To preface this post, I need to say that I will be focusing on two specific CD players, but since this is my FIRST post, (well, second after the hello one, technically) I just want to give a bit of info on my current gear, and that of which I'll be buying very soon, which I think is relevant to the CD player obviously.
Hey everyone, I found this forum doing a google search, because I've been looking for an appropriate place to pose some questions about the new system I'm putting together. First off, I realize that this is a U.K. based site, so you guys might not have heard of the company which I'm buying the receiver from. I currently have an Onkyo TX Sv515 receiver, and a Fisher 60 CD changer, (though I've been using my Toshiba DVD player more and more for CD playback) and they're going through some really aweful speakers, which come from Radio Shack !
I also own a pair of Energy C3 speakers, but refused to hook them up to the Onkyo, because I was having issues with surges that caused the unit to go to protect mode, and from time to time, one or the other speaker would just cut out, and I'd have to raise the volume rather quickly to get it to pop back in. Something I won't dare subject my Energy's to.
Here is what I have pretty much been looking at for my new rig:
Outlaw Audio RR 2150
As seen here I'm able to audition it for 30 days and return it if I don't like it at all, and Outlaw is very well known for excellence in customer service, so I'm not worried about the return policy, seeing as how you can only purchase their stuff online.
Next on the list is the CD player, which is why I'm really posting. Since the Outlaw receiver does not have an optical IN/OUT, I don't really need to spend extra $$ on a source which happens to have the OUTs. Now, I've been looking at the NAD C521BEE and the NAD C542. The only obvious differences I can make out between the two, is that the former does not have optical ports. If this is indeed the case, and the DAC's are the same, then this pretty much answers my question as far as which one to buy. Of course I'd rather not spend an extra $200 on something I'll not utilize anytime soon.
I'm also buying a Music Hall MMF-5, but that's for another thread. So, I'd really appreciate it if anyone can answer this question for me. Are those two CD players identical besides the in/out ports ?
Thanks a lot.