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$2,000 Used CD Player or Modified Oppo 105

I am looking at picking up an Oppo 105 to run directly through a Parasound P7 into a Parasound A21. My question is would I be better off buying a used Redbook CD player than spending an additional $2,000 in mods on the 105 to produce better 2 channel analog sound?

What would be the best used Redbook CD players up to $2,000 price range if this is the best course to follow?

All comments are much appreciated.
Bullitt
bullitt731

Showing 3 responses by dbphd

dbphd
1,632 posts
 
I expected the Ayre to sound good after all the rave reviews, but I was surprised by how good. Of course it's superb with DSD as expected, but it's also superb with CDs, and that was unexpected. If you play mostly DSD, the Sony is close, but if you play a lot of CDs, I think trying to find a pre-owned Ayre is a good way to go.

The 105 is no slouch, though. I think it's just not quite in the same league as the Ayre.

db
dbphd
1,632 posts
 
I think Nick may be right. In addition to a 105, I use an Ayre C-5xeMP and Sony 5400ES, both of which I prefer to the 105 for stereo. The trio goes through a Parasound JC-2 to Proceed HPA amps. The 105 get much more use than the other two disc players, though, because it serves as the analog processor for a DirecTV HD-DVR and it also plays Blu-rays. Blu-ray DTS-HD MA audio is superb with the 105.

db
dbphd
1,632 posts
 
I bought the Ayre used, but it was still more than twice the price I paid for the 105 new. The 105 sounds etched, especially compared to the Ayre, and is unable to deliver quite the sense of transparency of the Ayre -- the Ayre has an uncanny ability to make jazz trios, quartets, chamber groups and soloists seem as though they might be sitting around the KEF Reference 107/2 speakers. Neither the Oppo or Sony possess that ability. The Ayre uses XLR, the Oppo and Sony RCA, but I've used both the Oppo and Sony with XLR. The other XLR input of my JC-2 is devoted to a JC-3 phono stage.

db
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