CD player recommendation please

Hi - I was wondering if anyone had a recommendation for a CD player (preferably <£1000, £500 would be better!). Currently I'm using a modded Arcam Alpha 7 ( it has a NET Audio MinClock installed with 'never connected' power supply. The output opamps have been upgraded to Burr-Brown OPA2604s, their PSU pins are now decoupled with WIMA polypropylenes and the output coupling capacitors have been replaced with Elna stargets) - which I auditioned against Alpha 9, Roksan kandy and a few others around that price. I'm looking for a little more detail (my previous source was a 24 bit DPA E transport with their excellent SX 64 DAC - but redundancy put paid to that!). Any suggestions welcome. (my other kit is a heavily modded WAD Kit88, Dynaudio foccus speakers)

Neil

 

secondhand cd92?

 

Primare Cd30 or whatever around £750 s/h should give you more detail

 

Agreed, with the new CD31 out you may be still able to pick up a newish CD30.2 for 750 quid.

 

Thanks guys - I've never heard the Primare, I'll make audition a priority.

N

 

depends on the sort of sound you are after Neil IMO.

if youre after warmth and tone go for a valve dac or a valve cdp..

for simplicity and no-fuss honesty go for a NOS DAC..

you mention wanting a little more detail, well I suppose my overall reccomendation would be a NOS dac, they sound detailed to me and honest and open sounding.

Its hard to say whether that will be your bag or not till you try it.

You could try going for the uber detail-studio thing like a benchmark DAC.

You could invite yourself round a few peoples houses to hear their CDP's!

You're only a little away from the budget of a second hand DAC64, another option to look at.

Chris

 

The Rega Planet is very very highly regarded by many and depsised by a few. Worth a listen at £500.00. It looks like the Star Ship Enterprise too. Very cool.


The Jupiter is a grand, and would be brilliant at £1k if the Planet wasn't so bloomin good.

Stongly recommend a listen if you can find one. Oi loves em oi doo.

 

A valve CD player would have appeal but the Shanlings I've seen (lust after!) are a bit too much pricewise - I must admit that after the pleasant surprise I got from hearing the WAD amp it would be a worthwile thing to investigate.

 

It wont give you more detail though Neil, just like valve amps dont, just more body to the sound the way a valve amp does..

there are all sorts to look at, both DAC and integrated.

If you like the shanling, check out cattylink where you will pay less to import one www.cattylink.com. They do other valved cdp's aswell.

Then theres the european fare, like the aah neu tube one (cant remember the exact name) that sounded nice.

there is even one NOS dac manufacturer that uses a tube in the output stage, which looks interesting.

Jeff (badchamp) is selling a valve DAC very similar to the one I use. I like it a lot, and dont intend to change. It is smooth, pleasant, and never fatigueing (most CD players have a very wearing sound to my ears).

http://zerogain.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10014

 

Cheers Chris They're excellent DACs whch punch way above their weight.

BTW what valve are you using?? Is it still the stock ?

Jeff

 

Quad 99 cdp................with the digital inputs and preamp section you can pick new ones up on ebay for about £700

 

hiya!

changed the valve about 2 years ago, and for the life of me cant remember the type.

I think I used a philips, because I like the lively punchy sound.

What valves do you use in yours?

 

Shameless plug, I will be selling a Rega Jupiter soon

 

IIRC I had a couple of Electro Harmonix. They too have a lively balanced sound. Certainly an improvement over the stock (whatever that was - they're around here somewhere !)

Jeff

 

My suggestions would be

Avondale AAA5- about £550 or
Unison Research Unico- available for around £750-800

Both excellent and perform way above their pricepoints.

Happy listening,

ft

 

don't all cdp's sound the same pretty much?

 

No, not at all.

 

I am sceptical of cables with audiophile price tags........ but to my ears some CDPs do sound better...... however, after a certain level they do sound pretty much the same if they are all designed to do more or less the same thing in other words not to acquire a particular manufacturers house sound.

 

Hummmmm ......not my experience.

Even cheap cdp have there own charactor. The more you pay the bigger the differences engineered into them. To some extent the mid budget units used with mid budget amplification etc might superficially sound similar. But hook any one up to a decent system[ of any price] the difference will be evident, may be not huge but present.

I have three cds of differing cost your welcome to come and have a listen !


As to cable why do they need to cost the earth to sound any good ?

Using the right materials you can build a set that you would expect to pay loads of dosh for.

If you need further info either do a search for zero cost cable or pm me

 

I'd offer the suggestion of the entry-level Shanling CDT-80

at £650 for the UK version, it's a great player.