rsa
Like others have said, everything matters.
For a beginner I recommend a cd player that also serves as a dac - you eliminate the synergy variables, for the most part, & it allows a foray into decent computer audio. An upside is that you can always add a better dac in the future too.
Three that come to mind based on increasing cost are:
Music Hall c-dac15.3 - $550 street
Audiolab 8200cdq - $1,200 or so street
Rega Suturn-R - $2,600 or so street
Like others have said, everything matters.
For a beginner I recommend a cd player that also serves as a dac - you eliminate the synergy variables, for the most part, & it allows a foray into decent computer audio. An upside is that you can always add a better dac in the future too.
Three that come to mind based on increasing cost are:
Music Hall c-dac15.3 - $550 street
Audiolab 8200cdq - $1,200 or so street
Rega Suturn-R - $2,600 or so street