What DAC to use with a Sony XA7ES

Auphile1 seems to believe the answer to all audio issues is new or different wire. It's a constant theme. Wire change is one approach. It's not the only approach.

I hear differences in wire, and I use some very expensive cabling, however the wire has not had nearly the degree of impact on the sonics of my system as have the the components themselves: amplifier, preamplifier, source, DAC.

Audphile1 also seems to endorse what he owns, and he dismisses what he doesn't. He refers pejoratively to the Paradisea DAC when he writes about cheap DACs, yet he certainly has never heard one. The price has little relation to performance in this case since the unit is made by hand in Taiwan by one man. No advertising. No middleman. No distributor. No traditional retail business model. Therefore the product is vastly less expensive than would be a DAC that's distributed through normal channels.

As I mentioned, I own a "cousin" to your Sony CD player in my Sony CDP-C77ES. The sound through the Paradisea DAC is glorious compared to the Sony's internal stock DAC. My wife noticed the same difference, and she rarely comments on the stereo.

Try whatever approach you like: new DAC, wire, whatever. Keep your mind open to new possibilities. It's the path to discovery.

Tvad, I never reffered to Paradisea DAC. I have no idea what it is.

it's that time of the month for you, ha Grant?

I always knew it.

I used to own the XA7ES. Unfortunately I've never tried any DAC with the Sony before selling it off to one of my buddy so I can't offer any advice. However, just to let you know that even with my CEC transport coupled with the extremely cheap budget Gamma DAC, they outperform the Sony with the most apparent improvement in bass definition. Yes you are correct on the 'heavy' bass which seemed undefined with the 7ES.

11-16-06: Tvad
Auphile1 seems to believe the answer to all audio issues is new or different wire. It's a constant theme. Wire change is one approach. It's not the only approach.

Grant,
Only because cabling and the rest of the system wasn't mentioned in original thread, I thought I'd explore the possibility. Also, because I am familiar with the sound of the Sony XA7ES.

I've heard a cheap dac. Not the one you mentioned though.

And what should I endorse? Should I recommend something I am not familiar with? I can't do that.
Aren't you endiorsing products you own? Moscode, the above mentioned dac, purist dominus power cord? Next time when you try to accuse someone of something, make sure you're not guilty of the same crime.

You seem to take offense when other people's opinions differ from yours. That's fine. You also self-proclaimed to be a moderator to some posts....well sort of...

Have a nice day.

Audphile1, sorry for the criticism. You offer credible alternatives.

I've heard a cheap dac. Not the one you mentioned though.

Then I hope you'll agree that to make a generalization based on experiencing only one component could be interpreted as being less than fully informed.

And what should I endorse? Should I recommend something I am not familiar with?

Of course not. I simply have seen several suggestions of wire made recently in response to questions having nothing to do with cabling. Perhaps I am also guilty of generalizing.

Aren't you endiorsing products you own? Moscode, the above mentioned dac, purist dominus power cord?

I recommend products with which I am familiar, whether I own them, I have owned them, or I have simply heard them in a familiar system. Recently, there have been several questions raised that correlate to products with which I have first hand knowledge. The Moscode amp, Paradisea DAC, and Purist cables are a few. I have also mentioned other products that I don't own presently, but that I have heard in my system and which might be worth hearing for the person asking the question.

Finally, I hope you'll see my criticism was based on your recommendation as it applied to the question, and that I did not at any time attack you personally.