Going to Audiofile Objective

Gamefreak501

Gamefreak501

Gamefreak501

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Joined
7 Aug 2003
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Bedfordshire
In the next month or so, I am hopefully going to drive to my favourite hi-fi dealer (subject to passing my test!).

A long time ago, I asked about the best way to complement my NAD C320 BEE and my Heybrook standmounts and I was told to get a separate transport and DAC.

I will be using my computer for games (although I do hardly any of that nowadays) and I would want to have a better sound quality by not playing my CDs from my computer.

I am budgeting £300 for interconnects, transport and DAC. Are there any specific models I should look at and e-mail the dealer about?

Cheers in advance.
 
Hi Mr_Sukebe,

Cheers for the help - I gues £300 isn't really enough to get anything decent!

Maybe £400 or £500 is a better budget?

But I am confused, a DAC is a digital analogue converter, that is a box that just takes in a signal and outputs it, converting it too?

Am I right in thinking that a CD Transport is pretty much a CD separate?

The guy I e-mailed said perhaps I should go for another NAD...but he'll have some other equipment to test.

I wouldn't mind going for the DAC option, just a shame I'll still have to boot up my computer to listen to a CD. Not sure the dealer will have many of those (as you mentioned) so I might e-mail him about that.

I haven't seen many DACs being advertised by Pinkfish or Zerogain, perhaps I'm not looking hard enough. :confused:
 
Mr_Sukebe said:
If you were to go with a good transport and DAC, IMO £500 would be an appropriate starting point, which would be enough for a good VRDS transport and a N.OS DAC.
You can find transports in a variety of s/h locations. Checkout exdem.com.
A transport is basically a CD player without the DAC section fitted. In theory, you're hoping that they spent the dosh on better components and power supplies. In addition, you'll get less interaction between the DAC section and the PSU of the transport. You'd be surprised how much effect that can have.

For reference, I recently dem'd my own Meridian 500 and older N.OS against a Meridian G07 (£1600 CDP) and prefered my own. So when the dealer tells you that whatever Nad unit he wants to sell you will compete, take it with a pinch of salt. Audio technology really hasn't improved that much in the last few years.
Click to expand...

Cheers again Mr_Sukebe,

I have spotted a Meridian 200/203 for £379...although that is all the way down in Portsmouth...Looks to me like there is a separate CD transport and DAC there. As for VRDS are they made by Teac? As for N.OS, not had much luck finding those anywhere yet, do Teac make them as well?

I think I'll fire an e-mail to that dealer again to ask them if they have any transports and DACs available.
 
Cheers again Mr_Sukebe,

Really clears things up for me!

The Non oversampling units sound really good to me, I had a quick look at ZG and PF but haven't found anything as yet, but it's best to keep trying!

I very much doubt Audiofile Objective will have anything in my price range, or much stock, but I'll send them an e-mail in a bit.
 
E-mailed my dealer yesterday evening, quite late and got a reply pretty much straight after. Anyway, he told me the DACs go from £50.00 but there is a massive shortage of CD Transports and I'm best contacting them again when I want to visit.

Otherwise, theres the ZG, PF forums and various other web site to peruse through :)
 
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