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How good a cd player do I need?

I’ve just repaired a 1987 Luxman D100 integrated player and it is astonishingly good. Unbelievable.
How come?
 
Enfield boy said:
For years I never heard one I liked but the unavailability of vinyl forced me to buy one. I listened to many and eventually bought a Micromega stage 4 which sounded better (to me) than a Rega of the time and slightly different to but as enjoyable as a low end Naim player that was about 40% dearer.
When it packed up I bought an old Marantz CD63 mk2 KI sig that I used as a transport with my nDac and 555ps.
Recently I bought a used Rotel RCD 965bx that I use as a transport and it's so much better than the Marantz. So much for "bits are bits." It's got me thinking is there any point spending more on a dedicated transport now they're all plastic and is there any point in spending more as the dac part is all done by my Naim gear.
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i use a rotel 965bx as a transport . not bad at all , think i improved it by adding a tube distinctions mains conditioner . seems a bit smoother sounding

it has a big display and its quiet running so thats good enough for me

https://www.markgrantcables.co.uk/uk/mains-power/mains-filters/tube-distinctions-mains-power-filter/
 
Mr Pig said:
I'm saying it's a possible explanation as you why all transports sound the same to you. We don't all hear the same things in the same way. Because you can't hear any difference doesn't mean there isn't one. Or maybe they all sound the same through your specific DAC, which again doesn't necessarily mean that's true of all transports and all DACs.
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How arrogant are you?

I assume you hear transport/DACs combos that sound different?

Perhaps you are expecting a difference and are simply deluding yourself?

That might be "a possible explanation as you why all transports sound" not the same to you.
 
Cav, uncle pig is correct. Different transports sound different. They ‘flavor’ the result. It’s what you don’t know that will bite u n the arse...
If your rig was capable of it, you’d hear it, it’s there. So, stop insulting ‘the pig’, he’s just correcting your erroneous bullshit. My advise, try the Rotel Tribute CD11. Great as a player or as a transport. I know it’s cheap but you can thank me later. It’s better than any Naim player I’ve owned and I’ve had several plus their crazy ass power supplies. Better than the current crop of Yamahas. Better than any of the bit stream players I’ve owned. I run mine into a Benchmark Dac3 as a line stage or dac, balanced out into solid state Yamaha A-S2000, or rca out into Mystere PA11. Pick your speakers, this thing boogies, times well, digs deep, unravels complexity, and does rich, silky vocals. Very undigital for not much coin. More ‘refinement’ is gonna cost ya a bunch and may not be as fun of a listen. So b4 you spend more, consider Ken Ishiwata’s lasting Tribute. You may be surprised...
 
Cav said:
I assume you hear transport/DACs combos that sound different?
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Yes. Ranging from fairly slight to terrible. I'd be quite happy if they all sounded the same as it would be a lot cheaper. To be fair, an old Philips CD player is not far behind the Saturn-R but I have the Saturn anyway and it's less likely to pack in next week.

I suggested you not being about to hear differences that do exist as one possible explanation. Years ago I took my brother in law to a Hi-Fi shop to buy his first decent Hi-Fi. We demmed a Planar 2, Planar 3, a few amps. He said he couldn't hear any difference between any of it and bought the cheapest of each component. I'm not saying he's deaf or doesn't like music but we're not all attuned to the same things. My system can be driving my crazy because something is wrong but my wife never notices these things. Even when I point them out, she still doesn't get it. My daughter is doing music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland but has zero interest in my system. None. As far as she is concerned there is no difference between listening to music on it and her little midi system.

So yes, I'm being perfectly serious. I've heard enough people dismiss differences many of us clearly hear to be genuinely open to the idea that they cannot hear them. Or rather that their brains are processing them as irrelevant. Why is that such a strange idea? Just look at the different kinds of music we like. Do you think you process classical and rap or rock in the same way?

And thirty years later, my brother in law still has that system! Relegated to a back room as a little Sony midi is smaller and does the same thing...
 
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Mr Pig said:
Only raising the genuine possibility.
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I note that in other cases a genuine possibility is that differences heard are due to normal human cognitive bias or hearing adaptability. Pointing that out seems equally to raise hackles so IMHO is worth avoiding. Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander?
 
John Phillips said:
I note that in other cases a genuine possibility is that differences heard are due to normal human cognitive bias or hearing adaptability.
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That has to be conceded of course but my argument would be that using a system for months and years can bring great familiarity so you are more likely to be correct about the nature of changes. Not guaranteed I grant you, but more likely.
 
Mr Pig said:
I'm saying it's a possible explanation as you why all transports sound the same to you. We don't all hear the same things in the same way. Because you can't hear any difference doesn't mean there isn't one. Or maybe they all sound the same through your specific DAC, which again doesn't necessarily mean that's true of all transports and all DACs.
Click to expand...
All my transports sound different and my most expensive transport sounds the best! Lol...
 
Enfield boy said:
For years I never heard one I liked but the unavailability of vinyl forced me to buy one. I listened to many and eventually bought a Micromega stage 4 which sounded better (to me) than a Rega of the time and slightly different to but as enjoyable as a low end Naim player that was about 40% dearer.
When it packed up I bought an old Marantz CD63 mk2 KI sig that I used as a transport with my nDac and 555ps.
Recently I bought a used Rotel RCD 965bx that I use as a transport and it's so much better than the Marantz. So much for "bits are bits." It's got me thinking is there any point spending more on a dedicated transport now they're all plastic and is there any point in spending more as the dac part is all done by my Naim gear.
Click to expand...
My quad cdp2 is a terrific cd player and no slouch as a transport either! But my cyrus xt se is the best transport I own..in my opinion a dedicated transport makes cds sound fantastic...
 
I also use a VRDS Teac transport only that is not better than an old 70.2 used as a transport.
But it’s purposeful, very heavy, so it ought to be better, right? :D
Oh, and don’t get me started about clocks, please.
 
Mr Pig said:
I found, into the Rega DAC at least, that the Saturn sounded the best with a Philips swing-arm CD player second. Better than a Naim CD5 XS!
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I have a mission pcm 7000 ( swing arm ) just fabulous...and as a transport? Amazing for a old player! Its nearly as good as my quad cdp2 in terms of transport..I have never heard a naim player, I'm more quad/ musical fidelity kit..and if I had to choose? It would be quad...
 
the caretaker said:
..in my opinion a dedicated transport makes cds sound fantastic...
Click to expand...

I don't know that you can generalize like that but I have found that the best sounding CD players I've had have been when I was using a DAC and a CD player as a transport. One of the many things about CD replay I have no explanation for.
 
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