cd players with volume control

Frap. I think your wromg. My wadia 861 has more gain direct to my pass x 350 then i need, but the pass is 150db.

frap: you mind tellin' us where you got your data? i'd be particularly interested in learning which of the cd players you've used exhibits this characteristic. i'd also appreciate a listing of the cd's that you've found are recorded at unusually low volumes.

Well sir, the data is from 12 years ago;right about the time I abandoned the direct in approach. The data is from my personal experience. The cd player at the time was the Sony 707esd, a very fine unit I might add. The amplifiers were ARC tube units. The wire was MIT MI-330 E.
From memory, I recall 2 cds where enough gain could not be achieved.
1)William Boughton/ English String Orchestra/Music of Gerald Finzi/ Nimbus Records
2)Dire Straits-
Brothers in Arms
There were others, which is why I abandoned the direct in approach.
Say, I thought this was a discussion forum for people to help each other out. I am starting to get the impression that its a members only fraternity. I see I have been slammed on this thread. Perhaps my experience was an isolated case. Apologies if I was wrong

i admit i've never compared the pricy stuff such as accuphase & wadia - i guess i can't afford to wring that last *nth* of sound from a format that i never really liked that much, & is in imminent danger of being replaced. but, as far as more *reasonably* priced cd players go, it has been my experience that a preamp is a positive addition - even to the resolution audio cd50/cd55, which has been lauded as a great cd-player run straight-in to an amp. i was willing to spend up to, say, $1500, for a used resolution-audio cd-player, but i honestly found no meaningful improvements between this player & my $500 nad cd-changer, when run thru my melos preamp.

so, if ewe can afford a mega-buck cd-player, mebbe it *can* sound better run straight-in than when run thru a preamp, i dunno... but i do know, at least for me, anyway, that a less-expensive cd-player can definitely be improved by a top-notch preamp, and the preamp will, in fact, level the playing field between most any reasonably-decent modern player from at least $3k down to a lowly $500 cd *changer*. and, if ya listen to other sources, w/a great preamp ya get the benefits of great sound w/them, too! ;~)

one persons' opinion, doug s.

The accuphase is great stuff, if you can afford it. And Ive sure never heard of a single cd recorded at too low a level. They're all too loud.

But I had the impression that Yamski is a college kid on a tight budget. Denon 1650ar, Pioneer something 65, arent those more responsive to his needs?