The most revealing redbook/dsd player under 10k?

Yes, Boa, you are right. I do need an entire system that’s analytical/revealing. I am in market for a compatible preamp, most likely a SS, and a specific brand of XLR cables that are equally shameless.

Since I got rid of my last set up, Avalon acoustic/Jadis - which was not the type of analytical system I enjoy, I bought two pairs of Adam professional Audio speakers self powered. I am driving them with nothing good, but I am still much happier then I was before.

S3A
http://www.adam-audio.de/studio/midfield/s3a_data.htm
And S1A

These speakers were quite revealing to my ears, I am pretty happy with them. A couple of dealers suggested that I was really looking for “studio sound”…which could be true; I am a “retired” musician.

I listen to my music in a 16x20 room with 20ft ceiling, it’s untreated, and the volume I listen to my music is embarrassingly low. I placed the speaker about a 1.5 ft from the wall and 4 ft apart (between the tweeters). I usually sit about 4-5 ft away from the speakers…near field listening.

The music I am concerned/enjoy the most are concertos (mostly piano) and symphonies, most of my collection are fast and well-organized-yet-congested pieces.

My budget is 15k for the source and preamp.
I live near playa del rey so I have access to all the LA dealers.

Trackmango,

Let me tell you, I love your approach.

Following your last post, Trackmango, I'd ditto Tvad's recommendation of the APL NWO2. Source and preamp in one. I heard the previous iteration (NW01) play some Rachmaninov, and was overjoyed to actually hear each instrument remain distinct from the others, no matter how complex the music was. Not a hint of compression, or the blurring of one instrument into another, the player maintained a precise orchestration over the music itself in a way I've not heard in any other system.

Best of luck!

Considered a Cary Audio CD-306? It has been very well reviewed. I have not been able to compare mine with equivalent high-end CDP's apart from the Musical Fidelity kW. The Cary yields more detail and sounds more dynamic, but the MF sounds sweeter. That's on SACD.

If you are going to listen to RBCD only, I would recommend the Consonance Droplet. Half the price of the Cary, and has the Cary's measure in dynamics and imaging. Bass is more authoritative on the Droplet but can sound bloomy on the wrong tracks. If styling is important to you, IMO the Droplet kills the Cary for looks.

The other contender (which I have not had a chance to listen to) would be the Accuphase DP-78.