MUSICRAFT
Well-known member
lydeard said:Many Thanks folks for your interest and replies. With respect however I think that you might be missing my point a little bit. My issue is that I am more than happy with the sound I get from my analogue front end so, as I see it (but will be corrected) there is no point in thinking about upgrading amp or speakers. I accept that doing this would likely give me an overall improvement but the performance gap between Vinyl and CDP would still be there. Anyway, to give you a bit more info for you to comment on my system is as follows:- Rega Planar 3 with Denon DL160 Cartridge. Marantz CD17 KI Sig CDP with Van Den Hul D102 Mk3 interconnects feeding - Unison Research 'Unico' Amp Gale XL315 speaker cable Castle Avon Speakers. I am using just standard Mains supply and cables as I live in (I think) a relatively 'clean' Mains area, ie well out in the countryside. I did audition one or two Mains cables at home a while ago and failed to be excited by them. Yes, I would be prepared to go for a separate DAC if you feel strongly this is my best option - any suggestions on what make/model ??. I note that 'The Record Spot' suggests valve based CD players. What are the strengths and weakness's of these ?. Compared to vinyl I would say that my Marantz sounds closed-in, hard and 'glassy'. It also has a less firm and tuneful bass and generally less attack. In summary, when I go to listen to vinyl after CD it's like someone has removed a thick blanket from front of speakers. Majority of music listened to is Soft Rock and Blues with a bit of Folk mixed in for a change. Very interested to hear what you all think. Lydeard
Hi lydeard
Thanks for your reply.
I am fully aware of he CD17 KI MK1 as i used to sell them.
For dedicated cd players then Rega's Saturn, Naim's CD5XS or CDX2.2 are ones to look at.
If you are happy to use your Marantz as a transport then look at using it with the Rega DAC or the truly superb Chord Electronics QBD76 DAC. The QBD76 DAC is also one of the few digital sources i've come across over the years whose performance is reminiscent to record players.
One of my clients uses a CD17 KI MK2 (which itself was quite an improvement over the CD17 KI MK1) with a QBD76 DAC. The improvement the QBD76 gives over the CD17 KI MK2 is stunning across the board. All things being equal then i have no doubt this result would also be repeated with the CD 17 KI MK1.
Btw, using a DAC such as the QBD76 will also give you the option of using other digital media.
All the best
Rick @ Musicraft