Which connection for best CD sound ?

[nwpsys]

I currently use a Sony 336 DVD player as my CD player and I have it connected to my Denon 2801 via a digital coaxial cable.

I am presuming that this means the amp gets the digital signal and does the converting to analogue ?

Would I get better performance connecting via a high quality phono cable and letting the DVD player to the converting ?

I'm asking this cos in the future I might be upgrading to a DVD player with a high quality DAC and I just want to make sure I have my facts straight.

Thanks,

Nige

[Richard46]

Hi Nige
What about connecting with any old phonos to begin with and see if they sound better than coaxial.
If that sounds better then at least you know that good ones are worth considering.
Richard

[MikeK]

Originally posted by nwpsys
I currently use a Sony 336 DVD player as my CD player and I have it connected to my Denon 2801 via a digital coaxial cable.

I am presuming that this means the amp gets the digital signal and does the converting to analogue ?

Would I get better performance connecting via a high quality phono cable and letting the DVD player to the converting ?

I'm asking this cos in the future I might be upgrading to a DVD player with a high quality DAC and I just want to make sure I have my facts straight.

Thanks,

Nige

The advice just given is easy to try, and free, though I'd be surprised if the DAC your DVD player was better than the one in your Denon 2801.

If you aren't happy with the CD performance, then it's most likely to be the DVD player itself, and no cables can make a poor CD player into a good one.
Trading up the DVD payer may help, but if CD performance is important, then a dedicated CD player is the best way to get that IMO.
The same may be true of the amp, but it's likely to be to a lesser degree than the player.

Budget DVD players can give bright, harsh playback for CDs, and if that's the problem you have - it's the player I'd look at first.
Some AV amps can also have this tendency too (and added to a bright and harsh DVD player, the result isn't very pleasant), but in my experience it's not to the same degree, and care matching the speakers can often alleviate that.
When I first looked at DVD players (over 3 yrs ago now), I was quite surprised at how bad they were with CD playback - I would have hoped that they had got better since then, but in many cases it doesn't appear to be so. I have a Tosh 2109 DVD player, and sadly the CD performance, while probably better than some, is - you've guessed it - a bit bright and harsh (but then I don't use it for CD playback, so for me it's not really an issue)

[CARL]

Also remember when using the analogue inputs to switch your amp to direct mode for the cleanest signal, Bypassing a lot of unnessasary circuitry !!

Cheers Carl

[nwpsys]

Thanks for the info, chaps.

I was going to try the "suck it and see" approach, but thought I would get some input before I dove into the spaghetti madness round the back of my A/V kit.

Nige