I've ripped my 450 CD library to Apple Lossless (MacBook Pro) and stream the content via a first generation Sonos Connect. Because of the convenience afforded by the Sonos UI, I seldom play CDs. My understanding (and I may be misinformed) is that Apple Lossless is very close to the quality of the original CD. I've never attempted an A/B comparison.
My power comes from a 25 year old Rotel RB980-BX with a Rotel tuner-preamp. I'm considering replacing them and the Sonos in part due to age and also to ensure that I'm getting the best audio quality from my digital source material.
I've been searching for a product that combines the capabilities of an integrated amp, a decent quality DAC and a music streamer of equal or better quality than the Sonos.
NAD has the C 368 BluOS which does it all.
Cambridge Audio has the CXA80 which is similar to the NAD in power, has a DAC but lacks streaming capability. I would then use the existing Sonos.
I'd also considered the Oppo UDP-205 but decided that it didn't address the integrated amp needs and the CD/DVD player was not a high priority.
Would any of these options offer much audio improvement to my current setup? Or, are there other options to consider that are within my budget of $2000?
Thanks in advance for your expert feedback.
I've ripped my 450 CD library to Apple Lossless (MacBook Pro) and stream the content via a first generation Sonos Connect. Because of the convenience afforded by the Sonos UI, I seldom play CDs. My understanding (and I may be misinformed) is that Apple Lossless is very close to the quality of the original CD. I've never attempted an A/B comparison.
My power comes from a 25 year old Rotel RB980-BX with a Rotel tuner-preamp. I'm considering replacing them and the Sonos in part due to age and also to ensure that I'm getting the best audio quality from my digital source material.
I've been searching for a product that combines the capabilities of an integrated amp, a decent quality DAC and a music streamer of equal or better quality than the Sonos.
NAD has the C 368 BluOS which does it all.
Cambridge Audio has the CXA80 which is similar to the NAD in power, has a DAC but lacks streaming capability. I would then use the existing Sonos.
I'd also considered the Oppo UDP-205 but decided that it didn't address the integrated amp needs and the CD/DVD player was not a high priority.
Would any of these options offer much audio improvement to my current setup? Or, are there other options to consider that are within my budget of $2000?
Thanks in advance for your expert feedback.