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"Warm" CD player...on a budget.

I can't take it anymore. My CDs sound way too harsh with my Pioneer DV-343 DVD player serving as a transport and my Denon 5800 serving as the DAC. I need something that sounds warm and smooth, but I don't think I can afford to spend more than $500. I've been eyeing the Cambridge Audio D300SE and D500SE models, but won't really have an opportunity to listen to them prior to purchase due to the lack of a local dealer. I've also heard that an Ah! Toejb player can really sing, but I'm nervous about getting anything that has tubes that might or might not need to be replaced in the future.

Who wants to point me in the path of CD righteousness, keeping the budget in mind?
cjcerny
cjcerny OP
3 posts
 
How about an external DAC, like the MSB Link III? Would that fit the bill?
gallaine
114 posts
 
Having owned two MSB Link DACs in the past two years I would not characterize their sound as warm. Though, I will admit that it is in part due to the rest of my equipment. However, others have also commented that the Link DACs can be a little on the cold analytic side.
schroeder
3 posts
 
You might want to consider a Toshiba SD9200 CD/HDCD/DVD/DVD-A player for use as a cd player. It's received several nice reviews for it's cd audio capabilities and even made it into the Stereophile Recommended Components List as a Class A cd player for whatever that's worth. If you don't mind "refurbished", you can buy it online at
http://discountsjungle.com/h2toshibah22.html for $549.00. I bought one two weeks ago and so far I have no regrets. For two years I've used a Pioneer Elite PD F19, 300 disk capacity, carousel unit for the storage convenience into the Monarchy DIP and then the Monarchy 18B dac direct into a McCormack DNA225 to PSB Silver i's via DH Labs interconnects and biwired speaker cable. I wanted to hear HDCD and hopefully experience a better overall sound so I decided to try the 9200. Two weeks is not long enough for me to form a complete opinion, but...so far IMHO, HDCD recordings sound better in every case played through the Toshiba. 'Normal" cds are a tossup. It seems to depend on the recording. Muddy, murky or compressed cds are opened up and sound better on the Monarchy combo. Open lively recordings sound good on both systems, but with distinct different qualities. The Toshiba adds a warm smooth sound, which is what you said you were looking for, the Monarchy combo is a little sharper, maybe more dynamic, more slam, more rock 'n roll. I heard Mark O'Connor in person last week and picked up his American Seasons cd at the concert. That cd sounds better on the Toshiba. I believe for $549 the Toshiba might be what you're looking for and I haven't even used it yet for DVD audio. Good Luck!
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