If you want the most accurate sound, then perhaps you should consider using a Transport for your CD's and outputting the signal to a separate DAC.
FWIW, I use either my Rega Apollo R or McCormack DAC-1. Both sounded quite nice with my 3a sigs. Though, I have to say I have gone to online streaming music for the better part of a year, and haven't looked back.
If you want to output to a DAC, I would recommend either an Ayre Codex, or a Schiit Gungnir or Yggy.
Bob |
I use an old iphone 5 going into an HRT iStreamer then rca to the integrated amp. That the extent of my streaming--for now. I use Apple Music. I've noticed not everything is imported at the same quality. I also like the physical aspect of a disc. Again, at least until streaming is the norm... which will be any decade now.
As for cd players, what do you guys think of the Rotel RCD-1072? Or cambridge audio 840c? Theta Miles? Arcam? Cal audio labs? Or a Classe player? Cd-10?
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I agree with gdnrbob you should consider a standalone dac and cd transport and good coax cable too.
You’ll need to strech your budget. |
Thanks Itzhak.
@jsbach1685 ,
I wouldn't discount streaming altogether. Apple and Apple Music isn't the best way to stream music (Though I am probably going to be slammed for saying it). Even a Bluesound Node will give you better results. I own them and output to my DAC's. Like I said, I haven't listened to my CD's for a year.
Bob |
jsbach1685-
either a Classe' or Rotel cd player will be a fine addition to your system.
Happy Listening! |
I haven't personally ever considered "matching" a CD player with the rest of my system as I always thought a good sounding CDP will sound good in any system. But that aside, I just saw a real good sale price on the Teac CD-1000 SACD/CD player at the Spearit. Sounds like a great deal. I'm real tempted to bite myself...
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I'm using an Oppo 103 with a Krell integrated, Anticables, and Vandy 2Cs.
Room treatment on front wall, side walls, back wall.
Several hours determining best speaker and listening seat positions.
I only listen to CDs.
Dedicated room, dedicated AC line.
Stereophile rates the 103 class B, the latest model 203 is $549 and should sound as good or better.
I'm a happy camper.
Hope you will be too.
Tom
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And it's nice to be able to listen to HDCDs, SACDs, DVD-As...
Tom |
I can recommend the OPPO 203 which now has selectable filter slopes on the DAC and when set to the "super slow" setting the audio outperforms, by my opinion, the OPPO 105. I sold my 105 after comparing it and buying the 203 ($549). |
@xlinkaudio,
Interesting! Would not have expected that.
Tom |
Further discussion on the OPPO 203: It has a new DAC chip, AK4458VN, from the Japanese company AKM with built in 5 selectable filter rates. If it wasn't for the 5th and slowest rate I would not have made the change from 105 to 203. The feature to play with HDCD decoding was dropped, I only had a few such CDs which will still play as a standard CDs. |
@xlinkaudio,
Good point about the decoding.
I bought a gold MFSL SACD Bob Dylan for $35 and compared it back-to-back with my standard CD for over an hour and had to conclude I couldn't tell the difference.
I can tell major differences in recording quality among all the discs I own, even grading them A,B,C,D for sound quality...
Tom |
I have had what I think is a wonderful cd player, Simaudio Moon Supernova, for several years and enjoy it, but have been using it as a dac only to stream Tidal via a pc. I have forgotten about cds. Tidal offers 40 million tracks at redbook quality and are beginning to stream their "masters" which are at a higher resolution. Like gdnrbob, I have not looked back. I still pop in a cd occasionally just to confirm how good the streaming is. Maybe a cdp with a digital input would offer you the best of both worlds. Good luck.
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Transport connected to DAC to preamp I found best reproduction! CD player??? Try Marantz!! Why??? Marantz and McIntosh are owned by same conglomerate! They share technology!
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Best value under $1,000 right now in CD/SACD players is the Esoteric DV-50S. |
For a contrarian view, I'd get a cheap Sony Blu-Ray Player like their pancake thick BX-37 which plays almost everything on silver discs, and run its output to a Meridian Direct DAC. (Used to be called the "Director".). The Direct DAC uses Meridian's Apodizing filter from their Ultra DAC. For less than $500 you'll have better sound than anything mentioned on this thread.
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