Outstanding digital components

[Dingdong]

I love Marantz KI players, (though I know my mate Dave (DSJR) isn't quite so keen...) and the one I have now was heavily praised by HFW in its time... so I've always lusted after the Pearl/Lite - nice player Simon.

I haven't tried a KI yet. I'm quite keen on the Teac vrds range. Don't think Dave is so keen on them either. There is a pattern forming here.

[Hoffer]

I'll nominate 2:

1. Apple Airport Express:



I've got a few of these spread out around the house. Wireless N, digital out, and relatively inexpensive, the AE can stream music from any computer or play MOG/Pandora directly from my iWhatever.

2. Cary 306 SACD:



CDs, SACDs, HDCDs - you name the 2 channel format, the Cary will play it with aplomb. 8 Burr Brown DAC chips running in balanced parallel, plus 3 digital inputs capable of 24/192. And it looks pretty cool, too.

[PELASGOS]

Hello to everyone,
I dont know if would be better to do a separate thread for this, maybe yes, or post in the Tweeks thread, but im quite impressed by the BBE sonic maximizer 482i, it makes a real diference on stereo image and clarity, not obtainable by any other gear as far as i know. There is a "but" , a subjective con , bass responce,but for now i am enjoying its impressive sonic qualities. But sometimes i passed it buy depending on the record(cd) sound. I would like to hear oppinions on this. C
Cheers

[PELASGOS]

Thats beatifull!!

[PELASGOS]

Hello Rick,

if you are asked to compare them with esoteric? do you have experience with these? i'm asking cause there is a dealer that makes good prices for me and happens to sell both of these brands.
Be well.

[vouk]

A few alternative offerings from the motherland:

Pathos Endorphin
Audia Flight CD One
Monrio Type 2 Top loader
Audio Analogue Maestro CD special edition
Lector CDP 7T (mk3)

As usual with most Italian audio products, underrated, underrepresented and often overlooked; and, as usual with most Italian audio products, beautiful built and design, superb sounding machines in every respect.

[yba_us]

I can't imagine a better SACD for the money, like the Sony SCD-XA5400ES. I hope that one day SONY comes back to it's sense, and starts to reproduce this fantastic SACD player again. It's very hard to find on the used market, and it holds it's value for a long time. Probably the best SACD player on the market still, but I know many people wouldn't agree on that. It's a shame, this brilliant digital format is dying, like the Sony Beta did back in time. God bless Sony for SACD though

[MartinT]

It's a shame, this brilliant digital format is dying

It's still doing rather well in classical music and some small labels.

[The Black Adder]

Built August 1989 this Pioneer PD-91 has opened my eyes to just how right they got it, still stands up today in it's vintage sound.

Reads discs quicker than any other cd player I've had. The cd mechanism is silky smooth and solid, none of this creaky cog whirring clunkyness which you see on even some of the latest players.

Internally it's built amazingly well..

[MartinT]

I used to own one, Joe. The single most missed component I've ever sold.