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Top of the line old technology VS Newer technology

Hello everyone , the purpose of this thread is to have your general opinion regarding what you would consider better regarding updating a digital front end.

As a background history, let me start by telling you all that I am Mexican and live in Mexico, I do have the means to go to USA like 2 or 3 times a year and could easily get my hands on used or new equipment, what I don´t have is too much money to spend on Hi-Fi these days, for one the Dollar vs Pesos currency is much higher than 2 or 3 years ago, I had 2 twin boys in 2005 as well and had to move to biigger house . So that resumes that I am a Family man trying to get the best for them, but once in a while I need to indulge myself on this hobby...

So this is my question......

I own "top of the line" technology of 1990´s , regarding digital front end:

-Goldmund Mimesis 12 DAC
-PS Audio Lambda Transport
-Madrigal Audio Labs MDC-1 Pro AES/EBU Coaxial Cable

This set up draw me back about $7,000 USD around 1995, I purchased all new, full retail price.

Since then , I have had a few CD Players as a secondary line up or back up, that I later sold them amongst them:

-California Audio Labs Aria MK III
-Rega Planet 2000
-Metronome CDV1

And to be honest NONE could match my current set up of Separate Transport and DAC.

So I stopped trying for a while to replace the Goldmund/PS Audio for a few years...

But along came new technology such HDCD, SACD, DVD -A, 24-bit 128 times oversampling, and all that kHz configurations.

So I am tempted again to try a new CD Player (Not ready for a Music Server) so my concern here is what dou you think is a better option these days

1-Stay with my "old school-top of the line" but obsolete technology in a separate configuration such as the DAC and Transport.

or

2-Trying a "modest" newer Cd Player with perhaps 20, 24 Bits 128 Oversampling o HDCD, that even could be used on the $2,000 or less range.
Such as:

Burmester Rondo 992
Gamut CD1-R
CEC TL51XR

In other words:

What do you think is better , Newer technology even if it is not a separate DAC/Transport, and even if its not "top of the line" or stick with my current set up of "top of the line" DAC/Transport of the 1990´s???

Any Comments?
kapa11

Showing 1 response by tomcy6

tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
1,368 posts
 
I would check out players/dacs with a significant new technology, Minimum Phase or apodising filters. Meridian, Ayre, PS Audio and a few others have players/dacs out with this technology.

These filters eliminate or reduce the pre-ringing or pre-echo that is an artifact of the cd recording process. Pre-ringing is the reverse of echo, you have echoes of sounds before the sound itself.

Pre-ringing is measured in microseconds, so you don't actually hear echoes, but to my ears sound quality is greatly improved when they are removed. If you are trying to avoid harshness, glare or listener fatigue you would be especially interested in this technology.
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