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Confused State of affairs: CD player

Strange that I am caught up in this quandary in this digital streaming age. I currently have an Oppo BDP-95 as my CD player and Blue-Ray video player. It plays through a coax connect to my Auralic Vega G2 DAC with a HDMI connect to my TV with HDMI audio off. The sound seems good through my B&W 800D3 with McIntosh C1100 pre-Amp/ MC1.25KW mono blocks. So I don’t use the Oppo DAC in the current set-up.

I visited the McIntosh dealer today and really liked the MCD600 playing on his set-up. Question to the group here:

Should I be looking to upgrade my Music CD player from the Oppo?
If yes, should I be looking at a transport MCT500 and let the Auralic Vega G2 (DAC) play on like the set-up with the Oppo. This will remove any possibility of playing a SACD through the set-up as the MCT500 (like the Oppo) does not pass on the DSD quality through its coax.
Or should I go in with the MCD600 which has a built-in DAC and connect it to my C1100 and then retain the option of playing a SACD?

Price difference between the options is $2,500 between the MCT500 and MCD600 as I end up having two high quality DACs in my system (3 if I count the Oppo which I will have to retain due to Blue-Ray video).

I do not have the option to demo either of the MCT500 or MCD600 against the Oppo to compare and I listen to CD music around 2 hours a week, so not too much and not too little.

I want to have the best sounding music from my system, so quality comes before any other consideration. Happy to hear views from people who might have heard through any of the above combos.

Thanks,
128x128sudhirgoel
sudhirgoel's avatar
sudhirgoel OP
23 posts
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. I already have the Auralic Aries G2 as a streamer and the Leo GX clock to go with the Vega G2 DAC. So I am comfortable I have a very good digital source and DAC combo. I question was mainly about playing CDs. No matter how much other media catches up I find myself spending at least some time with CDs and hence the current quandary.

cd318 - Have you actually heard the Oppo BDP-95 and the McIntosh options to say there is no difference?

mahler123 - I am not intending to change my DAC as it works very well along with the Master Clock. So the CD player is the only one (if at all) that I might consider changing

elizabeth - That's what is the easiest option and my mind is drifting towards that.

dave_b - yes that's what's putting me under pressure to ensure I get the best out of my MC1.25s and 800D3s

sbank - I would like only currently look at my CD player as my streaming set-up is quite nice now.
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cd318
2,636 posts
 
@sudhirgoel, no I have not heard either of the CD players in question but out of all the ones I have heard (Kenwood, Sony, Arcam, Marantz, Cambridge etc) my experience is that the differences in sound quality were minimal. And not related to cost either.

Whether there is an actual difference between the BDP-95 and MCD600 you can only determine by comparing the two side by side, and I can only give you my opinion.

I hope this helps.

big_greg
6,702 posts
 
No experience with the Mac, so I can't say if that specific piece will be "better".  I have my Oppo 203 playing through my Auralic Vega and it sounds very good, but my Marantz KI-Pearl sounds much better and it plays SACD. 

If you want to take a step up in sound quality, there are better players than Oppo, and if SACD is important to you, then you need to make a change. 

That's unfortunate you can't get an in-home demo of the Mac.  Look into what the return policy is.
mzkmxcv
777 posts
 
Stick with what you have, the sound coming out of your speakers won’t be audibly different, and probably barely measureably different.

With a good DAC, a $100 player sounds the same as a $50,000 transport.
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