I'd go for the Audio Aero Capitole 24/192 upsampling CD Player. While not cheap at $6,200.00 retail, I got a great deal from www.audiotweakers.com and I was able to eliminate a pre-amp as the Capitole has a buffered subminiature tube output stage that drives my amps directly.Also the remote volume control has me spoiled. |
Check out the Millenium DAC II at tweakaudio.com I have not received mine yet (should be any day now) but am expecting great things. |
The girlfriend even thinks the Wadia860 is cool. I am one of the 30+ members of this communtiy. I find that if the girlfriend can't hear the improvement ( women do have a better sense of tonal discrimination) I am probably spending money on stuff that just makes me happy due to brand appeal etc. I do think I have created a monster though, since I thought I was happy with the Rega planet, and she ( and I ) now think the Wadia 860 is the way to go. |
In the "affordable" range...my favorites so far have been the Electocompaniet, Meridian 508.24 and the Cary 303. It is possible to find the first 2 used, if you look hard. The Cary is a fave-rave of Kevin Deal at Upscale Audio. He has special pricing on the 303. Next price level down, I think the Arcams are very hard to beat. |
Lindemann CD1, but I do not know if they have an American distributor (they are a small, family-run German company). The Rega Planet that has been suggested is an excellent option as well, but the Lindemann CD1 is far better. |
I can't believe no one has mentioned either the Ah! Tjoeb '99 or the Njoe Tjoeb 4000, both of which are available from Kevin Deal at www.upscaleaudio.com. Compare the reviews by consumers (like me and you) of either of these units to ANY of the others mentioned in this thread. I've got close to $20k in equipment and the Ah! is possibly my favorite piece. Partly because it only cost me $475 brand new. The 4000, which is less than $600, will be added to my system along with the Ah! shortly. |
Well for the money, probably a Onkyo DV501 used... about 80% as good as the real thing and about $200. Now for the music and the money an RA55 used... about $2000 and terrific! |
I have a Wadia 860 but for the money I would look at the Linn Ikemi. |
The Muse Model 9 Signature is one of the most underrated CD players out there plus it is drop dead great as a DVD player (even without progressive scan). I've made extensive comparisons of my Model 9 sig with my Sony 9000ES using CD/DAD/SACD. As much as I like the Sony, and I like the Sony a lot, the Model 9 was a notch above it in every aspect, including video. The real suprise was that on every 2 layer SACD that I've tried , I like the CD layer on the Muse better than the SACD layer on the Sony. Maybe it's the super bit mapping, over/up/thru/around & behind sampling or whatever the Muse does, but it's the best CD play back I've come across yet. A used Model 9 Signature can be had for around $2600. Good Luck |
The sony 9000es needs more than 100-200 hours i own one and its more like 3-400 hours before it opens up and that is the problem with a lot of these comparisons of the sony,they were Not broken in or the people comparing would be singing a different tune.It also takes 3-400 hours of seperate burn in on the sacd side of things to fully bloom. You must hear the sony 9000es with decent gear,it will sound like you need a dac for the first 150-200 hours,after that you think well maybe i don't need a dac and when you hit 3-400 hours you will definitly not want an outboard dac. |
I've been auditioning an Accuphase DP-65V. Nice piece. Great musical presentation. Very pricey. $4200 the dealer quoted me. Wondered what others thoughts were on Accuphase CD players. I'm sure I'd be doing myself a favor by listening to other CD players before plunking down this kind of money. Any owners/fans of the Linn Ikemi out there? |
1. Rega Planet (old-style)
2. Resolution CD50 (used)
3. Resolution CD55 (new)
4. Any Muse digital product
5. Metronome CD2
6. Spectral 1000SDR; ancient history but very smooth, dynamic, and not etched, very natural sounding, includes
a very nice preamplifier as well; under 2K if you can found one used. |
Get a good DVD player and put it through a Assemblge 3.1 DAC.It gets no better than this. |
intersting Shubertmaniac, my top would be very similar:(FOR THE MONEY)
Tjoeb 4000
RA CD50 (I should have never sold it)
RA CD55
My current set up with an AN dac1.1 has been very impressive so far and has yet to break in. I might start part swapping pretty soon once I get a feel for its sound.Very undigital. |
Find a used (If you can) Cary 300, superb sound quality.
The absolute best soundstage I have ever heard. My wife
said for the first time it actually sounded like Diana Krall
was standing right in front of us giving a live performance
and she is right.
I also have the Arcam FMJ CD 23 (also very nice) but it
just does not sound as real as the Cary. Find a Cary 300
or 301 for around $1400 you will not be dissapointed.
Great bass and sooooooo smooth. |
I heard a MYRYAD MC100.for 1295 new its pretty special.its a class b in Stereophile.Deservedly so. |
Naim CD 3.5/5 with flat cap - will run you ~$3k new - or about $1800ish used. VERY musical, though I'd probably agree it does not soundstage as well as other gear (wadia comes to mind) - but in terms of overall musical enjoyment (i.e., listening versus analyzing) the Naim player beats the others, handS down. The naim players do everything very well, across the board - and provide exceptional rhytm and pace, esp in the bass.
And if you ar consiering running Wadia staright w/o an EXCELLENT (pref tube) pre, foget it -it gets a bit harsh/strident in the mid treble, though it images and soundstages like a demon. I myself had a headache within 45 min of waida direct.
Of course Naim also has CDX, CD2 which do provide "audiophile" soundstage/imaging, but never at the expense of sounding gimmicky- you are still keenly aware of the fact that you are listening to/enjoying music, not stereo equipment, dig? one last point, its not that the 3.5/5 dont image/soundstage well - cause they do - it's just they dont as well as some other players (wadia, bat)
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Hello everyone. I recently obtained a Sony XA7ES, in impeccable state, for $1000. It is most pleasing to my ears. I respectfully recommend its audition. Good luck in the journey. -Sam |
You didn't specify a price range, but I'm guessing by the nature of the question you're in the Class B price range. I recently did a little downsizing and sold my Wadia 850 and purchased the Arcam FMJ CD23. After spending a day A/B testing using my buddy's system as reference (mine's being rebuilt) I can honestly say the reviews are deserved for this model. High build quality, very listenable and no bad characteristics. A solid Class B performer, and far better than the Adcom GCD 750 I also owned in the recent past. The Ring DAC only disappointed by comparison after we used the Arcam as a transport and a Timber TT1 DAC. The Timber revealed a more open, natural, nuanced sound, with better soundstaging. Of course, that's an unfair comparison, but the point is the Arcam is a quality piece and good value for the money. |
I have to agree with Vegasears - CAL stuff. I have the Delta/Sigma II. It's not the last word in detail, but it does not make my ears bleed the way some other CD players do. Alternately (much better !) get a good turntable |
Sonic Frontiers SFCD1 is my current player, but the upgrade path is limited and expensive. They are rumoured (good source to be downsizing their building so I don't know if SF will make available an SACD player. It looks like DVD-A will not make it. Therefore, my next CD player of choice came down to the Sony DVP9000Es and, judging by the reviews here, I will be making the correct choice! |
I understand Cary 300 was with tube output stage but it is dicontinued by Cary. Instead Cary now has replaced 300 with
all electronic model Cary 303 which is supposed to sound better as 300 was missing out some details on low freq reproduction. |
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The Marantz SA-1 player. It beats my (2 yr old) $10K Wadia digital front end. Plus it plays an incredible SACD. This machine is gorgeous both in cosmetics and sound. It's CD and SACD playback you can enjoy not just today, but many years to come. I listened to the two piece $28K Accuphase setup and for a quarter of the price this Marantz will compete with it. In todays market in what you are getting , the Marantz SA-1 is a bargain. |
Bouncy, rhythmic, 'keep on the beat' - Linn Ikemi or Naim CD5. Smooth, subtle, laid back - Electrocompaniet EMC-1, Cary or Copland. Powerful - Sony SCD-1, SCD-777. Neutral, transparent - Wadia 860, Marantz SA-1, Marantz CD-7. Cheap and cheerful - Rega Planet, Arcam FMJ, Musical Fidelity A3 (someone on this thread said they have a $20,000 reproduction chain feeding off an Ah Tjoeb; the CD player is good for the price but I imagine most people will not want to do this, for the same reason that they would not put retread Sears tires on their Porsche 911 Turbo). For tycoons and nutcases - Linn CD12 (best $20,000 CD player, but will it outperform a Harley Fatboy?). |
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It's intersting to still see the Pioneer PD-65 mentioned in this list. I still use one that recently returned for the second time to my rack and surprisingly still pleases me with its great musical approach to digital. Grab one if you can. To me, one of the best ever built digital gear. |
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Now there's a name that's good to see again! Good to hear from you, Carl. |
If money no object Audio Aero Capitole. |
A Pioneer DVD player modified by Stan Warren. Take the money you save over higher priced equipment and go buy some CD's, then sit back and enjoy the music...... |
try a used krell kps 20i--still one of the best around |
FOR A GRAND YOU WONT GO WRONG |
I always loved the sound of My CAL CL-10 (a solid 5 disk changer) with 20 bit DAC. Sounds great, and for several years was a Stereophile recommended component. Listed as better than most single disks, with the convenience of a changer.
I see them cheap on Audiogon all the time |
All you 9000es owners, take a look at www.tweakaudio.com. Ric Schultz of Electronic Visonary Systems has thoroughly reworked all the important areas that Sony had to skimp on and turned this thing into something that should be truly special. There is a 30-day money back guarantee if you're not blown away. Check out his site for more details, but it should be hard to beat. You can do the whole thing for about $1800 including the price of the 9000es.
Tim |
By far! I've made a big mistake and replaced mine by an expensive upsampling cdp (no names, still trying to sell it!) Meridian is just the best. Check out both USA and British reviews. 5 stars in everyone. I thought I would "upgrade" and blew it big time. I'm out thousands of dollars. Second choice, almost as good isa used BAT. After that, a used ARC. Stay away from the rest, unless you can find a 10 year old ES 7 series Sony. I had the last series of the ES top of the line and it didn't compare to the old. (Yup, I'm an equipment junkie. I've owned at least two dozen players, dacs and upsamplers!!) I recall reading in a recent recording magazine how a top remastering guy, very well known also went back, trashed his twenty thousand rig, pulled out his 12 year old Wadia and it was great!) My learning, painful and expensive: Newer is not better. Funky, small companies can make great gear, but vary too much in quality control and are liable to go out of business on you. Two players I would list in my class B (Resolution, Muse)--sometimes they seem to be in business or on the lips of everyone, then they disappear. Tremendous variation in samples I've heard. Also, in my class B used if you can find, are expensive players by Linn and Naim. Somehow, Brits seem to get this digital thing. Also note, you'll find a lot of Meridians used and can negotiate sometimes because of how many made. I was shocked when I asked them once how many sold. All the Krells, Levinsons (just like a Meridian 508 just a little hard at top and forward, but musical) Proceeds, Muse, Resolutions put together (and a few companies more) have sold less than total number of Meridian units!! |
Absolutely no brainer. As yeast says, they have sold a ton of them for a reason. They have so many out there you should get one reasonably. The 508 either one. Best single box, even better (see reviews in Stereophile) than Levinson 39. The word is that the 508 is even still better than the fabulous newer 588.
Stay away from Electrocompaniet. I sold mine. Hard, hard, hard. If you have a ECM1 and it sounds ok, you must have one heck of a depressed tweeter/midrange and a really weak tube amp. The bass was fine on the ECM. Just stick with used class A from Stereophile, though too many upgrades from BAT otherwise fine buy but just a little less pace than Meridian. Trust the Stereophile reviews, they are right on the money on digital, especially issues before Harley and some of the other fine digital guys moved on. They really were very reliable and helpful reviews, so were Fi's (alas!) |
This thread has been going on for a LONG time! I'm going to join in, too. My votes for best CD players for the money:
Meridian 508.24 (can find used for great prices)
Ah! New Tjoeb (unbelievably good for $579)
Any CAL, but particularly Aria Mk III, Icon Mk II, & Tercet
(the tubed Alpha or Sigma DACs are also great)
If cost is no object, my list would be different, but in my opinion these players offer incredibly good sound for extremely reasonable prices. Any of these could suffice as the last CD player you ever need to buy, unless, like me, you just have the fever for changing things every few months or so. I lived with the Meridian for 7 years! It was excellent. Before that, I had Cal Tempest II, and used it for about 6 yrs straight. Now I buy/trade/change more frequently. I'm using the EMC-1, the Marantz SA-1, and the Ah! New Tjoeb, and love them all. Each does great things for my CDs. I disagree w/those who find the EMC-1 "hard;" it is the most analog-like CD player I have ever owned, in my opinion. But I am female and 48, and my ears and hearing and tastes may be quite different from yours.
Reading and contributing to this thread has been fun! |
I really wanted to audition a Tjobe, it's a shame the distribution is so limmited in the US. |
I would like to give my vote to the Arcam FMJ-CD23. Great,Great sounding machine. And pleasant to look at. I agree with Yeast, the Brits get digital right. I had the chance to listen to my friends Meridian and was looking for one used when I came across an Arcam dealer in my area and was able to audition one in my home.Just like the reviewer in Stereophile , I bought the review model. The dealer made the new unit more of a frelling bargain by selling it to me at demo price. It's a perfact match for my Lev.#383. That was how it was set up at the dealer. Now I'm not saying the Arcam is better than the Lev.#39 or the Meridian, but with the dCS ring DAC on board and the new chassis,mother board, and added power supply it is a beautiful player. I found NO need to spend the extra money. Peace and good listening. |
no dealer mark up. When we decided to import it, we could have price the first model like the Planet at $800 by setting up a dealer network, but instead wasnetd to keep it as low as possible, make less money, but get it into more hands of more people.
The Planet, in the UK, sells for about the same as the Tjoeb. Every European product goes up 30-200% when it is exported. Try buying a CJ or Krell in Europe. It costs.
The Planet 2000 is $950. The Tjoeb is $579 loaded with Supercrystal and Noisekiller. |
I agree with Yeast107. New is not necessarily better. I don't have near his first hand experience with cd players but would like to contribute this. I use a Wadia 6. This cd player is 8 years old. Built like a tank. Teac VRDS transport, 20bit, 32 times oversample rate. Sounds incredible IMO. Can be a little forward direct to amp on some older recordings. But on music that is recorded well and these recent remasters, it blows me away. My advice, buy an older cd player manufactured by one of the established big name companies (Meridian, Levinson, Wadia, etc). Look for one that was near or top of the line in its' time and is upgradable. Listen to it and enjoy! If you don't like the sound have it upgraded by manufacturer or the cd player upgrade genius everybody raves about(I forget his name). Or use it as a transport and add a modern DAC This is the way I approached my cd player purchase. |
Depends on what other eqmt & cables you are using. I like the Electrocompaniet EMC-1 or Bat VK-D5SE cd players. |
I would like to weight in by suggesting on the Arcam cd-23 FMJ. Incredable performance for about 2K. I have mine on a set of symposium rollerblocks. Great resolution, detail, and imaging. |
California Audio CL-15. Lots of slam, great dynamics. Great review in Stereophile some time ago. |
the Marantz SA-1 player. It plays great redbook CDs and amazing sacds. |
I would recommend Linn Ikemi in Europe it is only $ 2800 . I think in terms of the sound best buy....Spend $ on analog not digital. Happy listening |
Rotel 971 with a good power cord, good solid wood base (pref. six layers of 3/4inch ply) and dedicated mains. Sounds so good you need a fantastic system to hear a better front end. |
Rotel 971 your kidding.Is this your attempt at humor. |
"best CD Player" is an oxymoron. I suggest a VPI, any model. |
