"Hi-end" CD player - worth it?

It's a tube based design to flatten the frequency response. He should really have one behind the left speaker too.

 

No hum - I don't turn them on at the same time. Speakers are as far apart as the room (and furniture) allows, but my bed is in front of them, so I'm right in the sweet spot, even height-wise. Ironing board is just there, hanging on the door.

 

So...in answer to the important question posed in this thread...was the "Sparkler" worth it? Does it embody what you were looking for? Does it provide the kind of sonic improvements that you were seeking?

 

Yes. It is perfectly geared towards the type of music I play in the bedroom, and complements all the other gear in the system. The Onkyo it replaced was a good all-around player, but more geared towards casual listening of mainstream music. This one is great with nuanced acoustic music and provides clarity and detail unmatched by the Onkyo, even if at the expense of slightly "colder" presentation.

 

Thank you for your review.

 

And the "rabbit ears" are for?

 

The Harman tuner. The antenna is amplified.

 

I just received a Sparkler S303 CDP today in the mail. I really like this player. It is very clean sounding. I mean I can really hear the analog tape of the source on older recording CDs easily and that doesn't bother me at all . My power supply makes a buzz or hum (not sure which to call it) but I put inside my audio cabinet behind the sliding door and on top of a small soft cover booklet and all is okay.

What is that black cd you have on yours? Is that to keep dust out?

 

Yes, it's the stock dust cover.

 

To answer the OP's original question and having NOT read any of this thread, I have been using a $15000 CD player for the past year (borrowed from the owner in trade for some equipment he is borrowing from me) that totally changed my opinion about the sonic capabilities of CDs compared to playing records.

At every audio show and in my home, CDs have sounded consistently bland and boring compared to records. Until a year ago, I have always said "I play digital just to warm up my tube electronics before sitting down to concentrate on playing records."

But playing this Aesthetix Romulus is truly enjoyable, satisfying and even exciting. So, yes, to my ears, at least THIS expensive CD player impresses me as providing "night and day" difference in sound quality.

 

I recently had the Marantz SA10SI in my system for the last couple of months. It is built like a tank, and Marantz designed the drive mechanism of the ground up. The player produced some of the best CD and SACD disc playback I've heard in my setup.

 

I guess my older model didn't come with them

 

Not really. Not at all in fact.

 

I would have once said that CDs are all more similar than different, but then I heard the ARC Ref CD9 and it was one of them goose bump moments. Of course it was also connected to about 40k in amps and was playing on Spendor SP200’s, but it was truly game changing.

All that said, would I pay $12000 for a CD/DAC? Um, NO! But if you have the cash laying around, then I can highly recommend it!

 

I have thousands of SACDs and CDs. Many of them are rare Audio Fidelity, DCC, MFSL, Analogue Productions, SHM and original 80s pressings, etc. I probably have spent over $50,000, on them in the last 35 years. So yes, it is really worth getting a high end cd player for me.

 

I couldn't agree more.

 

But, in addition to the high end CD, you have the amps, speakers and other high end gear to go with it, so it makes complete sense!

 

But is it enough to have you abandon your vinyl playback? Could you ever envision that scenario?

 

Like Tullman, I have thousands of CDs, as well as tens-of-thousands of LPs, so it is worth spending good money to make BOTH formats sound very good.

But the ONLY component in my audio system that I seem to have no limit in the money I am willing to spend is the cartridge... well cartridges. I have 5 turntables set-up at The Audio Home, and one more at home. Each one has an incredible cart installed plus more to install (someday): Audio Note Io, Transfiguration Proteus, Benz Micro Ebony LP, Benz Micro Ebony LP Mono, Koetsu Platinum Jade, Koetsu Onyx original "long-body" with new boron/MR cantilever/stylus, Shelter 90x, Ortofon SPU, MC1000, MC5000, and Denon 103D with magnesium body and diamond/MR stylus.

So am I satisfied with the $15000 CD player enough to "abandon" vinyl? No way. It motivates me to spend MORE on vinyl, to make sure analog STILL sounds better in my audio systems than digital.

 

In my experience a high end player can make a big difference
in the listening experience.
As always YMMV.

 

The Romulus is listed as $7,000 in TAS and $6,500BP in What Hi-fi - I remember hearing their preamp/power amp CD player here several years back and it was all good. But the whole system(preamp/power amp/CD player) was $15kish? If the Romulus is indeed $15,000 now then the CD 4.1 Should be increased to $45,000!

 

My borrowed Romulus is a special edition with major internal parts upgrades from the factory. I didn't buy it, so I don't remember the details, but retail was just under $15000 for this version. And it is competitive in sound (my ears tell me) with an Audio Note DAC 4.1x Balanced Signature with CDT-4 transport, just under $50,000 retail, the pair.

Yeah, the Audio Note models, to my ears and pocket book, are a much better value than the Aesthetix models, but the AN top model of integrated CD player (CD 4.1) is not quite there against this special Romulus.

I have an Audio Note DAC 2.1x Signature (which is almost the same as in the CD 4.1) with a CDT-4 transport (higher end than the CD 4.1's transport), and together they don't quite have as impressive dynamics (compared to excellent analog) as this special Romulus. I don't know anything about the sound from the standard $7000 Romulus... nor do I care... because I would not have bought either one. I am just thoroughly enjoying it for a while.

 

Sorry didn't know it was a one off upgrade - Perhaps Audio Note should upgrade their 4.1 in a similar fashion. The regular Romulus is no slouch - neither is Aethetix as a brand IM (albeit brief) E.

If it is pretty much as good as $50k Audio Note separates - I think Aesthetix should make it a permanent upscale model. If they can sell in numbers the price might even come down!

PS: they also look cool. I have also been looking for a high power quality amp that doesn't cost too much and the Atlas fits that bill - this has been a nice reminder for a brand that doesn't get as much notoriety.

 

Wow, I never knew Huntingdon was in China...

It is true - you learn something new every day.

 

I am curious about Mark Levinson CD players and DACs. Does anyone have any experience about how they sound, compared to the super expensive, more limited production brand names?

The magazines have always raved about them, but then ML has always spent big money on advertising. And ML is just sort of accepted as a standard brand in the high-end realm. Maybe it doesn't need to provide the very best sound to sell to people with the money.