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How best to spend 2500 CD player for my system?

Hi all,

Seeking a little help here. I am looking to upgrade my CD player - either new or used is ok. Will spend upto $2500.

I mostly listen to Jazz (Miles, Coltrane etc), though will also listen to music by Van Morrison and others of similar ilk.

My system is an EAD Powermaster 2000 amp, EAD Theatermaster Signature processor, Sonus Faber Amati Homage for the front, Sonus Faber Solo CC, and Monitor Audio Silver 5's for the rear. Current sources are Arcam CD changer, and a Toshiba SD9200 DVD player, which is good for CD, but in my system it is far away from the processor (to be near the TV, and I worry about using long cables. (Perhaps I'm crazy and should stick with this for CD as well??) Cables to the front are Transparent Ultra, and to the CC and rear is some unknown brand.

Thanks for your input
seldon
11 responses Add your response
kana813
956 posts
 
Get yourself a Sony 555ES SACD for about $600. new and
put some Bybee purifiers on the outputs $40.@ and you'll have a machine that performs just as good as the megabuck players with the fancy power supplies and capacitor mods.

If you feel the need to spend more money, put some Bybees
on the secondaries of the the transformers or get a PS Audio
power conditionary.

Spend the rest of your money on music.
lordgorian
133 posts
 
For running direct look at a resolution audio or a shanling piece. If you want a cd player for not running directt there is really only one obvious choice the electrocompaniet emc 1 mk II easily one of the best cd players in the world and it even beat out a linn cd 12 in one comparo.... thats what i would do....
6chac
235 posts
 
Get a Wadia cd player with volume control. Then connect it directly to the amp. Unless you spend $10,000 or more on preamp, there is no preamp that can compare to direct connecting. Hope this help.

Regeards
ender's avatar
ender
20 posts
 
Seldon has an EAD Signature as his prepro...IMO a better dac than a stock sony or classe cdp or bel canto dac1. And I don't think the prepro (the newer EAD models do) has analog bypass to hook up a cd player and dac.

Get a nice transport with ST-Optical or AES/EBU digital outputs (I believe the EAD has both digital inputs).
sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
You can also pick up a separate DAC for audio, and use what you have now as a transport. Even a used Bel Canto DAC-1 for $650 will be a big improvement over what you have.
stehno
1,453 posts
 
Sony SCD-1 or e777es models both offer topflight performance for the under $5k range. You should be able to find them used for about $1.5k to $3k. Excellent with redbook and even slightly better with SACD.
john_l
782 posts
 
Can you integrate the player in to have multi channel ?
I've turned into a mod bigot. My first choice would be the multichannel sony xa777 sacd player with modwright.com or audiomod.com mods. Buy from oade brothers new for 2000, have it shipped directly to the modifier. Do 400-500 worth of mods. Second choice would be a two channel sony es777 used for 1200-1300, then have 1200 of mods done to it. FYI 'echohifi.com' has a used es777 in stock here in portland. Modwright and audiomod are both here too.

A viable alternative would be a dac solution. I haven't heard any of them.
rmml's avatar
rmml
204 posts
 
Electrocompaniet EMC 1 MK II, I saw one the other day for less than $2500 I think. I'm not sure if that will last though, anyway it's a great player for it's price, I absolutely love mine.
glen's avatar
glen
714 posts
 

I've reread the post and now realize that you won't need a dac, just a great transport. I once again recommend the Theta DaViD as a CD, DVD transport. Essentially this will replace your cd and DVD player for around $2000.00 in the used market.

Peter I think you had me confused with the original post
alliedtvandsound
74 posts
 
Hi Glen: I wouldn't use the Toshiba as a CD player as you'll discover when you insert a quality audio CD player into your system. Try the Rega Planet if you would like to save some bucks, it really is quite a nice, musical player.
A huge step in performance/sound and build quality would be the Classe CDP.3 CD player. This CD player easily competes with much higher priced players, I believe it sells for approximately $1,500.00 US$ --NEW!

Give them both a listen.

peter jasz
glen's avatar
glen
714 posts
 
You have Amati's and you only want to spend $2500.00 on your digital front end? Shame on you :^)

We like the same kind of music so I'll recommend a Theta DaViD transport coupled with a Classe Dac-1 not to forget the Kimber Orchid (digital cable). This is what I use in my bedroom system and it sounds great.

Retail we're talking around $9000.00 but in the used market this could easly be had for around $3000.00.

good luck
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