What is my next step to a better sound ?

05-24-11: Knghifi
As long as the buffer in the DAC is large enough, it should not matter.

as long as the buffer is big enough which usually isn't the case with most DAC's. Memory "buffered" transports do make a difference...

as long as the buffer is big enough which usually isn't the case with most DAC's. Memory "buffered" transports do make a difference...
Rockitman (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

Get a DAC with a large enough buffer?

I don't want to hijack this thread or start another debate but IMO, it doesn't matter how the data gets in the buffer, data is data. When was the last time anyone ran their browser or MS Word from a CD drive? Best solution is load all or just the current track in memory before play. It's more efficient and flexible to execute a program in memory.

Useless to discuss changing anything until you say what you think the current deficiencies in the sound are and what you are wanting to hear that you do not currently.

Have the people indicating the DAC is the problem actually heard it? I have not, so can't say, but Arcam in tandem with DCS has done some good things with their DACs over the years.

If the SOny transport is operating properly, I would not expect much if any difference changing that, but anything is possible in regards to jitter with any specific device and how it conencts to the DAC.

If you have any other CD ready devices with digital out, it might be worth trying them and compare.

Or, ripping to computer and playing back via a Logitech Squeezebox Touch or similar device is a high quality, quite reliable solution I have found.

Useless to discuss changing anything until you say what you think the current deficiencies in the sound are and what you are wanting to hear that you do not currently.

I don't entirely agree with this statement. Sometimes, especially at the level of performance of the bulk of the gear the OP is using, you aren't aware of potential upgrades in SQ until you actually hear the difference it can make to swap out components for better ones (or ones with better synergy to the ones you have). I would also hazard to guess many folks here just upgrade to strive for something even better than they have, without even having a particular complaint about it. That said, certainly, if there is a specific complaint, it would help others speculate on what to change, and on that level I do agree with the statement.

Other than that, I'd agree with others who've pointed the finger to the front end components. Transports can make a difference. Going to well-implemented PC audio can open up a world of listening potential to you. Since I went to a computer storage library and software interface I listen to a greater variety of music and listen more often. So I'd also agree with MapMan's recommendation of ripping your library via a good ripping software (NOT iTunes) in a lossless format (AIFF, ALAC, FLAC) to your PC, and use an interface like the SB Touch (use an Ethernet cable to your computer for the best results) to a good DAC via SPDIF (I'm not familiar with your DAC to make any comment there - but DACs have come a long way in the past 10 years). This has the potential to sound as good as, or better than spinning physical discs on your transport. You will probably wonder why you didn't do this long ago.

The other huge potential for opening up another world is adding a vinyl front end, but that's a whole other ball of wax, and you may not want to deal with all the related expenses and hassles of vinyl playback. You also may simply not hear it as an improvement over digital for a number of reasons. I personally do hear it as superior in some ways, but don't want the hassle (proper setup and tweaking of rig, constant cleaning and care of LP's and stylus, much more delicate handling of all aspects of playback and related degree of patience which I don't have, storage of LP's). Though LP's sound better to me, it's not to a large enough degree that I'm willing to put up with the detractors, but you might feel different as many others do. If so, that can definitely offer some degree of improvement as well as offering up a library of inexpensive (assuming you enjoy garage sales and thrift shopping) and sometimes otherwise unavailable music.

Jax2, I totally agree with your take. Once you set up a server/DAC it makes it so much easier over loading CDs. I run a Squeezebox into my Bel Canto DAC3 via SPDIF and can't tell the difference over my BelCanto CD1 used as a transport via AES/EBU, doing a direct A/B comparison, switching between sources. I rip all my collection to FLAC files using dB Poweramp, which finds all the metadata online and also makes sure the rips are bit perfect. I also use a music server using SqueezeCenter (Squeezebox software) run off a Netgear ReadyNAS duo. Everything is wireless in my setup--have not run the hardwired connection as Jax suggests above, but so far my own ears cannot hear the difference using my own hardwired transport CD player. Data is data and if your DAC is good, it will decode the data and present it as intended, no matter the source.

Squeezebox is great for the online radio stations--thousands all across the globe, at various quality levels. But I can get my local adult alternative NPR station at broadcast quality and I listen to it all the time all through my house as well as on my main system.

Of course, once I got all this set up, I then went analog, but that's a whole other story. But now I have the best of both worlds, and it keeps it interesting and allows me to find all sorts of music to listen to, and that's really why we all do this.