Upgrading my Redbook after 18 years
Be prepared for most people to urge you not to go the single unit route, and to get separates. However, if you like the idea of eliminating a connection, and getting a dedicated Red Book player, the models near your price point are Bryston BCD-3, Hegel Mohican, and Primare CD35. There's plenty of discussion of the first and second here and elsewhere, and very little to my knowledge of the relatively new Primare. Some less-than-confidence-inspiring details emerged along the way concerning the Mohican; I just got my new BCD-3. |
@erik_squires , have had my Schitt Gumby for about 4 months really like it and yes I am surprised at the level of performance I am getting from it. @audioengr ,I am looking at your products now and thanks. @twoleftears , you purchasing the Bryston is a good endorsement, if you would give it a month or so and reach out to me with your feelings on it I would thank you. |
Here are jitter measurements on the Synchro-Mesh: https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=157348.0 You will have a tough time beating this at any price. Steve N. Empirical Audio |
I'd agree with @audioengr and keep your transport and get a good jitter-reducing device, then get a good DAC -- there are so many more great ones out there these days than standalone players, and good digital cables are also very reasonable. Since you're an analog guy you might take a good look at some of the newer R2R NOS DACs that tend to have an innate natural and organic quality that may appeal to you. In your price range I'd look at the Metrum Onyx or one of the Schiit DACs. Best of luck. |
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@elizabeth , I am aware of your set up and how you use your Marantz in it, I have a few old dacs, Wadia, Theta, Jadis that I use in my main system but after adding the Schitt to my headphone setup upstairs I was really impressed and was looking to cost effectively max it out and then address the main system downstairs where my digital front end is very long in tooth, like me. |
@tooblue Hi. Yes, there's a convenience factor BUT I also find sound quality from ripped files better than from playback of the physical CD. It's NOT that hard to do, either. 1) CD ripped via iTunes (using Apple Superdrive) as ALAC file to Seagate 2 TB hard drive. 2) Seagate via USB 3.0 to Aries Mini; Mini to to Schiit Eitr USB/SPDIF converter via Oyaide USB; Eitr to Gungnir MB via Blackcat Silverstar 75 coax. 3) Schiit Gungnir to Schiit Freya preamp via balanced/XLR interconnects. My Gungnir doesn't have USB input, hence the Eitr. The Aries Mini does have an internal DAC so output direct to the Freya is possible but I found the sound with a USB/SPDIF converter to external DAC to be more robust. There have been past discussions on A'gon about "best practices" for converting CDs to ripped files for playback. The Computer Audiophile site is worth a visit. I don't claim my method is anybody else's best practice but it works for me and the results sound very good. Good luck. |
