There is a new Luxman CD player at Sound By Singer in the 3K price range. It is 50% off retail and brand new. The store is in its final month of closing due to the owner passing away. All sales are final.
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personally, i'd get a separate transport + dac (which will be upgradeable) before dropping $10k on a cdp, but it's your dough. if you do want a single box, the denon dcd a110 is a helluva good sounding piece. i also saw the yamaha s3000 for less than half price at accessories4less, but i haven't heard it. |
Luxman makes outstanding SACD players such as the D-10x and D-07x. What about Accuphase - they make several models that are comparable to Luxman's offerings. Though Luxman and Accuphase compete at similar price points in the Japanese market, sadly Accuphase is overpriced in the US market compared to Luxman. That said, how do Accuphase SACD players compare to Luxman? |
That is what I do. I get DSD and PCM out of my Oppo ($200) and into my DACs. I have tested with Benchmark DAC3B and the Schitt Yggi+ OG and LIM. Amazon.com: GeerFab Audio - D.BOB Digital Breakout Box : Electronics They sell this unit at very high-end audio shops like Upscale Audio.in LA. I wrote about this in other threads.
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good point about repairs, I bought a belt kit and this being available helped me decide Complete xa5400es Laser Assembly Knowing you could buy another used one if it breaks, still hard to beat it's sound, and a few around $1k each add up to far less than your budget. I bought a spare remote control when 1 popped up with low price. |
I highly recommend a used Cary CD 306 SACD player (professional version) if you can find a used one which is rare today. This is an older and statement flagship CD/SACD player from Cary Audio circa 2008 thru 2015/2016. It did retail for $8k when it was first released in 2007/2008 and was in the same price range as other high end units from Esotetic, EMM Labs, DCS from the same era. This is a professional version or the upgraded version of the highly acclaimed CD 306 SACD player back then. Sonically it’s a highly musical sounding player with its natural organic analog like sound. I AB compared this player to a new current model Marantz Reference SA-10 CD/SACD player (current retail $7500 new) and this Cary is better sounding in all areas than the SA-10. No contest. Again this unit runs very warm cause it is a class A design circuitry - its output stage runs in class A, not some cheap op amps. Make sure that you leave a lot of space around. Cary Audio is still supporting this model, so if you need a new laser assembly for the disc drive you can send it in to Cary for a new laser assembly or for any issues you may have. I sent mine in to Cary last year to get a new laser. |
Several Oppo successors have emerged over the last couple of years, but despite sounding promising on paper, they haven’t had much of a profile in the stereo-audiophile press. They’re more often reviewed in home-theater magazines. Most promising is Magnetar’s UDP800 universal player, which received a rave review in the current (June-July 2024) issue of Sound & Vision. It boasts an Oppo-like interface & form factor, excellent build quality, similar CD/DVD/BD/SACD/whatever disc compatibility, & 2024-class format support (including 4K UHD video). Downside is no phone app & a lack of multi-channel analog outputs. But, as you suggest, the latter may not be a dealbreaker in this age of HDMI & reasonably priced external DACs. And the pricing is pretty reasonable, similar to that of the higher-end Oppo models back in the day. When one of my Oppos finally dies, this may be the first replacement option I consider. |
As a fan of BluRay audio discs I'm perplexed as to why that isn't an automatic feature of the Esoteric line-up, or every high-end disc player. I have only a stereo so the ATMOS and 5.1 audio options on the discs aren't of interest to me. My (discontinued) oppo UDP 205, Modwright version, is something to be experienced.
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Esoteric's parent company Teac has been making some of the best CD drives on the planet for decades. They used to sell to OEM's but now keep all their drives to them selves in Teac/Esoteric's CD players etc. great players if not some of the best on the market right now. There simply is not that many CD drives (OEM) being made anymore so almost everyone is using the same few drives in their players, regardless of manufacture. Esoteric uses their own (Teac) drives and have been for decades. That said I have no idea what the digital side of the house sounds like been a couple decades since I owned one. maybe consider one of their CD/SACD transports and an outboard DAC. |
Esoteric makes great sounding players. My concern would be servicing. There were a few threads about poor US service approximately a year or 2 ago. Perhaps there were some pandemic issues that have been resolved, but especially as you identified service as a priority in your OP, I would want to have that sorted out before you buy. Personally I use an Oppo 105 as a transport into a Bryston DAC. With SACD I output the Oppo DSD over HDMI into the Bryston |
My only caution regarding Esoteric may no longer be relevant (read on), but here it is: I bought my multi-format player (the DV-50s) used, and had it shipped to me. It weighs 46 lbs., and the Esoteric shipping carton barely survived the trip. It is made of not-very-sturdy or thick cardboard, and was almost falling apart by the time it reached me (from the U.S.A. east coast to the west). Even worse were the molded inner styrofoam blocks that the player was ensconced in. The foam is of the stiff/brittle variety (not the softer sponge-like stuff), and had broken into pieces inside the carton. In spite of all that, the player survived and functions perfectly. I said the above may no longer be relevant, as Esoteric may have improved their packaging (I believe such is the case). Great digital players (good enough for me, at any rate)!
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@tomcy6 The K-05XD debuted 3 years later than the 01/03XD, and the 05XD already has the new discrete clock, so no SE-upgrade for the 05XD yet. The 07-series is discontinued. |
Here is a quote from the Esoteric website referring to the K-01XD SE: "Finally, the SE version of the digital player models is now available with new discrete clock technology and improved analog circuitry in the DAC. We are proud of our brand and always strive for the best sound. The SE models we are releasing this time reflect every conceivable technological accumulation from the time the original model was launched to the present. Enjoy the enhanced presence, dynamics, and beautifully organic and musical textures of the new SE models." |
Just FYI, Esoteric has a new generation of players out. The K-01XD and K-03XD have been upgraded to SE designation. I don't know anything about how the SE players sound or if the K-05XD and K-07XD players will also be upgraded, but it may cause more XD and earlier generation players to be sold and may lower the price on earlier generations. I can't say any of that will happen for sure, I just thought I'd let you know about the new upgrade. |
bought lightly used one 2-1/2 years ago I have re-discovered my too-many cd/sacds, I try not to, but actually buying used CD/SACDs they sound that good. Before hearing this unit, buying only LPs. confirm remote included, text mentions it, no photo ..........................................
It's a SALAD, not just a DAC, it's how many DAC's? Over-Sampling; Re-Clocking; Anti-Jitter physical and software; Filters; Shaping, OEM proprietary tricks, .....
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