Upgrading cd player

Audio Research was purchased a few years ago in a highly leveraged deal by a private investor. Increased interest rates caused him to have to sell the business. It was sold to a deep pockets committed company that is already into high end audio. ARC is not in jeopardy of going out of business. They maintain the same dedication to producing new products and servicing old ones as they always have. Which is why they have a stockroom full of parts to service former products.

I highly recommend the ARC Ref CD9SE if you can find one. It is the best CD player / DAC that I have heard. It bested the $22K Berkeley Alpha DAC in my system and a number of others. It brings the rhythm a pace and midrange bloom of real music, as well as the detail and realism.. Through the player I can get the exact same fidelity by CD player and through streaming of the same recording. Frequently, I can get better quality through high def files streamed through Qobuz since I have an exceptional streamer..

OP,

Correct, ARC stopped making CD9SE’s because their supplier stopped making the transport. I am sure they have lots for repairs. But these days transports tend to be pretty reliable. They used to be terrible. 
 

While I do not know this, I suspect ARC will not invest in producing another CD player… it is a market that is contracting quickly. 
 

MacIntosh and Audio Research are on very different sides of the sound spectrums. Mac typically lacks detail compared with Audio Research. Their house sounds are very different.

@wharfy 

+1

Congratulations. I look forward to hearing what you think.

I love my Ref CD9SE… while with streaming I only use the CD player component rarely. It is great to be able to compare streaming and a CD so seamlessly as with this unit. I really think it is a perfect device with which to compare streamers. I did, and now the REFCD9SE is the perfect DAC for me. Hopefully you as well.