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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
sumaato OP
52 posts
 
Rok2id, your response is reasonable. But I would like to enjoy some of the many recent CD issues. I have a dumb faith that there IS a CD player out there I'll enjoy.

Chuck, I think you are right and streaming is a viable way to go for the future.....I'm considering that as my investment, over a CDP.

Goggiehowser, thanks for your perspective. My ambition is not very high....I don't anticipate finding a cheap-ish CDP that rivals a good vinyl rig, I just want to listen to a player that is 'not unpleasant'.
sumaato OP
52 posts
 
Tgrisham, you say you liked your Jolida tubed CDP......I assume you moved onwards from there. Did you compare it to other players, and can you talk about its sound?
Thanks
islandmandan
848 posts
 
My last digital acquisition is a modded McIntosh MVP 871. Its playback stands on its own, as when listening to it, it makes me not care whether the format is digital or vinyl. It is that good. It was purchased here on Audiogon, modded, and then shipped to me. I am constantly amazed at what I hear from Redbook and multi-channel.

My vinyl rig is in a state of flux, my tonearm should arrive today, from a silver rewire by Jim Howard of Applied Fidelity. I should be able to do some comparisons shortly, but I suspect I will just enjoy both formats, whichever I'm listening to at the time.

Best regards,
Dan
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.
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