Meridian 606 DAC... Better sound than Lexicon DC-1?

[kenlong69]

Hi all!

I currently have a Lexicon DC1 v4 and it is brilliant for movies! However it hasn't blown me away perticularly with stereo/music.

I'm using a Sony carousel as a CD transport and using the optical out.

I was wondering if anyone would be able to tell me if I would get a better sound if I bought a Meridian 606 DAC? There is one for sale in the classifieds and I'm tempted to get it. I had an Acrcam Blackbox 50 and I got about the same sound quality as the Lexicon. Is the Meridain better than the Arcam?

Cheers for any help!

Ken

[GaryG]

How do you intend to use an external DAC in your system? Presumeably not via the DC1 as it converts it's inputs from analogue to digital then back to analogue thus negating any benefit of an external DAC.

[kenlong69]

AHA! That would explain why the Arcam didn't sound any different!

Is there not a way to bypass the analogue-digital converter on the DC-1? There is a bypass button... I'll re-read the manual to see if that works...

CHeers,
Ken

[GaryG]

Ken

Take a look at the diagram on page 5 of the owners manual. It looks like you could connect the DAC via the Stereo Zone 2 Out and bypass the A/D conversion. Don't know how you would route that to your amplifier though, you would need a seperate amp or some sort of switch box, unless you were happy to swap cables.

[ditton15]

pl excuse the self-interested comment (I'm the 606 seller), but couldn't you use a coax out from the Sony transport into the 606 DAC and then do (phono) analogue from the DAC to the amp?

I can't comment on the comparison with the Arcam dac. And then again, I dont know much about the Lexicon DC1.

[kenlong69]

Hey ditton15!

Yes that would be how I would connect it... but the DC-1 converts the analogue back into digital and then into analogue again... Thus negating the DAC like Gary said.

Ken

[ditton15]

OK, I'm flying without aid of knowledge of Rotel amp here, but ...

- do you have to go via the DC1?

- can you go direct fron Meridian dac to Rotel amp, and hence speakers?

anyway, Seasons Greetings - am listening the Band just now

[kenlong69]

Hey again!

Yes I have to go via the DC1 as the Rotel is a power amp doesn't have a volume knob. Also it only has one set of imputs.

Cheers,
Ken

[ditton15]

thanks for the explanation. so the pre-amp is in the DC1, and you would need a pre-amp between Meridian dac & Rotel - penny has dropped! the Dax Decade has the same logic, its both a dac and a pre-amp. I play it into the AudioLab in its poweramp setting, though I did use the integrated mode for the Meridian combo.

edit: from what I've seen said about the Arcam dac, I would reckon that the Meridian 606 was & is in a higher class altogether. Truth is that I was not unhappy with it - I just had to try the DaxDecade: no regrets, though it was a lot more dosh!

[GaryG]

Ken

Here's a switch box that will allow you to connect both the output from zone 2 and the L/R outputs from the DC1 to your amp. You select whichever one you need to use, DAC for music, standard L/R for HT.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/products/mod...5081&Products=