I recently purchased an amazing Music Server from Cocktail Audio called the X10.
Put simply, you can load CD's and it will rip them in to HD WAV or HD FLAC, etc. It has 2TB of Memory and my Sonos can pick up the music library which is pretty sweet to listen to great quality music through the house. This device has an amp that generates 60 Watts X 2, but I am using it as a source with the Line Out from the back going in to RCA's to my Pre/Pro. I want to get sound in the room where I have hardwired this Cocktail audio device to that sounds as good as CD quality so I don't have to keep all my CD's. This thing can apparently hold 2600 of them in FLAC or WAV.
Currently, the quality I am getting playing my FLAC files is slightly less than the same song on the Actual CD playing through my OPPO 103. I have a Marantz 7702 Pre/Pro which apparently has a DAC inside that is a 24bit/1921Khz but I don't know that it is anything special. The Cocktail Audio device has an internal DAC as well, but I don't know that it is much to speak of as their upgraded devices all tout their internal DAC's and this one does not.
So my question is: Would I benefit greatly from a DAC in this set-up and if so-what recommendations do you all have? I know they can be from $200- Many thousands of dollars but let's just say under 1k. I have had two DAC's before and didn't really think they made that much difference running Sonos/Pandora through them but that might not have been the best application. Please help!
Lastly-Is there a sound quality difference between FLAC and WAV?
Thanks
