Recommendations needed for a quiet CD player

I'm a first time poster here. After decades away from having any sort of real stereo I've just gotten in again a few months ago. I've already made my major hardware purchases*, but am stuck on a simple one.

With my CDs all ripped to FLAC and on my network the only need I have for a CD player is to play an occasional disk someone might bring over. So I need a player that will:
a) Get all the bits off the disc correctly and send them out on a digital connection to my amp, which will handle the D/A conversion.
b) Not make a racket while doing (a). The rack it will be on will not enclose it, so if it is noisy there is nothing to contain the noise.

Stated another way, it really doesn't matter how well the D/A and analog parts of the player work. Nothing will be connected to the analog outputs. It just has to push the bits out without a lot of fuss. I guess I am assuming anything that plays disks will get the bits right, but doing it quietly is not a standard spec or review detail.

Thanks for all your thoughts.

RH in CT


*(NAD M32 DirectDigital Amplifier, Magnepan 1.7i speakers.)

 

Hello Northeast neighbor!

I use a Sony UBP-X800 into a Schiit Gungnir MB. Works very well, and the only noise I hear from the Sony is the when the disc door opens or closes.

It was recently $199 at most retailers, however it’s currently $229. It came out last year so the price will probably drop again soon.

Sony 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray™ Player | UBP-X800 with High Resolution Audio

 

A noisy CD player?

 

What price point are you looking to stay in?

 

I now have an upper limit on what I am willing to spend - $229 - if necessary. (Thanks, Dave!) But I have to wonder if my simple requirements can't be met for significantly less. The TV and stereo are at opposite ends of the house so there won't be any way all the fancy video features will be used.

 

Its awesome how quiet it is. Its great if you have a DAC. I think its a great transport. You will also be able to stream your FLAC files to it. downside is it has no display. If you want to use it outside of just a CD transport you have to connect a display/tv to setup(just intially to get on the network and make sure the audio settings are correct), which could be a problem in an audio only system. I've used mine over a year now as a CD transport and streamer with out a TV and is something I will keep and am tempted to get another and put it away.

 

Thanks again, Dave. The Sony site shows a new version (UBP-X800M2) of that player and says "available soon".

My NAD M32 amp is my DAC. An unusual device, but I shouldn't clutter up this thread with all that. The M32 also has an ethernet connection, and the smarts inside know about the library of FLAC files on my PC, so that is another feature that I would not use unless I redeployed it elsewhere.

 

why would you do that, a cd can be played on a player , if you convert them to something else you'll have to use computer all the time "yawn" so boring
vinyl should be played on a tt like wise a cd should be played on a proper high quality cd player
avoid the so called convenience of converting your cd to mp3 its not worth it

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

My CDs have all been ripped to FLAC (not MP3) and sit on my computer. My listening setup is in a different part of the house, and I use BluOS to control what plays, either from the FLAC library on my computer or TIDAL.
The most important part of a high quality CD player is the DAC, but my amp is my DAC. I need the CD player to feed bits to the amp, not waves. Bits should be easy.

I have not stopped researching the issue I asked about. In particular I have been considering one of BIGGER Dave's comments:
If you want to use it outside of just a CD transport you have to connect a display/tv to setup(just intially to get on the network and make sure the audio settings are correct), which could be a problem in an audio only system.

Anyway, as of yet nobody has brought over and CDs to try out so my lack of a player has not been an issue. Yet.

 

I think you need a display [tv] attached to the sony for it to be used. Therefore it's not a good choice for a standalone stereo that's not part of an AV setup.

 

I use the sony800 as a transport and it is dead quiet, I have also opened it and not only it is build like a tank, it is also extremely well shielded and it isn't expensive. For me the two negatives are not having a display on the unit and the lack of analog audio which seem to be not a problem for you.

 

Cambridge Audio CXC transport.

 

I've never heard a CD player make any noise of it's own, except when the drawer goes in and out, and when it first reads the disk.

jeff

 

I press the Open/Close button on the remote, drop a CD in the drawer, press the Open/Close button on the remote again, and then press the PLAY button on the remote. No display needed!

 

My concern with using a DVD player or Blu-ray player as a transport is that some of them will resample audio that gets sent over the digital (SPDIF) output. You have to connect the thing up to a TV and go through the setup menus to make sure the audio doesn't get resampled or processed and that the digital bits stay bit-perfect. And then after you set it up you have to hope that it doesn't decide to reset the settings for some reason. So always you will be wondering if it is still playing bitperfect bits exactly as they are from the CD. Being an OCD audiophile you'll have to constantly go back and check the settings to verify they are still set to bitperfect. I'd prefer using a transport that doesn't want to conspire against me and my desire in getting bitperfect bits out of it.

 

pretty much any CD player with a digital output will meet your needs.

 

Onkyo C-7030

Available from these Sellers

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/LG-GP57EB4...usb+cd+player&qid=1561311112&s=gateway&sr=8-3

I use this connected to my small PC by USB. If I put my ear to the drive I can hear it but otherwise I don't notice any sound. It does look flimsy but works OK at least for the four months I've had it! If you only play a CD rarely this may well do.