No real hifi is complete without a cd player

[matthewpiano]

I've had my love for CDs re-kindled since I bought the Mission Cyrus PCM II CD player in February. It sounds so completely different to the same CDs ripped and played from a computer through my external HRT II+ DAC. No ABX needed, and really no mystery as to why they sound different either. It's all about the difference in sound between a classic TD1541A mated to an analogue section built on two 10"x8" and 6"x8" circuit boards packet with 'traditional' electronics, versus everything-on-a-chip supported by a few made-by-the-million surface-mount components shoved in a ***-packet sized box.

good machine you got...like my pcm7000 full of electronics! Mine hums slightly but other than that it's brilliant..the old machines still very good..cheap too! Sometimes I wonder why people buy new cd players within certain budget as these old machines cost peanuts by comparison and are better..baffles me?

My Rotel RCD965BX is still the best CD player I've had. More involving and enjoyable than any of the newer ones I've owned. The big concern with older players, of course, is that transports and lasers don't last forever, and replacement parts for some can't be sourced, but let's hope they continue working for a good while yet.

 

[ID.]

I don't know what's the deal with CDs but when I play one after listening to streaming flacs and 320AAC from PC, I get a shock how better it sounds in the sense of drama and dynamics. Must be louder or something, but I like it.

You, sir are a wind-up merchant. Unless you are serious this time Vlad. ;-)

I am serious (you haven't noticed the same yourself?). I think the reason why this happens is the analogue section capabilities of DACs / sound cards / audio interfaces compared to well made CDPs (good solid 2Vrms, SNRof 115dB, <10ps jitter).

Everyone is so obsessed over the damn DA chip. My logic tells me transport mechanism, filtering and analogue output are the makes and breaks of CDPs. Maybe DA chips were a factor in 1987, but certanly not in 2016.

i haven't noticed, but I don't have a CD player around to compare with. Then again I'm prepared to believe my DAC has a decent analogue output stage and filtering, etc. power supply not a wall wart.

 

[keeper of the quays]

I've had my love for CDs re-kindled since I bought the Mission Cyrus PCM II CD player in February. It sounds so completely different to the same CDs ripped and played from a computer through my external HRT II+ DAC. No ABX needed, and really no mystery as to why they sound different either. It's all about the difference in sound between a classic TD1541A mated to an analogue section built on two 10"x8" and 6"x8" circuit boards packet with 'traditional' electronics, versus everything-on-a-chip supported by a few made-by-the-million surface-mount components shoved in a ***-packet sized box.

good machine you got...like my pcm7000 full of electronics! Mine hums slightly but other than that it's brilliant..the old machines still very good..cheap too! Sometimes I wonder why people buy new cd players within certain budget as these old machines cost peanuts by comparison and are better..baffles me?

My Rotel RCD965BX is still the best CD player I've had. More involving and enjoyable than any of the newer ones I've owned. The big concern with older players, of course, is that transports and lasers don't last forever, and replacement parts for some can't be sourced, but let's hope they continue working for a good while yet.

yes agreed..when mine packs up a sad day it will be..a Viking burial I think, on a raft of coppiced timber.i pile up a load of those freebie cds around my fallen heroic machine..sluice the whole lot with genuine turpentine..and send it off to the Valhalla of cd players..where the old transports and lasers and dacs will greet mission pcm7000 with cheerful applause!

 

[drummerman]

I've had my love for CDs re-kindled since I bought the Mission Cyrus PCM II CD player in February. It sounds so completely different to the same CDs ripped and played from a computer through my external HRT II+ DAC. No ABX needed, and really no mystery as to why they sound different either. It's all about the difference in sound between a classic TD1541A mated to an analogue section built on two 10"x8" and 6"x8" circuit boards packet with 'traditional' electronics, versus everything-on-a-chip supported by a few made-by-the-million surface-mount components shoved in a ***-packet sized box.

good machine you got...like my pcm7000 full of electronics! Mine hums slightly but other than that it's brilliant..the old machines still very good..cheap too! Sometimes I wonder why people buy new cd players within certain budget as these old machines cost peanuts by comparison and are better..baffles me?

My Rotel RCD965BX is still the best CD player I've had. More involving and enjoyable than any of the newer ones I've owned. The big concern with older players, of course, is that transports and lasers don't last forever, and replacement parts for some can't be sourced, but let's hope they continue working for a good while yet.

That is true but many can (be repaired) easily and cheaply.

For me its not so much sound quality per se (lets face it, the quality varies so much between recordings, that goes for any format not just cd) but the vast amount of music out there on cd which makes the format necessary and, imho, a stayer for many, many years yet to come.

 

[matthewpiano]

As a format, the opportunities offered by CD to add large amounts of music to a collection with relatively affordable outlay are currently fantastic. The 'Original Album Series' 5CD sets are a great way to plug gaps, many artists' albums are being collected into attractive boxes (Springsteen, Todd Rundgren, Cars, Roxy Music etc. have all had nice sets recently), and in the classical and jazz arenas there have been some fabulous big boxes (DG111, Decca Sound, Columbia Jazz, Berlin Phil, Vienna Phil, Glenn Gould Remastered, Brendel Complete Philips Recordings etc. etc.). Stuff that has been unavailable for years has also been reissued, including some of the discs in those big classical sets, and also material like the output from the band The Long Ryders, recently issued in a nicely executed set by Cherry Red.

There have also been some very nice reissues of older albums with additional content. For example, the on-going series of Jethro Tull hardbook reissues is excellent, and I'm looking forward very much to deluxe reissues of some of the classic Barclay James Harvest albums (Everyone Is Everybody Else and Gone To Earth are both due out on Esoteric in June, including new remasters of the original album, and new remixes from the master tapes). A particularly good reissue in recent years was the deluxe edition of 'Tales Of Mystery & Imagination' by Alan Parsons Project, which included both the original album mix, and the later version with the added guitar parts. Even albums like T'Pau's 'Bridge Of Spies' have had very good extended reissues.

 

[knaithrover]

As a format, the opportunities offered by CD to add large amounts of music to a collection with relatively affordable outlay are currently fantastic. The 'Original Album Series' 5CD sets are a great way to plug gaps, many artists' albums are being collected into attractive boxes (Springsteen, Todd Rundgren, Cars, Roxy Music etc. have all had nice sets recently), and in the classical and jazz arenas there have been some fabulous big boxes (DG111, Decca Sound, Columbia Jazz, Berlin Phil, Vienna Phil, Glenn Gould Remastered, Brendel Complete Philips Recordings etc. etc.). Stuff that has been unavailable for years has also been reissued, including some of the discs in those big classical sets, and also material like the output from the band The Long Ryders, recently issued in a nicely executed set by Cherry Red.

There have also been some very nice reissues of older albums with additional content. For example, the on-going series of Jethro Tull hardbook reissues is excellent, and I'm looking forward very much to deluxe reissues of some of the classic Barclay James Harvest albums (Everyone Is Everybody Else and Gone To Earth are both due out on Esoteric in June, including new remasters of the original album, and new remixes from the master tapes). A particularly good reissue in recent years was the deluxe edition of 'Tales Of Mystery & Imagination' by Alan Parsons Project, which included both the original album mix, and the later version with the added guitar parts. Even albums like T'Pau's 'Bridge Of Spies' have had very good extended reissues.

Agreed, I've recently bought a 5 album set featuring the early output of Dr John and it only cost me £5.99 seriously cheap especially considering cd albums singularly cost more than that 20yrs ago!!! I don't buy many cd's now after being seduced by Tidal's quality but I will always have a cd player. Incidentally my current immaculate CD6002 only cost me £50 and for the price sounds amazing (my CD63 KI sig unfortunately died..)

 

[Daz B]

My Marantz CD63 is now 23 years old this was my first and only CD player I have ever owned. I only own about 150 CD with quite a few bought recently from charity shops.

 

[Benedict_Arnold]

Ten years ago I would have agreed.I still buy all my music on CD, but I immediately burn FLACs from them and replay those off my media PC or A Fiio X3 if I'm in the car or offshore.

Back in the [ahem]ties it was cool to have bookshelves full of LPS, CDs, cassettes, 8-tracks even, but not now. They take up too much space and they're far too easy to damage. Yes, even CDs. So I burn FLACs and put the CDs away in the cupboard out of sight (and light).

The only reason I could think of for having a proper CDP these days is for the ever-decreasing chance of a friend coming round clutching the latest and greatest release in his / her hands saying "you must listen to this, right now...".

 

[Blacksabbath25]

I've been reading around the Internet about CD players and the reviews on them and one was about the roksan m2 CD player which cost around £1700 to buy and some of the reviews where Saying this is the most finest CD player you can buy in this price range . Natural sounding , pick out every detail , and can go very low on the bass side of things with good sound stage. are we talking about a amplifier or CD player here ? And then I came across a utube video of the m2 CD player with the lid off it looked like it had a cheap cd transport and 2 power supply's and good electronics in side . So is it possible for a CD player to give these different sound qualities. ? If so what would be the daddy of all CD players then if you had the money and why ? With a quality transport inside

 

[MajorFubar]

My Rotel RCD965BX is still the best CD player I've had. More involving and enjoyable than any of the newer ones I've owned. The big concern with older players, of course, is that transports and lasers don't last forever, and replacement parts for some can't be sourced, but let's hope they continue working for a good while yet.

Reputedly a very great player. I never got to hear one but would like to. If I recall correctly it was an early bitstream player, which I know some people say sound a bit glassy in the midrange, but that's totally second hand opinion and definitely not my own. I think you only have to look at the acolades it received and the fact it sold by the truckload to realise it deserves its cult status.

 

[MajorFubar]

So is it possible for a CD player to give these different sound qualities. ?

You know me, Skeptic is my middle name, but IMO, definitely. It's no real mystery why. The analogue section in a digital player or DAC is (was?) far more than just the DAC chip, there is (was?) a truckload of additional circuitry for filtering, smoothing, and tailoring the sound. That's [one of the reasons] why CDPs which share the same DAC chip often still sound different to each other, though often you can still hear that 'family' sound.

If so what would be the daddy of all CD players then if you had the money and why ? With a quality transport inside

Good question. I'd love to hear what's available in the four-figure-upwards bracket, but I don't have that buying power so why torture myself. Though part of me expects to be underwhelmed by what it would actually buy me in terms of sonic improvements. I must have heard two dozen CD players over the years, and OK I've never heard anything that costs as much as a car, but I've heard enough to form the opinion that throwing more and more money at digital sources returns the least cost-effective dividends. Other opinions are available, most vocally from ThompsonUXB, but to be fair he's entitled to them.

 

[Benedict_Arnold]

( if current oil price ever gets me back offshore).

You too eh? Got laid off at the end of January.

On the bright side, here in Texas, it's been nice weather for catching the sun and doing outdoor stuff around the house.

On the downside, I'm not living on Deeside, Aberdeenshire any more (or is that a bright side this time of year?), my mortgage is 10 times what it was back then, and most of all my Ducati 916 is long gone...

 

[Al ears]

Ten years ago I would have agreed.I still buy all my music on CD, but I immediately burn FLACs from them and replay those off my media PC or A Fiio X3 if I'm in the car or offshore.

Back in the [ahem]ties it was cool to have bookshelves full of LPS, CDs, cassettes, 8-tracks even, but not now. They take up too much space and they're far too easy to damage. Yes, even CDs. So I burn FLACs and put the CDs away in the cupboard out of sight (and light).

The only reason I could think of for having a proper CDP these days is for the ever-decreasing chance of a friend coming round clutching the latest and greatest release in his / her hands saying "you must listen to this, right now...".

Good choice Sir. I do exactly the same. Still buy CD s and burn to NAS and my X3, soon to be replaced if I can afford it to a Questyle QP1R ( if current oil price ever gets me back offshore). It is still the cheapest way to acquire, and own music.

My current Oppo 105 is networked, can read from USB and plays Blu-Ray and any silver disc. Don't think I would ever go back to a CD player per se.

To be honest you'd have to find a very special CDP to compete in the market considering the number of Universal Players that do everything so well.

 

[MajorFubar]

The only reason I could think of for having a proper CDP these days is for the ever-decreasing chance of a friend coming round clutching the latest and greatest release in his / her hands saying "you must listen to this, right now...".

To be honest you'd have to find a very special CDP to compete in the market considering the number of Universal Players that do everything so well.

Tainted perhaps by my own experience, IMO the only real justification to go back to a CDP is buying something which sounds sufficiently different to your existing solution to make it worth your while. At the extreme end of the market you would expect a Metronome Le Player or a Burmester 089 to be where it's at if your pockets are deep enough. But with my limited budget, I managed to buy something that sounds sufficiently different to the modern DAC I was already using (and thus justifying the purchase) by buying a CD player that is old, mid-range and contemporarily well-regarded.

 

[Benedict_Arnold]

The only reason I could think of for having a proper CDP these days is for the ever-decreasing chance of a friend coming round clutching the latest and greatest release in his / her hands saying "you must listen to this, right now...".

To be honest you'd have to find a very special CDP to compete in the market considering the number of Universal Players that do everything so well.

Tainted perhaps by my own experience, IMO the only real justification to go back to a CDP is buying something which sounds sufficiently different to your existing solution to make it worth your while. At the extreme end of the market you would expect a Metronome Le Player or a Burmester 089 to be where it's at if your pockets are deep enough. But with my limited budget, I managed to buy something that sounds sufficiently different to the modern DAC I was already using (and thus justifying the purchase) by buying a CD player that is old, mid-range and contemporarily well-regarded.

I'm sure the Law of Diminishing returns applies to CDPs as much as to anything else, but if you find a gem that appeals to your ears at a knock-down price, that's great.

My last expensive CDP was a Cyrus CD-XTSE coupled to a DAC-X. It sounded superb, perhaps due to the Cyrus Pre-X, X-Powers and ProAc Studio 140s it fed, and if I had the cash burning a hole in my pocket I would certainly consider the same seetup or the Signature replacements all over again. HOWEVER, I would want to compare the sound from a streamed FLAC, say into a Cyrus streamer or DAC-XP, to that of said CDP and DAC before I parted with my cash.

And the 21st Century is all about convenience. We may wax lyrically about having to get up half-way through DSOTM on vynil to flip it over, or give the needle a nudge when it got stuck, but these days I'm even too flipping lazy to get up and change one CD for another. Then there's the fact I can play my stuff in different rooms, on different floors, without having to cart CDs about, and hiding the things away stops the "little cherubs" from nicking them as well!

 

[Macspur]

It took me a long time and a lot of demoing to find the CDP of my choice and now that I've got the EMC1UP, it would take something like a Burmester 061 to better it and as that's way out of my price range, it's here to stay.

I did recently buy a PS Audio DAC to hook up to my Sonos and this has improved Spotify immensely, but as long as I've got the Electro, CD will always be King

Mac

www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net

 

[keeper of the quays]

The only reason I could think of for having a proper CDP these days is for the ever-decreasing chance of a friend coming round clutching the latest and greatest release in his / her hands saying "you must listen to this, right now...".

To be honest you'd have to find a very special CDP to compete in the market considering the number of Universal Players that do everything so well.

Tainted perhaps by my own experience, IMO the only real justification to go back to a CDP is buying something which sounds sufficiently different to your existing solution to make it worth your while. At the extreme end of the market you would expect a Metronome Le Player or a Burmester 089 to be where it's at if your pockets are deep enough. But with my limited budget, I managed to buy something that sounds sufficiently different to the modern DAC I was already using (and thus justifying the purchase) by buying a CD player that is old, mid-range and contemporarily well-regarded.

I'm sure the Law of Diminishing returns applies to CDPs as much as to anything else, but if you find a gem that appeals to your ears at a knock-down price, that's great. 

My last expensive CDP was a Cyrus CD-XTSE coupled to a DAC-X.  It sounded superb, perhaps due to the Cyrus Pre-X, X-Powers and ProAc Studio 140s it fed, and if I had the cash burning a hole in my pocket I would certainly consider the same seetup or the Signature replacements all over again.  HOWEVER, I would want to compare the sound from a streamed FLAC, say into a Cyrus streamer or DAC-XP, to that of said CDP and DAC before I parted with my cash.

And the 21st Century is all about convenience.  We may wax lyrically about having to get up half-way through DSOTM on vynil to flip it over, or give the needle a nudge when it got stuck, but these days I'm even too flipping lazy to get up and change one CD for another.  Then there's the fact I can play my stuff in different rooms, on different floors, without having to cart CDs about, and hiding the things away stops the "little cherubs" from nicking them as well!

that Cyrus cd player and dac that you mentioned are the ones my friend has..£900 the pair secondhand! Through his naim kit and esl speakers they are truly superb.and I think if people heard them they would understand just how good cd can be!

 

[DIB]

My two main sources are my Creek CD player and Squeezebox Touch (through the Caiman) playing internet radio and Spotify Premium.

I couldn't imagine not having a CD player, I love the format, and in the Creek I have an excellent disc spinner. My CDs take up a prominent position in the front room, I think they look great and have not been consigned to the loft, even though I've ripped every single one to FLAC files over the years on the off chance that I might get a NAS in the future.

If I could only just find a matching Creek Evolution FM/AM tuner then I'd be complete.

.

 

[keeper of the quays]

Ten years ago I would have agreed.I still buy all my music on CD, but I immediately burn FLACs from them and replay those off my media PC or A Fiio X3 if I'm in the car or offshore.

Back in the [ahem]ties it was cool to have bookshelves full of LPS, CDs, cassettes, 8-tracks even, but not now.  They take up too much space and they're far too easy to damage.  Yes, even CDs.  So I burn FLACs and put the CDs away in the cupboard out of sight (and light).

The only reason I could think of for having a proper CDP these days is for the ever-decreasing chance of a friend coming round clutching the latest and greatest release in his / her hands saying "you must listen to this, right now...".

 

Good choice Sir. I do exactly the same. Still buy CD s and burn to NAS and my X3, soon to be replaced if I can afford it to a Questyle QP1R ( if current oil price ever gets me back offshore). It is still the cheapest way to acquire, and own music.

My current Oppo 105 is networked, can read from USB and plays Blu-Ray and any silver disc. Don't think I would ever go back to a CD player per se.

To be honest you'd have to find a very special CDP to compete in the market considering the number of Universal Players that do everything so well.

I think universal players are fine..i own a arcam one..it certainly plays dvds better than cds! Yes it's good it plays sacd too! But my old mission pcm 7000 is better..my newer quad cdp2 is in a different league to all my other cd players..its not that special it's just very good! My friends Cyrus is even better..cd playback on good machines shows cd is fab..and you will never hear that on a universal player..it will be good but not jaw dropping?

 

[jonathanRD]

My Rotel RCD965BX is still the best CD player I've had. More involving and enjoyable than any of the newer ones I've owned. The big concern with older players, of course, is that transports and lasers don't last forever, and replacement parts for some can't be sourced, but let's hope they continue working for a good while yet.

Reputedly a very great player. I never got to hear one but would like to. If I recall correctly it was an early bitstream player, which I know some people say sound a bit glassy in the midrange, but that's totally second hand opinion and definitely not my own. I think you only have to look at the acolades it received and the fact it sold by the truckload to realise it deserves its cult status.

Oh Dear! - my Rotel RCD965BX is gathering dust in my loft. It started 'playing up' so I replaced it with the Rega Apollo CDP in 2012. From memory I bought it around 1992 so it lasted 20 years!

 

[jonathanRD]

An amp, pair of speakers and a Chromecast Audio playing (via a tablet or phone) Spotify Premium maybe for many all they need to enjoy music at a reasonable quality. If you don't already have lots of CD's and a CDP, I can see many poeple wanting to get into HiFi by just choosing the streaming option.

Yes the quality is better using my CDP, but I spent 2.5 hrs last night chilling listening to Spotify through the Chromecast Audio - it's more than good enough and I didn't sit thinking 'oooh it's not as good as a CD' - I just enjoyed listening to the music.

Personally I wont ditch my CDP, but I can see many people not requiring one at all.

 

[Andrewjvt]

An amp, pair of speakers and a Chromecast Audio playing (via a tablet or phone) Spotify Premium maybe for many all they need to enjoy music at a reasonable quality. If you don't already have lots of CD's and a CDP, I can see many poeple wanting to get into HiFi by just choosing the streaming option.

Yes the quality is better using my CDP, but I spent 2.5 hrs last night chilling listening to Spotify through the Chromecast Audio - it's more than good enough and I didn't sit thinking 'oooh it's not as good as a CD' - I just enjoyed listening to the music. 

Personally I wont ditch my CDP, but I can see many people not requiring one at all.

 

Could never go back to using a cd player after having all ripped into flac and using jriver. I cant even see myself getting up to change cds. Sometimes ill just want to change the song with a click.

The technology makes us impatient

 

[Blacksabbath25]

i am the other way round tired streaming and downloading albums i still think cds are far better then streaming but that is just me i like owning cds you can buy them cheap and when you play them on a good cd player cds sound very good and i can not see myself changing anything in the future

 

[jonathanRD]

An amp, pair of speakers and a Chromecast Audio playing (via a tablet or phone) Spotify Premium maybe for many all they need to enjoy music at a reasonable quality. If you don't already have lots of CD's and a CDP, I can see many poeple wanting to get into HiFi by just choosing the streaming option.

Yes the quality is better using my CDP, but I spent 2.5 hrs last night chilling listening to Spotify through the Chromecast Audio - it's more than good enough and I didn't sit thinking 'oooh it's not as good as a CD' - I just enjoyed listening to the music.

Personally I wont ditch my CDP, but I can see many people not requiring one at all.

Could never go back to using a cd player after having all ripped into flac and using jriver. I cant even see myself getting up to change cds. Sometimes ill just want to change the song with a click.

The technology makes us impatient

Actually, if I had the time to rip all my cd's onto a NAS, I probably would ditch my CDP.

 

[Andrewjvt]

An amp, pair of speakers and a Chromecast Audio playing (via a tablet or phone) Spotify Premium maybe for many all they need to enjoy music at a reasonable quality. If you don't already have lots of CD's and a CDP, I can see many poeple wanting to get into HiFi by just choosing the streaming option.

Yes the quality is better using my CDP, but I spent 2.5 hrs last night chilling listening to Spotify through the Chromecast Audio - it's more than good enough and I didn't sit thinking 'oooh it's not as good as a CD' - I just enjoyed listening to the music. 

Personally I wont ditch my CDP, but I can see many people not requiring one at all.

 

Could never go back to using a cd player after having all ripped into flac and using jriver. I cant even see myself getting up to change cds. Sometimes ill just want to change the song with a click.

The technology makes us impatient

Actually, if I had the time to rip all my cd's onto a NAS, I probably would ditch my CDP. 

I did take a while but now just have to do the new ones.