New CDP ?

I am really beginning to get my system sorted now. My vinyl set up suits my needs and sound preferences as does my headphone rig and tuner BUT I'm not entirely happy with my CDP.
I hardly listen to the silver discs now - as I prefer the black stuff.
I have been considering getting a CDR - so the questions are -
1) - do I get a decent twin deck CDR such as the £500 NAD - or a Marantz equivalent
2) - do I change the TEAC for something less Hi-Fi but more musical - again around £600 (this is what I would expect to get for the TEAC) or- maybe a Sony SACD ?
3) - I go down the DAC route as the TEAC is a superb transport - am I likely to get a nice musical DAC for £300 or
4) - shall I try a MF X-10D tube buffer?
I miss the musicality of my old Marantz CD6000OSE but could not live with the way it refused to play some discs.
A lot of questions but I really would like to start enjoying CDs again
Donut

 

Personally, I'd suggest you get a PC CD burner and buy my NAD S500.

 

donut,
you want some to spice up your system with a good 2nd hand cd5- i'm sure there's one for sale in the classifieds section
cheers


julian

 

Julian, isn't the new "budget" Naim CDP around the £500-£600 mark - what would this be like - pretty unusual combination Naim and MF thou
Donut

 

the cd5i is 825 however it's a dead end and can't be improved with an external psu. to be honest i've never tried or heard a naim / mf combo but it may just work.
cheers


julian

 

The TEAC might respond to a few judicious modifications...

 

Oh yeah baby

 

What would you have in mind guys. I currently use a Black Rhodium SuperMains13 aftermarket mains cable - but thats all. I'm facinated. What effect are the mods likely to have?
Donut

 

I think your TEAC is fine. Maybe what you need is some more music...

 

I'll just give another vote for the NAD S500 - if you're looking to spend in the region of £500 on a CDP it seems the obvious choice to me, or at least it certainly did the last time I bought a CDP

 

Joel, much as I love the TEAC it really isn't "doing it" for me now. I'm not sure if it has deteriorated in any way - maybe I need to get hold of one of the "system revitilsing disc" things! I really do much prefer listening to vinyl at the moment - shame as I have twice as many cds and a £1K CDP
Donut

 

That's natural. Vinyl IS better than CD. Don't worry about it. I also have more CDs than vinyl (still). Big deal. No matter what you get, you're going to be back on here in 6 months - or a year - unsatisfied with your CDP. THe real answer is to let go, enjoy what you've got and concentrate on the music.
You may think that's impossible with your current player, but it is not. I realise what I've said is going to be poopooed by the serial tweakers and upgraders on here, but try it. Frequent a music forum for a while and buy some new (and different) sounds. You'll see.

 

Absolutely correct. No CDP on earth can rival a decent TT. They are all hamstrung by the bandwidth limitation.

 

Thanks Joel, I really appreciate what you are saying. I really do like the TEAC but the touble is if you don't know what options there are there is always the unsettling nagging that ..... how do I make this sound better - as I say I'm quite happy with the black stuff - for now - just the silver discs! Just thought I'd see what all the tweakers thought - maybe WM or Isaac will come back with an amazing tweak that makes my TEAC sound more "organic" for less than a tenner
Donut

 

If you say so James. I'd agree, but only the top TT, Say, a Well Tempered, Avid, Valerdier?, Air bearing Kuzumi, that sort of ilk.
However some stuff deos break the mold

 

You haven't heard the Ninja, WM.

The CDP which comes closest to vinyl is, of course, the Naim CDS2. Buy one s/h if you can find one.

 

Donut,
The Teac's respond well to clocking and analogue stage mods along with others, but these 2 make a good impact.

Try these people out.
Audiocom

Trichord

The Teac, will improve in detail, dynamics and flow, also viscraul impact will improve also.

 

Sorry, but I'd have to disagree. Whatever the questions re bandwidth, the EQ applied to most CDs during post and at the mastering stage kills any chance of getting really good sound. Take a look at most modern CDs in something like SoundForge and see how they are compressed into (yes into!!!!) digital clipping. Doesn't matter how expensive and esoteric your kit, the software has been created with a fatal flaw. With vinyl you still have a chance, and with older vinyl it's pretty easy to get good sounds if you know what to look for.
The whole hardware / upgrade thing is massively overblown IMHO. Concentrate hard enough on the music you are listening to and the importance of hardware declines fairly dramatically.

 

Yes Joel, digital compression is very much previlent in the mass market these days, without question, although this tends to be the standard chart mush and current 'In Vouge' hip and happening bands, but not all cd's are screwed this way.
A good friend of mine at Sony Europe has stated that their target market is 13-24 year olds, the parents of said group , mainly played on shitty squawk boxes and car radio's, hence the need to squash em in an attempt to make em sound good. But not all are like this.
Yes again, certain ages of music sounds far better on TT's I wouldn't dispute this, however Its not just the kit, it what you do to it and the whole package as team so to speak.
Just as side bar, Jason Kennedy gave the Wadia 861 Se 96% in this months review, yet in the text, states. 'its not as alive as some players', big bass blah blah solid, but it its that much cash it MUST do it all and thats from a man who has a passing interest in them

 

96%? Cool.

Hang on a sec, 96% of what?