2. digital
  3. 167453-1647

Vinyl guy seeking recommendation for a top level cd player

I know cds are dead.  Best time to buy a cd player, the way it looks.  I want an all in one box.  I don't stream so a separate DAC is not required.  Most of my cd collection have been ripped to a PC as Flac files and then down loaded to a Sony HAP-Z1ES.  Currently about 3000 Redbook and perhaps 100 SACDs.  The way cds are being dumped I figure on becoming a buyer again so these numbers will go up.  I have looked at Marantz SA10, Esoteric K1 (lightly used), and Luxman D-10X, so far.  It would be good if the sound could approach vinyl.  The Z1 does up to a point.  Listening this morning to the same recordings, the Z1 compares to a high end MM cartridge, but not to a SoundSmith Experion.  Maybe I am asking too much, but in any event a new cd player is being sought.  Thanks in advance for any advice.
Bill
billstevenson

Showing 2 responses by toronto416

toronto416
271 posts
 

Thanks @billstevenson for the thoughtful follow up to your Luxman D-10x purchase.

I bought a D-10x one year ago, and in my research prior to purchasing it I read this thread, so it is a treat to re-read it and digest the follow up by the op.

I remember reading that the D-10x was especially good at making Redbook sound good, and I have to certainly agree with that. A lot of jazz and classical recordings from the 1990’s and 2000’s can sound amazing played by the D-10x.

I still buy cds regularly and find releases from Japan online - both Redbook and SACD - jazz and classical recordings.

The cd is not dead, and neither are the producers of superlative cd players such as Luxman, Accuphase, Esoteric etc.  There is still a market for high end cd players!

 

toronto416
271 posts
 

The Oppo BDP-95 is an almost 15 years old product made by a Chinese company that "In April 2018, OPPO Digital announced they were stopping production and development of new products but would continue to support existing customers".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oppo_Digital

No matter how good a modded Oppo may be, it is a niche player based on a discontinued product by a company than now manufactures smartphones and not disc players.

There are serious high end manufacturers of cd players who continue to push the boundaries and innovate such as Luxman, Accuphase, Esoteric etc.  They are the present and future of cd playback.

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