What makes a Cd player a Great cd player

This thread has become pretty funny.

It reminds me of when I had six fellow computer programmers and engineers come over because they wanted to hear my system.

Five were saying "Oh my Lord!" while one said that he couldn't hear a difference. We all looked at him because we figured that one of three things might have been going on in his mind.

1. He really couldn't hear the difference that everyone else heard.

2. He wasn't going to admit that there was a difference because he wasn't about to allocate any extra money to his HT/Stereo/Video Game system and that was his way of justifying it to himself.

3. He was not admitting that anything sounded better because he's preached forever that there's no difference in any stereo components.

Like TVAD said, if you don't want to believe that that a higher quality:

1. transport reduces translation errors
2. DAC decodes the 16 bit encoded data better
3. power supply reduces the noise floor and provides more dynamics
4. there a bunch more etc's

If you don't want or can't believe that these things make the kind of difference that gives it more value TO YOU, don't worry or think twice about it. Stick with your $1000.00 CD Player.

I don't understand why you asked us WHY when it seems that you really don't accept any REASONS WHY that your fellow Audiogoners are offering.

We don't care and are actually happy if you like your $1000.00 CD Player.

Chuck

A couple of major differences between a good CPD and great CDP are the DACs used and the quality of the output section. It is hard to make a poorly recorded CD sound good but there is a major difference on quality mastered CDs. And now there are new processes out that continue to improve CDs such as the blu-spec CDs made by Sony.

I agree Tvad. Hearing is believing.

Power chords make a big difference on CDPs also. Find a Virtual Dynamics Master powerchord and it will make a believer out of you.

Both of you have very good points of view. Which is why I feel( key word I) no need to dish out anything over $1k on a cd player. I think a great cdp, will only make a poorly recorded cd sound worst, and a good cdp makes it tolorable. and vice versa with a audiophile recorded cd. Back when I owned my Marantz cdp, I thought it had a more warmer sound than my current cd player,which I found to be very detailed, and open, but lacked the more laid back sound of the Marantz. However when I switched speakers, and went to my Apogees, the smoothness that was lacking appeared. I think any extra money spent should go towards speakers and quality mastered cds. my two cents

I like 'taters, uhhhh!

Tvad makes a valid point but there are certainly many here that have climbed the audio ladder from low end to high end and can speak to the differences in their perceptions regard a great CD player.

For example, I found Wadia too clinical (detailed) and not musical though it certainly seemed to reproduce notes accurately, while the Meridian 508.24 I use seems smooth, open and warm. It is not as resolving but it is what my ears prefer.

Ultimately though, your ear is the judge of what you like regardless of what was recorded. You must go listen to music on various CD players not just read words about how they sound. One man's floor.....