Indeed. I have an RME ADI-2 DAC (sadly now demoted to office system duties, hooked up to some Genelecs) and that is IMO an "end game" DAC. You could feed it with any old dross signal and it will sound the same, and that is BTW absolutely superb.Absolutely.
and if you have a good DAC even a portable cd plugged into it will sound as good as a £1000 transport. Your only as good as the DAC/amp/speakers
I’ve only become ‘aware’ of their importance in the last couple of years. I knew of them but not how they do what they do. I’ll be sticking with my CXV V2 for a long time even as my system may change around it.Indeed. I have an RME ADI-2 DAC (sadly now demoted to office system duties, hooked up to some Genelecs) and that is IMO an "end game" DAC. You could feed it with any old dross signal and it will sound the same, and that is BTW absolutely superb.
A basic CD transport and well designed DAC (which can be done at bargain basement prices these days) is capable of trouncing many expensive CD players. It's all in the implementation of the analogue output stage. If you are not too bothered about aesthetics or extra functionality then linear low distortion amplification can be achieved cheaply.Spend a decent amount of money on a CD player and not the bargain basement prices you quote and you’ll hear the importance of a decent source.
And the OP wants a vinyl source any way.
Where the old mantra is quite demonstrably true.
I have a homemade headphone amp which is designed around an IRF513 MOSFET with a constant current source. It's far from clinically clean amplification, but it has a character to the sound which is really quite pleasing to the ear. I can listen for hours. Some Op Amp based headphone amps I've listened to have been really quit fatiguing.Oh for sure - I get that. I have a pretty decent hifi myself (NAD M33 + Revel M126be's) but still have been considering getting a TT. There's something rather nice and organic about the whole vinyl experience. Also - although this is not a widely held view amongst hifi buffs - I am quite happy with the concept of something being technically not very good, but which sounds great. Most purists think "accurate = best" and "accurate = most lifelike". I don't agree. I think "best sounding = best" even if that is technically a bit crap. Take valve amps, for example. They are technically quite dross, but actually just sound nice... sometimes at least. The warm, 2nd harmonic rich, valve "sound" is quite nice, if not accurate.
Plus the buying. I use the internet of course, but nothing beats a decent record shop. Can, and have, spent hours in them at a time.Oh for sure - I get that. I have a pretty decent hifi myself (NAD M33 + Revel M126be's) but still have been considering getting a TT. There's something rather nice and organic about the whole vinyl experience. Also - although this is not a widely held view amongst hifi buffs - I am quite happy with the concept of something being technically not very good, but which sounds great. Most purists think "accurate = best" and "accurate = most lifelike". I don't agree. I think "best sounding = best" even if that is technically a bit crap. Take valve amps, for example. They are technically quite dross, but actually just sound nice... sometimes at least. The warm, 2nd harmonic rich, valve "sound" is quite nice, if not accurate.
The problem with CD is that there are a lot of poorly mastered albums (compressed) from the mid-90's up to the late 2000's which sound absolutely shite on any half decent separates system.Spend a decent amount of money on a CD player and not the bargain basement prices you quote and you’ll hear the importance of a decent source.
And the OP wants a vinyl source any way.
Where the old mantra is quite demonstrably true.
I've referred to them as 'turntables' for as long as I remember (back when my dad had an all-in-one system with a Garrard 80 TT).When did a record player morph into a turntable?
About the time you last used the word wireless for a radio.When did a record player morph into a turntable?