Add a DAC or buy a new CD player?

Get a MSB Link DAC. The new version III can be upgraded with a simple add on board later to future standards. Or pick up the original Link I cheaper. The Link II I beleve can be upgraded, but only by the company?? There is also a Cambridge Audio S700 DAC for auction on this site by some dealer. It has a DAC-7 converter and HDCD. Is also its own issolation platform. Don't know his reserve, list is $600.

hi kadlec, i also had a *pretty good* preamp - the linn kairn, w/its latest iteration of the switchmode power-supply, is no slouch. but, it *is* solid-state. i think digital needs tubes. rogue audio 99 preamp (if your amps' input impedence is high enuff), cary slp98, melos ma-333/music director, or melos sha gold/reference/maestro, would *all* give ya better sound/dollar than your classe w/upgraded cd, imho. (these are yust the ones *i've* personally heard). all the above can be had for less than $2k, the sha gold, for less than $1k. all are also f/s here, & on other classified audio sites, btw... doug

Idisagree about the preamp. if your source is not as good or better than the preamp you may feel the CD is letting you down with it's then more noticable grainyness/artifacts. I WOULD get a new CD PLAYER as the "jitter" issue in separates makes them a much more expensive proposition for the same quality of a current CD player. The Stereophile rec the Adcom 750 at (new price increase) $1400 or the Rotel at $1300. (The Rotel is soon to be discontinued, and the Adcom has a RCA digital input) I personally find digital sources need to be of a higher standard than the rest of the system to be listenable. A cheaper CD in a killer system is worse than death... it's torture.

I'd pick up a used Sonic Frontiers TranDac, I got one for $100. Then, go tubes in the pre

I agree on the cd player. Whenever I put my cheap cd player into a system, it ruins it. You can just hear it's signature digital harshness through the whole system. I have owned the adcom 750, and I think it's a good player. You can get one for $750 ish. A better player is the Sony XA7ES which has high quality variable outs thus bypassing the need (and versatility) of a preamp. You can find these for $1300 or so. I think you have to get into the $2000+ dac territory to beat it. A third approach would to buy an older, high quality DAC such as the meridian 203 (seen for $195). These had 1991 era digital circuits, but very good analog outputs. My baseless personal opinion is that a high quality analog section is worth more than the latest digital circuitry. Has anyone compared the new msb's with an older, high end dac ?