cambridge cd player external dac [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

PDA

View Full Version : cambridge cd player external dac



bipper
10-04-2012, 09:49 AM
I have a cambridge audio 640 cd player (Azur 640C the reviewers’ favourite CD player! (http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/summary.php?PID=30)) and am not getting a signal from the right channel anymore.

The optical output works fine but my myryad pre amp does not have optical inputs so the only option is to fix it or get a external DAC.

So, any advice as to why this occured and any recommendations as to what DAC would be worth buying under $250?.

The cambridge audio has a Wolfson WM8740 24-bit/ 192kHz DAC

Poultrygeist
10-04-2012, 12:21 PM
It's a nice enough player to have it checked out before buying a DAC.

blackraven
10-05-2012, 07:47 PM
If it can't be fixed then I would consider the Maverick Audio DAC-1 which can be used as a Tube DAC or Preamp. Read the reviews. You need to get the tube upgrade and order a pair of op-amp upgrades from Digikey for $10. It is a simple mod which dramatically improves the sound. It takes less than 5 min to swap out the op amp. I bought one for my son and it sounds great. Read the reviews on the audiocircles forum and heaf-fi.org

Maverick Audio - TubeMagic D1 DAC (http://www.mav-audio.com/base/product/tube_magic_d1)

Looking at their site now it appears they sell a burr brown op amp option which they did not have before. The op amp from digikey is not a burr brown but was highly recommended by just about every one the bought the DAC. The Burr Browns offered are an excellent op amp but may have a slightly more forward sound from my experience with them but the sound will be detailed.