Recommendations for CD Player/DAC Combo

I got my  CD player Cary CD-303 years ago and about in year 2011 I got its DAC section faulty and not working. So purchased Bryston BDA-1 DAC to work with my Cary 303. Eve since I have been using my CD player Cary 303 as a transport and Bryston BDA-1 as a DAC and the combo work well for me till this date. The Bryston DAC also helps me to hook up any other digital source to it for nice DAC function and I find it very convenient .

If you can't afford the Rega Isis Valve, the Rega Saturn R is a really good compromise. I've owned mine for a couple of years and really enjoy it. MSRP is $3K and they are about half that on the used market. They sound really good, have lots of digital inputs and are built like a brick. Really enjoyable IMHO.

I have an idea/solution that no one has mentioned yet!  Buy a used Aurender A10 Music Server/DAC combo.  I saw one here the other day for less than $4k.  Not only will you now have an excellent streamer with access to Tidal (and complete MQA unfolding), you can also connect the A10's DAC to a cheap CD player via optical cable.  This operation effectively turns the CD player into a transport.

I stumbled upon this by reading a review of the A10 before I purchased one.  I use an old Pioneer 45A DVD/CD/SACD/ player which can be had for about $50 and a $25 optical cable.  I imagine that most sellers would leave their music files on the A10 so you should also inherit some new music.  So, for around $4k you have a killer CD player, a high-end streamer and a whole new world to explore!

For uninterrupted back ground music I utilize an old Yamaha 5disc DVD/CD changer which I run via optical connection through my Oppo UDP205 to take advantage of its stellar DAC then analog out to my Mc gear. I’m glad I kept the player after all those years now with its new found sound. Never heard a complaint from anyone. :)

Luxman D08U end of the road 

I was able to get a good deal on the Cambridge CXC transport and the Gustard X 10 DAC. A very nice combo. The X 10 actually sounds better than my Emotiva Stealth DAC.  Good listening!

Bucking the general trend, just placed my order for a Bryston BCD-3.  Exclusively red-book; no digital inputs.  Just fine with me.

tyan42, FWIW I believe that the current interest in using seperate transports and DAC’s arises from the wide use of on-line sources which require a DAC. So if you had to get a DAC, why not get a transport. I do not use on line sources and have an extensive CD library so this is not an issue for me.

I have been using separates since the 90’s because they were better at the time (or so I thought). I have since acquired some fairly good CDP’s and I think the single units are clearly better, but as I said before with my Marantz, which has provision for other sources, I also use separate ’spinners’ much, but not all of, of the time. When I’m going to actually sit in the sweet spot and listen to music I use the CDP which serves the music best (CDP’s really do sound different from each other).

If I were starting over again I would get a quality CDP with inputs for other sources. I would not get separates, but I would use another spinner to reduce the wear on the CDP’s transport when appropriate as I have done. As Liz said earlier ’spinners’ do sound different. I find that my Onkyo 6 CD changer quite adequate for back-ground music as I do an old Cal Audio transport.

jl35,

RE: Older player as transport...

I have two Denon DVD 2900’s. Excellent transport into my PS Audio DACs (PW MK II DAC and now DirectStream DAC). They do develop some glitches with the disc drawers from time to time. One of mine fails to read discs after a while (after it gets nice and warmed up), but the other has never had any issues. These are built like a tank and were great performers for the $$ when new ($500 or so, I think). Anyway, they show up used from time to time and make great transports. Find one on the used market for cheap and give it a spin. [Edit: They were $999 back in the day: https://hometheaterhifi.com/volume_11_1/denon-dvd-2900-dvd-player-1-2004.html]

I guess the majority of audiophiles are going with the Transport/DAC separates.  Has anyone personally compared the sound of the CD player/DAC separates to some really good one box combos?  Are there any hardcore purists who prefer the single component combo for sound quality?  

Is the sound difference worth having to provide extra shelf space and more cables?  The trend now seems to be building all these components into one multi tasking box.  

Thanks for the great responses.   

Lol.
Pretty sure Elizabeth is more than capable of defending herself here.
However I could not care less if she is female, male,  undecided or alien life form.
I call it as I see it no matter who says it.
No special treatment based on gender and I am pretty sure that is exactly as Elizabeth would like it.
So I truly do not believe anybody is just being nice to her at all.
Maybe nobody really cares enough to comment? Its her money and equipment and she is free to use it as she sees fit don't you think?
Not what I would do but we are not talking about me.....

Most spinners only transport 16/44 signal, not hi res.
Even the new ones like the high and might Jay's CD Transport that is hyping on a nearby thread. 

Typically you have to pay a few grand even for a new or used proper SACD/CD Transport. No, I dont like the Oppo's. I had the 105. The transported signal was crap compared to my SimAudio CDP. But the PS3's, early version, can rip the SACDs.

Still hard to beat my old Sony PS3 used as transport into nad d3020 v2.
All PS3 were vastly over engineered and cost Sony a lot of dollars!

I use a Cambridge 851n streamer with built in DAC and preamp. Paired with a Cambridge Audio transport. Great combo. This setup is in my vintage system. Pioneer SX-1280, denon DP 62L, B&W 805S. 

Speaking of transports.  There is a Proceed PDT listed on here now.  it has the Philips CDM1 mk ii mechanism  and I recall an old Stereophile  review comparing a number of transports of which Proceed got high marks.  The PDT 2 & 3 while not having as low jitter as the PDT Stereophile says they sounded better.   Heres the very extensive review   https://www.stereophile.com/content/transport-delight-cd-transport-jitter-page-8

Over the last 15 years or so  my interest in CD music led to my searching for what I thought would be most likely to yield well engineered with a focus on quality construction, optimization of digital info,, etc.   at a reasonable  entry/mid  level price with results that would in the final analysis yield better results than current products which means of the last 20 yrs.   Vintage equipment so to speak.. From the 90's likely.   Enter Philips mechanisms--- CDM1 Mk ii  which can be found in a number of transports..  such as my Museatex  Melior CD-D  with the MK ii mechanism  -- this unit gone through by Stephen Sank.   I picked this up for a mere  300 dollars thereabouts  right here on the Gon.    My other transport is a PS Audio Lambda  (got here on the Gon as well)    with the Philips CDM9 pro which is arguably the last of the best Philips mechanisms.      Scoring one of these vintage decks that were made they way they were made at the time because it was possible to do so without high cost and without an excess of cheap components gives a certain satisfaction when I am using them.   My Dacs are more recent examples -- Burson DA-160 and a Metrum Octave mkii.  Some good info here on transports enabling to identify what company uses  what transport mechanism in their offerings.      Comparing and seeing what companies used what at what price point ,, etc.   
http://www.dutchaudioclassics.nl/homepage/

A few years ago I bought a used Musical Fidelity M6CD with built-in DAC and it sounds wonderful coupled with my Primaluna Dialogue Premium HP integrated amp. Love it!

In response to OP question, I have an Aesthetix Romulus Eclipse CD/DAC unit. I use the DAC to process signal from my media bridge streamer. I’m very happy w the SQ. I don’t play CDs as much as I stream, but I think there’s value in a quality transport to spin w/o jitter and in my case, the tubes add a lushness to the digital signal that I find appealing. 

Hello,I own a musical fidelity kw 25 dac and transport combo that I purchased from audio classics for 1500 dollars used retail at the time for7000 and never looked back.Wonderful sounding combo very fine sound and the option of tube or solid state output if you can find one used that would be in my opinion highly recommended.

If you can find, the Onkyo C-700R, CD player at under $2,000.00 is one of the best you'll find at anywhere near your price goal....Jim

If you fancy a bit of Tubey lovelyness try the line magnetic LM-515cd. One of the most satisfying CD players I’ve listened too and a great dac as well. Love mine.

You might also want to consider Naim Audio.  Their equipment sounds more natural than just about anything else.

Understood. I’ll stick with my Integra  changer for now. 

I think any of the 90,s Japanese CD players that had a digital output would do the job if all you want is the transport side.
I know my 2000 Pioneer does sound real sweet as just a transport into my Brooklyn DAC but I stick to analog output from it simply for the SACD usage.
You should be able to pick up a decent Pioneer, Sony, Marantz etc for between $40 to $100 maximum and enjoy years of usage

any old CD players that you particularly recommend as transports elizabeth ? Thanks

My highest recommendation would be to get a Audio Alchemy Dac/Pre (both sides are amazing) + a transport. I would order the NuPrime transport from audio Advisor (returnable, but I doubt you would)

newbee,

"I pulled mine 66 inches out into the room and they are part of an (almost) equilateral triangle with my listening chair at the apex of the triangle (where else)."

The practical problem is that many people cannot pull speakers that much into the room. They do what they can, often not ideal. You are just lucky in that sense.

The the old vinyl is better than digital refrain.  Ugh.  When I listen to digital the music leaps out my speakers.  When I listen to an lp if sounds as if it is embedded in petroleum.

"while this system is excellent nothing can really equal vinyl on a really good system. "

I agree 100%  My Technics SL1200G TT sounds better at half the price of my Esoteric UX-3 SACD player.  The TT just sounds right.

I have a ModWright OPPO 205 with the best tubes available, 1960's Philips Miniwatt D-getter, RCA rectifier with silver getter, and while this system is excellent nothing can really equal vinyl on a really good system. 

However if you can find a used OPPO ModWright with the right tubes
you will be well served.

@tyan42-- interesting perspective from today's vantage point, you said "It seems like building a cd player into a DAC makes a lot of sense, like an integrated amp...."
When the consumer products first hit the market, they were integrated. Today, it's like asking for " undecaffeinated" coffee. 
For what it's worth, after many years of this hobby, i am only now taking digital into my main system. Using a modest DAC, the Border Patrol, i first used an Oppo universal player as a transport, while awaiting a Redbook CD transport. The Redbook transport (the current, entry level CEC) sounds better. Not to diss Oppo- great product for the money. 

for most listening I use my main transport and DAC, but occasionally like to run my inexpensive changer through my DAC for extended casual listening...

OP

spinner could mean CD transport, or refer to a full CD Player.  It’s to distinguish from Computer Audio, although technically, some types of Hard Drives actually spin as well...
  More importantly, if you go the separate route, you will have a lot more options than sticking with a CD player availability .  And you will gain flexibility, because DACs can be used with other sources as Computers and potentially as streamers as well.

When you say "spinners", are you just saying CD Transport?  Sorry, that's probably a dumb question. 

I guess all I saw were the advantages of the one unit CD/DAC, but I really hadn't considered all the other advantages of having "separates".  There's a lot to consider now that whole transport thing might be the best.    

@mahler123

Very impressed with mine and yes I read you could pair it with a Pioneer receiver and use one remote to control both. Mine is 2000 vintage.

Uber

I use a Pioneer Elite CD/DVD-A/SACD Player, vintage 2004, in my surround system, paired with a Pioneer Elite receiver that uses an “I link” to pair the two.  It’s a remarkably good system for “mid-Fi” gear.

I use an old onkyo sacd /cd that has a wolfson dac which always  sounded pretty good. I also have an old pioneer dvd/sacd that has been in a closet for a few years it has a good sound as well I think it had wolfson. Only thing about the pioneer it took about an hour to load anything, well seemed like an hour. For less than  3k there is also rega, creek or nad you can get new as well as the ones already mentioned. 

Now with that said I presently use an old Pioneer DVD/sacd player...lol.
Using it in analog output to my Ayre amp as sacd does not output from its spdif digital output. Just CD layer plays through the spdif output.

Getting back to subject of thread.

I had a Krell S350 CD player with built in DAC( think just 2 digital inputs).
I do remember it sounding very very good and built like a tank ( 45lb weight if my memory serves me).
However used only available but extremely well built and fairly priced.

Prior to that I had a dcs p8 CD/dac. Truly stunning and also could be used as a preamp.

There are a number of good used options out there.

You may not find too many affordable new options.

@newbee...…………..

Peace to you as well.

On the Audiogon home page, in the Categories drop down list, click on Digital and then cd/sacd players. There are a number of cd players in your price range.

Bryston products are known for their durabillity. I can’t say for sure that applies to their cd players, but someone can probably advise you on that.

While I could argue at some length about speaker placement (and set up) in general, and yours specifically, I see no reason to do so. You are happy, your wife is happy, you are listening to music you enjoy, not much else counts, does it. Peace.

@newbee...……………………………..

Are you using the same speakers as I am? Before I bought them, I send Sandy Gross a picture of the room with the Triton Ones location and explained I would be putting the Triton References in the same spot. He said they would work fine and they so. Imaging is perfect. Unless you are using the same speakers, you really don’t know. Since it’s the living room I share with my wife, I had to make compromises. My wife has been very gracious about my stereo taking up half of the living room.   I just looked at the picture posted and need to update.  The speakers are much more toed in now than in that picture from 2017.  Funny thing is, GE recommends the speakers pointing almost straight ahead with perhaps only a couple of degrees of toe in!

Stereo5, Not ’mounted’ for sure I agree, but placed immediately in front of the wall for sure (for folks interested they can look at the pictures of your system which you have posted).

Other than the back injury you would have probably incurred had you mounted them on the wall, I’m not sure that there would be much sonic difference, on the floor or on the wall. :-) I pulled mine 66 inches out into the room and they are part of an (almost) equilateral triangle with my listening chair at the apex of the triangle (where else).

A used EAR Yoshiono Acute 3 is around the $3k budget.  The newest version Acute Classic is excellent, but a used one is above the $3k budget limit.  Probably around $4500 used.  The EAR is the best CD/DAC combo I've heard.