advertisement


Best CD player ever?

The responses to this question have two big qualifiers:

(1) that "best" favourite is entirely system dependent. Just because it sounds good in one guy's system, has nil assurance that it will similarly sound good in yours.

(2) without prejudice to the former, all of the responses are nothing more than anecdotal and very heavily biased personall value judgements pushing their own faves.
 
AKG said:
The responses to this question have two big qualifiers:

(1) that "best" favourite is entirely system dependent. Just because it sounds good in one guy's system, has nil assurance that it will similarly sound good in yours.

(2) without prejudice to the former, all of the responses are nothing more than anecdotal and very heavily biased personall value judgements pushing their own faves.
Click to expand...

As is every single opinion about hifi kit on this forum. You cannot qualify the best because of so many variables, so you might just as well go with what people feel is the best they have owned or heard and be done with it.
 
I very much like my current Morgan DeVa CD-Pro9 which I bought from here.

Previously I had an Avondale AAA5 which sounded nice but the flimsy build irritated me along with the fact that half of it stays powered up after you think you've turned it off (as with all Alpha 5s)

Another obscure player I liked was the Conrad Johnson Sonographe SD22. Very un-fatiguing and musical.

Had a Marantz CD85 before that which was beautifully engineered.
 
Naim CD555

A bit obvious really (surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet) but it's the most vinyl-like silver disc spinner I've ever heard. Doesn't quite have the attack of say a CDXII but the silky smooth mid-range more than compensates IMO. Stunning piece of kit!
 
cooperman said:
Naim CD555

A bit obvious really (surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet) but it's the most vinyl-like silver disc spinner I've ever heard. Doesn't quite have the attack of say a CDXII but the silky smooth mid-range more than compensates IMO. Stunning piece of kit!
Click to expand...

I am amazed it took so long to mention the 555. Best I have heard. The last of the Tom Evans Eikos CDPs with the dual Pulse 2 style power supply (in a single Pulse 2 box) gets very close, at a fraction of the price. The top-end Linn streamers sound even better than a 555. At the top-end the differences are minor compared to the quality of the masterings of the music played.

Nic P
 
I've had a Musical Fidelity Nu Vista for god knows how long. It made my Teac VRDS 7 sound broken(which it usually was). Only ever heard one player that I'd replace it with but given it was around 32K, unlikely to happen.
 
+1 for the Linn Ikemi.

It went downhill with the Linn Players from there if you ask me. (More details, but less soul)
 
Tom Evans Acoustic Precision Eikos. Excellent analogue sounding CDP.

I have two, one of which will be up for sale when I get time.
 
There's something wonderful about the original SCD 777ES. Sound was amazing.
I loved the drop down glass lid on the Naim CDS, but always found Naim CDPs to be quite harsh.
[EDIT] Micromega's sound was also something to behold -- if you wanted your CD to sound like an LP, that was the one to get (and I did).
 
Steven Toy said:
Contenders for best CD player or transport/DAC combo over the years have to include the following in no particular order:

Accuphase DP 400/410
dCS Puccini
Naim CDS2/XPS
Rega Jupiter/Io (clamshell.)
A number of players by Esoteric.
Rega Isis (valve).
Click to expand...

What is this "CD" you are all talking about?

On a more serious note, Steven can you expand a little on the Accuphase?

While I am largely on the same boat as cliffpatte with my views on CDPs and DACs, I try to keep an open mind and sometimes I do indeed hear something that goes against my preconceived notions, and sometimes (often) I don't.

I'm currently enjoying my DAC40 board in my Accuphase pre, which I slightly preferred over the Linn ADS. The DAC40 is being fed by an SOtM streamer, and AFAIK it largely corresponds to the DAC board in the 400/410.

Obviously we are talking about small differences (in my book) and the DAC40 needs to be viewed in its context, i.e. sitting in an Accuphase pre, with hopefully adequate analogue output stages and power supplies.

Be it as it may, I am looking forward to listening to this

dc-37_front2.jpg


which should arrive at my dealer mid-December...

Apologies for any thread derailment, it's just that Accuphase gear is so rarely mentioned in these parts.


Cheers,
Samuel.
 
Hi Paul,
You would have heard the best ever CD player this week, but you couldn't make it so you'll just have to wait until next time
it is of course mine , the original Naim CDS with it's own power supply not the later supercap I think that the CDS was that brilliant that I returned it to Naim for what I was informed was the very last refurbished Laser unit that they had, and they did not expect to be able obtain any more for refurbishing
oldie
 
oldie said:
Hi Paul,
You would have heard the best ever CD player this week, but you couldn't make it so you'll just have to wait until next time
it is of course mine , the original Naim CDS with it's own power supply not the later supercap I think that the CDS was that brilliant that I returned it to Naim for what I was informed was the very last refurbished Laser unit that they had, and they did not expect to be able obtain any more for refurbishing
oldie
Click to expand...

Yes the original CDS/CDPS is a cracker. I love my CDS3/XPS2, it is still my favourite but it would be a tough call between them.
 
Well if multiple box solutions are allowed then my vote goes to

a) Tag McLaren DVD32R with Chord Dac64
b) Tag McLaren DVD32R with Benchmark dac 1

which saw off my CDSII/CDPS

but actually the DVD32R reads CD's in a very similar way to how a PC rips them with something like EAC.

Curious how I still have the Benchmark dac 1 but it's now connected to a mediacentre pc with JRM 17 and an RME HDSP96/24 pro sound card!

Never missed the DVD32R!
 
Sony SCD-1 (unmodified) as it came from Sony.

Marantz CD7 - best red book player.

But the best by a country mile is the Acoustic Plan Vadi CD player. It also makes an excellent transport.

I have also enjoyed Kinegetics KCD30, Marantz CD10, CD80, CD17, CD14, SCD-1, Teac P1, Lindemann D680, Lindemann 820, Mark Levinson No39 and the No390S to name a few...
 
The only mention of a valved CDP is the Rega, but there are many others: the ARC offerings and Lector, for example.

I went from s/s (Meridian) to valves a few years ago with the 2 box Lector (Italian) but recently upgraded to the 4 box model.

I've long had a feeling that the perceived sonic downsides of CDs can be addressed by valves and I'm now totally convinced. Mind you, it sounds more like an upmarket record player than a CDP but that suits me fine !;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top