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Buy a DAC or buy an SACD player?

O.K guys and gals...help me out here. I love my Odyssey
Stratus amp, I love my BAT VK3i pre-amp, and I love my
Hales T-5 speakers, so now it's time to upgrade my source.
I am currently using a Sony DVP S7000 as my CD player, and
want something better. Should I buy a DAC (if so, which one?) or should I invest $550 in a Sony SCD 333 ES or
similar SACD player (and have it upgraded)? I have about 400 redbook CD's, many of them HDCD, and of course, no SACD's. I want to spend under $1000 and really be able to hear the difference. What to do?
Thanks,
Dave
dave43
genesis168's avatar
genesis168
373 posts
 
DAC! MSB link dac 3 w/HDCD option. SACD may sound fantastic but most of their players do not do CD's well.
ton1313
272 posts
 
I also have a startos. I am using a CAL Alpha DAC with 1963 GE Long Plate Tubes. I love my DAC, it has let me know there is more to CD's than you've previously heard. As far as SACD, there is not a whole lot of titles out there. The SACD format is amazing, I've heard it on a Sony 9000 DVD/SACD player. It sounds great for SACD, but I feel your current CD selection will benefit from a DAC. Wait a year or two till they have a combo SACD/DVDA player. There are a lot of reasonable DAC's out there, but a Tube DAC will let you change the sound.

Regards
dweller's avatar
dweller
2,152 posts
 
MSB Platinum DAC (around $3000) and another $600 to mod your CD player with MSB 192khz interface. In my book, SACD goin' no where (I own an SACD player -can't get decent soft stuff).
sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
MSB Link DAC is fine. Forget the HDCD chip and spend that money by sending it to Stan Warren in Oregon for modification. Search his name to get more information.
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