I think it is important in today's world that we distinguish "cd players" from transports. A "cd player" has an on board dac which sometimes offers a digital output for use with an outboard dac. A transport has no onboard dac and is designed specifically for use with an outboard dac. In my mind, cd "players" are dead and transports are analogous to a turntable albeit in a digital format.
Art Dudley compares CD Players
In the current issue of Stereophile, Art Dudley compares the Metronome Kalistra DreamPlay One CDP, a 2 part unit that weighs 85 pound and, costs $43,000, to his standard , which is a Sony SCD-777 SACD/CD player that is 17 years old. His not so surprising conclusion is that the newer and Uber expensive player sounds better playing redbook CD.
Apparently Dudley is unaware that 17 years is an eternity in Digital Audio, that a good share of people who own CDPs are likely to be using them as transports into moderately priced but high performing DACs, and finally thatmost digital replay now consists of file based content from either PCs or purpose built renders. Perhaps comparing a $43,000 CDP to a modern CDP, transport-DAC combination, or Music Server might of have been of more use to the majority of readers.
Don’t these magazines have Editors? Or if John Atkinson to busy tying himself up in knots trying to explain why MQA is necessary for us all, when his own magazine reports a trial from McGill (see Jim Austin ‘s column on p.13) that MQA failed to be perceived as an improvement in blind listening tests.
Apparently Dudley is unaware that 17 years is an eternity in Digital Audio, that a good share of people who own CDPs are likely to be using them as transports into moderately priced but high performing DACs, and finally thatmost digital replay now consists of file based content from either PCs or purpose built renders. Perhaps comparing a $43,000 CDP to a modern CDP, transport-DAC combination, or Music Server might of have been of more use to the majority of readers.
Don’t these magazines have Editors? Or if John Atkinson to busy tying himself up in knots trying to explain why MQA is necessary for us all, when his own magazine reports a trial from McGill (see Jim Austin ‘s column on p.13) that MQA failed to be perceived as an improvement in blind listening tests.