Budget for upgrade from NAD c352+Tannoy F4

[atharva]

Hi all,

I've had the NAD C352+Tannoy F4 for 4 years now and have caught the upgrade bug. I listen to a variety of music including Jazz, Western/Indian classical, Rock, Pop, Hindi etc. I used to play via my CD player until it broke down. Since then I ripped all the CDs to lossless FLAC (or high bitrate MP3) and now mostly play via them via my Xtreamer.


1. What should my budget be for a noticeably better combo?
2. I'm guessing that upgrading only the AMP/speakers is not an option. Right?
3. I'm tempted to look at an AVR but wonder if there is any that can better the c352?

I'm not sure if there are amps with built-in DAC which I suspect will be far superior to the one in the Xtreamer.

Thanks in advance.

 

[aashish351]

I would suggest only adding an external DAC first, if your xtreamer has an optical or coaxial out. DAC options like Arcam rDAC, Cambridge Audio DacMagic etc. should offer a lot of improvement with the same AMP/Speakers.

 

[goose]

Agree with ashish, u should try the rDAC as the amp you've got is already a strong performer, dont think an AVR could replace it.

Just on your query re amps with DACs, the new NAD C375 and c356 have built in DAC versions. Check out NADs homepage for details.

 

[atharva]

Thanks guys.

What are the prices for rDAC/356/375 in India? Also, if I consider the 356/375 should I keep the same speakers?