jfg02 Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Hi there, I wonder what should the next step for my audio set up be ? Mainly, I listen to music and have a great CD collection. I own no vinyl for the moment. The media source I use for the moment is a SONY BDS-470 (blu-ray player). Would I get a really better sound with a high-end CD player ? I've been looking for the Emotiva ERC-2... Or should I invest in an amp, like a XPA-3 for the front speakers (including the center) ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang guy Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 The sound you get from digital sources like a CD are completely pre-dependant on the D/A Converter you have. After that, the preamp, then amp, then speakers determine the sound quality. An el-cheapo CD player that streams the data, that's right data, from the CD will work as well as a $10,000 CD player, if you are sending it to the same DAC. In other words, if you are outputting from your CD by means of HDMI, SPDIF coax or TOSLINK, you are merely streaming the data to another place to have that data processed. Very high end CD players have audiophile DAC's built right in. They connect to external equipment by means of stereo balanced XLR connections, or RCA stereo outs. In other words, they communicate in analogue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfg02 Posted January 11, 2012 Author Share Posted January 11, 2012 Actually I output with a RCA stereo cable. All the audio of my BD-Player is coming out in analogue, and the Video part is digital (HDMI). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang guy Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Actually I output with a RCA stereo cable. All the audio of my BD-Player is coming out in analogue, and the Video part is digital (HDMI). Then you are utilizing the built-in DAC from the blu-ray player. This is bad, since you cannot get surround sound for blu-ray movies, DVD's, DVD-A's or SACD's. You are getting 2 channel sound only! You should connect with HDMII to the HK. Then run an HDMI from the HK to your TV. You will then get full signal processing. This will make everything sound much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfg02 Posted January 11, 2012 Author Share Posted January 11, 2012 Done. So whatever the CD player I have, since it passes through the AVR's DAC, it doesn't change anything ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfg02 Posted January 11, 2012 Author Share Posted January 11, 2012 Using the HDMI, there is a kind of delay when there is a change of track on a CD : the first two seconds are not always playing well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang guy Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Done. So whatever the CD player I have, since it passes through the AVR's DAC, it doesn't change anything ? Right. Just a buch of 1's and 0's are sent to the AVR and processed. Were you watching movies in stereo, then? You are in for a surprise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfg02 Posted January 11, 2012 Author Share Posted January 11, 2012 No, actually no TV is attached to the system. I'm waiting for a move, wich will occur in the next three months Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornfedksboy Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Since you don't have a TV, you might want to try a digital coaxial cable. That should help with the delay. Also, rather than buying a new CD, you might consider a DAC like the Emo XDA-1. It has the same processor as the ERC-2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiet_Hollow Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 A few positive aspects of a standalone CD player are overall convenience and build quality. I've found a lot of the new budget blu-ray players lacking in basic functions like track programming, track naming, repeat, and shuffle features. Some have absurd boot times whereas old single-disc component players were usually instant on, and typically had quiet transport mechanisms. I realize I might be splitting hairs, but I feel they're important enough to bear mention. It could be worth picking up an old, used unit just for sake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechnut Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Also, the true source of your audio can make sweeping changes. IOW, the actual CD, music DVD vs mp3, SACD, and other digital formats. (music videos over cable/sat). If you get a great DAC but are listening to compressed digital files, you will be missing out on the breath of the recording. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornfedksboy Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Also, the true source of your audio can make sweeping changes. IOW, the actual CD, music DVD vs mp3, SACD, and other digital formats. (music videos over cable/sat). If you get a great DAC but are listening to compressed digital files, you will be missing out on the breath of the recording. This is true. I will say that I am quite surprised at how good lossy digital files sound on a decent DAC however. This tells me one of two things: I'm either not that particular, or I have tin ears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psg Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Do you use the sub for music? If so, then forget about hi-end CD players. Feed the receiver with a digital cable (coax, toslink or HDMI) and let it do bass management on the original bits. Using the analog output of any CD player would just degrade the sound if you use a sub as the receiver would need to reconvert back again to digital to apply bass management filters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfg02 Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Since you don't have a TV, you might want to try a digital coaxial cable. That should help with the delay. Also, rather than buying a new CD, you might consider a DAC like the Emo XDA-1. It has the same processor as the ERC-2. Ok, so if I understand well, the DAC will process the sound from my BD-Player then send it via RCA cables through the AVR, so I'll get a better sound from my CDs and SACDs ? The DAC will be between the BD-Player and the AVR, that's it ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfg02 Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Do you use the sub for music? If so, then forget about hi-end CD players. Feed the receiver with a digital cable (coax, toslink or HDMI) and let it do bass management on the original bits. Using the analog output of any CD player would just degrade the sound if you use a sub as the receiver would need to reconvert back again to digital to apply bass management filters. Yes I do use the sub also for music, at a very low range. Salutations de Jonquière, Québec, Canada. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornfedksboy Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Since you don't have a TV, you might want to try a digital coaxial cable. That should help with the delay. Also, rather than buying a new CD, you might consider a DAC like the Emo XDA-1. It has the same processor as the ERC-2. Ok, so if I understand well, the DAC will process the sound from my BD-Player then send it via RCA cables through the AVR, so I'll get a better sound from my CDs and SACDs ? The DAC will be between the BD-Player and the AVR, that's it ? Yes. All CD players, BRD players, and receivers have their own DAC, but a stand alone unit will specialize in 2 or 2.1 music processing. It also gives you the ability to hook up a network player. This is better for music due to its dedicated function and flexibility and is generally cheaper than an equal quality CD player. You can also bypass a DAC for movie viewing which allows the receiver to process multiple channels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenM Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Yes. All CD players, BRD players, and receivers have their own DAC, but a stand alone unit will specialize in 2 or 2.1 music processing....This is better for music due to its dedicated function and flexibility and is generally cheaper than an equal quality CD player. Yes, but if you go back to Peter's post, it is unlikely to help in this case; since the OP is using his subwoofer for music, the receiver will convert the analog signal it receives from the outboard DAC back to digital to apply bass management and then convert it back to analog with its DACs. Personally, I'd rather have the benefits of a subwoofer with music than a fancy DAC vs the DAC in the HK 3600, but YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornfedksboy Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 My DAC has a sub-woofer input. Not all do. Most receivers also have a DAC bypass function so that there is no processing from the receiver. My Onkyo and Yamaha both have this as "Pure Direct." By using that setting and a DAC with a sub output he would be good to go. A stand alone DAC is one option that should work. Not the only option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCole Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Also, the true source of your audio can make sweeping changes. IOW, the actual CD, music DVD vs mp3, SACD, and other digital formats. (music videos over cable/sat). If you get a great DAC but are listening to compressed digital files, you will be missing out on the breath of the recording. FLAC, MP3 and most other compression formats have more dynamic range capability than vinyl. In 24-bit depth, Dynamic range of digital is around 140 or 150db. Vinyl is somewhere closer to 80db. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psg Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Salutations de Jonquière, Québec, Canada. Salut ! Presque voisin ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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