+2 on the Audiolab 6000CDT plus a DAC.
Better CD Sound: The Search
Went Big into Vinyl last 2 years, then re-discovered my many CD’s, mixing it up plenty now.
I continue to try and find a CD Player with better sound than my existing cheapo Sony Changer that surprisingly keeps on keeping on.
I am hoping recent upgrades to the system will more readily reveal differences:
99.9999 copper speaker wires and interconnects, locking rca connectors, mx110z tube tuner/preamp overhaul by Audio Classics; cayin a88t bias by VAS; 16 ohm L-Pads replacing 8 ohm pots; and finally a I bought a sound meter to balance/refine the speaker’s L-Pads (it ain’t easy) for the best sound ever.
.....................................
CD Quest So Far:
I want dual processors, go used to keep cost down, even consider older vintage.
1. my Onkyo Grand Integra (DX-7500 I think), fixed the damn drawer opening problem several times.
2. This cheapo Sony Changer given to me, eh, use if for parties, why not.
surprisingly sounded as good as the Onkyo to me and friends, gave the annoying Onkyo away.
3. tried used Oppo 83 Video Player for it’s audio
Laser was weak, ’no disc’, found it is a common problem with heavily used lasers. Back it went
4. lightly used Oppo 105. Everything worked, but didn’t sound better than the Sony. Oppo is big, single, expensive, not sellers fault, so I sold it myself rather than return it, lost $205. on that attempt.
5. ’new original stock’ KLH (made by?). played a few discs, then the discs started mis-tracking on discs I know are ok.
found small black bits clinging to the surface in the area of the problems (cds play from the inside out, just guess how far out). Turned out, the belt(s) were dried out, thus when put into motion after years of storage (where?), they shed bits of rubber. Back it went, full refund including return shipping. never compared it to the Sony’s sound
6. Resolved: if vintage, make sure belts are available, get a low price, open it up when it arrives, watch it move ... use, replace belts, return as last choice.
7. Just Bought Two, in transit, One Single; One 6 Disc Changer. (both with oem remotes and power cords, most for sale are missing).
a. Denon DVD-2910 Single Player (big dent on the top. $52. del’d, eBay) (crutchfield keeps old info on their site)
https://www.crutchfield.com/S-6TIPMQKBMUZ/p_033DV2910B/Denon-DVD-2910-Black.html
b. Onkyo Integra CDC-3.4 six disc changer (open box/demo) ($51. delivered) (bserplus.com)
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_164CDC34/Integra-CDC-3-4.html
c. a bag of belts. because I will be keeping something, and I have other old stuff with belts
https://www.ebay.com/itm/334135204014
d. spare rare OEM remote for Integra 3.4, eBay
Keeping My Ears Crossed!
I continue to try and find a CD Player with better sound than my existing cheapo Sony Changer that surprisingly keeps on keeping on.
I am hoping recent upgrades to the system will more readily reveal differences:
99.9999 copper speaker wires and interconnects, locking rca connectors, mx110z tube tuner/preamp overhaul by Audio Classics; cayin a88t bias by VAS; 16 ohm L-Pads replacing 8 ohm pots; and finally a I bought a sound meter to balance/refine the speaker’s L-Pads (it ain’t easy) for the best sound ever.
.....................................
CD Quest So Far:
I want dual processors, go used to keep cost down, even consider older vintage.
1. my Onkyo Grand Integra (DX-7500 I think), fixed the damn drawer opening problem several times.
2. This cheapo Sony Changer given to me, eh, use if for parties, why not.
surprisingly sounded as good as the Onkyo to me and friends, gave the annoying Onkyo away.
3. tried used Oppo 83 Video Player for it’s audio
Laser was weak, ’no disc’, found it is a common problem with heavily used lasers. Back it went
4. lightly used Oppo 105. Everything worked, but didn’t sound better than the Sony. Oppo is big, single, expensive, not sellers fault, so I sold it myself rather than return it, lost $205. on that attempt.
5. ’new original stock’ KLH (made by?). played a few discs, then the discs started mis-tracking on discs I know are ok.
found small black bits clinging to the surface in the area of the problems (cds play from the inside out, just guess how far out). Turned out, the belt(s) were dried out, thus when put into motion after years of storage (where?), they shed bits of rubber. Back it went, full refund including return shipping. never compared it to the Sony’s sound
6. Resolved: if vintage, make sure belts are available, get a low price, open it up when it arrives, watch it move ... use, replace belts, return as last choice.
7. Just Bought Two, in transit, One Single; One 6 Disc Changer. (both with oem remotes and power cords, most for sale are missing).
a. Denon DVD-2910 Single Player (big dent on the top. $52. del’d, eBay) (crutchfield keeps old info on their site)
https://www.crutchfield.com/S-6TIPMQKBMUZ/p_033DV2910B/Denon-DVD-2910-Black.html
b. Onkyo Integra CDC-3.4 six disc changer (open box/demo) ($51. delivered) (bserplus.com)
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_164CDC34/Integra-CDC-3-4.html
c. a bag of belts. because I will be keeping something, and I have other old stuff with belts
https://www.ebay.com/itm/334135204014
d. spare rare OEM remote for Integra 3.4, eBay
Keeping My Ears Crossed!
169 responses Add your response
Anyone try out better SD Card Reader sound? Over at 6moons, Srajan claims it's the best sound he's heard from any source. No more PCs and their noise, no spinning parts like a CD uses, and no added storage, streamers and what have you. The one he now uses is the S.M.S.L. SD-9 and he says it betters his previous Soundaware piece for less. The only downside is the not so sexy UI that SD readers use but it's a great way to store entire groups, genres, etc. The collections made can be easily stored taking up little space. I may try this somewhere down the road after I get the Technics S-G700M2 instead of committing another $3K for a CDT. All the best, Nonoise |
Yes to Denon. I’ve sold many over my audio sales days. And yes, definitely upper range for better, more natural sound. Currently auditioning an open-box Denon DCD-1600 - a pure CD/SACD player, no ins and outs, just a straight player with no frills. Retail of $1500. I found an open-box for $680, and it’s spotless. |
I am using an Audiolab CDT6000 transport connected to a Denafrips Pontus II DAC and the sound is amazing! The Pontus which is an R2R ladder DAC has been a game changer for my system. The Pontus increased the soundstage, brought more airiness to the music and smoothed out much of the digital harshness associated with CDs. I have over 2.5k CDs so the Pontus was a great investment. I also run my Bluesound Node 2i streamer into the Pontus. I agree that having a great standalone DAC is an essential component for a digital system. The CDT6000 is also one of the more affordable CD transports currently available. |
Denon has made some really great CD players over the years. You have to get their higher end lines though for them to really be high quality. A great CD/said player with 24 bit processing and amazon build quality is the Denon 3910. It’s maybe 15 years old, but was 1500 new then, and it can be found sometimes from $150-200 now. That player would destroy anything under $800 new today. Keep it simple buy a high end used CD player and rely on your preamp or the processing from the CD player for DA conversions. Don’t forget the high quality interconnects not came with my DVD player spares, yes it all makes a difference, some more than others but interconnects make a massive difference, if your downstream gear can reveal it. |
Charles I was very impressed with the RS2 with its carbon fibre floating mechanism and it’s playback sound quality, and the retail price for what you get is a absolute steel. However I got spoiled and lazy managing my music library using a server over the years . The distributors home i can see from my back balcony I asked if I can use the RS2 once again , playback as sensational as it is a transport is a tough sell . |
Onkyo Integra CDC-3.4 six disc changerI have an Onkyo DX-390 six disc changer, which is virtually identical to the Integra. I seem to recall the Integra is an up market version with better components. With considerable internal shielding around the mains and power supply it outputs a decent digital signal from the coax socket. Mine's connected to the Denon AVC-X8500H coaxial input. The Denon is used as a Pre Amp only and I've also shielded the sensitive processing from the power supply. |
I tend not to buy used stuff that has a mechanical component. But it can really help leverage your buying power. You are fishing in the real low end of pond. Better sounding and more reliable is going to come from an old high end deck. Go to Stereophile and look at old recommended component brands. My first jaw drop came from frustration from a highly rated (as if it were a high end product) Onkyo tape deck. I auditioned an ancient first generation Nakamichi tape deck… it completely blew the Onkyo away… as if the Onkyo was a plastic transistor radio. After that I realized the value of high end gear. BTW, a CD player is a physical transport, Streamer, and DAC. The folks recommending using one of your current CD players for it’s physical transport and streamer and buying a better DAC can get you a sizable increase in performance. It can also be a stepping stone to improving all the pieces… eventually just going to streaming… a good streamer / DAC can sounds as good or better than a CD player. Your choice in paths. |
While I have purchased preowned audio gear, I am more hesitant on preowned CD players. I too went through tray issue with an original purchase Integra Research CD/SACD player that had pretty light usage. It was out of warranty and no longer sold when it went down. I found local repair, but tray open/close issues came up again relatively soon, but still usable. Parts availability such as lasers and trays, especially now, can be difficult on older units. I too have an older Oppo 83 SE, but primarily used it for Blu-Ray rentals. I have currently moved to streaming music from ripped CDs to hard drives on my server and Qobuz, and also streaming video rather than discs. I still have both the players, though currently not in use. I like the recommendations for using existing workable unit as transport to a nice DAC. I do not have the same reticence on purchasing preowned DACs. I have changed DACs and may explore putting the IR player back in rack and trying it as a transport as well. Admittedly though, I am pretty hooked on the ease of use of streaming music and playlists rather than individual disc. |
Soix this past weekend we listened to the Musician Aquarius dac with various sources a couple streamers / servers including the Project transport. The combination of the Aquarius and transport was the biggest surprise from the others that gave up using CD transports years ago I’m one in the strong belief it’s what your dac is fed that lights up the experience.. |
Agree what you really need is a good DAC. As you’re obviously a vinyl fan I’d heavily point you to R2R DACs as they tend to have more of that organic, natural sound to them. I’m about to pull the trigger on a Musician Pegasus that’s $1100 new, and I’d encourage you to explore that option as well. Best of luck. |
Project Audio new transport using a completely new drive designed by the original Phillips designer is really something exceptional sound wise , if sound quality is what you are looking for. At under 3K I can say with confidence it will put to shame a train load of streamers and servers ,…My reference server was the Evo Aeon at 3 times the price however though I returned the Project Audio RS2 back to the distributor I had it long enough for a good long listen . |