Do I still need my CD player?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by action pact, May 12, 2019.

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  1. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore Thread Starter

    A month or so ago I bought my first external DAC and started ripping my CD collection for playback via iTunes on an old Mac.

    I would say that my new digital set-up sounds as good as my CD player (Rotel RCD-1072), if not better, and the convenience/flexibilty of a digital library is pretty wonderful.

    So, is there any compelling reason for me to not sell my CD player? (Right now it's not even hooked up.) The only reason I can think of is the Rotel can decode the handful of HDCDs in my collection, but I'm not sure how significant that is. (I still need to rip some of those discs and see how they sound through the DAC.)

    I'm sure a lot of you have faced this decision, and I'd be interested in your insight.
     
    Wally Swift likes this.
  2. If it is not an inconvenience to keep the CD player I suggest keeping it.
    Pull the batteries from the remote, wind up the cord, place it on a shelf and keep it.
    Or...Leave it fully hooked up to the audio system, still pull the batteries from the remote because you don't want to have them leak and ruin the remote, and again, leave it as is.

    If you are set on not having anything extra, or set on not ever using the CD player again then yes, let it go.
    I am not certain what the current market value is for this Rotel but I'll bet it is not much.
    With that in mind you may do well giving it to a person you like, or a worthy home as the good will may be more valuable to you than the money. I have done this with gear I let go and it has almost always worked out very well.

    There is no easy, one size fits all, answer to this constant dilemma of keep, or let go.
    One thing I have found pretty consistent in this regard is once you have let something go it seems VERY difficult to replace easily, or cheaply...Not always, but very often.

    Box the thing up, send it my way, and I will conduct a long term "field test" for you, with occasional performance reports of course...to give the test a legitimate feel.
     
  3. rockin_since_58

    rockin_since_58 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Simi Valley, CA
    I ripped most of my CD's that I care about to my Mac as well. In the last year I probably popped a CD into the player only a few times. For my setup, the ripped files sound much better because I am using Amarra sQ+ for Mac. It is also very convenient to play songs via the computer. I mainly listen to vinyl but for general background music I use the Mac with local files and Apple Music. I keep the CD player just in case the computer fails and I have a backup way to listen to my tunes. I also have 2 backups...one is Time Machine and then all ripped and downloaded files are also copied to a second external HDD.
     
  4. Rolltide

    Rolltide Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vallejo, CA
    It's nice to have as a backup if nothing else. I wouldn't get rid of it unless you needed the space or the cash.
     
  5. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore Thread Starter

    I would put the $$ towards a Mac Mini to replace the old iMac...
     
  6. blair207

    blair207 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Fife, Scotland
    I never use mine but I’ve not sold it. It’s a back up.
     
  7. LVBeethoven

    LVBeethoven Active Member

    Location:
    Andover, MA 01810
    I am curious, though. Does ripping it lose any sound quality? If so, I (me) would keep the CD player.
     
  8. hvbias

    hvbias Midrange magic

    Location:
    Northeast
    Seems like a good enough reason to do it then.

    The only reason I haven't sold my one remaining disc player is an older Oppo is pretty much worthless. I've even switched to computer playing back BD images for my film watching.

    I completely switched around 2004/2005, I found there was just no going back after doing it.
     
  9. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US
    Pricewise, used cds now cost what records did when they got dumped. worth it to keep it for what you may find for next to nothing.
     
  10. riskylogic

    riskylogic Forum Resident

    If you rip it to and play it back from a lossless format (e.g. FLAC or ALAC) then no. If you rip it as an mp3, then yes.
     
    RONENRAY and LVBeethoven like this.
  11. TarnishedEars

    TarnishedEars Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Seattle area
    This is a somewhat controversial question. Most people will tell you that there is no loss at all. And according to digital theory, this is most definitely how it should be.

    But despite the theory which states that these sources should be indistinguishable, some of us have had a very difficult time getting the streams of our ripped CDs to sound as good as the exact same disk does when it is played directly with the exact same DACs.
     
  12. Wally Swift

    Wally Swift Yo-Yoing where I will...

    Location:
    Brooklyn New York
    I'm backing up CD players with more CD players! :cool:
     
  13. ThorensSme

    ThorensSme Forum Resident

    Location:
    Spokane
    so true!
     
  14. Mike-48

    Mike-48 A shadow of my former self

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    Based on my experience -- sell it! After ripping all my discs, I kept my Meridian CD player for years but rarely used it. When one day I turned it on, it didn't function. I could have got a lot more for it by selling it while it still worked.

    As to sound quality, in my system, file-based audio is at least as good as music played from an excellent transport, and better than music played from a cheap transport. I don't know why the transport makes such a difference, but my ears tell me it does.
     
  15. Hab

    Hab Forum Resident

    Location:
    Walsall
    I sold mine as I now just use my Bluesound Node 2, M-DAC and a turntable, I'll still pick up cheap CDs, takes about 30 seconds to rip them to my NAS.
     
    rodentdog and Wasabi like this.
  16. ThorensSme

    ThorensSme Forum Resident

    Location:
    Spokane
    Honestly, if you like the sound of the player, I'd keep it. Ghostworld is right, prices of CD's have mostly hit bottom. You never know what you will find out there. I'm a vinyl nut for sure, but CD's can be really nice. I lucked out and started collecting when people were throwing out their LP's, or donating them.
     
    Bob_in_OKC and jusbe like this.
  17. Litejazz53

    Litejazz53 Perfect Sound Through Crystal Clear Digital

    Your CD player should be kept, if for no other reason, having a great CD backup for all those files, in my case, the PS Audio Direct Stream player and DAC help me discover a much richer presentation in all these CDs I own.

    [​IMG]
     
  18. Spitfire

    Spitfire Senior Member

    Location:
    Pacific Northwest
    Do you have any other sort of player like a DVD or Blu-ray player that can also play CDs in a pinch? If so, I'd say go ahead and get rid of your CD player.
     
  19. TarnishedEars

    TarnishedEars Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Seattle area
    Impressive collection there! Was that rack custom built?
     
    bhazen likes this.
  20. Dillydipper

    Dillydipper Space-Age luddite

    Location:
    Central PA
    On the same subject, I have four tires on my car, and one in the trunk, all fully-inflated with air.

    So...do I still need air...? :confused:
     
    timind likes this.
  21. Mr Bass

    Mr Bass Chevelle Ma Belle

    Location:
    Mid Atlantic
    I don't have a massive collection od CDs/SACDs ; however if I had heard a non-player set-up that sounded as good as my Esoteric and Marantz players I would be happy to forgo the expense and bother of maintaining them. I'm glad that you are just as happy with your computer server as your player. In that case I really don't see the need of maintaining a CD player or leaving it in the closet unless you are buying a lot of esoteric CDs or have to have certain masterings.. I assume you are comfortable with your current music library and whatever will be available in the future as a download (or streaming) and won't worry if some music is only available on a OOP CD. However, you need a Backup Device.
     
  22. SandAndGlass

    SandAndGlass Twilight Forum Resident

    Your player probably isn't really worth that much on the used market.

    I ripped all of my CD's, so I haven't pulled one of those out of their cases for ages.

    But I do acquire a CD now and then, and I find it convenient just to pop it in the player and listen to it.

    Sometimes someone will visit and bring a CD to play.

    Plus, it is best not to let anything with mechanical assemblies sit unused, always use your gear at least once awhile so it doesn't freeze up.

    If you other gear were to develop issues, you can always drop in a CD and you are good to go.

    Plus, in another ten years, people will be able to come over and look at your antiquated gear. ;)
     
  23. fogalu

    fogalu There is only one Beethoven

    Location:
    Killarney, Ireland
    I think that, if you have the space, you should always keep your original CDs and any working players.
    I have ripped a large amount of music and backed it up - but I haven't parted with a single disc and I have four CD players and two portables which are still in the best of health.
    I just don't trust computers or hard-drives. They can let you down at any time - even in the middle of a
     
  24. Wally Swift

    Wally Swift Yo-Yoing where I will...

    Location:
    Brooklyn New York
    If I take a component out of day-to-day use for a length of time I always take it out every 6 months and power up for one hour.
     
  25. Litejazz53

    Litejazz53 Perfect Sound Through Crystal Clear Digital

    Custom built by me, and inexperienced person trying to save some money, other than not leaving enough room to get my fingers above the CD's to pull them out, it turned out ok. I did make it the right size to fit on that wall.
     
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