Need Advice on a Low End CD Player Giant Killer

I noted that Emotiva seems to have the same turntables Music Hall has been producing ? partnership in analog?

No one likes to talk about the one piece of audio beside the tube which has a limited lifespan and its your disc transports. I have gone through a couple of CD players and know several other who had similar experiences. The only one which I have owned and used for 12 plus years that I use every day is my mmf CD-25 by Music Hall. I am sure there are new and better DAC chips etc. but the player should still represent a bargain

You can't go wrong with an OPPO! I've got a BAT in my listening system, but two OPPOs in my viewing/theater system(Maggies, etc), on which I also listen to music(Bluray, SACD, etc) occasionally. It's easy to hear the quality of the OPPO's playback. Read the user and professional reviews. There are plenty on the Net.

I own a OPPO-105 now and used to have a OPPO-95 also. go for used OPPO-95, will get excellent sound.

Yet another vote for the OPPO. Don't look further just get one!

Soulgoober, I know you are asking about a CD player, but I'd be curious to know how well your receiver handles the signal it receives. IMO, the sound quality of whatever giant killer CD player you find will likely be hampered by your receiver.

I had a decent stereo receiver once. I added a more robust amp because I was convinced I needed more power. Then I bought a entry level preamp and removed the receiver from the system. All things being equal (interconnects, speaker cables, CD player, amp and speakers), the only change in the system was the removal of the receiver and the insertion of the preamp. The difference in sound quality was rather noticeable. I won't use all the cliches but clearly I preferred the preamp over the receiver.

Now, let me share another more recent experience. I purchased an Oppo 103 to put in my HT setup. Before I did, however, I wanted to play with it in my office system. Because of the digital volume control on the 103, I hooked up my 103 directly to my amp. That was fun and I enjoyed the music. Then I hooked it up as a transport driving my Monarchy Audio M33 (a DAC/preamp about 13 years old but with the newer 24 bit chips). The difference was rather surprising to me, especially when I had my Maggie SMGas hooked up. I had planned to sell the Maggies, but once I inserted the M33, my attitude toward the Maggies changed entirely. I am now interested in moving up the Maggie line. Admittedly, I don't know how much of the sound quality improvement was due to the preamp and how much was due to the DAC. In hindsight, I'm not sure why I didn't try using the M33 as a preamp only; probably because I was too impatient. Regardless, it was the M33 that made my speakers sing, not the 103.

If you did get the 103, you could do what I did; hook up the 103 directly to the "main in" of your receiver and use the volume control on the 103. This way you could hear for yourself how good the preamp section is in your receiver as compared to the 103.

Any rate, I like my 103 and am happy to recommend it; but, I don't think it is a giant killer.