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Conference hips::uk_audioo

Title:	You get surface noise in real life too
Notice:	Let's be conformist
Moderator:	GOVT02::BARKER

Created:	Thu Jul 28 1988
Last Modified:	Mon Jun 02 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	550
Total number of notes:	3847

235.0. "CD Upgrade Query " by SAC::STEPHEN_I (Production Systems Marketing Group) Tue Nov 27 1990 15:42

    Someone asked this in a reply to an earlier note, but received no
    response.  So I'll try again.
    
    I currently have a Technics CD Player.  This has both Optical and 
    Phono output connections.  This player is 18/4O Times Oversample
    technology.
    
    Would I be right in thinking that the optical ouput comes straight 
    from the Digital source and leaves prior to any error detection/
    correction or Digital to analogue conversion ?
    
    If this is the case, I was thinking about making a multi-stage 
    upgrade.  First buying an separate converter then later buying a 
    new CD Transport.
    
    Reading through the existing notes, people who have investigated
    this route appear to have mixed emotions about this, so should I 
    forget the upgrade and spend the money buying more CD's :-)
    
    Iain.

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
235.1	And for me too	HAMPS::IVES_J	I've got a bad feeling, Mr Tracey!	`Tue Nov 27 1990 16:45`	25
	This is not much help but I'm thinking along similar lines. I have a marantz CD with electrical output. as detailed in 231(?) I'm considering some of the off board DAC's. I believe that all the error correction is done in the CD transport, so what pumps out of your optical/electrical output is just pure resolved digital. Theory dictates that if you cease to use the onboard DAC you take some of the power workload off the error correction, thus enabling it to perform better. The local shop in basingstoke did'nt think much of my upgrade plan, on the grounds that my marantz would'nt be a good enough transport. I'm sceptical of this, every Philips based machine I press open/close on seems to have the same tacky plastic tray and guts. Whilst I agree that garbage in= garbage out I'm not convinced that any of the cheaper (< $400) mechanisms are much of a muchness . I'm kean to try the KELVIN DAC ($200 !!!!) or the new DELTEC little-bit ( not yet out). I guess the only thing to do is try it out, the main problem though is finding a dealer who has more than one DAC. K J Liesuresound off Regents st seems to have quite a few according to the adverts.
235.2	Thanks	SAC::STEPHEN_I	Production Systems Marketing Group	`Tue Nov 27 1990 16:59`	8
	Thanks for the response. I'm thinking of the A&R Black Box II with the technics as a first step, then the Arcam transport 170(?) as the second step. I'll look into the optical output (where and how) further ! Iain.
235.3	More (confusing) information	COMICS::FLANDERSD	The doctor is in ...	`Wed Nov 28 1990 09:09`	11
	In the November issue of Audiophile with HiFi Answers, they posed the question of how to upgrade a Philips CD160 given a budget of �500. Three shops wre considered, offering the Arcam Black Box, the Marantz CD50SE, the Arcam Delta CD player, the Deltec PDM Mk2, and the Meridian 203. After a lot of listening, they came out in favour of the Meridian DAC as the best sounding option (although it did take all the budget) If you want a photcopy of the article, mail me. Dave
235.4	Test with Meridian & Melior	ZPOVC::PARRYCHUA	Singapore, Life is bid-$-fine	`Sat Jun 01 1991 12:48`	10
	I have done two audit with my ONKYO DX7500 ( 8 x 18), one with Meridian 203 and the other with Melior 1-bit DAC. Both audit done at two different setup, so I couldn't give good comparision of the Meridian or Melior DAC, but the result show that in both test, the bitstream DAC produce much better sound stage/image than my ONKYO DX7500. Melior DAC seem to be too much on the treble than the Medirian. Parry