What is my next step to a better sound ?

Your pre-amp is definately not the problem. I use a 380S with Watt/Puppy 8's and Pass Labs XA-100.5 amps. Your digital source is probably the problem. If you want a great balanced sounding system for digital for a resonable cost, PS Audio Perfect Wav Trans and DAC is the way to go ($6K). Very little listening fatigue...sounds smooth and detailed.

If you really want to hear the ultimate potential of your system, buy an analog front end (turntable).

IMO, transport is NOT important. I've migrated to a computer wireless based system for years and no looking back. Yes it sounds different with transports but definitely NOT better. As long as the buffer in the DAC is large enough, it should not matter.

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.