Quality CD player to also serve as external DAC?

As for remote, you are still going to have a cdp remote, right? the Quad volume control is in the same remote of course.

As to color, well that is indeed personal. But the Quad is actually more grey (2 shades of it) than silver. I have other (bright)silver stuff and it does not go with them either. Vive la difference!

I thought the color would bother me (this actually held me back from buying the player for so long that the version 2 came out while I was thinking about that, over 6 months!). Turns out to be a non-issue. I think if you like the sound of any component well enough you (meaning I) give a darn about its looks as long as it doesn't look like &*^%. And the Quad is attractive in its own right. Different certainly. Will not match with anything except other Quad gear and that too in the 99 lineup. But what else in your system, if not made by the same mfg and in roughly the same timeframe (I know I am going to catch heat for this), really **matches** with anything else?

I asked Peter Qvortrup (Audio Note UK) if he could add a digital input, or two, to his new CD player. His response was that it would add more complexity and, hence, cost. His advice was to buy an external dac.

That is, unless you have that very good Musical Fidelity PreCD24 unit. Been listening to it and it is very good.

Why not just buy another inexpensive cd player (make sure it has a different digital out than your Sony Mega changer), and then by a separate DAC?

Most DACs I've seen will accept inputs from more than one source. That way you could experiment with the way different DACs sound in your system.

Customht-

Ultimately that is what I had to do.
I bought a benchmark dac 1, and an older reference pioneer single cd player.
The sound is improved, and I'm very happy with it.
Thanks!