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Thread: CD player/changer

  1. #16
    Senior Member Krunchy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Widget View Post
    If you would like an elevated level of performance at a moderate cost, I'd recommend going with virtually any CD player or changer equipped with a S/PIDF output and a Byrston BDA-1. I've seen them lately on the used market for $600. This DAC with any decent disc spinner will sound pretty darned close to the best possible in digital playback options. Widget
    Hi Widget, I've been thinking of getting a new cd player along with a DAC, never used one before but I've been curious about them for a while now. I pulled the trigger on Clark's Onkyo and now I would like to know some more about the DAC.
    I know there was a thread either dedicated to or veered off onto the topic of DACs but cant seem to find it now.

    I was looking at a picture of the Bryston's rear panel and was wondering if you could clarify some things. On the back panel SPIDF 1 & 2 look like regular RCA (digital Coax) interconnects, and S/PDIF 3 & 4 look kind of like traditional female Coaxial cable interconnects (threaded?), hard to tell from the angles of the pictures I've seen since they're always head on shots. My Pre-Amp does not have any SPDIF input so I guess I would default to using the XLR analog outputs.
    The Single Ended Analog outputs I would imagine are regular RCAs ?. If a Pre-Amp does not have an SPDIF input it would be impossible to use the Output from the Bryston, kinda silly questions but I am not familiar with this stuff & want to make sure I understand it correctly.
    Upon further inspection I realize this unit does not have analog inputs does it, is that common for D/ACs?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ducatista47 View Post
    Widget, my DAC has COAX and USB as well as optical input, and I sincerely believe the COAX is better than optical, as currently practiced. Clark
    So when you guys talk about using Coax cable do you mean an RCA terminated Coaxial audio interconnect (as per link below)? Being behind the times as it were to me when I hear Coaxial cable I think of the traditional TV cable with threaded ends.

    http://www.amazon.com/C2G-Cables-291...l+cable+3+feet
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  2. #17
    Senior Member Krunchy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BMWCCA View Post
    I bought a TEAC CD-P650-B nearly two-years ago when I was looking for an elegant way to connect an iPod to one of my systems. It's a well-made single-disc player with a good DAC (PCM1791A Burr Brown) that has quite a bit of versatility in addition to a USB direct iPod connectivity. TEAC sells direct on Amazon and when I got mine it was around $120, shipped. It's gotten a bit more popular recently and the price has crept up a bit, but it's still a good buy. B&H still shows it for $119 shipping included and no tax outside NY. Most reviews are excellent. The bad ones simply show that not everyone has even a clue as to how audio works!

    I consider it a fantastic USB iPod and MP3 player with a CD player as an added bonus. I should probably buy one for each of my systems.
    Probably not a bad idea considering the price (very close to the Onkyo), as much as I dislike my ipod sometimes I cant negate the convenience factor so the USB port is quite a nice feature. Does that unit have a S/PDIF or any Digital output Phil, I did not see it in the specs. The CD to USB Recording feature looks really interesting (almost like a tape deck built in ), have you used it & if so what's your take on it?
    Just Play Music.

  3. #18
    Senior Member BMWCCA's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Krunchy View Post
    Probably not a bad idea considering the price (very close to the Onkyo), as much as I dislike my ipod sometimes I cant negate the convenience factor so the USB port is quite a nice feature. Does that unit have a S/PDIF or any Digital output Phil, I did not see it in the specs. The CD to USB Recording feature looks really interesting (almost like a tape deck built in ), have you used it & if so what's your take on it?
    Yes, it has optical digital output (Toslink), but I'm using it in a system without an outboard DAC.
    I've also not used it as a recorder to an SD card as I've not found a need for that feature so far.

    The TEAC continues to work well for me with the iPod and as a CD deck in a system connected to any of a dozen different speakers for comparison. I'd still recommend it.
    ". . . as you have no doubt noticed, no one told the 4345 that it can't work correctly so it does anyway."—Greg Timbers

  4. #19
    Senior Member Ducatista47's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Krunchy View Post

    I was looking at a picture of the Bryston's rear panel and was wondering if you could clarify some things. On the back panel SPIDF 1 & 2 look like regular RCA (digital Coax) interconnects, and S/PDIF 3 & 4 look kind of like traditional female Coaxial cable interconnects (threaded?), hard to tell from the angles of the pictures I've seen since they're always head on shots. My Pre-Amp does not have any SPDIF input so I guess I would default to using the XLR analog outputs.
    The Single Ended Analog outputs I would imagine are regular RCAs ?. If a Pre-Amp does not have an SPDIF input it would be impossible to use the Output from the Bryston, kinda silly questions but I am not familiar with this stuff & want to make sure I understand it correctly.
    Upon further inspection I realize this unit does not have analog inputs does it, is that common for D/ACs?



    So when you guys talk about using Coax cable do you mean an RCA terminated Coaxial audio interconnect (as per link below)? Being behind the times as it were to me when I hear Coaxial cable I think of the traditional TV cable with threaded ends.
    S/PDIF 3 & 4 appear to be BNC COAX inputs. BNC is, if I remember correctly, bayonet fittings. They rotate to lock. They are nice. Almost zero insertion force, the rotation to lock it stresses the socket on the device much less than shoving an RCA end in. And, as Widget said, very positive engagement.

    RCA COAX is different from normal RCA interconnects, being fully shielded. They are designed to carry digital, rather than analog, signals. BNC and RCA COAX, and TOSLINK optical cable, all carry digital signals.

    There is no S/PDIF input of any kind on your preamp because S/PDIF transmits digital signals and needs to go into a DAC. Your preamp is an analog only device. There is a class of audio amplifiers that have built in DACs, home theater amps and receivers. The usual digital input for them is HDMI, the type modern TVs use. My Sony Blu-ray players have HDMI and RCA COAX outputs. It is getting harder to find Optical disc players with RCA COAX, a shame really. The Onkyo, as you know, has digital out in the form of RCA COAX. The better CD players still do.

    PS The S/PDIF output on the Bryston is, I assume, a pass through circuit, sending the digital signal through, possibly unmodified.
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  5. #20
    Senior Member Krunchy's Avatar
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    Thanks for clarifying Clark, I appreciate it. The Onkyo should be here Friday, looks like a very nice unit, very excited .
    Now I just have to find a good D/AC unit within budget.
    Just Play Music.

  6. #21
    Senior Member Ducatista47's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Krunchy View Post
    Thanks for clarifying Clark, I appreciate it. The Onkyo should be here Friday, looks like a very nice unit, very excited .
    Now I just have to find a good D/AC unit within budget.
    I had been using a Blu-ray player before the Onkyo CD player and the instantaneous action of the remote and on unit commands was startling. Blu-ray players are very complex and are sluggish to respond to commands. The tray, for instance, is moving before my finger is off the button. By all means try the Onkyo directly into your rig without a DAC. It is a high fidelity unit and may do the job for you until you get a DAC.
    Information is not Knowledge; Knowledge is not Wisdom
    Too many audiophiles listen with their eyes instead of their ears


  7. #22
    Senior Member Krunchy's Avatar
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    It'll be a few weeks (understatement, what with the holidays) before I get things up and running in there, doing a major overhaul of the space. Room is going to be re-carpeted and de-cluttered as much as possible. I'll keep an eye out for a D/AC in the meantime but I will definitely set up the Onkyo into the mix when I get it.
    Just Play Music.

  8. #23
    Senior Member Krunchy's Avatar
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    Monoprice 11567 Desktop Headphone Amplifier D/AC

    Not sure if this is where I should be posting this but I cant seem to find the one that was on this particular topic, please excuse me.
    When I'm working I have one computer with all/most of my cds in it for convenience.
    I recently purchased a nice DAC for my main system and just for fun I hooked it up to my pc, the difference in sound was really quite impressive but since that particular unit was meant to go with my 4345 set-up I knew it wasn't going to stay in my office rig. So I started looking for something much less expensive for the computer which I feeds into my stereo amp. I found this great little unit for $79.00. All analog inputs & out (my other one was all digital inputs). I found this Monoprice 11567 for $79.00 on amazon. It sounds really nice, really brings out the music in a very satisfying fashion, before that the music was very muffled & basically lifeless, now its really come alive. I know there are tons of these out there from different mfgs. but I picked this one after looking a few different models in different price ranges.
    If you listen to any music through your computer you may want to give it a shot, it wont break the bank and its really quite nice.
    The unit is 3.5"w X 5.12"d X 2"h.

    Just a thought.
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