cd player that forgives bad cd recordings

5 1/2 year old thread????

+1 bar81! CD players are NOT tone controls! 

What the OP is asking for doesn't make much sense - not sure how a CD player can convey some semblance of accuracy while being romantically inaccurate on poorly recorded material.

What OP should look into is a preamp with tone controls - I believe that's exactly why tone controls were devised. 

Totally agree with rockyboy and loomisjohnson. Arcam CD players are excellent value. 

arcam cd73 or cd72

I have to agree with Photon 46. IMHO you're asking for the impossible. Consider a used Arcam FMJ23. Mine held its own against a modified Oppo 95.

I was extrememly impressed with the Doge6 from Pacific Valve, about $2K, with 30-day money back. I have been using the Ear Acute for over 2 years and I think it's excellent, although not the flavor of the month anymore. Both of these players, IMO are smooth and musical, but, unlike many other "musical" CD players, they dig deep into the music and capture all the little nuances like breathing, fret noise, piano pedal sounds - the little things that enhance the illusion of a live performance. I have the older Acute, but the new one has a DAC input for all that computer stuff if you like to play around.

Hi Kitegod,

the brand new "Densen B-475 Superleggera" or the brand new "Metronome Technologie CD8 Tube"; they are both amazing!

Best regards,

Let's hope you find one that wasn't altered or modified by the previous owner. You would at least hope he would have the honesty & integrity to divulge this information prior to the sale.

The Meridian 808s are mentioned as examples of what I would hope to find. They have a filter process and I've read the pros and cons. I would prefer a player without volume control.

It seems to me that these are contradictory goals. A system or components that reveals great recordings in all their glory isn't going to undergo a sonic transformation and suddenly roll off the sharp transients and sweeten edgy sound that mars sub-standard recordings. The Luxman d-05 I've been listening to has some of the quality I think you allude to, but when you play a "hot" recording through it, it still bites. The Marantz SA-11 series are sweet sounding, very pleasant players that can tame edginess, but they lack ultimate transparency IMO. Many people find the reference Marantz players to be a very livable compromise between revealing the best and taming the worst.

I can tell you one brand NOT to go with for playing CD-Rs and the like is NAD. I love NAD products and have some in my system now and in past years but it has been my experience that NAD players don't do well with these types of discs. Rotel on the other hand perform more reliably.

+1 For Meridian, had the 808.2, and now the 808.3, either will do what you seek.

As for what I've heard, if you have the coin, the Meridian 808.3 is the ticket.