Theoretical question about how CD's work

Geoffkait   generic, thin, bass shy, brittle, honky, synthetic, congealed sound.  That maybe your definition of CD reproduction, but it isn't mine or half a dozen close friends of mine.  While we all appreciate the sound of a good LP, the average classical and jazz CD well mastered is stunningly good.  I have 35,000 LPs and 7,000 CDs.  I wouldn't give up any of them because of their format limitations.  I have near SOTA front ends which permit me to extract superior performance from each format.  Even my 78s sound more alive, dynamic and tonally rich compared to most audiophiles systems.  My most treasured vocal recordings are Ward Marston mastered to CDs.  There is no equivalent except buying $1 millions of "78"s, finding the correct speed, stylus size and equalization to play each.  No chance in my life of doing what Ward does.

Yes, I experimented with 40 or 50 CD players prior to 2006, trying to find one that approximated LP playback.  I hated CD reproduction until the 2000s.  The players got better as did the DACs.

That is why a few CD manufacturers have created clamping/isolation devices for the CD wherein the vibrations from an out of round CD are greatly or completely diminished.  Even my EAR Acute has a flimsy CD tray and internal puck to hold it while it spins.  This is a basically a design error by most manufacturers in eliminating non-concentric and floppy discs.  Same with DVDs, Blu-Rays.

I just moved and set-up one of my video rooms. Yes, the IC to the receiver was high end as is the speaker wire (left overs from prior audio systems). Using an HDMI cable from an $85 blu-ray player, my CDs sound fantastic (in terms of tonality, dynamics, PRAT and imaging) using a Yamaha CR620 receiver and ADS 620 speakers. Also, 4 SR HFTs on the TV and front glass stand.  No, it doesn’t have the ambiance retrieval or bass slam (but goes down to probably 40Hz). I can’t believe how good it sounds (the room is also 18’ vaulted ceiling and about 48’ wide X 30’ deep). Even my wife commented on how good music sounds on it (it will take me some time to set up my audio rooms and I've just moved about 27,000 LPs/78s and 7,000 CDs-I never want to do that again).  So, a cheap ass blu-ray player can sound amazing. I have a collection of about 30 CD players like Denon, Sony, HK, Sharp, etc. from the 1980s and 1990s because I was so dissatisfied with the sound back then. Now, even a cheap player can sound miles better.  I might as well donate them and take the write-off.  Only a post 2000 DAC or high end CD player sounds better.

Maybe the high speed and narrower laser beam is at the heart of why a cheap Sony Blu-ray player sounds so great compared to 80's and 90's CD players.  I had huge and very heavy Sony CD players that sound thin compared to a one pound Blu-ray player.  This suggests that the transport quality maybe better now than then as well as the DAC formulation.