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CD player to compete with my vinyl rig?

Greetings,

I find that I have stopped buying CDs, which I regret because there is so much great new music out there.

My player is a Cambridge 640c and listening to it just doesn't do the 'suspension of disbelief' thing. It has all the right stuff: black backgrounds, dynamics, PRAT, detail, air, frequency extension, but as soon as the orchestral strings well up or the horns start, I want to turn it off. The timbral qualities are weird (especially massed strings, voices) and the sense of real people playing instruments isn't there. There's a sheen and confusion to the soundscape. My vinyl rig offers by far the more realistic experience. I have multiple copies of Mahler's 2nd Symphony on both CD and vinyl, and I never listen to the CDs any more.

I would like to find a CD player that makes me want to listen to CDs as much as vinyl!

I'm looking at reviews of the Rega Apollo R, the Teac PD H600, Audiolab 8200CD and the Decware Zen triode player. (Yes, around $1000 budget).

My rig: Pro-ject 2 Xperience/Shure V15-IV, Jico SAS, Cambridge 640c, Rogue Cronus Magnum/KT120 tubes, LS3/5a speakers, Kimber, Zu cabling.

Music tastes: Sibelius, Mahler, Bruckner, Bach, fifties torch singers.

I would love to hear suggestions from members!
Thanks
sumaato
tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
1,368 posts
 
Your system is probably set up to sound its best playing vinyl. It may take more than popping a cd player in to get digital sound that is satisfying to you.

Some cd players that many people find musical are:
Oppo BDP-95
Sony XA5400ES
Marantz 8004
These players are $1000 new and also play SACD.

Used for around $1000 are:
Ayre CX-7e MP
Marantz SA-11S2

I'm sure there are many others.
timrhu
2,778 posts
 
The Resolution Audio CD50 convinced me to stop listening to vinyl and go strictly digital seven or eight years ago. I did extensive comparisons at the time and what I decided was well mastered cds beat vinyl for me. Poorly mastered cds sounded better on vinyl but not enough for me to keep it.
I have owned 10 or 15 cdps trying to beat the CD50, including the Jolida mentioned above, none of them came close. One of these days I may break down and purchase the Resolution Audio Opus 21 as from what I've read, and through discussion with Opus 21 owners, it has the same characteristics as the CD50 only better.
The other option is to find a dac you like and rip your cds to a hard drive and work from there. It's where things are going.
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
3,018 posts
 
I'm using a Jolida 100a with NOS Amperex tubes with a rogue perseus pre (all NOS tubes). I'm now enjoying my Mahler, Bruckner, Prokofiev on cd. Strings and horns sound very natural (a close second to my vinyl).
I found that a tube CDP was much more suited to Orchestral music than the Cambridge CDP.
audiofreak32's avatar
audiofreak32
253 posts
 
Try a LINN Akurate DS w/ 24/96 or 24/192 WAV and FLAC - there is not a CD player made on this earth that will compete with it under $15,000.
sumaato OP
52 posts
 
Lowrider57, I'm really glad to hear of your experiences with the same music that I play! This gives me confidence to look in the Jolida direction, thanks a lot.
The tube CDP option is why I also wondered about the Decware player. It seems to have good build quality. I have not heard any personal reports about it though.

Tomcy6, you are right, the CD was never the heart of my system, analogue is. But I'll be happy just to be able to treat both media with the same enthusiasm, even if they sound different.
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