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Help a vinyl-phile with a digital upgrade

I find I listen to vinyl around 90% of the time. Not only do I prefer the sound of vinyl over digital, I love the whole experience of collecting records, looking at the album jackets, etc.

I still have about 500 cds that are neglected due partly to the fact that my digital front end just doesn't cut it anymore. I have a California Audio Lab DX-1 player that's over 10 years old. So I'm thinking of the following upgrades.

1. Use the DX-1 as a transport and get a DAC. The Bel Canto DAC2 sounds like it meets my sonic criteria and the Benchmark DAC seems like a no lose option with the money-back guarantee.

2. Replace the DX-1 with a new used cdp, possibly the Jolida 100 or the Cairn Fog.

Which option will provide the most significant improvement? Are there other options I should be considering for around a grand?

Thanks for any insights you can provide.

Regards,
Scott
scottz
viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
The question is not what will be the greatest "improvement", but which player or dac will be consonant with the analog sources that you prefer. Elizabeth is correct. In one word, Rega.
dill
815 posts
 
I have the Cairn Fog (with upsampler) and like it very much. Make sure you have balanced inputs if you consider the Fog.
sdatch
204 posts
 
How about a Marantz 8260? Then you also get the option of SACD. I think they can still be had new for around a grand.
davt's avatar
davt
499 posts
 
I was in a similar position until I heard a BAT CD player, but I could not afford the $6000.00 asking price. I went about looking and found the Arcam FMJ33 CD player. On more than one occasion I went to take an album off my TT and was shocked to see it was not moving, oh it's a CD playing. I have heard other CD players that are more detailed, or have bigger base, higher highs etc. But the Arcam is blessed with playing very musically with deep and large sound stage. I am very happy with it. I used to be 90%vinyl 10%CD now I am about 50-50
scottz OP
29 posts
 
Hey, thanks for all the good leads. I do remember listening to Arcam and Rega cd players and noticing their undigital-like sound. I haven't yet had the pleasure of listening to the Marantz 8260 or Cairn cdps but have heard a lot of good things about them.
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