Once in a while a great piece of gear "falls from grace" and loses its appeal. Sometimes for poor reasons. In the case of PS Audios PerfectWave Dac, when the newer Directstream Dac came out, reviewers sited the new unit as superior to the old. Thus a Perfectwave Dac can be bought for in the low teens. I bought one and I think I paid $1200.00 or so. Coupled with even a CD transport or player, I was blown away by the sound. To me it sounds like a $15,000 rig that I paid $2000.00 for. I can't believe that PS Audio will gut a Perfectwave to update to a directstream model. I also bought a directstream DAC so I can A/B the two of them. (I haven't gotten around to it yet). My two cents.
What Sonically is the Difference between a $1,500 CD Player and a $10K-$25K One?
I realize opinions may vary, but if I could give an example of two CD players perhaps someone can give me their thoughts on the cost benefits of either one? What would be the difference in your opinion between say a Cambridge Audio Azur 851C CD Player and the Gryphon Scorpio S CD Player? And are the difference truly audible or more technical and rather indiscernible through human hearing?
In general, what makes a CD player (other than build components) 10x more costly than a decently built one other than features?
In general, what makes a CD player (other than build components) 10x more costly than a decently built one other than features?