Hello AK,
I'm a bit of a noob to world of Hi-Fi. I started building my system about a year ago now. My brother-in-law gave me a JVC XL-FZ258 5-disc changer he picked up from an employer. It didn't look like it had ever been used, the price was right (free!) and it has proved to be a surprisingly good sounding player. Now though, I'm looking to upgrade. I'm very seriously considering a Cambridge CXC-V2 cd transport and have been researching for a couple of weeks now for a DAC to pair with it. The obvious choice would be a Cambridge Dacmagic 100 or 200m but I'm also intrigued by the Marantz HD-DAC1. I've also heard great things about Arcam, Schiit, PS Audio, Chord, and many more. I've considering going the budget route but I would like to get something that I'll want to keep for years to come as opposed to something for now and then upgrading later. I need something that works well for both cds and streaming. I realize that it all comes down to personal taste and auditioning, if possible. I'm honestly feeling a bit overwhelmed and was hoping you guys could help me narrow the list a bit. I'm also open to other suggestions for CD transports. I'd like to stay under $1000 for each piece if possible. Any suggestions, opinions or thoughts, would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you in advance for your help and superior experience and knowledge.
Kyle
*Edit* Just to help with suggestions, I would say that I prefer my sound a bit on the brighter side. Not so much that it's fatiguing, just crisp clean highs and mids and tight punchy bass. A clear, transparent, well rounded sound, with a little warmth and fullness and open and detailed soundstage. Too much to ask?
I'm a bit of a noob to world of Hi-Fi. I started building my system about a year ago now. My brother-in-law gave me a JVC XL-FZ258 5-disc changer he picked up from an employer. It didn't look like it had ever been used, the price was right (free!) and it has proved to be a surprisingly good sounding player. Now though, I'm looking to upgrade. I'm very seriously considering a Cambridge CXC-V2 cd transport and have been researching for a couple of weeks now for a DAC to pair with it. The obvious choice would be a Cambridge Dacmagic 100 or 200m but I'm also intrigued by the Marantz HD-DAC1. I've also heard great things about Arcam, Schiit, PS Audio, Chord, and many more. I've considering going the budget route but I would like to get something that I'll want to keep for years to come as opposed to something for now and then upgrading later. I need something that works well for both cds and streaming. I realize that it all comes down to personal taste and auditioning, if possible. I'm honestly feeling a bit overwhelmed and was hoping you guys could help me narrow the list a bit. I'm also open to other suggestions for CD transports. I'd like to stay under $1000 for each piece if possible. Any suggestions, opinions or thoughts, would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you in advance for your help and superior experience and knowledge.
Kyle
*Edit* Just to help with suggestions, I would say that I prefer my sound a bit on the brighter side. Not so much that it's fatiguing, just crisp clean highs and mids and tight punchy bass. A clear, transparent, well rounded sound, with a little warmth and fullness and open and detailed soundstage. Too much to ask?
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