Any Ideas For A CD Player

[Primalsea]

I went down the PC digital audio route quite some time ago and it's great for loading up a whole bunch of songs and leaving them playing for hours on end while I potter around the house or the garden. Problem is it is not so great for when I just want to sit in front of the speakers and listen. Part of the issue is that my speakers are quite revealing; a pair of Pioneer SDJ05 active monitors. With my vinyl setup I have what sounds like a very different system. With the PC as the source it is a very different kettle of fish.

I'm thinking of getting a CD player but these days not really sure what would work with a fairly transparent set of components. I tend to find Linn and Cyrus a bit too aggressive sounding for my taste. Any ideas?

There are a few goods deals about SH - Rega Saturn, Yamaha CDS2000, a few nice looking Marantz players, a lovely Shanling - the original one with the valves sticking out the top.

[DSJR]

I have to say I rather like and respect what Rega have done with their CD players over the years. No shill, just genuine liking for the sound. Earlier models should be used with a Couple interconnect (Klotz AC110 with Neutrik Pro plugs 'welded' on each end - see the pro interconnect thread on here). Arcam's later players with Diva-style casework are good too, with no nasties I could hear yet still a liking for careful support for some reason.

I've not been a Marantz fan for years now, especially the tweaked 'KI' models. Almost anything 'KI' touches is usually worse in some way and it's been suggested that 'he' is the figurehead for a team of engineers anyway.

Some later Rotels were good and some mid priced Denons too, sometimes snapping at the (squee :rolleyes:) cheaper Naim stuff, which has cachet aplenty.

Good luck with finding a player.

[Macca]

I think with revealing speakers you want a neutral-sounding CD player, not something that has been tweaked to sound 'different' as they will just show that up as artifice. If you have a DVD player lying around try hooking that up and see what the result is.

[jandl100]

I agree with you 100% about streamed audio, Paul.
I'm a-stayin' with CD players!

I had a Cyrus CD8x and it was a very good sounding player in many ways although somewhat but noticeably lightweight in the bass.
I also demmed an early Shanling valved player and the bass seemed pretty much MIA.
--- no, I'm not a bass-head, far from it!

I've not heard any of the Rega or Yamaha players.

Based on Martin / Macca's enthusiasm for them I'm now using a vintage Technics SL-P1200 player and it is very fine indeed. Mine cost £250 from a well known auction site, but they are an old design - great sound quality, a really enthusiastic sound full of the light, life and energy of the music - but you do take your chances with reliability and longevity, as MartinT recently found when he tried one.

Other CDPs that I have especially enjoyed over the last few years include a Vincent CD-S7, Burmester CD006, Technics SL-PG490 (cheap as chips and very good!), MHZS CD88.
I've heard a high end Marantz Pearl something or other in my system, and it did the hifi thing but not the music thing, imo, but the bass power and slam were awesome! Cheaper Marantz I have heard are better musically, imo, if not as 'impressive'.
The Pioneer stable platter CDPs are generally very good, if a little controversial due to their digital filtering - some like 'em, some don't.

[The Black Adder]

I have to agree with you, Jerry regarding the stable platter Pioneers. But the older versions didn't have the filtering, PD-73, PD-91, PD-93 are amazing sounding even now. Built well too. But unfortunately they are pretty impossible to service. The lasers are expensive and you need someone with specialist kit to bring them back to life.

I had the PD-91... would I have one again even if they are getting long in the tooth to service/repair?... Yes!

Other great cd players are the older Sony's... same story though unfortunately.

But yes, never understood the filtering on those Pioneers... seemed a bit naff to me. But they sold ooodles so what do I know... lol

[awkwardbydesign]

I had a Shanling CD-T100 (for the looks!) and my Meridian 200 transport with Chameleon DAC sounds better to me. It was pretty, though.

[Reffc]

I have to agree with Jerry here.

I have contemplated (and tried out) PC front ends and didn't get on with them. I wont get embroiled in all the arguments about why streaming is superior because I just haven't found that to be the case even when comparing rips of CDs to the actual CDs (you'd think they'd be identical but no, they never are). Convenient no doubt though but for me a PITA to fund the front ends, rip and find your way through. No thanks. If worried about longevity of a CD, then burn a copy, archive it in a box in the attic and forget about it until you (maybe) need it due to a damaged/scratched CD. Using a large multi-leaf CD storage wallet, you can store 1000's of CDs and not have to take up much room.

Having gone through a plethora of CD sources, including higher end models from Consonance and Accuphase, I am now very happy with a few specific cheap as chips Technics MASH models. They use a transport which if it goes wrong is under £20 to replace and freely available. The DAC is a novel design and in some of the Technics models is as good sounding as any high end CD machine I've heard. The SL1200 is a great player but if it goes wrong, transports are virtually impossible to source.

My current CDP set up cost me about £40 and its almost as good as I've had at 50 times the cost. I have owned Rega CDPs, Marantz models, Arcam, MF and several others. the Tehcnics is more "musical" and "fit and forget" than all of them put together. I shan't bother wasting any more cash on so called "high end" CDPs.

[Primalsea]

Some ideas to think about for sure. Interesting that people are finding old CDP just as good as some of the "high end" stuff.

[Macca]

IHaving gone through a plethora of CD sources, including higher end models from Consonance and Accuphase, I am now very happy with a few specific cheap as chips Technics MASH models. They use a transport which if it goes wrong is under £20 to replace and freely available. The DAC is a novel design and in some of the Technics models is as good sounding as any high end CD machine I've heard. s.

What happened to your Accuphase then Paul, I thought you were quite keen on it?

[Clive197]

Marantz CD players have always had a nice smooth natural sound. In my own system I love the Cyrus transport that I run, however I do understand your comment re Cyrus but I can you tell you that Cyrus have calmed their products down in the last couple of years. Do beware of the earlier slot loading players as they are bloody awful, refusing to play discs not strictly red-book.

I do think streaming is the future. I understand the comments here but I suspect that it mainly applies when a computer is part of the actual streaming. I found that just using the computer to rip cd's then storing onto a NAS works best. When I listen to music from the NAS via a gigabyte network switch through CAT6 plugged into my Cyrus StreamXv2 I get superb results. Maybe its the computer that sours the milk when you listen to your streamed music, try taking the noisy item out of the equation you may find it's not so poor.

Clive

[Reffc]

What happened to your Accuphase then Paul, I thought you were quite keen on it?

I was very keen on it; it's just that when compared with a very modest player recommended to me, I couldn't see the sense in hanging onto the Accuphase, good as it was/is. I'm not precious when it comes to kit. If it sounds good, it stays in the system. The vinyl front ends, amps and speakers are all staying. The Garrard's been in the family for over 40 years and that's going nowhere, nor is the Gyro. Both are up to the task of playing music well. CD sources I find variable at best and cost is no guarantee of sound quality.

The Accuphase was the best screwed together player I've ever seen, with exceptionally neat circuit layout and quality parts. However, remarkably, the Technics player was fuller and more natural through the mid range. It lost out to some extent with the ultimate smoothness of the Accuphase higher up, but equalled it in bass response and bettered it through the mids. I'm perfectly happy to continue to "roll" front end digital sources especially if something remarkable for the money crops up. I have 3 CDPs at present; two on general duties and one gathering dust somewhere.

[Primalsea]

Marantz CD players have always had a nice smooth natural sound. In my own system I love the Cyrus transport that I run, however I do understand your comment re Cyrus but I can you tell you that Cyrus have calmed their products down in the last couple of years. Do beware of the earlier slot loading players as they are bloody awful, refusing to play discs not strictly red-book.

I do think streaming is the future. I understand the comments here but I suspect that it mainly applies when a computer is part of the actual streaming. I found that just using the computer to rip cd's then storing onto a NAS works best. When I listen to music from the NAS via a gigabyte network switch through CAT6 plugged into my Cyrus StreamXv2 I get superb results. Maybe its the computer that sours the milk when you listen to your streamed music, try taking the noisy item out of the equation you may find it's not so poor.Clive

I do wonder if an external USB DAC might be the answer, I still have an open mind but which DAC to go for.

[Clive197]

I do wonder if an external USB DAC might be the answer, I still have an open mind but which DAC to go for.

The Audiolab M-DAC gets very good reviews and for twice the amount of the Audiolab there is the Chord Hugo.

Clive

[jandl100]

I must admit I wouldn't recommend an Audiolab MDAC - impressive, certainly, but there's a high freq slightly grainy emphasis that drives me crazy after a while.

[Primalsea]

I used to own a Chord DAC64 which in theory should have sorted out any problems with noise and jitter from a PC. In practice I used to get a high pitched whine unless the DAC was earthed in a very particular way. I'll have a look at a Chord Hugo, never heard of it before but then I haven't checked for ages.

[Macca]

I was very keen on it; it's just that when compared with a very modest player recommended to me, I couldn't see the sense in hanging onto the Accuphase, good as it was/is. I'm not precious when it comes to kit. If it sounds good, it stays in the system However, remarkably, the Technics player was fuller and more natural through the mid range. It lost out to some extent with the ultimate smoothness of the Accuphase higher up, but equalled it in bass response and bettered it through the mids. .

Yes, doesn't surprise me. What I've found is that whilst players can be voiced quite differently in actual quality terms there is little to differentiate most of them so it is just a question of choosing your poison. I recall a friend of mine using a portable Technics player fed into the amp from the the headphone socket. It sounded exceptionally good.

[Primalsea]

It is refreshing to see more of a realist approach to hifi these days.

[Marco]

There are a few goods deals about SH - Rega Saturn, Yamaha CDS2000, a few nice looking Marantz players, a lovely Shanling - the original one with the valves sticking out the top.

Hi Paul,

Don't rule out going the vintage player route (especially ones featuring TDA-1541 chips), as the best ones are excellent and produce a more natural 'analogue in a good way' kind of sound.

Suitably modified, such players can seriously outperform their modern counterparts - and often at substantially less cost! ;)

Marco.

[Aussie1]

Rega Saturn R DAC/CD player. Very nice indeed .

[destroysall]

Marantz CD players have always had a nice smooth natural sound.I agree with Clive in regards to Marantz CD players. My favorite has always been the SA8004, and I'm sure their latest SA8005 is even better.

To place a different recommendation, the one company that I always see receiving the most credit is OPPO Digital. Their players utilize Wolfson chips and even double as BluRay Players. I've yet to hear one myself, but I can't doubt their popularity and the marvelous reviews out there for their products. Here is their website: http://www.oppodigital.com/

Cheers,
Chris

[RockAddict]

Some of the following was contained in another post I made about "Starter / temporary DACs".

In terms of the DAC route, my own experience has been that price really doesn't give any indication of sound characteristics. At the moment, I'm using a £19.99 "WINGPOON" for my main hi(lo?)-fi set up. I have tried two "proper" DACs and the first (Beresford Bushmaster Mk II) wasn't quite right for me and the second (Musical Fidelity V90) was, to my ears, profoundly disappointing.

BUT, it's only right to point out that others think the "proper" DACs mentioned above are fabulous. Ultimately, only YOU will be able to work out what is right for your tastes and, in short, some pre-purchase listening (or a helpful returns policy) will be the order of the day. Set a budget, shortlist two or three at any point within the budget range, then demo and see (hear?) what you think. Otherwise, it may start to feel a bit like....:brickwall:

There isn't any question I will keep looking for the "perfect" DAC but, for now, the WINGPOON is doing a job and is good enough for me to enjoy the most important part of the equation: listening to music.

For info and in case it is of any relevance to the OP, the WINGPOON has one optical in; one coax in (not simultaneous); one pair of L/R RCA outs; one 3.5mm headphone jack (simultaneous out with RCA). A UK fitted plug power supply is provided; the user has the option of providing power via a mini USB port (USB cable not supplied). Oddly, given the decent sound through RCA connectivity, the sound through the headphone jack is not great - thin and r(w)eedy. According to the blurb, the WINGPOON supports 192kHz/24bit and the chipset is the CS8416 & CS4344 from Cirrus Logic. My technical knowledge is negligible so I have no idea if the chipset is regarded as "good" amongst those who know.

At least if you try a cheap DAC, you won't feel (as) sick if you hate it... :)

[tpbholm]

I use a Pro-Ject CD Box DS through an Audiolab MDAC - sounds great to me. Speakers are B&W 685's and amplification is Temple Audio Bantam Gold.
I stream from a Western Digital MyBookLive NAS through a Sonos Connect which is also connected to the MDAC. I agree with the comment that eliminating the PC from the streaming setup improves the sound and would add that routing the Sonos through the MDAC brings even greater improvement.

[peter312]

I am now very happy with a few specific cheap as chips Technics MASH models.

Hi Paul

Please would you be kind enough to share the model numbers? I feel the need to develop a cheap office system.

Many thanks (and to Jerry for his reference to the SL-PG490)