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When should you upgrade your hi-fi? How to control ‘upgradeitis’
richwhite08
Well-known member
Can you borrow one to rip the CDs you need and transfer them to your phone?
No. I've got about 300 CDs. This will take me age for a novice like me, then I'll still need a Dac as the one in my phone is adequate at best.
richwhite08
Well-known member
I’m confused. In the OP you said “minimal usage” which I took to mean you wouldn’t be using the CD player much. Is that wrong?
Correct.
CDs aren't my primary source (vinyl and radio is) but I've been buying CDs since I had the Rotel player in the 1990s. Last count around 8-10 years ago was about 300 IIRC.
WayneKerr
Well-known member
You need a CD player with a digital in on the back then you wouldn't need a DAC. Rip your CDs using a cheap PC and bob's ya uncle 
Friesiansam
Well-known member
richwhite08
Well-known member
Gray
Well-known member
The Tascam CD-200 that @nopiano has bought.
As good as any transport, with coax and optical out....via a decent low cost DAC (contrary to some thinking, decent DACs don't start at £1000).
For under £400 all in, you might be surprised at how good it could be.
And, if you ever do decide to rip CDs, the DAC would work well for FLAC playback too.
podknocker
Well-known member
No, I've never heard this CD player, but I do know what goes into a CD player and these days, the parts, construction, packaging, shipping and profit, make a decent CD player cost between £250 and £350 at most.
I would love to know what goes into a CD player, that would make it cost a grand. Case, PSU, optics, servo, transport, DAC, a few resistors, cabling, a display, a remote etc. I'm not convinced any CD player needs to cost £1000 from any company.
At least this comes with a 30 day return, which is OK. I bet it's built OK and sounds really good, but how good can a CD player sound and wouldn't a new £350 Marantz give the same quality?
I'm thinking about buying a Leema Quasar and I don't think it's worth £3125 but I could be getting a decent sized trade in deal, which will help. This thing will have a 5 year warranty and should last.
I don't think I would pay a lot for a 2nd hand one, unless I had the chance of a lengthy listen and test. Having 30 days might be enough.
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Noddy
Well-known member
That sounds expensive to me for something that is mechanical. And technology advances, the CD drive that cost the maker £100 five years ago, probably costs them £50 or less today.
How do ypu live without a PC or Mac?
podknocker
Well-known member
I agree it's a bit pricey, especially for 2nd hand. The cost of a CD transport, to a large company, won't be a lot and this is old technology. I can't find the article, but I remember reading a very expensive Cary CD player review, many years ago and it did use the £7 Sanyo transport that I keep using as an example. The fact that this is 40 odd year old technology and is little bits of plastic, will mean the parts are not very expensive. Top end DACs won't cost a fortune either, bought in bulk. CD players are over 40 years old and there is no further to go with this technology.
New streaming amps with fancy DACs and WIFI and lots of other technology, including state of the art Class D modules, is the future. I think these devices have reached, or even surpassed the sound quality available from CDs. I love the sound of CDs and I am going to miss them, but streaming tunes via a Leema Quasar should give me the same, or better sound quality.
All the stuff I have on CD I can get online and most of the stuff I listen to these days, I cannot buy on CD anyway. Even if I could, the cost would be enormous and I would have issues with storage space etc. I never thought I would ever consider ditching my 250 CDs, purchased over the last 35 years, but it's too impractical and the sound quality is only marginally better than what I currently have and sometime in the near future, I will enjoy CD quality sound, via streaming.
New streaming amps with fancy DACs and WIFI and lots of other technology, including state of the art Class D modules, is the future. I think these devices have reached, or even surpassed the sound quality available from CDs. I love the sound of CDs and I am going to miss them, but streaming tunes via a Leema Quasar should give me the same, or better sound quality.
All the stuff I have on CD I can get online and most of the stuff I listen to these days, I cannot buy on CD anyway. Even if I could, the cost would be enormous and I would have issues with storage space etc. I never thought I would ever consider ditching my 250 CDs, purchased over the last 35 years, but it's too impractical and the sound quality is only marginally better than what I currently have and sometime in the near future, I will enjoy CD quality sound, via streaming.
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Noddy
Well-known member
A boutique brand has to have a CDT in its line, but they sell not so many. That means they have fewer sales to cover the cost of R&D, marketing, distribution and support. So the value is lower. Of course the big Japanese brands sometimes ship a turd covered with hundreds and thousands, and call it a CDT, so you have to know what is inside. I’m a sceptic when it comes to a CDT with a digital out, that’s why I didn’t buy the matching AudioLab CDT even though could have had one new for £300. And it looks gorgeous.
podknocker
Well-known member
Most companies are still making CD players, or transports, after decades. There is still a demand and as I've said recently, I really love the sound of CDs. If a recording studio, master quality, 24 bit / 192 kHz music format was available on CD/SACD, or some new shiny disc AND was widely available AND was a reasonable price, then I'd be interested in these spinning discs again.
The thing is, the market and technology have moved on and I think the optical format is running out of time. I plugged my Sennheiser HD600 into my new (first ever) smart phone and played a few tunes via Spotify. The sound quality was superb and if I chose a higher quality platform, I'm sure I would hear an improvement. Lossless bluetooth, on smart phones and headphones, will be the next step in sound quality.
I can relate to vinyl lovers a little bit, because I've always enjoyed the ritual of taking a CD out of its jewel case and popping it into a CD player. I grew up on this stuff and it does have an appeal. Sadly, being sentimental about shiny silver CDs, or large bulky LP records, won't stop progress.
The thing is, the market and technology have moved on and I think the optical format is running out of time. I plugged my Sennheiser HD600 into my new (first ever) smart phone and played a few tunes via Spotify. The sound quality was superb and if I chose a higher quality platform, I'm sure I would hear an improvement. Lossless bluetooth, on smart phones and headphones, will be the next step in sound quality.
I can relate to vinyl lovers a little bit, because I've always enjoyed the ritual of taking a CD out of its jewel case and popping it into a CD player. I grew up on this stuff and it does have an appeal. Sadly, being sentimental about shiny silver CDs, or large bulky LP records, won't stop progress.
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richwhite08
Well-known member
My lossless streaming from Apple Music to my network receiver is certainly not inferior to CDs to my ears. It’s a significant upgrade over the CDs played in my old Technics hi-fi - I can only speak from my own experience and it might be a different story with other comparisons. But I’m hearing tremendous detail that didn’t come through previously, even my wife has commented on it.
As for cost, I saw a Marantz CD player on Saturday that cost £699! Can’t remember the model but it just feels absurd to me.
As for cost, I saw a Marantz CD player on Saturday that cost £699! Can’t remember the model but it just feels absurd to me.
podknocker
Well-known member
My Audiolab Omnia cost £800 aftera trade in, but full retail is £1599 which is a lot, even considering it's an all in one system. Had it 15 months now and realise it's a jack of all trades, but master of none. It's a lot of tech in a nice case, but a few flaws and I certainly won't miss it, especially the CD player section, which I last used Feb 2022 !
We currently have a vinyl revival and we might see a CD revival, in 20 years, when people are bored again. I won't be buying any sort of physical music format again. I have decent broadband and access to high quality music online. Just want the long awaited Spotify high res thing they promised 3 years ago?
We currently have a vinyl revival and we might see a CD revival, in 20 years, when people are bored again. I won't be buying any sort of physical music format again. I have decent broadband and access to high quality music online. Just want the long awaited Spotify high res thing they promised 3 years ago?
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richwhite08
Well-known member
£1599 for an all in one at least gives everything you need. £700 for a CD player still in need of an amp just feels bananas to me in 2023.
I’m with you on not buying physical music though, aside from perhaps special box sets. I’ve found one CD that’s no longer available digitally but that’s it. I went to HMV recently and saw vinyls cost £30-£40 each. I can’t quite work out who has decided to get into this as a new hobby.
podknocker
Well-known member
I don't understand the vinyl nostalgia, but each to their own. Being able to search for any tune, out of around 80 million and then playing that tune, within seconds is totally amazing to me. The impracticality of vinyl just seems crackers. The cost of vinyl is also bewildering. Why would you bother? I can't even be bothered with the CDs I still own. CD sounds great, but prices are high and I don't want to fill my cupboards with CDs. I'm currently on my Windows 11 PC, but using Spotify connect to stream tunes from my laptop, to my Omnia. I don't need to get up and mess around with CD cases, or any other stuff. The future!
richwhite08
Well-known member
I can understand it for people who already have vinyl. But to look at it now and decide to start, i don’t understand. Years ago you’d buy vinyls for 50p at a boot fair and now they’re £40 for a new one. And being played on turntables that cost about £50!
I love the tangibility of CDs and vinyl - the artwork, lyrics, pictures etc. It brings it to life more. But I’m with you - the convenience of streaming is mind boggling. And now at such a quality that it’s not even a trade off.
Oxfordian
Well-known member
But streaming is just plain boring, there’s no interaction between me and the unit once it’s playing, my mind wanders off on to other things, it’s like listening to Radio 2 just noise in the background. Now a CD player or turntable has regular interaction, that keeps me hooked and keeps me sitting down especially when playing vinyl.
I know that Streaming is good, quality is getting better and better but its just not my thing, sorry.
podknocker
Well-known member
I can see the attraction of vinyl. The artwork, the sleeve notes etc. There is a tactility to vinyl and to some extent, with the 'futuristic' shiny silver CD, which holds so much information and can sound superb, with a decent player.
I've heard vinyl, on a quality turntable, through some top line B&W speakers and yes, I agree, vinyl sounds great, but it's more expensive and faff than CD and CD sounds better, at a much lower cost.
The system I listened to cost a fortune and the CD version, would have cost a lot less and been much more practical. If people want the physical interaction, then that's their choice.
People need to realise however, this interaction won't increase or decrease the sound quality. Streaming offers convenience and quality now and it will only get better.
I've heard vinyl, on a quality turntable, through some top line B&W speakers and yes, I agree, vinyl sounds great, but it's more expensive and faff than CD and CD sounds better, at a much lower cost.
The system I listened to cost a fortune and the CD version, would have cost a lot less and been much more practical. If people want the physical interaction, then that's their choice.
People need to realise however, this interaction won't increase or decrease the sound quality. Streaming offers convenience and quality now and it will only get better.
richwhite08
Well-known member
I can understand that. I like the tactility of it, but I don’t find streaming any worse for my mind wandering off. The quality of the audio is what helps to keep me engaged
As a qualified chef, I know what makes a good sausage, they all taste different.
If 30 days isn't enough, not sure what is. You never demo a component for 30 days.
Blimey, some of you guys have gone way off topic. Only glanced the 3010 on the internet and wondered how much better it'll be over my CD 2010.
This is why I don't normally ask for advice, I just tell you guys what I've demoed and my thoughts. If I had I would never own Leema.
This is why I don't normally ask for advice, I just tell you guys what I've demoed and my thoughts. If I had I would never own Leema.
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