AVR DACs vs CD/DVD DACs (1 Viewer)

[Jeff.bart]

I want to get a dedicated CD (or a DVD player with superb CD playback), but I am not sure how far I have to go to make sure I buy something that outpaces the DACs in my AVR.

Just got the HK 525. Have an old (early 1990s) Sony carousel, 18 bit with optical jack. And I have a basic Sony NS-315 DVD player whose sound quality is no better than the older CD player. It's connected via digital coax.

Since both are connected via digital connections, I assume they are passing the music along to the HK, which uses its DACs for final conversion to analog. The HK has a Crystal 192kHz/24 bit DAC.

I was thinking of getting the Nad c541i or something similar from Cambridge Audio, Rotel, Arcam, etc. The Nad has a Burr Brown Sigma Delta 24 bit DAC.

Would the Nad significantly improve my CD sound? I assume that, if I use a optical or dig coax connection, the HK Dac will have last say in the analog conversion. And if I use a composite connection too, the Burr-Brown DAC in the NAD could handle final conversion to analog if I so chose.

Or am I wrong about this? If so, should I just stick with what I have?

 

[AaronBatiuk]

I assume that, if I use a optical or dig coax connection, the HK Dac will have last say in the analog conversion. And if I use a composite connection too, the Burr-Brown DAC in the NAD could handle final conversion to analog if I so chose.

You basically have it right. Be especially carefull if you want to use the ananlog connection though... you will need to engage the receiver's analog direct or bypass mode so that you are certain that the signal is not being converted back to digital and back again to analog within the receiver. This would defeat the purpose of your efforts. And note that you won't be able to do any type of processing on the signal at all, including EQ or bass management, soundfield or surround processing (DPL-II, logic 7, etc.). If you are using your receiver to cross-over your main speakers and subwoofer for music, then you may be out of luck since most receivers do this digitally.