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Comparing these CD players with my gear...

Hi folks, 

I'm always messing around with CD players. A longtime audio friend of mine says I have a CD fetish... well, he's probably right. In a medium that is slowly dying, I'm still spinning discs more than ever. I stream too, but there still something awesome about taking a CD or LP and placing it in/onto a machine to play the sweet music we all love. 

Anyway, in my latest jaunt for something new, I've put together my latest list of players that have caught my eye for one reason of another. My gear consists of a Creek 4330SE integrated amp and Vandersteen 2C speakers. Cables are DH Labs Q-10's and Air Matrix interconnects. 

So what are your thoughts/impressions/comments on the synergies of the following CD players and how they would sound with my gear. I'm most curious about the Naim, Cambridge Audio and Myryad. 

Naim CD3.5
Cambridge Audio 840c
Myryad MCD600
Cal Audio Labs Icon mkII Power Boss
Marantz CD6006 (or CD6005)
Rotel RCD-1072




jsbach1685
Post removed 
mgreen27
147 posts
 

"Why not look at the analog section of the dac as well? I think you’ll find all the players mentioned use dac data textbook I/V stage and output stages, which are just opamps."

I've owned 3 of the players on the OP's list and I have a fair amount of time with 2 others. They all sound different. Audio is hands on. If you want good sound you have to be proactive. That means listening to as much gear as you can. If you make buying decisions based on spec sheets, that's what your system will sound like. A spec sheet.

ranjan
35 posts
 
An Eastern Electric Minimax is within your price range if bought used. It is tube based and is as close to analog sounding as any single unit I have heard. Good luck on your search. 
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

mgreen27

"Why not look at the analog section of the dac as well? I think you’ll find all the players mentioned use dac data textbook I/V stage and output stages, which are just opamps."

I’ve owned 3 of the players on the OP’s list and I have a fair amount of time with 2 others. They all sound different. Audio is hands on. If you want good sound you have to be proactive. That means listening to as much gear as you can. If you make buying decisions based on spec sheets, that’s what your system will sound like. A spec sheet.

This is why most of the one mentioned have text book I/V and analogue stages, nothing special.

But if you really want to be hands on and have the ability, you can do a far better feedback free I/V stage and better output buffer than these text book ones that OP is choosing between.
Here is a link I started over at DiyAudio on a better I/V stage for dacs and cdp's which gives a far better sound than the text book stuff.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/227677-using-ad844-i-v.html

Cheers George
hifiman5's avatar
hifiman5
1,832 posts
 
@mgreen   In a world with loads of brick and mortar come listen to it establishments what you said would be THE way to go, however in my "neck of the woods" (literally) there are NO audio shops to listen to gear.  My last major purchase, Vandersteen Treo CTs involved a 6-7 hour round trip to make the purchase.  In that particular instance I was buying speakers from a manufacturer whose speakers I have owned for the last 30 years.  I knew pretty much what I was getting without first hearing them as available reviews and discussions with owners confirmed what my relationship with Vandersteen Audio had me believing.  Fortunately all is well as they have turned out exceeding my expectations.  I do envy those of you fortunate enough to have audio emporiums in close proximity.

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