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Thread: Top class CD player wanted

  1. #51
    Join Date: May 2016

    Location: Gloucestershire

    Posts: 977
    I'm Ian.

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    Hi Adrian.
    It's obvious from your equipment list that you take your analogue music replay very seriously so I'm curious as to why you want to go back in time for your digital solution. My opinion of course but I think digital replay has come on leaps and bounds over the last few years. I've had some decent (and expensive) CD players over the years from the likes of Meridian and Primare but I didn't start to really enjoy digital until I moved to a computer based replay system and separate DAC. Dedicated computers from the likes of Innuos and Auralic with their fanless operation and no processing distractions like running display boards etc make for a hugely convenient solution with excellent sound quality. Playlists, no problem, finding music to play a piece of cake!

    I've an Innuos Zen Mini with 1Tb of storage currently holding 450 cds taking up only 16% of the space so it's not a problem if you have a lot more. Couple one of these to a high quality DAC for superb sound quality with no worries about reliability or availability of spare parts. To my ears mine sounds more analogue than any CD player I've ever owned and I've also had fun trying different DACs over the years I don't do streaming from the likes of Tidal but people tell me the quality of these services is good too. What I do use is access to radio via the likes of BBC iPlayer - listen live or past broadcasts, great for comedies that are broadcast late at night

  2. #52
    Join Date: Jun 2015

    Location: London/Durham

    Posts: 6,869
    I'm Lawrence.

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    Also worth mentioning the Zen makes ripping CDs a breeze I get through at least 10 an hour and you can listen to those you've already ripped (or stream) at the same time. Even if you don't stream you've got internet radio on there and it's not bad if you don't mind listening to someone else's selection of tracks.

    If you prefer the sound of old DACs you can also buy a quality USB to SPDIF convertor. I'm more than happy with my JKenny but there are some much pricier ones out there.

    Sent from my POT-LX1 using Tapatalk

  3. #53
    Join Date: Jun 2012

    Location: London

    Posts: 177
    I'm Marcus.

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    I do stream, Qobuz, hires where available, via Bluesound. However, steaming does not sound as good as my CD player. Pulling tracks off a hard disk directly attached does to the same Bluesound does sound very good indeed, perhaps as good as the CD player. So, I would not discourage the OP from getting a top quality spinner, but only suggest hard disk as an additional option.
    Ziro power cables -> Modded Marantz CD63SE or Bluesound -> Roksan K3 Dac -> RFC Venus -> Onix DNA 45 -> LS25 -> Proac D18

  4. #54
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

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    Although I've about a thousand cds and a decent spinner. Oppo. I prefer files from rpi or even from pc. If done right they sound great. Cds run through rpi from a cdrom even sound decent, although not as good as a file.
    But price to sound its a no brainer, and less likely to give grief
    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work
    .... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
    FIIO K7 BT, M11 PLUS, BTR7, KA5 - OPPO BDP-103D - PANASONIC UB450 - PANASONIC 4K ULTRA HD TV - PIXEL 6 - AVANTREE LR BLUETOOTH - 2* X600 SOUNDCORE - HEADPHONES INCLUDE, FIIO, NURAPHONES', FOCAL, OPPO, BOSE, CAMBRIDGE, BOWER & WILKINS, DEVIALET, MARSHALL, SONY, MITCHELL & JOHNSTON - 2*ZBOOK'S- MERCURY BD ROM, ROON, QOBUZ, TIDAL, PLEX, CYBERLINK, JRIVER - MULTI HDD'S -

    Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?

    “Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".

    “You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”

    "You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”

    “There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!”


    ***SMILE, BE HAPPY***

  5. #55
    montesquieu Guest

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    I think for most people the debate for or against streaming/file based replay is not about the sound (which may or may not sound better either way depending on how either are implemented) but on the user experience.

    I simply can't imagine replacing the whole tactile ritual of vinyl - or even the experience of opening a jewel case, reading the cover or the booklet, putting a CD in the drawer - with the soulless experience of clicking a button on a pad or a screeen, which for me cheapens the whole thing.

    I do have about a TB or so of files of various resolutions which I dip into from time to time, and access to Spotify, but the former does not excite in the least, and I use the latter primarily to find new music to purchase on proper physical media.

    If the man is looking for a CDP, it's just tiresome to suggest he get a streamer. Anyone who likes that sort of user experience probably has one by now.

  6. #56
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

    Default

    Now now. Just giving options he may not have thought about.
    I don't find it soulless, it's just different.
    I have always been old school vinyl and have had a deck since I was 11.
    But sound wise it's not always best unless you have a lot of money.
    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work
    .... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
    FIIO K7 BT, M11 PLUS, BTR7, KA5 - OPPO BDP-103D - PANASONIC UB450 - PANASONIC 4K ULTRA HD TV - PIXEL 6 - AVANTREE LR BLUETOOTH - 2* X600 SOUNDCORE - HEADPHONES INCLUDE, FIIO, NURAPHONES', FOCAL, OPPO, BOSE, CAMBRIDGE, BOWER & WILKINS, DEVIALET, MARSHALL, SONY, MITCHELL & JOHNSTON - 2*ZBOOK'S- MERCURY BD ROM, ROON, QOBUZ, TIDAL, PLEX, CYBERLINK, JRIVER - MULTI HDD'S -

    Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?

    “Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".

    “You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”

    "You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”

    “There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!”


    ***SMILE, BE HAPPY***

  7. #57
    Join Date: Mar 2016

    Location: Brighton, UK.

    Posts: 3,072
    I'm Mike.

    Default

    I also find streaming tiresome, there's simply too much choice, and it actually isn't that more bother getting up off your ass and changing a cd than it is to pick some new music via streaming, one benefit is you get suggestions after an lp has finished, so you may discover new stuff, which thinking about is actually pretty good, I'll get me coat.
    Current system 1210 GR. CDP - Meridian G08. Amp -Sugden A21I - Sig. Wharfedale Lintons.

  8. #58
    Bigman80 Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by ianlenco View Post
    Hi Adrian.
    It's obvious from your equipment list that you take your analogue music replay very seriously so I'm curious as to why you want to go back in time for your digital solution. My opinion of course but I think digital replay has come on leaps and bounds over the last few years. I've had some decent (and expensive) CD players over the years from the likes of Meridian and Primare but I didn't start to really enjoy digital until I moved to a computer based replay system and separate DAC. Dedicated computers from the likes of Innuos and Auralic with their fanless operation and no processing distractions like running display boards etc make for a hugely convenient solution with excellent sound quality. Playlists, no problem, finding music to play a piece of cake!

    I've an Innuos Zen Mini with 1Tb of storage currently holding 450 cds taking up only 16% of the space so it's not a problem if you have a lot more. Couple one of these to a high quality DAC for superb sound quality with no worries about reliability or availability of spare parts. To my ears mine sounds more analogue than any CD player I've ever owned and I've also had fun trying different DACs over the years I don't do streaming from the likes of Tidal but people tell me the quality of these services is good too. What I do use is access to radio via the likes of BBC iPlayer - listen live or past broadcasts, great for comedies that are broadcast late at night
    Big fan of streaming but like Ian, I own all of the CDs I've ripped.

    There just no getting away from the fact that it's the future but good luck with whatever you choose.

  9. #59
    montesquieu Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mikeandvan View Post
    I also find streaming tiresome, there's simply too much choice, and it actually isn't that more bother getting up off your ass and changing a cd than it is to pick some new music via streaming, one benefit is you get suggestions after an lp has finished, so you may discover new stuff, which thinking about is actually pretty good, I'll get me coat.
    There's a lot of serendipity in having a look at what's on the record rack, with advantage that at some time you must have bought what's there, and therefore have some connection with it however fortuitous, tenuous or even troubled. There's something to be said for having a 'current' pile that you play a lot, shuffling the pack to make a new pile from stuff either newly arriving or pulled from the shelves every few weeks. You get to develop a deep connection with certain LPs, get to know what's on the covers intimately, get to know every note.

    This sort of connection is possible I guess from the infinite diet available from streaming but I would suggest that it's more likely to give you indigestion than lead to strong connections to music you don't already know.

    For us old timers I guess we already have our listening habits pretty well formed, having spent significant sums as youngsters buying albums and no doubt carry those associations into streaming listening, but will youngsters value music in the same way when the whole universe is a click away? I suspect not and indeed I also suspect that it's the need for that connection that driving the vinyl revival.

    My 21 year old son buys the vinyl releases of his favourite bands, bring it home from gigs. His turntable is actually quite modest compared to the sound he can get from spotify + his DAC and headphone rig, but clearly he values LPs in a different way from the infinite 'free' music that's available to him.

  10. #60
    Join Date: Mar 2016

    Location: Brighton, UK.

    Posts: 3,072
    I'm Mike.

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    Quote Originally Posted by montesquieu View Post
    My 21 year old son buys the vinyl releases of his favourite bands, bring it home from gigs. His turntable is actually quite modest compared to the sound he can get from spotify + his DAC and headphone rig, but clearly he values LPs in a different way from the infinite 'free' music that's available to him.
    You mean you haven't forced him into upgrading, why on earth not! I agree I do like getting to know my music well, I have one LP I have played religiously for over 20 years. I don't hold on to all of my vinyl though, I like to rotate some of it. I even find CD copies of an LP cheapens it, a vinyl is thee statement of intent...….
    Current system 1210 GR. CDP - Meridian G08. Amp -Sugden A21I - Sig. Wharfedale Lintons.

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