In agreement with what a few members have already suggested, there is no need to purchase a separate redbook-only CD player with your Meitner. Its redbook performance capability is quite good. It is an added plus that it also plays SACDs well.
In general a dedicated SACD or redbook player does not necessarily guarantee that each will yield the best possible performance for its respective format. I have heard a significant number of multi format CD players outperform highly regarded redbook-only players when using only redbook CDs. If you end up purchasing the best redbook CD player, then great! There are some very good redbook-only CD players already suggested. However, acquiring one, does not mean that you will not find a multi-format player that can outperform it on redbook CDs.
Here is an example: A group of fellow audio crazies and I recently heard some of the very best cd players side by side. We compared them in a blind, controlled, level-adjusted manner. The players were the latest iteration of the EMM Labs (CDSD SE /DCC2 SE) Signature Edition, latest single box unit from DCS, current top of the line Meridian, an APL NOW 2.5T and a Resolution Audio Opus 21 modified by Great Northern Sound. All of them play redbook and all play SACDs, except for the Opus 21. For details you may want to visit this thread (but only when you have the time; it has gotten quite lengthy with about 136 replies):
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?ddgtl&1172688055&read&3&4&
The performances of the top three players we ranked are excellent on both SACD and redbook CDs. So the need to purchase separate redbook only player is not necessary for any of them. In fact, when using redbok CDs alone, all the multi-format players outranked the superb redbook-only player in the lineup.
It is worth mentioning that among this heap of highly regarded, top-of-the-line players we evaluated, the performance differences were noticeable. They were certainly noticeable enough for us, in a blinded, level adjusted manner, to determine the better of any two players we compared. Further, the performance differences allowed us to arrive at fairly conclusive overall rankings, which was consistent in the two separate systems used (despite the use of a different set of recordings for each system).
In general a dedicated SACD or redbook player does not necessarily guarantee that each will yield the best possible performance for its respective format. I have heard a significant number of multi format CD players outperform highly regarded redbook-only players when using only redbook CDs. If you end up purchasing the best redbook CD player, then great! There are some very good redbook-only CD players already suggested. However, acquiring one, does not mean that you will not find a multi-format player that can outperform it on redbook CDs.
Here is an example: A group of fellow audio crazies and I recently heard some of the very best cd players side by side. We compared them in a blind, controlled, level-adjusted manner. The players were the latest iteration of the EMM Labs (CDSD SE /DCC2 SE) Signature Edition, latest single box unit from DCS, current top of the line Meridian, an APL NOW 2.5T and a Resolution Audio Opus 21 modified by Great Northern Sound. All of them play redbook and all play SACDs, except for the Opus 21. For details you may want to visit this thread (but only when you have the time; it has gotten quite lengthy with about 136 replies):
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?ddgtl&1172688055&read&3&4&
The performances of the top three players we ranked are excellent on both SACD and redbook CDs. So the need to purchase separate redbook only player is not necessary for any of them. In fact, when using redbok CDs alone, all the multi-format players outranked the superb redbook-only player in the lineup.
It is worth mentioning that among this heap of highly regarded, top-of-the-line players we evaluated, the performance differences were noticeable. They were certainly noticeable enough for us, in a blinded, level adjusted manner, to determine the better of any two players we compared. Further, the performance differences allowed us to arrive at fairly conclusive overall rankings, which was consistent in the two separate systems used (despite the use of a different set of recordings for each system).