An Esoteric dac is one of the best out there right now. So if you get on of the their cd players you will have one of the best cd and DACs.
Time For a CD Player Upgrade
I've been using a Rega Saturn Mk 2. I recently upgraded my turntable to the Mark Levinson 5105 w/ the Ortofon Quintet Black S. In comparison my CD's are sounding overly bright. Any thoughts on a comparable upgrade to my CD listening? My budget is about $4000-5000, new or used. The Hegel Viking looks interesting. Any recommendation for an upgrade will be appreciated.
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- 47 posts total
my suggestion is to look at the teac CD transport, it uses the VRDS clamping system which is the best in the world It's about $3,000 US and then you could take a look at the Wyred4sound 10th anniversary DAC it sells for $4,500 US and it's gone up against dacs 2 and 3 times the price and beaten them, one of the reviewers put it up against his VPI turntable with a $5,000 Japanese cartridge and he said that the 10th anniversary DAC was just as analog sounding, on that review I bought it and I totally agree one of the best DACS I've had in my system, and the other nice thing is that they give you a 30-day trial. if you don't like it you can send it back and get your money back, I didn't bother. |
+1 for the Ayre CD player... I have the Ayre_CX-7eMP. When launched, it was a "Class A" CD player (Stereophile magazine). I love it and have no need for a separates (DAC + Transport). Today they sell for very little (relative to your budget), if you can find one - usually ~$2k. . A non-MP version is currently on AG for $700 (asking price - 3rd PRICE DROP Ayre Acoustics CX-7e For Sale | Audiogon). Prior to a purchase, a quick call to Ayre will confirm the cost of an upgrade to the "MP" version, including a full bench-test. At that point you know what it would take to have an up-to-date, reliable, and serviceable unit (at a pretty low cost). Mine is not for sale, and I am not connected with the above mentioned offer. Good luck with your decision... |
- 47 posts total