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  1. #1
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    How much difference does a good DAC makes

    My system

    Technics SL MC7(110 disk changer) 10 year old and used as a transport.
    B&K REF 30 preamp. Also used as DAC as my cd changer is connected thru optical cable.
    B&K 7270 Multichannel AMP (200w X 7)
    Paradigm S4 Signature fronts
    Paradigm C3 Center channel.
    REl Stata III sub

    Are the DAC's of the preamps are of sub standard quality.

    How much difference does the external DAC make compared to the one in a preamp.

    Thanks
    Pandu

  2. #2
    Forum Regular O'Shag's Avatar
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    Hi Pandu, The DAC can make a difference. But the DAC in your preamp I'm sure is not of substandard quality. However a good dedicated DAC may improve such things as tonal/timbral accuracy, top to bottom balance, dimensional imaging such as a 3-D perspective and soundstage width, depth and height. Really good DACs have a way of making the music sound very natural with life-like sparkle - more like the real thing, when digital has a tendency to sound slightly harsh, processed, lacking frequency extreme air and extension, therefore sounding less realistic. But again, this is only conjecture. Before you buy anything, listen very carefully to a demonstration to see if there is an improvement. Don't let others tell you there's a difference, listen carefully for yourself. See if you can borrow a DAC to listen to in your system and see if there is an improvement over the DAC built into your processor. If the difference is not very noticable, I wouldn't bother wasting your money. Rather, think about putting it towards a turntable perhaps.
    'Lets See what the day brings forth'.... Reginald Iolanthe Perrin

  3. #3
    Man of the People Forums Moderator bobsticks's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by O'Shag
    Hi Pandu, The DAC can make a difference. But the DAC in your preamp I'm sure is not of substandard quality.
    Whattup Shaggy, good to see you around and giving solid advice.


    Pandu, good to have you aboard. I agree with Shag that it's very likely your DAC isn't "substandard". At that level you may find some interesting differences but they not always equate to better. I agree too that you should try to home audition if at all possible. Often the most obvious changes tend not to be the best in the longrun.
    So, I broke into the palace
    With a sponge and a rusty spanner
    She said : "Eh, I know you, and you cannot sing"
    I said : "That's nothing - you should hear me play piano"

  4. #4
    frenchmon frenchmon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pdhanwada
    My system

    Technics SL MC7(110 disk changer) 10 year old and used as a transport.
    B&K REF 30 preamp. Also used as DAC as my cd changer is connected thru optical cable.
    B&K 7270 Multichannel AMP (200w X 7)
    Paradigm S4 Signature fronts
    Paradigm C3 Center channel.
    REl Stata III sub

    Are the DAC's of the preamps are of sub standard quality.

    How much difference does the external DAC make compared to the one in a preamp.

    Thanks
    Pandu
    Tell me about the signitures. How do you like them? How do they compare to other speakers you have heard?

    frenchmon

  5. #5
    Forum Regular blackraven's Avatar
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    DAC's can make a big difference in sound, but not always. I just sold my Cambridge Audio 840c CDP which is an excellent CDP with excellent on board DACS, but I still upgraded to an external Van Alstine DAC. When I compared the DAC to the 840c there was no comparison, the DAC had greater transparency, clarity, sound stage, resolution and smoothness.
    Pass Labs X250 amp, BAT Vk-51se Preamp,
    Thorens TD-145 TT, Bellari phono preamp, Nagaoka MP-200 Cartridge
    Magnepan QR1.6 speakers
    Luxman DA-06 DAC
    Van Alstine Ultra Plus Hybrid Tube DAC
    Dual Martin Logan Original Dynamo Subs
    Parasound A21 amp
    Vintage Luxman T-110 tuner
    Magnepan MMG's, Grant Fidelity DAC-11, Class D CDA254 amp
    Monitor Audio S1 speakers, PSB B6 speakers
    Vintage Technic's Integrated amp
    Music Hall 25.2 CDP
    Adcom GFR 700 AVR
    Cables- Cardas, Silnote, BJC
    Velodyne CHT 8 sub

  6. #6
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    FrenchMon,

    I like my signatures very much. Lately after adding the rel subwoofer, they look like sounding much better.

    I had auditioned B&W bookshelfs, DALI, Thiels. before I bought them.

    Again Paradigms sounded much better than the others probably beca.use they were driven by MCintosh MC 207, where as the others were driven by smaller amplifiers.

    Thanks
    Pandu

  7. #7
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    Frenchmon,

    Also Dalis and Theils were more expensive than the paradigms signatures.

    That was one of the resons I went for paradigms.

    Thansk
    pandu

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