Downgrading Help


OK, so I have come to realize that I cannot afford to keep neither high end CD player I own, mostly because a lot of that cash came from credit.

I picked up the Philips SACD1000 player as my replacement for a digital front end. Last night, comparing the Philips to the Wadia 860x I currently own (not for long!), was truly tough for me. The Wadia is just so much better on redbook CD (the Philips I thought was better on SACD vs. the Wadia on CD).

I don't have much $$ to spend ($600) on an improvement: here are my options:

1) get the Philips player modded somewhere; which mods though, and will this really give me an increase in detail (blackness?), dynamics, soundstage depth, and naturalness?

2) get a DAC?

3) wait until I get some more cash, and get a better DAC or more mods later?

I'd prefer to make this player work, rather than getting another seperate CD player....

Thx
128x128dennis_the_menace
There is a long break-in on the SACD and CD sections of the 1000. It will improve. There will be lots of 1000 mods coming out so don't jump yet.
Can't use a DAC with the Phillips. The digital out is for AC3/DTS not 16/44.1 PCM. AFAIK. I'd run the player as is for now and plan on getting some mods done. I bet this player would sound better with mods dollar for dollar than adding a dac (even if you could). Though time will see an we get feedback from those modding their SACD1000s.

Also, sorry to hear your financial situation is requiring you to downgrade you system.