ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
Hi guys, is there any advantage in using an external DAC with a BG4500 cd ?
I would suppose a modern DAC would outperform the BG4500. However, if you do go with an external DAC, what is the need for the BG? If you have a pair of Beolab speakers and want to add streaming to the mix you could connect the BG to something like a Beosound Core as an input source and then connect the Core to your Beolab speakers. From my experience the Core has a very good DAC and is well tuned to Beolab speakers plus keeps your set up in the B&O ecosystem.
B&O in my life 😊:
Minim4d: Hi guys, is there any advantage in using an external DAC with a BG4500 cd ?
That certainly depends on what you have in mind.The factory DAC is in fact quite good - perhaps the analog circuits would be a better place to set in, even if they are not exactly bad either.
What is it you want to achieve?And how would it end up looking?
Martin
Hi Martin, ok you have sort of answered my question, if the onboard DAC is good there is no need for an external DAC. It’s just that I’m quite new to this wonderful brand, it’s something I’ve lusted after for around 40 years, don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with the BG 4500 it sounds amazing, I was just wondering if after 30 years there would be any advantage . Mark
Hi thanks for your reply, interesting, streaming is not a route that I want to go down, I have a fairly large collection of cds and vinyl plus I like to have physical copy’s a bit old fashioned in this modern world I know. Don’t get me wrong the bg4500 is a great player as is the whole system. I’ve only recently got the system so I’m very much a newbie to the amazing brand
Mark
The solution is to try it out and decide. In the US you can typically return a product within 30 days if it does not meet your needs. My experience has been that DACs have improved recently but it all depends on what you can hear and prefer. I have tried a few DACs and what I have found is that products with newer DACs like the Core are designed around the newer streaming content. Another DAC I really liked is the Topping D90. It's a great sounding DAC at a great price, but it isn't as well integrated with the B&O ecosystem as a Core (both are about the same price). I always advocate for the Core since, while not cheap, I haven't found another streaming DAC that is even close at this price point. My 2 cents only. It opens up the sound in my experience.