CDPs That Have Volume Control +Variable Output

Well, I use a QUAD CDP-99 with variable output connected directly to a pair of B&O Beolab 3 active speakers. The sound is great.

In addition, the CDP-99 has a number of digital inputs so you can use it as a DAC/preamp. This is how I play my Apple lossless files through an IPOD and a Wadia itransport.

I am listening to the system right now and it never fails to amaze me with the quality. I have to say that I have never listened to real high-end systems, but my system is very simple and sounds very good.

Thx for all the responses...the thread is sure to generate opinions as there are lots of ways to listen to music, as always :)

I don't need blue ray, manta ray, sacd or whatever...if anything, cds are my way to be lazy when not spinning vinyl.

And it's more just a convenience than anything, as I have several systems, so I never really know what sounds best as I'm always moving stuff around...I just liek the idea of an amp and cdp together. I've been running an QADcom GCD575 with a CJ MF2300, and it sounds great. I'm sure a preamp would do it all justice too...more of a convenience than anything...

Seems though, that there is not much that can touch the 575, and be under $200, that has an analog volume control too.

mikey, you might get more improvement by adding an external dac and using the adcom (which is a solid unit) as a transport than by trading for another $500 unit--something like the mf v-dac or cambridge dacmagic.

The Oppo BD-83 has volume control on the remote as stated and does sound good. It will also give you SACD and DVDA and Bluray as well as CD for $499.

The Oppo players have remote=controlled volume-
They don't cost much but a lot of people like them.

Less is better only if the quality of the components used and the skill of the designer are superior to the one who designed the pre amp. Pre amps are designed specifically to handle the low level input signals from your source components and deliver them faithfully to the amplifier.

Correct me if needed, but I think the Adcom's vol control are analog right ?

It makes me wonder, how a preamp can make it sound better...isn't less caps/resistros/transistors better ?

You can pick up a Quad player that would meet your needs nicely. They show up on Audiogon pretty frequently.

FYI, you should consider that when using an inexpensive CD players with a volume control, that the volume control will also be inexpensive. And typical inexpensive volume controls tend to operate digitally, which will affect the sound more than a high quality analog volume control.

Just something to think about.

(This is one of the reasons that some people, including myself, use high quality preamps, as the volume control is also high quality. I have a Resolution Audio Opus 21 CD Player, with a fairly high quality analog volume control built-in, and even though it is pretty good, it still sounds better going through the direct output to the preamp, rather than through the outputs with the volume controls directly to the amps.)

My two cents worth.