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How best to spend 2500 CD player for my system?

Hi all,

Seeking a little help here. I am looking to upgrade my CD player - either new or used is ok. Will spend upto $2500.

I mostly listen to Jazz (Miles, Coltrane etc), though will also listen to music by Van Morrison and others of similar ilk.

My system is an EAD Powermaster 2000 amp, EAD Theatermaster Signature processor, Sonus Faber Amati Homage for the front, Sonus Faber Solo CC, and Monitor Audio Silver 5's for the rear. Current sources are Arcam CD changer, and a Toshiba SD9200 DVD player, which is good for CD, but in my system it is far away from the processor (to be near the TV, and I worry about using long cables. (Perhaps I'm crazy and should stick with this for CD as well??) Cables to the front are Transparent Ultra, and to the CC and rear is some unknown brand.

Thanks for your input
seldon
sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
You can also pick up a separate DAC for audio, and use what you have now as a transport. Even a used Bel Canto DAC-1 for $650 will be a big improvement over what you have.
ender's avatar
ender
20 posts
 
Seldon has an EAD Signature as his prepro...IMO a better dac than a stock sony or classe cdp or bel canto dac1. And I don't think the prepro (the newer EAD models do) has analog bypass to hook up a cd player and dac.

Get a nice transport with ST-Optical or AES/EBU digital outputs (I believe the EAD has both digital inputs).
6chac
235 posts
 
Get a Wadia cd player with volume control. Then connect it directly to the amp. Unless you spend $10,000 or more on preamp, there is no preamp that can compare to direct connecting. Hope this help.

Regeards
lordgorian
133 posts
 
For running direct look at a resolution audio or a shanling piece. If you want a cd player for not running directt there is really only one obvious choice the electrocompaniet emc 1 mk II easily one of the best cd players in the world and it even beat out a linn cd 12 in one comparo.... thats what i would do....
kana813
956 posts
 
Get yourself a Sony 555ES SACD for about $600. new and
put some Bybee purifiers on the outputs $40.@ and you'll have a machine that performs just as good as the megabuck players with the fancy power supplies and capacitor mods.

If you feel the need to spend more money, put some Bybees
on the secondaries of the the transformers or get a PS Audio
power conditionary.

Spend the rest of your money on music.
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