Best CD player under 5000

CARY 303 : VIEWS, OPINIONS INVITED AS CD PLAYER AROUND
USD 3000

I bought the cary 303 after trying the rega planet and rotel 991. The rega was a big dissapointment -- mainly in myself for getting caught up in the hype. The rotel was a pretty nice player esp. at its new list price of $1000 -- non fatiguing . The cary was a little more extended than the rotel at both ends -- and very smooth. If it has a fault it may not be as dynamic as some big dollar players but it is good enough for me. I listen to all types of music and it does a good job with any source.

Hi in the interest of diplomacy may I suggest the Marantz SA-1? It plays CD's as well as any high end dedicated CD player, while SACD performance is superb. You can also try the Sony SCD-1, which is more punchy but less transparent, and also plays both SACD's and CD's. I myself have more than 500 CD's that I have collected over the years, the vast majority of which have not been released in SACD format (it's not just for fun that manufacturers have made all the new format players backward compatible with CD's). SACD and DVD-A recording/playback formats are superior to that of CDs, but a top notch CD player (and I don't consider a Rega Planet a top CD player, unless you scale for value, which is pointless if you are looking for absolute performance at a price point) will sound better than all but the top of the range SACD/DVD-A players.

czbbcl, what kinda preamp do ya have? i, too, was innerested in better cd-sound, but i listen to fm & analog more than cd, so i *really* wanted to upgrade my preamp. in the process, i found that a killer toob preamp (mite be true w/killer s/s preamps, too - i dunno), besides greatly improving my winyl & fm, pretty-much leveled the playing field w/cd-players, at least w/those under ~$3000. an $1800 alchemist cd-player & a $3000 resolution-audio cd-50 offered no meaningful improvements over my retail $500 nad cd-changer when run thru a cary slp98, a rogue 99, & a melos music-director preamp. (i ended up w/the melos). & it's not like my system isn't revealing - my meret re monitors, w/wery detailed focal inwerted-dome tweets & eton carbon-fibre woofs, are wertically biamped w/a pair of electrocompaniet amps, & i run a subwoofer system below 60hz, w/a pair of vmps larger subs. i own the the alchemist, btw, & it's in the basement, awaiting its place in a second system i'm gonna set-up in the compootah room. the nad, w/its 5-disc conwenience, remains in the main rig.

so, if ya got $5k burning a hole in yer pocket, ewe mite wanna consider splurging on a gnu top-line preamp, & spending only $500 or so, on a decent modern cd-player, like an ah-tjoeb or a cambridge audio, or...? that way, yule improve all yer other sources, & if/when the digital format wars are ever decided, yule be ready to buy, awreddy having a great preamp!

one person's opinion, doug s.

Buy the Marantz SA-1 player. I've had mine for about a month now, and it sounds better everyday. There is a definite break in period. I've had a lot of different and even more expensive players in my day. You will not be sorry with the Marantz. And no need for an outboard dac because it plays regular CDs the best I've heard. Thank you Marantz for making a superb product.