Looking for another cd player

[ReggieB]

Silly me, I've had this Topping D30 DAC for around 3 years and have only just plugged it in, I had an optical cable as well in my 'cable bag', that's a decent quality one by the looks of it. Just played one CD - DOnald Byrd - Street lady, and everything is sounding considerably sweeter, more fully formed and easier on the ear, bravo! Using it through my Pioneer PD- 8700. This will certainly do for now! Is there anyway I can give this cdp a bit of tlc, that is maintenance? (for dummies).

Good result. My experience is that a decent DAC does wonders for a CD player. I'd suggest getting a decent digital RCA cable rather than optical if your player has an RCA digital output. Oh! and the AudioLab is still a good way to go in the future. I was very surprised how much better mine was. Easily as good as any CD player I've had.

[BDD]

Audiolab CDT is superb for the £. I also got an old Meridian transport for silly £ and it sounds sweet. Only issue is digital display….


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[Lawrence001]

Pioneer stable platters make great transports, I used one for years. You don't need to upgrade with a dac at the Topping level. I recommend a Mark Grant copper digital cable there's usually one for sale somewhere at any time. Just watch out for BNC connectors a lot have one at least at one end which is no use to you.

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[StanleyB]

Good result. My experience is that a decent DAC does wonders for a CD player. I'd suggest getting a decent digital RCA cable rather than optical if your player has an RCA digital output.

My experience as a former CDP repair engineer is that the digital RCA output on many CD players is a tiny wire wound transformer that can be worse than the optical output. That transformer only gives out 0.6V, which then needs to be amplified to 5V in the external DAC. And digital amps are prone to jitter at this level. There is also an issue with mains and circuit noise using that metal cable as a conduit to get into the DAC.

[walpurgis]

The PD-8700 only has optical out I believe.

[Macca]

Pioneer stable platters make great transports, I used one for years. You don't need to upgrade with a dac at the Topping level.

lol. It offers audibly perfect D to A conversion, what would you possibly 'upgrade' to?

[Lawrence001]

lol. It offers audibly perfect D to A conversion, what would you possibly 'upgrade' to?

I meant upgrade the transport, getting the right "flavour" of DAC to suit your taste is a can of worms!

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[Macca]

I meant upgrade the transport, getting the right "flavour" of DAC to suit your taste is a can of worms!

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I thought you were suggesting that the Topping is not good enough to be worth a better transport.

I use the Audiolab with a Topping, really can't fault the combo on SQ. Not sure what would better it as a transport. I'm just not keen on the slot-loading. I just find it a little awkward in use. Now I've got the transport situated at chest-height it's not bugging me as much. Minor irritation but I'd rather have no in-use irritations for something I'm using multiple times every day.

So I can live with it but I did have a scout around for a transport that had a drawer or was top-loading and there are a few but considerably more expensive and there was nothing about them that indicated that they would do a better job in terms of sound quality. To justify the spend I'd want an improvement there as well as the 'pleasure of use', so I've not pursued it further at the moment.

[Lawrence001]

I thought you were suggesting that the Topping is not good enough to be worth a better transport.
.

I was! the D30s at the budget end of their range and the Pioneer is very good. Now a D90 might be another matter.

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[Macca]

I was! the D30s at the budget end of their range and the Pioneer is very good. Now a D90 might be another matter.

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Price doesn't equal performance though, especially not with DACs.