CD player - Digital connection or Analog?

[Vistance]

Hello forum, I'm contemplating a decision about buying a Denon DCD-1500 CD player but one note is it simply has RCA phono connectors and no optical/digital outs. I'm actually currently using a Technics SL-P770 CD player which is hooked up to my receiver via optical cable. Here's an eBay listing with lots of photos of the Technics I'm currently using:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Technics-SL-P77...dioHiFi_CDPlayerSeparates?hash=item2c52a47bbf

And here all lit up:

And really detailed specs here:
http://www.vintagetechnics.info/cdplayers.htm

But basically it's from '88, had an original cost of $680, Class AA and is 4 DAC 18-bit. Also, it works perfect other than no remote for it - but it's really close to me anyway and I love the search dial. To compare, I know next to nothing about the Denon DCD-1500 so I would appreciate being filled in in that regards. My question also - for sound quality, can something like the Denon with analog RCA phono plugs sound as good as or better than my Technics going straight from the player to the receiver? It seems like a nice player but I'm wondering if this is a downgrade from my Technics. I am simply going through a process of buying all Denon equipment to go in my system, but I'll keep using the Technics until I find a better Denon if the DCD-1500 isn't a true upgrade for me, but would like other's input.

 

[guiller]

Do you have a chance to actually listen to the Denon hooked up to your system? Can you negotiate that with the seller? If possible, your ears will tell you better. Otherwise, the Denon DCD-1500 is a very well respected CDP, one of the best sounding around 1986.

 

[SuperKris]

its all uin the dac thats being used i gues. If you amp has great dac's and the technics trasport is decent the technics might give the best sound. If the DAc in you amp arnt great, the dac in the denon might do better. I have the DCD-1500 myself and i really like its sound. but a good transport and a good external dac could sound a lot better.

 

[wsjoe]

Usually, the dacs and opamps in the receiver are not high-end. Most cd players are 20 years old so upgrading the opamps and some other parts will make them sound alot better. Cables/connections are secondary.

 

[Brett a]

looking around the interweb at the specs and opinions on both these players, I bet you'd do well with either. And the best way to decide would be to listen to them both if you can.

I'd be surprised of the DAC in your receiver was better than the ones in either of these players, but maybe your receiver has a Burr Brown in it too.

Here's some info on the Denon, BTW.
http://www.denon.co.uk/site/popup/index.php?Pid=251&action=start&ver=

 

[Vistance]

looking around the interweb at the specs and opinions on both these players, I bet you'd do well with either. And the best way to decide would be to listen to them both if you can.

I'd be surprised of the DAC in your receiver was better than the ones in either of these players, but maybe your receiver has a Burr Brown in it too.

Here's some info on the Denon, BTW.
http://www.denon.co.uk/site/popup/index.php?Pid=251&action=start&ver=

I think you have a different version of the DCD-1500 there, that one says DCD-1500A and it's a SACD player. I would love to have something like that but I couldn't afford it.

So ultimately in true real world audible difference do any of you believe the cables (One being optical the other being analog RCA phono) would be audibly different or is the DAC purely the thing that matters? I know the seller well and he would let me take home and use before even handing him any money, but he is a distance away from me and I want to be sure it's a worthwhile investment of my time. My Denon receiver is nice (IMO) but I don't know how nice. I'd like to think a $2,500 MSRP receiver has a decent DAC in it but I won't say that I know for sure - especially since there are receivers costing well over five times that out there and more.

 

[Kiwi]

That Technics has quad Bur Brown PCM56 Dacs , The Denon only has a pair of PCM 54 or PCM 56 if its the Mk 2 .
The Technics also has the earlier transport that is less plastic and works really well.
I own a DCD 1015 and a SL-P990 , in my opinion the Technics is the better deck both via Toslink or through RCA outputs.
So I see no advantage to going to the Denon .

 

[Vistance]

That Technics has quad Bur Brown PCM56 Dacs , The Denon only has a pair of PCM 54 or PCM 56 if its the Mk 2 .
The Technics also has the earlier transport that is less plastic and works really well.
I own a DCD 1015 and a SL-P990 , in my opinion the Technics is the better deck both via Toslink or through RCA outputs.
So I see no advantage to going to the Denon .

Thanks, I was thinking this but I don't know a ton about CD players. My father gave me this Technics and I've basically used this and nothing else - never even looked really, but I figured for $50 it was worth investigating to see if it was any good. Plus I really did want to know between analog connects and digital if there is audible difference between CD players.