point out, an headphone amp to boot.

Btw, how about the Bel Canto DAC1..??

Hi Abhijit,
you should have also put a choice for "None of the above"!!
IMHO, all your choices marginalize the sound that you are trying to elevate to:
Rega Jupiter - poor dynamics, rolled off highs, soft bass, very veiled. Overall sounded terrible. I heard it in a system wherein all the amplification was C-J & the speakers were Martin-Logan electrostatics. I was hoping for a treat but I got disappointment BIG-time! I nearly went to sleep listening to the music & I was listening to the Eagles "Hell Freezes Over" CD & you know that this is 1 superb CD that one simply cannot go to sleep on!
I mean no personal offense Jeeves. I just read that you are an owner of this CDP but my comments are directed squarely at the player. IMHO, this is 1 player to avoid.
Arcam - very hi-fi-ish. It has a very high wow factor but the long-term ownership of this player has an iffy track record. Arcam makes some great DVD players that are very good for HT. IF I were to get an Arcam player, I'd spend the bucks & get the older FMJ CD23 or CD33 (I can't remember the exact model # but it is not the latest model).
Linn - I've heard a Linn Genki & it's OK. The amplification in that system was supposedly top-notch with ARC Ref 1 preamp & Symphonic Line Kraft 250W/ch power amp. Also, Linn has a (bad) history of bringing products to the market, not providing adequate support for them & then suddenly replacing them with "better" stuff. In another forum that Manek & I are members, there is an Englishman who was a Linn Sondek LP12 owner who gave us a superb run-down on Linn's history where they duped the customers time & time again. For the cost of Linn products & the quality of sound you get, you can do better.
MSB DACs - avoid! They are very grainy + hi-fi sounding. They are devoid of any natural sound. To make them sound any good you need many of their upgrades & by the time you get done, you wonder if you could have done better elsewhere with less money spent. I've heard their top-of-the-line Platinum DAC. It was quite good sounding but when I looked at the sticker price, I felt that there was much better product out there for less money. Some recommendations below.

My suggestions are:
* Arjun has already strongly hinted at this - keep the NAD as a transport. Get your hands a bit dirty to DIY damp the chassis. Mr. Murthy has damping sheets that are used by car enthusiasts when they put a heavy-duty audio system in their car. You can use these sheets to damp the chassis, the CD drive.
Then, buy yourself an excellent DAC.
* Here Savyasaachi has already strongly hinted at a kick-ass product from Bel Canto. I will go further & suggest the later Bel Canto DAC2. Last year I got my hands on a Bel Canto DAC2 & compared it to my 1-box CD player & my Sony DVD transport & non oversampling DAC combination. The Bel Canto DAC2 is simply a superb product - superb hi-freq extension, fluid, grain-free midrange & deeeeeeep bass. Also, this DAC has an on-board re-sampler that reduces jitter so you do not need any other external jitter reducing device like the Monarchy DIP.
I was reading a review on it & it said that the same person who designed the Wadia DAC board designed the Bel Canto DAC2. I cannot highly recommend this DAC any more than I am.
* ANother DAC that I can whole-heartedly recommend is the Scott Nixon DAC. Any DAC from his portfolio. The Tube DAC is the most popular but you might/might not want a tube output stage in your DAC? I personally own his (discontinued) Saru DAC. Here is Scott Nixon's website:
http://www.scott-nixon.com/dac.htm
The prices are just about the same as what you want to spend on new CDP.
* ALS made another very good suggestion - the Creek CD player. Creek & Music Hall seem to have some sort of a tie-up & their website seems to tout both products. I've owned Music Hall before & I know that their products were superb sounding for the money spent. I'm reading the same sort of comments about Creek. I've heard the Creek Epos loudspeakers, which are superb sounding for stand-mount & for the fact that they have metal dome tweeters. I trust that the same goodness will be in the Creek CDP. I also know that these Creek CD players are hot in the used market.

My apologies for the "aggressive" post & for treading on other members' toes. The latter was/is not my intention. I've been down this road looking for source electronics & after having been thru this journey I've realized that if one screws up one's source electronics, one might as well be listening to a boom-box. I've found that the source electronics sets the pace for the entire 2-ch system. The pre, power & speakers just embellish what the source can put out; they cannot correct for any anomalies in the source. Once it's lost @ the source, it's gone!
Pay the highest attention to your source - you might be out of a little more money than you want to, but you will not regret it. Long-term enjoyment will be yours to have if you implement the source correctly.
FWIW. YMMV. IMHO.

Hi Bombaywalla,
A very nice and detailed post..thanks for that.
Now that you have recommended things that are radically different from where I had initially started, would like to know which one will you choose between Arcam FMJ-23 and Bel Canto Dac2 provided you get them at the same price ???
The Arcam is almost twice the price of Dac2 but still, if its only about SQ then which one ??

abhi.pani schrieb:

Hi Bombaywalla, A very nice and detailed post..thanks for that. Now that you have recommended things that are radically different from where I had initially started, would like to know which one will you choose between Arcam FMJ-23 and Bel Canto Dac2 provided you get them at the same price ??? The Arcam is almost twice the price of Dac2 but still, if its only about SQ then which one ??

Hmmmmmmmm.................
this is a slightly tough one!
The Arcam FMJ CD23 has the same dCS ring DAC that made dCS stack of Delius-Purcell & Delius-Elgar Plus so famous. This Arcam FMJ CDP was the best budget-minded rendition of that ring DAC hence my recommendation.
The Bel Canto DAC2 is a very, very good all-round DAC with very little more to be desired. Of course, in audio more is always desired!!

Well, if you are getting both at the same price, I'd go with the Bel Canto DAC2. It is a more flexible & self-contained product that can work with any transport. I'd 1st use the NAD as a transport. Then, when your budget allows, I'd get a better transport/CDP with digital out. Maybe an Arcam FMJ CD23 (which you could use as a kick-ass CDP or a kick-ass transport for the DAC2)?

I recently had the chance to listen to the Bel Canto DAC3. This is the newer version with USB input. I must say I was absolutely bowled over by how good it was. If you can get a DAC2 used for a decent price, don't think twice. Just grab it with both hands. Another lower priced DAC I liked was the Lavry DA10.

Edit: Forgot to mention source and amp were HD650+Gilmore lite with upgraded power supply.

bombaywalla schrieb:

Hi Abhijit, you should have also put a choice for "None of the above"!! IMHO, all your choices marginalize the sound that you are trying to elevate to: Rega Jupiter - poor dynamics, rolled off highs, soft bass, very veiled. Overall sounded terrible. I heard it in a system wherein all the amplification was C-J & the speakers were Martin-Logan electrostatics. I was hoping for a treat but I got disappointment BIG-time! I nearly went to sleep listening to the music & I was listening to the Eagles "Hell Freezes Over" CD & you know that this is 1 superb CD that one simply cannot go to sleep on! I mean no personal offense Jeeves. I just read that you are an owner of this CDP but my comments are directed squarely at the player. IMHO, this is 1 player to avoid. Arcam - very hi-fi-ish. It has a very high wow factor but the long-term ownership of this player has an iffy track record. Arcam makes some great DVD players that are very good for HT. IF I were to get an Arcam player, I'd spend the bucks & get the older FMJ CD23 or CD33 (I can't remember the exact model # but it is not the latest model). Linn - I've heard a Linn Genki & it's OK. The amplification in that system was supposedly top-notch with ARC Ref 1 preamp & Symphonic Line Kraft 250W/ch power amp. Also, Linn has a (bad) history of bringing products to the market, not providing adequate support for them & then suddenly replacing them with "better" stuff. In another forum that Manek & I are members, there is an Englishman who was a Linn Sondek LP12 owner who gave us a superb run-down on Linn's history where they duped the customers time & time again. For the cost of Linn products & the quality of sound you get, you can do better. MSB DACs - avoid! They are very grainy + hi-fi sounding. They are devoid of any natural sound. To make them sound any good you need many of their upgrades & by the time you get done, you wonder if you could have done better elsewhere with less money spent. I've heard their top-of-the-line Platinum DAC. It was quite good sounding but when I looked at the sticker price, I felt that there was much better product out there for less money. Some recommendations below. My suggestions are: * Arjun has already strongly hinted at this - keep the NAD as a transport. Get your hands a bit dirty to DIY damp the chassis. Mr. Murthy has damping sheets that are used by car enthusiasts when they put a heavy-duty audio system in their car. You can use these sheets to damp the chassis, the CD drive. Then, buy yourself an excellent DAC. * Here Savyasaachi has already strongly hinted at a kick-ass product from Bel Canto. I will go further & suggest the later Bel Canto DAC2. Last year I got my hands on a Bel Canto DAC2 & compared it to my 1-box CD player & my Sony DVD transport & non oversampling DAC combination. The Bel Canto DAC2 is simply a superb product - superb hi-freq extension, fluid, grain-free midrange & deeeeeeep bass. Also, this DAC has an on-board re-sampler that reduces jitter so you do not need any other external jitter reducing device like the Monarchy DIP. I was reading a review on it & it said that the same person who designed the Wadia DAC board designed the Bel Canto DAC2. I cannot highly recommend this DAC any more than I am. * ANother DAC that I can whole-heartedly recommend is the Scott Nixon DAC. Any DAC from his portfolio. The Tube DAC is the most popular but you might/might not want a tube output stage in your DAC? I personally own his (discontinued) Saru DAC. Here is Scott Nixon's website: http://www.scott-nixon.com/dac.htm The prices are just about the same as what you want to spend on new CDP. * ALS made another very good suggestion - the Creek CD player. Creek & Music Hall seem to have some sort of a tie-up & their website seems to tout both products. I've owned Music Hall before & I know that their products were superb sounding for the money spent. I'm reading the same sort of comments about Creek. I've heard the Creek Epos loudspeakers, which are superb sounding for stand-mount & for the fact that they have metal dome tweeters. I trust that the same goodness will be in the Creek CDP. I also know that these Creek CD players are hot in the used market. My apologies for the "aggressive" post & for treading on other members' toes. The latter was/is not my intention. I've been down this road looking for source electronics & after having been thru this journey I've realized that if one screws up one's source electronics, one might as well be listening to a boom-box. I've found that the source electronics sets the pace for the entire 2-ch system. The pre, power & speakers just embellish what the source can put out; they cannot correct for any anomalies in the source. Once it's lost @ the source, it's gone! Pay the highest attention to your source - you might be out of a little more money than you want to, but you will not regret it. Long-term enjoyment will be yours to have if you implement the source correctly. FWIW. YMMV. IMHO.

None taken Bombaywalla.
MSB tech has some nice products but are priced really high.
Would rather go with the DCS stack or the Esoteric instead of the MSB Platinum DAC/CDP combo.

I have been wondering about the Scott Nixon DACs..Can you give a detailed impression on the same?

Btw, Abhi i have seen a couple of BEL Canto DAC2s for sale around 675$..
A steal i must say!
Grab them while you can and don't even think about buying a used CDP, especially from an unknown source.

Reign, did you listen to the DAC3 via the USB input?..What were your impressions?. I am still a bit skeptical about using USB as my digital input but like i mentioned before i have no other choice except for Firewire input(which i haven't found in a DAC yet).


-Saachi

EDIT:- ALso how about the Unison Unico CD cd player to use as a source. U can find a brand new one for about 1200$.

To the best of my knowledge the Rega Apollo lists at US$ 995/ not 2000. It's a bargain.
The Saturn is around US$ 2000/

bombaywalla schrieb:

My apologies for the "aggressive" post & for treading on other members' toes. The latter was/is not my intention. I've been down this road looking for source electronics & after having been thru this journey I've realized that if one screws up one's source electronics, one might as well be listening to a boom-box. I've found that the source electronics sets the pace for the entire 2-ch system. The pre, power & speakers just embellish what the source can put out; they cannot correct for any anomalies in the source. Once it's lost @ the source, it's gone! Pay the highest attention to your source - you might be out of a little more money than you want to, but you will not regret it. Long-term enjoyment will be yours to have if you implement the source correctly. FWIW. YMMV. IMHO.

Nice post and very well put.

Scott Nixon, bel Canto etc are all apparently great products..unfortunately never had a chance to listen to them.

I have also always felt that irrespective of ones musical tastes, it is of most importance to get the source as the most accurate and neutral on you can get your hands on..

abhi, i guess the choice is wider than how you starrted out but i guess you have a clearer path ahead..i personally feel that you cannot go wrong with any of the above and system synergy really may not be an issue with the source..of course IMHO

[quote="Savyasaachi"
Arj,
I am still contemplating on it.
The main bottleneck is with my laptop.
It has an express card slot and hence upgrading to a better sound card via PCMCIA is ruled out.
So i donot have a digital out to feed a DAC.
Only other option is to go for a USB or FIREWIRE DAC.
USB DACs have some issues and i haven't found a firewire DAC yet.
[/quote]

I would suggest the SB2, Airport Express kind of wireless streaming . you can stream digital (Either Wirelessly or via ethernet) into the receiver which can give the output to a DAC.
that way the laptop is not fixed to the music system physically

AE is only around 100USD and the others might be more but are easier to integerate.
The Geek in me made sure bought the AE..but not really the ideal on with windows

roksan kandy III cdp....I liked the kandy I as well very much. Good build.

manek.

[quote="Savyasaachi]

Reign, did you listen to the DAC3 via the USB input?..What were your impressions?. I am still a bit skeptical about using USB as my digital input but like i mentioned before i have no other choice except for Firewire input(which i haven't found in a DAC yet).


-Saachi

EDIT:- ALso how about the Unison Unico CD cd player to use as a source. U can find a brand new one for about 1200$.[/quote]

I heard it over Coax SPDIF. Seemingly the issue with USB is that you are limited to 16/48 output using the default windows drivers. According to my friend who had it, SPDIF sounds better as one can pass SRC resampled input at 24/192 into the DAC. Since the dac uses PCM1792 delta-sigma converters, I tend to agree with his findings as I've found the same phenomenon to be true for my Citypulse which is based on PCM1796. A signal resampled to 24/96 from the computer sounds better than 16/48 or 16/44.1.

@abhi: I believe you'd be better off dumping that NAD altogether and using either an SB3 or a dvd player as the digital transport.

@abhi: I believe you'd be better off dumping that NAD altogether and using either an SB3 or a dvd player as the digital transport.

chaos sir,
thats definitely on my mind...

Hi Manek,
I know somebody else who has a passion for Roksan cd players. Mr Murthy.:-)

How would the Benchmark DAC1 compare to the Belcanto DAC 2 ?
The Benchmark Dac looks sexy compared to the Switch-box aesthetics of the Bel Canto.

^^Dry, quite revealing, a bit edgy and definitely not meant for easy listening... that sums up my opinion on it.

Hi Reignofchaos,
Have you checked both these Dacs in the same system ? Did the Belcanto sound fluid and musical in the same system ? If not, what were the rest of the electronics / speakers in the system you checked the benchmark ?

Abhi, Looks like there is a MF Trivista Dac for sale with Prithvi.

square_wave schrieb:

Hi Reignofchaos, Have you checked both these Dacs in the same system ? Did the Belcanto sound fluid and musical in the same system ? If not, what were the rest of the electronics / speakers in the system you checked the benchmark ? Abhi, Looks like there is a MF Trivista Dac for sale with Prithvi.

Nope different system. I heard the benchmark at a store. The bel canto was at a friend's place. The benchmark was on HD600 as well with no idea of amp. So its not a direct comparison.

^^Dry, quite revealing, a bit edgy and definitely not meant for easy listening... that sums up my opinion on it.

Chaos,
This description was for which one ? Benchmark is it ??

Abhi, Looks like there is a MF Trivista Dac for sale with Prithvi.

But the price quoted is esoteric...

reignofchaos schrieb:

^^Dry, quite revealing, a bit edgy and definitely not meant for easy listening... that sums up my opinion on it.

thats not my experience with it..i found it quite smooth.
and its headphone output is pretty good as well.


bel cantos have got some great reviews so would not doubt their capability either..but even though i am running the risk of Over highlighting this, you cannot compare DACs on two different setups

Savyasaachi schrieb:

I have been wondering about the Scott Nixon DACs..Can you give a detailed impression on the same?

My Scott Nixon Saru DAC+ held up very well to the Bel Canto DAC2. BTW, it is has the "+" in the name because I have the upgrade 3X power supply for better dynamics rather than the wal-wart power supply that is default. I definitely recommend spending the extra money to get the upgraded power supply.
The Bel Canto DAC2 beat the Saru DAC in bass - the DAC2 had deeper, more fortified bass. The Saru DAC, in comparison, was bass lighter. In & of itself the Saru DAC sounds superb. This short-coming is heard only in comparisons. In the high frequencies it was mostly a draw. There were CDs that I preferred the DAC2 & there were other CDs where I preferred the Saru DAC+. The Saru DAC= seemed to have a certain sparkle in the high freq that the DAC2 did not have & I enjoyed this feature very much. NOTE: the Saru DAC+ is a non-oversampled DAC while the DAC2 is a 24/192 oversampled DAC.
In the midrange, too, it was mostly a draw. There might have been a slight edge in favour of the DAC2 because the midrange was silky smooth & grain-free. A delight to listen to!

Reignofchaos schrieb:

@abhi: I believe you'd be better off dumping that NAD altogether and using either an SB3 or a dvd player as the digital transport.

now here is another damn good suggestion, if I ever read one!
My Scott Nixon DAC is connected to a Sony DVD player being used as a transport.
When I did the DAC2 Saru DAC+ comparisons, the transport was this Sony DVD player.
The laser systems of DVD players are made to more exacting tolerances (than CD players) because DVD players use a finer geometery laser (denser storage medium) to read that DVD disk. This translates to better reading of the CD disk - a side benefit.
You do not need to get the latest & greatest DVD player for your transport. An older Pioneer Elite, Sony or Denon model should do nicely. In fact, if budget is tight right now, temporarily stay with the NAD & upgrade later but................. get a damn good DAC

reignofchaos schrieb:

^^Dry, quite revealing, a bit edgy and definitely not meant for easy listening... that sums up my opinion on it.

Arj,
I've also read these sort of comments on the Benchmark DAC.
I've not heard it myself so my data is 2nd-hand.

Oh Abhi,
I just remembered another superb DAC that I've heard - the Birdland Odeon Lite. This DAC is now discontinued for a while but it is superb sounding DAC with a volume control. The sound of it is very much like the Bel Canto DAC2. It might be difficult to get hold of but it is one to look out for.
More chaos!!

Now...how do I react to this response..
This is overwhelming to say the least. I started off without much expectation but now I see I have enormous choices with so many first hand listening experiences being put forward.
Bel Canto Dac2 certainly looks very very lucrative at this point of time. I would need to put in some more research about this product and decide accordingly.

bombaywalla schrieb:

You do not need to get the latest & greatest DVD player for your transport. An older Pioneer Elite, Sony or Denon model should do nicely. In fact, if budget is tight right now, temporarily stay with the NAD & upgrade later but................. get a damn good DAC :D

the problem with DVDps is actually the tray (very very flimsy) and the body..again very flimsy. Yes an old sony might be good but unless you own it yourself not easy to get hold of an used one.

if this were the US/EU/Singapore, i would have suggested selling of the NAD as well..but you will get only a pittance for this here.

and the NAD has a much better transport than most of the DVDps available in the indian market. as the higher end DVDps are priced really too high.

its much more VFM to mod the NAD and make it more stable than anything else.

yes the SB is a very good option as well. i love my AE connected to my DAC via Monarachy DIP

but the feeling of sliding in a cd and listening to it has a much better feeling

Arj schrieb:

the problem with DVDps is actually the tray (very very flimsy) and the body..again very flimsy. Yes an old sony might be good but unless you own it yourself not easy to get hold of an used one. if this were the US/EU/Singapore, i would have suggested selling of the NAD as well..but you will get only a pittance for this here. and the NAD has a much better transport than most of the DVDps available in the indian market. as the higher end DVDps are priced really too high. its much more VFM to mod the NAD and make it more stable than anything else. yes the SB is a very good option as well. i love my AE connected to my DAC via Monarachy DIP but the feeling of sliding in a cd and listening to it has a much better feeling ;)

Hey Arjun,
as I wrote before, I'm actually for Abhi retaining his NAD as a transport. You might recall that I wrote this in atleast a couple posts of mine earlier in this thread.
I just got a bit excited when I saw another member recommend a DVD player as a transport, which I found do better duty in this function.

Hello friends,
Thanks for all your suggestions. I am sincerely looking at the Bel Canto Dac2. The one thing that troubles me a bit is, supposedly the Dac2 would be a 110v unit (since I am getting it from US), how do I convert the 220v output from the mains to 110v ??? I mean, where do I get a decent enough converter which can feed good quality current to the DAC (after conversion to 110v) ? Could you share some pointers ?

bombaywalla schrieb:

Hi Abhijit, you should have also put a choice for "None of the above"!! IMHO, all your choices marginalize the sound that you are trying to elevate to: IMHO.

Well said !

I do not like any of the above. All are as bad as the other.
Sorry !

abhi.pani schrieb:

Hello friends, Thanks for all your suggestions. I am sincerely looking at the Bel Canto Dac2. The one thing that troubles me a bit is, supposedly the Dac2 would be a 110v unit (since I am getting it from US), how do I convert the 220v output from the mains to 110v ??? I mean, where do I get a decent enough converter which can feed good quality current to the DAC (after conversion to 110v) ? Could you share some pointers ?

Abhi,
the DAC2 has an internal switch to convert the unit from 110V to 220V.
You will need to need to take off a couple screws on the back panel that holds the RCA output, then slide the top chassis off & flick the switch to 220V (it is marked which position is 110V & which is 220V). That's it! Slide the cover back, screw back those 2 screws & you are back in business. I have personally done this operation. It takes no more than 5 minutes & all you need is a philips head screwdriver.

Thanks a lot Bombaywalla...

SO did you buy something finally Abhi?

Hi Bombaywalla,

Am a bit curios now.
I am looking for a USB source and after re reading your posts explored the Scott Nixon Chibi DAC.
Even went through your review on audiogon.
Can you please tell me where i can find the Scott Nixon Chibi Saru+.
All i see on the Scott nixon website is the Chibi and USB Chibi.

I am planning to buy this. SO if you are not using your DAC would you be interested in parting with it?

The other option would be to go for the USB to Digital converter(www.cryo-parts.com) and then an external DAC , probably a Bel Canto DAC2 or Benchmark DAC2.

I would be very interested if you could give a detailed impression on the Chibi DAC and also what configuration to go for, additional Mods and the sort.
Thanks.

Cheers,
Saachi

Savyasaachi schrieb:

SO did you buy something finally Abhi? :D

Yes I did...

Hmmm....lets see...
I am almost 100% sure it is the Bel Canto DAC2..

Abhi,

Sharukh and I auditioned the Arcan cd73 and the A30 combo and we were both blown away by the performance for the price. That player is good for around 40K.

Music just flowed from it. We both forgot about the electronics in a few minutes and were thoroughly enjoying the music. Primarily were playing JAZZ out of the 50's & 60's but we had a great time.

manek.

Yeah Abhi, the Arcam combo was amazing. It showed up so many inadequacies in the other CDPs it's not funny. A brilliant buy at 40K!

Savyasaachi schrieb:

Hmmm....lets see... I am almost 100% sure it is the Bel Canto DAC2.. :D

Hmmmm....

Manek schrieb:

Abhi, Sharukh and I auditioned the Arcan cd73 and the A30 combo and we were both blown away by the performance for the price. That player is good for around 40K. Music just flowed from it. We both forgot about the electronics in a few minutes and were thoroughly enjoying the music. Primarily were playing JAZZ out of the 50's & 60's but we had a great time. manek.

Hi Manek and Shahrukh,
I always knew Arcams are very musical. Unfortunately, I didnt get to audition the CD73 here in BLR. But I have heard the FMJ cdp owned by Siva and that definitely blew me away. So what were the speakers you auditioned them with ?
How was the bottom end ? I ask this because some people on AA have raised questions against the Arcams bottom end (except for the FMJ series)

abhi.pani schrieb:

Hi Manek and Shahrukh, I always knew Arcams are very musical. Unfortunately, I didnt get to audition the CD73 here in BLR. But I have heard the FMJ cdp owned by Siva and that definitely blew me away. So what were the speakers you auditioned them with ? How was the bottom end ? I ask this because some people on AA have raised questions against the Arcams bottom end (except for the FMJ series)

We heard them with Vandersteen Model 1 (C, I think) and KEF iQ5. No issues with bottom end at all. Atleast it didn't come to either of our notice. We heard some dynamic drum tracks too and thoroughly enjoyed it! The best part, was that it was so bloody enjoyable.
Other CDPs had everything - detail, image, clarity... you name it. But the Arcam had all this and one more very important element. Soul.

hmmm..I am curious.
BTW, did you compare any other CDPs there using the same speakers and electronics (amp to be specific)?

we heard the cyrus combo(8vs2+cdp), nad 542 and arcam combo

heard the nad with arcam as well.

Arcam+arcam combo was far ahead of both....what more can I say abhi...it just blew us away. As I said we just forgot about the electronics and were immersed into music.

What a lovely experience.

Manek.