Which DAC is better?

Shell

I am trying to decide what expensive cable to buy. If I use the decoding on my pre/pro (Cirrus CS 4396), I will go with coaxial cable. If I use the DAC decoding on my Denon (Burr-Brown 20-Bit D/A Converters (PCM-1748)) I will be buying a good quality RCA cable. My CD player is over 6 feet away.

Is one of those DACs clearly better then the other?

Thanks

Early B.

Try 'em both and then decide. Return the one that doesn't work out for you.

John K.

Shell, the Cirrus Logic 4396 has slightly better specs than the Texas Instruments(Burr-Brown)1748. The 4396 has a dynamic range of 120 dB while the 1748 is 106 dB, but this is more than adequate for reproducing CDs and both DACs exceed human hearing capacity. The Burr-Brown in no way should be considered inferior and is an example of the excellent DACs available to manufacturers at low cost($1.30 each)today. DACs are now a mature technology and have reached a level of performance that makes it useless to be concerned that particular ones may not allow for optimum reproduction of sound. So, don't try to use the DACs as a determining factor, but in general it's better to use the digital output of the CD player if some type of digital processing(e.g. bass management for a sub or surround processing such as DPLII)might take place in the receiver or pre/pro. If the analog player output was used it would have to be reconverted to digital by the ADC in the receiver, processed, and then again converted to analog by the DAC for amplification, with no good reason for the extra complication.

If you're going to use the digital output of the CD player, another point needing clarification is whether a special "digital" cable(strictly speaking there is no such thing, since any wire can conduct both analog and digital signals)is necessary. Contrary to a fairly common misunderstanding among those who have just a little knowledge of digital audio, for the great majority of home setups an "analog" cable(i.e. one that isn't 75 ohms impedance)works fine for the digital connection. The key factor is the length of the connection in relation to the wavelength of the signals and for CDs there's no problem up to about 40 feet. This point is discussed rather informally but very informatively by Steve Lampen, Belden Cable engineer who often represents the company at conferences here .

Some rather humorous but nevertheless informative examples can be found in the heroic exploits of Mick Loney and Al Magnani in a search for truth in audio. So, don't worry about buying an "expensive cable".

organ

Like others have mentioned, try both and use the one you prefer. Don't let the specs or price fool you.

I'm using an external DAC from Audio Alchemy which is close to 10 years old and it kicks the NAD's internal DAC's ****. My NAD C541 is considered an entry level audiophile player. The Audio Alchemy adds it's own sound signature which sounds A LOT more pleasing to my ears. It's a lot warmer, bass is deeper/hits harder and vocals have a nice thickness (not chesty) that makes them sound more realistic. The best way to describe the sound is 'tubey'. But my ears also prefer tubes over solid state. Give both DAC's a good listen.

good luck

Maurice

Shell

Thanks everyone for your insight. I will break down and by both cords to compare.