Vitzman
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Need Help On Upgrade Path
commsysman
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If you are partial to Marantz, I advise you to get the UD7007, which is a Universal player and also their best-sounding CD/SACD player, and has balanced outputs. It does everything that the SA8005 does and much more, and costs the same ($1195). I have one and it is excellent in every respect.

If the sound isn't right coming from the source, it isn't right anywhere in the system, so upgrade your source first.

You can also use the UD7007 for playing DVDs or BLURAYS and feed the analog sound outputs to your amplifier and speakers while using its HDMI output to feed the video to the TV monitor.

I suggest that you look at the excellent PSB speaker line, since PSB is a Canadian company and they have many Canadian dealers (see their website for dealer locations). The prices should be good that way, and some dealers may even deal a bit. Using a Canadian company is also nice in case you ever need support or service.

The PSB Imagine B speakers run around $1000 per pair. The Image B6 is now discontinued, but perhaps a used pair is available for $500 or less. The PSB X2T towers are superb and run $1300 per pair.

I would think that the KEF R300 and LS50 would take you beyond your budget, but the KEF Q300 are very nice and go for $650 per pair in the USA. Those might be a very good choice for you. I would not recommend the LS50s with your amplifier, in any case; they need a lot more power.

For excellent speaker cable at a very low price, get the Monoprice #14 pure copper cable; Monoprice #2748 is 50 feet of pure copper #14 speaker cable for under $15.

Vitzman
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I forgot to mention that this system will be use strictly for music, I currently have no intention of feeding it to a TV. If upgrading my source is a priority and I know this question have been asked a billion times but based on my setup, should I upgrade a dedicated CD player or just get an external DAC?

I'm mostly going to be listening to CDs however, I do have some ripped files and I quite often stream music through spotify.

commsysman
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Perhaps the best route would be for you to get an OPPO BDP-105.

It is the best CD/SACD player for under $4000, bar none, and it is only $1300.

It also has USB and other digital inputs, so you can connect it direct to your computer and any other digital source and use its excellent internal DAC.

In any case, you won't believe how much better all of your CDs sound compared to that old Phillips player.

commsysman
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commsysman wrote:

Perhaps the best route would be for you to get an OPPO BDP-105.

It is the best CD/SACD player for under $4000, bar none, and it is only $1300.

It also has USB and other digital inputs, so you can connect it direct to your computer and any other digital source and use its excellent internal DAC.

In any case, you won't believe how much better all of your CDs sound compared to that old Phillips player. The accuracy of the decoding chips has improved by several orders of magnitude since that one was designed.

MuseChaser
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Before listening to ANYONE here, including me, and spending a lot of your money based on some stranger's advice, it might be a good idea to do or consider the following:

1. Decide, by listening carefully, what it is you don't like about your current system and what you want to improve.

2. Do a LOT of listening to other components, using the SAME source material. Take your CD, vinyl, or digital files to whatever hifi shops you have in your area, and listen to different components. Any decent shop will be happy to let you audition equipment with your own source material. If they're not happy to do so, go somewhere else.

3. If you do hear something you think represents a significant improvement to what you already have at a price point you're comfortable with, buy it with the understanding that you have a week or so to listen to it in your home system and return it if you find it's not to your tastes at home.

You should base any purchasing decisions almost entirely on those steps, with only a miniscule amount of stock put into things you read by strangers online. The pseudo-science and biased-yet-well-meaning opinions flying around the internet are helpful only if your ears line up with those people... and how do you know if they do or not unless you listen to the same equipment and the same music? I'm CONSTANTLY amazed how folks can extoll the praises of how natural-sounding, uncolored, or accurate given playback equipment is... USING ELECTRONICALLY BASED OR ALTERED MUSIC, i.e., virtually almost ALL pop and rock stuff. Synthesizers don't HAVE any "natural" or authentic sound. Who knows what they sound like?!?? They're synthetic from the start. Guitars, basses, compressed drums, synth drums.. they're all so processed that no one really knows what they're supposed to sound like. SO, at that point, it's all a question of taste and preference and any discussion of "accuracy" is moot; there's nothing to be accurate to.

Why the little rant? Simply because it's hard to take advice unless you really know if the person giving it hears things the way you do.

Now, a more direct answer to your question re/ whether to upgrade your CD player or speakers first. Again, confirm this advice by listening yourself someplace. You'll find a MUCH larger variance in sound between different speakers than you will between different CD players. While we'd all agree that every piece of equipment in the audio chain places it's own signature in some way upon sound quality, the biggest factors are, BY far, and in pretty much this order..

1. The musician/player.
2. The room/venue.
3. The mics used to record the event and their placement.
4. The speakers used to playback the event and their placement.
5. Everything else.

Numbers three and four may be considered a tie or reversed in some opinions; I'm still not sure myself. I'm not saying that "everything else" is unimportant, but it pales in comparison with the others. If you love your speakers, then explore other equipment. If you don't love your speakers, find a pair you love first, then tailor the rest of your system to THEM.

As far as upgrading your CD, personally, I think a good outboard DAC makes a lot of sense, especially one with a few inputs, especially since you mentioned, I believe, that you intend to listen to some streaming sources and file-based media. An outboard DAC (even one that only costs a couple hundred bucks,like maybe a Cambridge Audio or Musical Fidelity. I can vouch for the Cambridge Audio, but I haven't heard the MF) would enhance all of your digital sources, while spending $1300 on a CD player as suggested above would improve the sound of your CDs... assuming YOU like the change in sound and consider it an improvement.

Sooo.. short answer? Speakers make the most difference. A DAC will serve a wider variety of sources than a CD player. Only YOU can really tell what is "better" to your ears.

Hope that helps a bit. Enjoy the MUSIC.

Barry

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In my opinion, based upon your current system, suggesting you spend $1300 on an Oppo CD player (or any other CD player) when your stated budget is $1000-$2000 doesn't make much sense. Your speakers are listed as having a -3db point at 50hz, "with correct positioning," meaning that the bass extension figure takes into account room reinforcement. Totems are good speakers, don't get me wrong; I'm not suggesting that you NEED to replace them if you like them and don't miss the lack of true bass extension. I'm not one for "thump," "slam," and definitely not "boom" myself, unless the instruments being reproduced "thump," "slam," or "boom" themselves, so this advice isn't coming from someone into technotrancedroolrumble. However, a significant part of the "feel" of live music exists below 50hz. You have nice speakers and a good amp. I agree, your CD player could use some help. Does it have a digital out? If not, with your $1000 - $2000 budget, I'd buy a CD player w/ a digital out ($200 or so.. way less if you want, way more if you want), a Cambridge Audio or Musical Fidelity DAC (call it $300), and either a good powered sub equipped with an adjustable crossover/LP filter or a pair of speakers with more bass extension AND that sound good to you; you could certainly stick w/ the Totem Acoustic line if you wish, but the price goes up pretty fast on their larger speakers. Maybe a Paradigm DSP-3100 sub ($699 list?). You're at about $1200 at this point. Whatever you do, remember, make sure you have return privileges and only keep equipment that sounds great to YOU.

Best to you,

Barry

commsysman
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MuseChaser wrote:

In my opinion, based upon your current system, suggesting you spend $1300 on an Oppo CD player (or any other CD player) when your stated budget is $1000-$2000 doesn't make much sense. Your speakers are listed as having a -3db point at 50hz, "with correct positioning," meaning that the bass extension figure takes into account room reinforcement. Totems are good speakers, don't get me wrong; I'm not suggesting that you NEED to replace them if you like them and don't miss the lack of true bass extension. I'm not one for "thump," "slam," and definitely not "boom" myself, unless the instruments being reproduced "thump," "slam," or "boom" themselves, so this advice isn't coming from someone into technotrancedroolrumble. However, a significant part of the "feel" of live music exists below 50hz. You have nice speakers and a good amp. I agree, your CD player could use some help. Does it have a digital out? If not, with your $1000 - $2000 budget, I'd buy a CD player w/ a digital out ($200 or so.. way less if you want, way more if you want), a Cambridge Audio or Musical Fidelity DAC (call it $300), and either a good powered sub equipped with an adjustable crossover/LP filter or a pair of speakers with more bass extension AND that sound good to you; you could certainly stick w/ the Totem Acoustic line if you wish, but the price goes up pretty fast on their larger speakers. Maybe a Paradigm DSP-3100 sub ($699 list?). You're at about $1200 at this point. Whatever you do, remember, make sure you have return privileges and only keep equipment that sounds great to YOU.

Best to you,

Barry

If you would take the trouble to look carefully at the OPPO BDP-105, you would see that it includes a high-quality DAC that can be used in a variety of ways.

It has digital inputs including coaxial, optical and three USB inputs.

The poster said his priority was the CD player/DAC; not speakers. His very old player was not very good when new, and has no digital inputs or outputs at all. It is obsolete and very basic.

The BDP-105 also has balanced outputs and HDMI outputs, and 5.1 analog outputs, and an extensive control, setup, and function menu.

It can be used as system controller/preamp, really, since it also has a volume control.

It makes a LOT of sense to me, since it provides a lot of functions and options, as well as being one of the best-sounding players you can buy at any price.

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Like I said, everyone's different. It all boils down to what you value the most. I'm not saying anything negative about the Oppo; you obviously love it, and it gets lots of great reviews. I haven't heard one. To me, spending $1300 on a player, even given it's flexibility w/ accepting other digital inputs, makes less sense than spending (much) less money on a basic CD transport and outboard DAC. You can always upgrade the DAC if you hear something you like better in the future, and you're only out the $300 for the Cambridge or Musical Fidelity. With the Oppo, you're ending up w/ a $1300 transport. I know.. lots of Stereophile subscribers spend much more than that on transports. More power to them. I'd rather spend that kind of dough on music personally; like I said, we all have different priorities.

I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying your advice doesn't make much sense TO ME. That's all. If the O.P. doesn't miss the lack of bass extension, loves his speakers, believes the weak point in his system is the CD player, does not want an outboard DAC, and wants to spend $1300 on a CD player w/ digital inputs, then your advice will make sense to him. OK?

Best to you,

Barry

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