Which CD Player has the best sound quality?

Lately I’d just be happy to have a high end player that lasts longer than two years. Seriously.

 

I hate the 777ES it sounds like shizzity.

 

Ok i will be more specific if i ask about gear. I just wanted to know if any CD player was known for good sound really. Price should have come into my question i just didn't think about it 'cause i wouldn't spend thousands. Seems much more complicated than i thought. I like the one i have now. Listened to Cassandra Wilsons new one then D Angelos new one the day i got it and was blown away in the difference i heard compared to my old ones. Thanks for the responses all.

 

Steve Hoffman Music Forums - Error
You must be logged in to do that.

I still say mines the best, but this thread has run its course
I think.

 

So what do you think we'd have to measure if we wanted to see the differences in sound? Distortion characteristics?

 

I have listened to several players over the years. They do in fact sound different from each other. Listed extensively to a mcintosh7007 and an oppo 205, still have both of them . I think the opportunity 205 sound great. The mcintosh not so much, and it was much more expensive. You have to listen to many before you know what you like.

 

I agree. I have listened to many players over the years and each time i always like the sound of Cyrus players. They just appeal to MY ears. We are all different so it really is a case of spending time with your favourite cds and listen to as many players as possible.

 

That's funny. I remember those old Magnavox players and that player keeps coming over the years as one of the best sounding players ever made, and if menory serves it was modestly priced!

 

I think they have the old Philips TDA -1541 so not suprised they sound great.Saying that i slightly prefer the later TDA-1543.Even though it was supposed to be a budget version of the former DAC.

 

In my first post in this thread I wrote 'mine'. What I meant by that was that this whole endeavor is subjective and only subjective. The 'best' can never be answered, possibly can we find something we really like. Never mind how we choose to get there, it´s never about the 'best', but some component we like. Something can never be the 'best' if we don´t like something about it. And that very much will incorporate design and looks. The 'best' is only personal, another person can never tell what is 'best', not as long audio is subjective; and audio will always be one of the most subjective there is.

 

Ever? it's old but I've not heard better than a Linn CD12.

My Ikemi has killed any thoughts of upgrading for 14 years, must be a good sign.

More affordable brands that seem to get CD right include Marantz, Arcam and Cambridge sometimes
If you want cutting edge then Meridian and Chord are the companies to look at.
Not mentioned DCS as prices are silly.
Bottom line is even cheap CD players can sound great these days, get one with a digital output and Chord Mojo DAC
and you have true high end sound for very little.

 

Sony CDPs from the ES series are the best you can get. Much better than those absurdly expensive audiovoodoo ones. I've seen the insides of enough CDPs to know quality from marketing.

 

Won't sound as good though

I must also be logged in to post as timind, which I was when looking at your profile. I'm guessing you have your profile marked to be viewed by "people you follow only."

 

IMO.Audio Note makes the best CD replay at an affordable and not affordable price points and are the only digital players that I could replace vimyl for. Well not quite but at least worthy of the discussion.

But their approach to CD replay is basically different than anyome else in the entire industry.

The reason we have all the arguments that CD all sound the same is because the parts inside most of them are the same. Same Dac, same $12 transport mechanism and by the dots design. The vast majority of audio companies have zero actual R&D or innovation. Just the same Sony, Sanyo, Teac, drive with Burr Brown or ESS Sabre chip and cheap output stage.

They sound the same in blind listening because other than the case looking different they ARE the same.

It's the same as those dumb arguments about making a ssolid state amp sound like a tube amp by putting a resister in the signal path. As if it were taken as fact that all tibe amps sound the same, like tje stereotypical fuzz generator. Because some guy heard a dumpy fuzzy Dynaco ST70 in the 70s.

Audition an AN CD player directly against pretty much anything else at any price and A you will hear a difference, and yes distinguished in blimd level.matched sessions, and B then over a broad range of recordings there is more contrast.

This doesn't neceasarily mean it will be more enjoyable to you because people prefer certain things like if you listen to a lot of classic rock which usually are horribly recorded/mastered then a smoothing over syrupy player may be a better choice for you.

Do not parrot what you.see on the net or forums. Do the listening and ignore tje labels. Listen to tje different technological approaches and compare the best names

 

But the odd thing were facing is that an overwhelming majority actually thought that each CDP have a character, and that it would be possible to hear what CDP is playing. Really odd.

 

Not sure on it's retail, the Onkyo 800 was about a grand, but it's a universal SACD/DVD-A etc... which I'm using now for those formats. The Oppo and 7030 I put in storage as backups

@Linto
That's a great solution as I'd use my Emotiva DAC, but I have quite a few Pre-Emphasis discs so that approach wouldn't work for me.

 

I’m a firm believer the best indicator is those things that you have on either side of your head. One mans holy grail in terms of playback, simply may not cut the mustard to another.

 

I have not lined up the candidates to hear them in direct AB comparison, so I can only say generally that there are several top CD systems I like, and they do sound decidedly better than cheaper models. I like the top end Audio Note DACs, particularly the 4 and 5 models. By the way, these DO NOT measure well at all, but, I have not met a single person who has actually listened to a good system running these DACs that did not like them. I also briefly got to hear the DAC5 and the very top end transport (a combination that costs more than most homes), and that is a terrific combination. I own a pretty good player in the Naim CD555 with the 555DR power supply. I know it is not a completely fair comparison because the DACs are different, but, I've compared the CD555 to my Naim NDS server and the CD555 actually sounds a little better to me in my particular setup. I have also liked the old Linn CD12 player. The DCS stack sound quite good too, but, for that kind of money, I would be more inclined to go the Audio Note route.

 

My two cents. I've been listening previously to some CD-players and DACs in controlled tests. There are some players sounding different from each other, but it is not easy to detect them since the differences are usually very small. They also translate to measured differences in distortion and/or frequency deviations.

 

Sony ES CDP :



"Absurdly expensive audiovoodoo" CDP :












Riiiight........... got it. Thanks. Guess I was all turned around on that one.
How liberating it must be to be able to post utter nonsense like you did without suffering any qualms or reservations about what others will think of you.

D.D.

 

You're providing your own cherry-picked photos as if it meant anything. Cover the whole spectrum or you're just displaying run-off-the-mill eristic. However, I wouldn't expect anything better from a guy who closes a post with two childish emotions as if to give himself a pat on the back.

Spoiler

You just compared a vintage Sony CD player with a modern SACD player, which just shows how stupid your post is.

 

This. Get a cheap CDP to use as a transport and pair with a quality DAC. If the CDP dies just get another one.

 

I think you have to at least make sure the output on the cd players you are comparing are the same, or find some way to adjust for that in your comparisons and listening. Otherwise you are not comparing apples to apples and imo no critical comparison could be done or taken very seriously. The one that is louder will sound better to people.