Time For a CD Player Upgrade

Another vote here for a Modwright / Sony combo...the Sony 5400 I use has run without fault for 10+ years and sounds excellent to my ears.

One CDP not commonly referred to on this forum, but one that is a very attractive sounding device. Is the EAR Acute, it also enables other Digital Sources to be coupled to it.

In comparisons the CDT > DAC, this one is not able to be differentiated for being in any ways a under performer.

@pindac I almost mentioned the EAR Acute because a nice one came up for sale the other day (at the other US market place). They look fantastic, and especially being EAR, I bet it sounds amazing. As a bonus it also has balanced outs. I’d be all over that if I were OP.

Separate DACs can be cool, but I’ve heard plenty that are very "meh" to me. They can also sound quite different depending on which input / transport you use - adding complication and boxes. A well designed 1-box CD player sounds great, more often than not, and I’ve taken to burning my FLACs to CD-R when needed.

OP if you have not bought a player. By all means don’t buy used. Lasers do break.

The EAR Acute is a model I have heard as the supplied model and one having been experienced whilst undergoing Tube Rolling.

Additionally, I have also been present whilst a selection of Interconnects have been tried out.

There is a substantial gain to be had by doing such things, and the supplied version blew me away when first heard in the system it was demo'd in.  

Agree, its the only product category I don't buy used.