I recently switched to processing my CD player signal via an external DAC vs RCA cables into my Integrated Amp.  I saw a noteworty inprovement in audio quality.  I was quite shocked at how obvious the difference was.  What I found interesting that the DAC said that it was a 44.1khz signal.  This is newer equipment and the TosLink connection on the DAC supports 192khz signals.   

My CD player is a Marantz CC4003 (5 disc player) and according to their site, all Marantz CD players evidently sample at 44.1Khz, not just this 5 disc changer.  I did some external searches and this seems to be the consumer audio standard.  At least Marantz publishes the sampling rate.  I searched a few other manufacturers web sites and couldn't find it. 

My question is, for 2 channel audio using regular CDs, do I care if I have a higher sampling rate?  Am I bumping up against the quality limitations of an average CD? 

What other issues might I be facing?  I am aware the carousel is a less than optimal transport but I really like the convenience of it, especially when we have guests. 

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