What makes a Cd player a Great cd player

Most audiophile components endeavor to accurately reproduce the recording. Many recordings of jazz sax have an edge or bite because the instrument itself has an edge or bite depending how it's played.

If you want your system to smooth out what's on the recording, then I believe it's going to be difficult to find that characteristic in an audiophile component. Member Mrtennis has been looking for this unsuccessfully for years...and he became a reviewer to gain access to hearing more gear.

Have you considered adding an equalizer (help me...the blasphemy!)?

I ACTUALLY HAVE ONE THAT I USE TO USE. I would prefer not to use it for the fear of keeping the signal as pure as possible. My preamp actually has no tone controls for the same purpose. Is that to say it would be a noticable difference? I doubt it. But they have been known to.

How about a marriage between cd and analog. I am happy to have an LP copy of The Modern Jazz Quartet live at Carnegie Hall to play on my CDP courtesy of an engineer.

Very low surface noise (those old engineers have it nailed) so cd playback is all about enjoying the performance. Direct to disc? Ha.

Heard this player at the Axpona Show in Florida a few months ago:

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?anlgtabl&1280216981&/Continuum-Audio-Labs-Caliburn-+-Cobra-+

Awesome. It did not have dynamic swings relative to the material played but boy you could be tempted to sell all your toys for this one.

La45, you nailed it, dynamic swings !

I'm still keepin my digital front end, it gets close enough to satisfy (for now)