What CD player/transport for £750?

[sarge]

Hi people

I've just purchased a Audiolab M-DAC and M-PWR and i'm looking to get a cd player. Any thoughts would be appreciated .....

 

[Leeps]

As you're presumably only using the CD as a transport with its digital outputs into the M-DAC, the obvious choice would be Audiolab's own M-CDT at £399. As your other components are a unique size, it would be difficult to find something else that matched visually. And as the M-DAC is doing the conversion, there didn't ought to be any difference with other players.

Out of interest, what speakers are you using? Are you happy with the result?

 

[sarge]

Sorry...

Im using Monitor Audio RX1's with QED Genesis cable and Chord Cobra XLR's to connect my pre to my power...i'm streaming at the moment using Spotify as i havent got a cd player. I'm very happy with the sound...very happy. It only excites me to think what it will be like with a decent cd player...

 

[sarge]

Hi thanks for your thoughts. I'm considering the M-CDT but i'm sure i'll upgrade in the future and thought the M-CDT is a bit limited in the sense its designed specially for the M-DAC....what will it be like to sell in the future? It comes with no remote and has no display. This is why i wanted any ideas....ive thought about a Cyrus 6se but then wondered if id be wasting the M-DAC's capabilities and should look at something like the Cyrus CDT instead? Only the £750 price tag scares me slightly...

You're correct when talking dimensions. I'm looking to purchase a small cd player but i'm not sure of any other cd player/transports that are excellent quality and also " small "?

Regards

Sarge

 

[Leeps]

Yes there are some strange exclusions from the M-CDT's spec sheet.

However your choice of CD may depend most on how you see the rest of your system being upgraded. If you're very happy with the sound I wouldn't change it too much! There are many people who've chased the upgrading rainbow and spent lots of money only to find they have a sound they like less than before. You have been warned!

The M-DAC is a very well respected piece of kit and I would imagine your RX1's are very capable speakers (I've previously owned the MA Radius R270HD's which share the tweeters of the RX1 and my current GX50's share similar midrange drivers, so I can vaguely imagine how good they must be!)

So the way I'm thinking is that a future upgrade of most benefit would be a more capable power amp to provide better bass grip of your RX1's. Again I suppose Audiolab's 8200P would be an obvious choice (depending on your budget), albeit a full width one. May I ask how do you find the bass from the M-PWR/RX1's? My own preference tends to be for a fast and tight bass; I don't actually like too much or too deep a bass as it seems to get in the way of the music rather than complementing it.

Have you considered used at all? If you were considering Cyrus, there are usually loads of CD players on Ebay to choose from. As long as you were using the digital output it ought to be ok with your system, although I'd not consider partnering the Cyrus house sound with RX1's if using the analogue output.

Sorry, waffling now, but hope that gives you some ideas. Other half width CD players include Musical Fidelity's M1 CDT (transport only), Leema Elements CD transport & the top-loading (and very well respected) Rega Apollo R. Although you'd probably want to use the Apollo's internal DAC, which your current system doesn't permit.

Before upgrading, just demo demo demo and take your RX1's with you.

 

[sarge]

I dont see myself upgrading my amp set up for sometime yet. Its just probably me being cautious regarding the M-CDT when it comes to future upgrading it. I use ebay and think if people are looking for a transport then they'd have to have an M-DAC to be interested. So....for just future reasons im thinking other transport or cd player...

As regarding bass....im happy. Likewise im not bass hungry and find the RX1's to be if anything a little bass heavy at times. Ive got my heart set on small hifi so a different power amp to compliment my speakers would have to be small...only im not bothered to upgrade anyway...im very happy with my Audiolab set amp

Firstly i need a cd option . Whats your opinion in using a cd player opposed to a transport? In theory not utilising the M-DAC's capabilities? In particular the Cyrus brand? But any other small cd player?

 

[sarge]

Again sorry im new to forums...

Thanks for your opinions. Much appreciated....ill check out your suggestions

 

[sarge]

Again sorry im new to forums...

Thanks for your opinions. Much appreciated....ill check out your suggestions

 

[Leeps]

As regarding bass....im happy. Likewise im not bass hungry and find the RX1's to be if anything a little bass heavy at times. Ive got my heart set on small hifi so a different power amp to compliment my speakers would have to be small...only im not bothered to upgrade anyway...im very happy with my Audiolab set amp

OK, that's fair enough. Although a more powerful amp would probably help keep the bass tighter and better controlled. But if you're happy with the system as it is I'd change it as little as possible, just buy the M-CDT and enjoy the music for many years to come.

 

[steve_1979]

As you're presumably only using the CD as a transport with its digital outputs into the M-DAC, the obvious choice would be Audiolab's own M-CDT at £399. As your other components are a unique size, it would be difficult to find something else that matched visually. And as the M-DAC is doing the conversion, there didn't ought to be any difference with other players.

+1

As it's only being used as the transport into an external DAC any CD transport with a digital output will do as they will all sound the same. A £30 Tesco DVD player jobbie would be the most sensible choice and will sound identical to the Audiolab. Also at £30 it won't matter if it breaks down and needs replacing.

However... IMO you should still go for the Audiolab M-CDT anyway simply because you can afford it and it'll aesthetically match your Audiolab DAC and amplifier so it'll look pretty (I love the look of matching separates when they're all from same brand).

 

[Reijer]

TEAC has also small components. The Reference serie is 29 cm wide and it's a great serie.

 

[James7]

All the obvious choices have already been mentioned. I am not convinced that transports make no difference (I heard a demonstration that compared a Bal Canto CD2 as a transport with a much cheaper alternative and there was no doubt the transport made a very noticeable difference), but I doubt you would find much to choose between those mentioned in terms of sound quality alone. The Audiolab seems the obvious choice despite the lack of screen - an odd omission that, but I must admit I very rarely look at the screen on my CD player. The Musical Fidelity might be worth considering if you feel you need a screen, and if you are worried about selling on later, the fact it is equipped with an AES/EBU digital output means it offers a useful feature over and anove the competition. The Rega Apollo R has an inbuilt DAC but that doesn't mean it cannot be used as a transport. Cyrus is an option too - they have clearly spent a lot of time over the years developing their transports.

 

[sarge]

Thanks a lot people for the responses. I think I'm gonna go with the M-CDT. I'd love the Cyrus transport but at almost twice the price I can't justify it....