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What high-end cdp for low-end quality CD's ?

I need advice, in some foreseeable future I’m going to upgrade my cdp. My budget is going to be about $4000 top $5000. I was thinking about used Wadia 861, Accuphase 75V. But I had heard that they are true performers only on high quality audiophile grade CD’s. I heard that the more expensive SS cdp playback the worst it will sound with awful quality CD’s.
Unfortunately most of my CD’s is mean quality from BMG, SONY etc. buying CD’s from only audiophile companies or import them from Hon Kong, Taiwan, Japan (they are the best to me) is not a valid solution. I have heard rumor that some tube CD’s like Audio Areo, Lector (maybe Audiomeca ??-it is solid state though) can be more forgiving to mean CD’s, so you can actually listen to them. It is really hard for me to listen to them on my budget Arcam cdp, I cannot imagine it sounding worse with high-end player. So I’m looking for forgiving high-resolution, very dynamic, live, analog sounding cdp. So what would you recommend, I’m listening to soft rock, pop, classic.
Rest of equipment is Clayton monoblocks, Thiel 3.6 speakers by the end of summer I will have Supratek pre (I hope at least).
sorlowski

Showing 2 responses by unclejeff

unclejeff
1,313 posts
 
A high-end CD player will allow a top-quality CD to sound up to it's potential. I own the Audio Aero Capitole Mark II and I was really amazed how well it revealed what is a quality CD and what is not. An example would be a box set of the Motown Collections as released on the Motown Label. I really enjoyed these CDs until I was given a box set of many of the same recordings released on Rhino. The Rhino CDs relegated the Motown CDs to my car's Cd player.

I think that a CD player of the quality that you seek will not add perfection where quality is lacking, but this is not the reason to not buy one. You will find that you will no longer be futzing with bass and treble controls as a high-end Cd player will allow the original mastering of the Cd to come through.

So, to answer your question, Yes, while a high quality Cd player will not 'fix' a recording, it will play even copies of copies of CDs to reach full potential.
unclejeff
1,313 posts
 
Bsal; You sound much like the felllow i bought my AA Capitole from. since he already had a huge vinyl library he didn't see the value in such a gifted CD player.

He took the financial hit in selling it 'used' and I got a really sweet CD player and I don't need to go and buy tons of vinyl.

Such being the case we can all agree to disagree and we can all enjoy our music.
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