AudioBanter.com - View Single Post - "Against stupidity the very gods themselves contend in vain." Audiophile Example #2

wrote:

But the jitter that resulted from going from one to two boxes then
necessitated a third box, plus very careful auditioning of the digital
cables (two, now!) connecting these all up. Instead of simply accepting
the low jitter inherent in decent one-box designs, this approach puts
greater control over the final product in the hands of the end user,
thus restoring to digital some of the appeal of analogue.

Thus does the high end progress.

I haven't seen it mentioned yet that when the two-box systems
were introduced, it was because they could provide substantial
sonic improvements over the players of the time. One still
hears reports of improved sound from adding, say, a Benchmark
DAC1 to a cheap player to replace its internal DAC.

After the external DACs were introduced, it began to be
reported that replacing the player with a well-designed
transport improved the sound again.

So one could say that by separating the parts of the problem,
the introduction of separate DACs and transports helped the
evolution of the better players we have today.

It should be noted that, with the advent of digital tone
controls and room-correction units, the two-box solution still
has its uses.

Mike Prager
North Carolina, USA