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Upgrade my CD player or futile effort?

I would appreciate you guys input. I listen to 90% vinyl  and 10% CDs due to a lot of new music I get into only comes out on CDs. My analog system sounds fantastic to my ears but unfortunately my digital falls short. My analog system consists of:
-VPI Classic 1 TT
-Lyra Kleos cart
-PS Audio Stellar phono preamp
-Prima Luna 100 preamp
-Parasound Halo A21+ amp
-PBN Montana XPS speakers
-Dual Rythmick
F-12 subs
My CD player is a Marantz CD6005 running through my analog system.
Compared to my vinyl, overall the sound from my CDs lacks the depth and definition in bass, comes short in the soundstage and overall space in presentation and does not have the
same clarity in treble.
If I rate my analog sound a 9, I would rate my digital CD a 7.
My question is, would I benefit from a better CD player, even so the CD6005 is no slouch, or am I gonna end up in a goose chase?
I realize my CDs may never sound as good as my vinyl, but I would try to improve it if you guys think it would be worth the effort. Are there really some outstanding CD players out there that can measure up to vinyl? Personal experiences only please, do not need sales pitches by equipment associations you may have never listened to. Also all my cabling and room setup is a 10 to me with the analog so I wouldn't change any of that for my CD player listening.  Thanks.

128x128baylinor

Showing 3 responses by holmz

holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 
Cheap enough to try a DACS…https://www.topping.audio/productinfo/645180.html

holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 
I just don’t see any reason to go back to CD’s when Roon and streaming are so good.

^That^ works with an internet connection, but in a vehicle it is easier to have bought the CD and either play it, or play it via an iPad/iPhone.
holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 
@holmz,what I do in the car is either stream from my server using Plex, or I use the Qobuz app on my iPhone.  No need for CD's!

Yeah, but that assume one is not in the middle of nowhere, with no phone towers within hours.

I mean, I understand when you say your digital knowledge is limited, but you’ve spent 20x more on your vinyl rig yet ask if trying to upgrade your $500 CD player is “futile?” Just how bad do you think digital sound is??? What the hell do you expect from a total investment of 500 bucks? How would a $500 vinyl rig including cartridge and phono pre compare to your current setup? Where does simple common sense kick in here man? C’mon. 
It is just pulling the 1s and 0s off of the disk. When they pushed these in the 80s it was spruicked as God’s gift to audio.
But I can see the DAC and the jitter are important.


I realized you've already committed to a specific upgrade but I'll add my 2 cents anyway. As important as a DAC may be, the transport is at least equally significant. The elimination of vibration and an accurate reading of the disc is where all the sound originates. If that part of the system is inferior, everything which follows will suffer.
Again, it either pulls the bits off, or it has bit errors.

Don't forget that you can still service your CD player.
(1) Clean the contacts with a contact cleaner.
(2) Check to see that it is level.
(3) Aftermarket Feet to assist with vibration control.
(4) Open up the unit and use dynamat - again for vibration control.  
https://youtu.be/VoxC3st7WQw
Do these transports all give dodgy numbers out?


I am in a similar boat with a daggy old CD player. I would like to come into something like a Topping D70, but then does the transport matter at all?
And then, there are also 10 MHz clock, and other rates that once can use to sync the DAC.

e,g. https://nadac.merging.com/product/merging-player
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