What format should my next digital front end be?

Paul H · 11-06-2009, 09:28 AM

There's always much talk on the forum about hi-rez formats and, well, my current CD player is marginally above low-end. So from time to time I wonder about upgrading and the thought occurred to me: if I were to go for a new digital player should I go for a CD player or would I be better off with some other format?

Bear in mind that a) I own only one non-CD digital music release (Beatles Love on DVD-A) and b) my hi-fi is not connected to any video output.

Does that latter point answer my question for me?

TONEPUB · 11-06-2009, 09:30 AM

Concentrate on the best and most versatile DAC you can find in the price range that makes sense.

fmuakkassa · 11-06-2009, 09:43 AM

What is the budget? I personally will go for a good universal player even if you don't want to use your video output. Denon and Marantz now have CD/SCAD/DVD-A/Blu-Ray players.

jmathers · 11-06-2009, 09:52 AM

Have you considered making your computer the source? You may still need a DAC of course. I haven't made the leap away from Cd playback yet but I am getting closer, currently messing around with a decent soundcard, an external HD and some playback software. It sounds darn close to some of th best cd playback I've heard in my system. Worth investigating IMO.

Jeff

Taurus · 11-06-2009, 11:13 AM

Unless you enjoy classical and jazz and have the patience to locate music software from obscure websites or hunt down out-of-print titles on eBay, IMO I would forget the hi-res option and concentrate on a finding a nice player that handles only CD playback.

Hi-res audio - sacd and dvd-audio - for anything other than classical and jazz is effectively dead and speaking as someone who owns a hi-res capable system himself, I just think it would be really frustrating to buy a hi-res player nowadays but have practically nothing to play on it. Heck back when surround hi-res seemed to have a future, I still only managed to find 22 titles with music I liked. The other 8 surround titles are in the form of DTS-CDs.

Robin L · 11-06-2009, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TONEPUB

Concentrate on the best and most versatile DAC you can find in the price range that makes sense.

Seconded. I have seen the future and it's coming to a computer near you. Get a DAC with a USB input along with the SPDIF and Toslink, you'll need it sooner than you think.

KT88 · 11-06-2009, 11:38 AM

Analog!

PMC7027 · 11-06-2009, 11:52 AM

If your budget is 6K I recommend the PS Audio Perfect Wave Transport and Perfect Wave DAC. The transport will play DVD-Rs with WAV files up to 192/24 and the DAV will decode them.

PS Audio is also coming out with an add-in card called The Brdge which will allow you to connect to the DAC via Ethernetso you can send digital files, up to 192/24, from your computer. The Bridge will also support FLAC.

bldg blok · 11-06-2009, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taurus

Hi-res audio - sacd and dvd-audio - for anything other than classical and jazz is effectively dead and speaking as someone who owns a hi-res capable system himself, I just think it would be really frustrating to buy a hi-res player nowadays but have practically nothing to play on it.

Unless one can be satisfied with the MoFi releases. But, yeah to compare it to the healthy catalog of titles CD offered in a comparatively short time after debut...I'd agree hi res is pretty pathetic. And until there's more audio sets than Neil Young's "Archives", I don't even want to hear about Blu-ray.

jim tavegia · 11-07-2009, 09:43 AM

Try and find a universal player within your budget. It seems like the new Oppo is the ticket for many folks on this forum. I don't see how you could go wrong at $499. Many think it is way under priced and a great value...just don't tell the folks at Oppo.

Paul H · 11-07-2009, 09:50 AM

Thanks for all your thoughts. I haven't got as far as thinking about budget, I was merely musing on which format would be better in theory. I mean, which would handle CDs better at any given price point, Blu-ray or CD? DVD-A or CD? SACD or CD? etc etc

My guess was, and still is, that for any given price point CD would give better reproduction of CDs than other formats.

Chris R · 11-09-2009, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fmuakkassa

What is the budget? I personally will go for a good universal player even if you don't want to use your video output. Denon and Marantz now have CD/SCAD/DVD-A/Blu-Ray players.

Do they handle HDCD encoding too?

fmuakkassa · 11-09-2009, 01:34 PM

The Denon does. I don't know about the Marantz.

11-06-2009, 09:28 AM	#1
Paul H Forum Icon Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Nottingham, UK Posts: 2,135	What format should my next digital front end be? There's always much talk on the forum about hi-rez formats and, well, my current CD player is marginally above low-end. So from time to time I wonder about upgrading and the thought occurred to me: if I were to go for a new digital player should I go for a CD player or would I be better off with some other format? Bear in mind that a) I own only one non-CD digital music release (Beatles Love on DVD-A) and b) my hi-fi is not connected to any video output. Does that latter point answer my question for me? __________________ The fence: a little-known way to keep water and mudpools at bay.

11-06-2009, 09:30 AM	#2
TONEPUB Forum Hall Of Fame Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 6,037	Concentrate on the best and most versatile DAC you can find in the price range that makes sense. __________________ Publisher, TONEAudio Magazine www.tonepublications.com Contributor, The Robb Report

11-06-2009, 11:38 AM	#7
KT88 Forum All Star Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Salem, VA - United States of America Posts: 3,439	Analog! __________________ Uptown Audio www.uptownaudio.com Salem VA

11-06-2009, 11:52 AM	#8
PMC7027 Forum Hall Of Fame Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Cherry Hill, New Jersey Posts: 7,395	If your budget is 6K I recommend the PS Audio Perfect Wave Transport and Perfect Wave DAC. The transport will play DVD-Rs with WAV files up to 192/24 and the DAV will decode them. PS Audio is also coming out with an add-in card called The Brdge which will allow you to connect to the DAC via Ethernetso you can send digital files, up to 192/24, from your computer. The Bridge will also support FLAC. __________________ David Schwartz pmc7027@comcast.net

11-07-2009, 09:50 AM	#11
Paul H Forum Icon Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Nottingham, UK Posts: 2,135	Thanks for all your thoughts. I haven't got as far as thinking about budget, I was merely musing on which format would be better in theory. I mean, which would handle CDs better at any given price point, Blu-ray or CD? DVD-A or CD? SACD or CD? etc etc My guess was, and still is, that for any given price point CD would give better reproduction of CDs than other formats. __________________ The fence: a little-known way to keep water and mudpools at bay.

11-06-2009, 09:43 AM	#3
fmuakkassa Forum Addict Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Akron, OH, USA Posts: 1,318	What is the budget? I personally will go for a good universal player even if you don't want to use your video output. Denon and Marantz now have CD/SCAD/DVD-A/Blu-Ray players.

11-06-2009, 09:52 AM	#4
jmathers Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Royal Oak, Michigan, USA Posts: 16	Have you considered making your computer the source? You may still need a DAC of course. I haven't made the leap away from Cd playback yet but I am getting closer, currently messing around with a decent soundcard, an external HD and some playback software. It sounds darn close to some of th best cd playback I've heard in my system. Worth investigating IMO. Jeff

11-06-2009, 11:13 AM	#5
Taurus Forum Hall Of Fame Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 4,617	Unless you enjoy classical and jazz and have the patience to locate music software from obscure websites or hunt down out-of-print titles on eBay, IMO I would forget the hi-res option and concentrate on a finding a nice player that handles only CD playback. Hi-res audio - sacd and dvd-audio - for anything other than classical and jazz is effectively dead and speaking as someone who owns a hi-res capable system himself, I just think it would be really frustrating to buy a hi-res player nowadays but have practically nothing to play on it. Heck back when surround hi-res seemed to have a future, I still only managed to find 22 titles with music I liked. The other 8 surround titles are in the form of DTS-CDs.

11-07-2009, 09:43 AM	#10
jim tavegia Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 886	Try and find a universal player within your budget. It seems like the new Oppo is the ticket for many folks on this forum. I don't see how you could go wrong at $499. Many think it is way under priced and a great value...just don't tell the folks at Oppo.

11-09-2009, 01:34 PM	#13
fmuakkassa Forum Addict Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Akron, OH, USA Posts: 1,318	The Denon does. I don't know about the Marantz.

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