Best CD player

[TomSawyer]

Sorry Sabbath, I meant the Abrahamsen CD player, not amp, I should have been clearer.

So you think the irdac is outperforming the Marantz and Abrahamsen internal DACs and providing a sound you prefer. Have you thought about auditioning an Arcam CDS27?

 

[Blacksabbath25]

Sorry Sabbath, I meant the Abrahamsen CD player, not amp, I should have been clearer.

So you think the irdac is outperforming the Marantz and Abrahamsen internal DACs and providing a sound you prefer. Have you thought about auditioning an Arcam CDS27?

yes i hate to say it yes the ir dac is outperforming both players which i do not understand as the marantz is meant to be better dac inside but not sure what the dac is inside the Abrahamsen is but still the arcam is better . no not had a demo on the arcam CDS27 am i right they only make one cd player now

 

[Blacksabbath25]

booked a demo on the arcam cd 27 and roskin k3 cd player this afternoon i will take my amp with me but if i want a home demo on these cd players i would have to pay full price before i can take them home for home demo and then they will charge me 15% handing fee *cray2*no wonder hifi shops are struggling

 

[manix]

I would chuck into the mix a high end Marantz like the SA-11s3.

 

[TomSawyer]

yes i hate to say it yes the ir dac is outperforming both players which i do not understand as the marantz is meant to be better dac inside but not sure what the dac is inside the Abrahamsen is but still the arcam is better .

Bear in mind that more expensive isn't necessarily better and that in this context "better" is entirely subjective with your opinion the only one that matters. Also, as others have pointed out, there's more to how a DAC sounds than the chipset.

 

[nopiano]

Sorry Sabbath, I meant the Abrahamsen CD player, not amp, I should have been clearer.

So you think the irdac is outperforming the Marantz and Abrahamsen internal DACs and providing a sound you prefer. Have you thought about auditioning an Arcam CDS27?

yes i hate to say it yes the ir dac is outperforming both players which i do not understand as the marantz is meant to be better dac inside but not sure what the dac is inside the Abrahamsen is but still the arcam is better . no not had a demo on the arcam CDS27 am i right they only make one cd player now

Just a possibility that something in the Arcam DAC is adding a fizz to the sound that you interpret as missing detail, but it might be lacking from the players because it isn't in the recording.

It might be the DAC itself, but some aspect of the wiring up, the mains supply, or an interaction (maybe a jitter thing?) might just be the cause. You really need to take your DAC to the demo too, as a correctly operating one shouldn't give such a striking difference. Alternatively, try something like the Hugo DAC, which is indisputably better, and see if the "detail" is real or false.

 

[plastic penguin]

I'd go with a Pathos Digit or an Ex-dem Electro EMC-1 Mk111

I know about the electro CD player I thought someone on here had one for sale

Not the EMC 1, it was the budget player which I think is similar to yours, it was Plastic Penguin.

Yip. PC-1 is the entry-level model.

If I was looking for a CDP around the OP's budget Roksan Caspian, Naim CDXS...

Personally wouldn't touch another Electrocompaniet with a bargepole. They are IMHO overhyped and over priced.

well not had much luck with the abrahamsen 1up cdplayer I did see the rosksan caspian in action when I had a demo at richer sounds on the Cambridge flagship pre /power amp but it did not sound anything special but maybe it was just on the wrong equipment to sound good the Naim is meant to be the entry level CD player and mark on he said about going for one but my thinking is some of the Naim stuff is overhyped too at seriously high money

No. The CD5si is the entry-level. The CD5XS is the 2k upgrade.and should have a lip smacking sound.

Before I had the Electro I had the Naim CD5i, and I preferred that to the Electro. I'm not a Naim fanboy per se, but their CDPs are more benevolent when it comes to mixing 'n' matching than their current integrated amps IMO.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

Agreed PP.MY 5i italic sounded fab with my arcam a85/p85 combo before I got the xs and it still sounds great with the xs.....I did already mention the cd 5xs to sabbath in an earlier post but recommending naim seems to fall on deaf ears on here ...People seem to have a stereo typical view on all their stuff....negatively I might add.there is also a cdx2 on the bay for 2.5k if that's expensive enough..used though.over 4k new.the thing with naim gear is it doesn't really present music in a anylitacal fashion..so it has to be listened to as a whole with excellent PRAT as they say.pace,rhythm and timing for those of you who don't know.Although I've not heard any...I'm assuming that the higher end naim kit can be as anylitacal as the next high end brand.if that's your thing.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

yes i hate to say it yes the ir dac is outperforming both players which i do not understand as the marantz is meant to be better dac inside but not sure what the dac is inside the Abrahamsen is but still the arcam is better .

Bear in mind that more expensive isn't necessarily better and that in this context "better" is entirely subjective with your opinion the only one that matters. Also, as others have pointed out, there's more to how a DAC sounds than the chipset.

ok I tried the arcam cd play today and I did not like it sounded very dull on RCAs then used XLRs it was a little better but did get to try the rosksan K3 di and the flagship rosksan both very good CD players I thought the K3 sounded a little better then the £1900 flagship rosksan cdplayer but still walked away empty handed I will keep on demoing until I get it right

 

[Blacksabbath25]

Agreed PP.MY 5i italic sounded fab with my arcam a85/p85 combo before I got the xs and it still sounds great with the xs.....I did already mention the cd 5xs to sabbath in an earlier post but recommending naim seems to fall on deaf ears on here ...People seem to have a stereo typical view on all their stuff....negatively I might add.there is also a cdx2 on the bay for 2.5k if that's expensive enough..used though.over 4k new.the thing with naim gear is it doesn't really present music in a anylitacal fashion..so it has to be listened to as a whole with excellent PRAT as they say.pace,rhythm and timing for those of you who don't know.Although I've not heard any...I'm assuming that the higher end naim kit can be as anylitacal as the next high end brand.if that's your thing.

Mark I still got it in mind its not fell on deaf ears I phoned seven oaks today but there demo room is out of action as its being refitted so I will try sometime next week for a demo on a naim CD player

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

Lol.Guess you're gonni have to...your running out of gear to dem.

 

[Macspur]

Of course personal taste is what matters in the end, but I can only speak as I find and I've owned all the Naim CDP's from the entry level CD5i right up to the CDX2 and the EMC1UP is on a different scale.

That's the last word I will say on the matter, good luck with whatever you end up with BS.

Mac

www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net

 

[Blacksabbath25]

Lol.Guess you're gonni have to...your running out of gear to dem.

there are lots of good cd players out there its just finding the right one i had taken my Abe amp with me on todays demo and the chap at richer sounds was blown away lol with the sound

 

[Infiniteloop]

I'd go with a Pathos Digit or an Ex-dem Electro EMC-1 Mk111

I know about the electro CD player I thought someone on here had one for sale

Not the EMC 1, it was the budget player which I think is similar to yours, it was Plastic Penguin.

Yip. PC-1 is the entry-level model.

If I was looking for a CDP around the OP's budget Roksan Caspian, Naim CDXS...

Personally wouldn't touch another Electrocompaniet with a bargepole. They are IMHO overhyped and over priced.

I had a Roksan Caspian M2 for a few years and it was a superb sounding player.

 

[Gazzip]

Bel Canto CD2 with the optional external power supply is the best I have owned. It has the Phillips CD Pro 2 mechanism and smashes the other CD Pro 2 opposition out of the proverbial ground. Audio Research Ref CD9 and the Chord Blu with QBD76 are included in the list of expensive CD players that the Bel Canto has knocked off my rack for far less outlay... You would have to buy second hand now as sadly it has been discontinued.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

I'd go with a Pathos Digit or an Ex-dem Electro EMC-1 Mk111

I know about the electro CD player I thought someone on here had one for sale

Not the EMC 1, it was the budget player which I think is similar to yours, it was Plastic Penguin.

Yip. PC-1 is the entry-level model.

If I was looking for a CDP around the OP's budget Roksan Caspian, Naim CDXS...

Personally wouldn't touch another Electrocompaniet with a bargepole. They are IMHO overhyped and over priced.

I had a Roksan Caspian M2 for a few years and it was a superb sounding player.

yes it was very good cd player the K3 sounded better on the ear it felt control they both did but found the K3 to come across better not sure way anyway i only had an hour which was not that long i may come back to one of them and do a home demo so i can compaire what i have now as its hard to do it in the shop

 

[Blacksabbath25]

Bel Canto CD2 with the optional external power supply is the best I have owned. It has the Phillips CD Pro 2 mechanism and smashes the other CD Pro 2 opposition out of the proverbial ground. Audio Research Ref CD9 and the Chord Blu with QBD76 are included in the list of expensive CD players that the Bel Canto has knocked off my rack for far less outlay... You would have to buy second hand now as sadly it has been discontinued.

thanks i will look that up does the company still make cd players then

 

[CnoEvil]

...but I can only speak as I find and I've owned all the Naim CDP's from the entry level CD5i right up to the CDX2 and the EMC1UP is on a different scale.

 

[plastic penguin]

...but I can only speak as I find and I've owned all the Naim CDP's from the entry level CD5i right up to the CDX2 and the EMC1UP is on a different scale.

Mac

www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net

Mac saved me the bother of saying the same thing....the EMC 1UP is in a completely different league to what you are looking at. If you are really serious about spending £2k on a CDP, this is where you should be look for a dem IMO....the Bel Canto is another good shout.

Isn't the Electro UP over 3k new? The machines I'm talking about barely hit the 2k mark.

Still stand by my comments: Naim CDPs, in the right system, are as good as any at the price band.

 

[Gazzip]

Bel Canto CD2 with the optional external power supply is the best I have owned. It has the Phillips CD Pro 2 mechanism and smashes the other CD Pro 2 opposition out of the proverbial ground. Audio Research Ref CD9 and the Chord Blu with QBD76 are included in the list of expensive CD players that the Bel Canto has knocked off my rack for far less outlay... You would have to buy second hand now as sadly it has been discontinued.

thanks i will look that up does the company still make cd players then

They do a transport (£1350-ish) but no integrated CD player. Haven't heard their latest offerings but I am sure they are worth an audition. Also never discount Cyrus when it comes to CDP SQ, although brace yourself for mechanical issues if you are unlucky...

 

[Blacksabbath25]

...but I can only speak as I find and I've owned all the Naim CDP's from the entry level CD5i right up to the CDX2 and the EMC1UP is on a different scale.

Mac

www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net

Mac saved me the bother of saying the same thing....the EMC 1UP is in a completely different league to what you are looking at. If you are really serious about spending £2k on a CDP, this is where you should be look for a dem IMO....the Bel Canto is another good shout. PP's slightly jaundiced experience with the entry level machine should not influence your thinking.

yes I am serious about a £2000 budget on a cdplayer but If I can find a CD player for less I will because sometimes it's not about how much it costs like I found out today I felt the rosksan K3 di sounded a little better then the £1900 flagship rosksan mk2 cdplayer .

My only issue in buying the Unknown makes is when they go wrong it's not like you can go down your local Hifi shop and get it fixed or swapped , refund and sometimes a demo one thing I do not want to do is waste £2000 on a cdplayer that's going to be a side ways step or no difference in sound quality so this time there will be no guessing what will be good if I can not get a demo I will not buy it it's taken me ages to save this money

 

[Coll]

Not available yet but the Lakewest FDAC will be available later this year costing between £1500 and £2000 depending on options selected. Designed by John Westlake and only available to a limited number of people. It is being sold at cost so it would normally sell for approx. 5/6 times the buying cost.

It will be up to date in every way possible.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

Bel Canto CD2 with the optional external power supply is the best I have owned. It has the Phillips CD Pro 2 mechanism and smashes the other CD Pro 2 opposition out of the proverbial ground. Audio Research Ref CD9 and the Chord Blu with QBD76 are included in the list of expensive CD players that the Bel Canto has knocked off my rack for far less outlay... You would have to buy second hand now as sadly it has been discontinued.

thanks i will look that up does the company still make cd players then

They do a transport (£1350-ish) but no integrated CD player. Haven't heard their latest offerings but I am sure they are worth an audition. Also never discount Cyrus when it comes to CDP SQ, although brace yourself for mechanical issues if you are unlucky...

this is the thing Hifi does not seem to be made like it used to but understand things do go wrong . I heard before about Cyrus having issues with there cdplayers but maybe they just had a bad batch as this happens but at least if you got a problem you can take it back to the shop and it get fixed . Anyway I am after if possible a reliable cdplayer that will give me years of joy if possible

 

[Blacksabbath25]

Not available yet but the Lakewest FDAC will be available later this year costing between £1500 and £2000 depending on options selected. Designed by John Westlake and only available to a limited number of people. It is being sold at cost so it would normally sell for approx. 5/6 times the buying cost.

It will be up to date in every way possible.

is John Westlake the chap who Designed the M-dac's from audio lab ?

 

[CnoEvil]

Isn't the Electro UP over 3k new? The machines I'm talking about barely hit the 2k mark.

Still stand by my comments: Naim CDPs, in the right system, are as good as any at the price band.

The current version is nearer £4k....I only made the comment as your experience with the entry level "modern" designed Electro CDP has IMO wrongly tainted your view of the brand...especially the older iconic models.