What Sonically is the Difference between a $1,500 CD Player and a $10K-$25K One?

I have an old Magnavox changer with a tube output. Suits me just fine.

The problem with 1500$ CD players is simple - they are not good enough. So people feel ripped off as a difference between 200$ and 1500$ CD player is sometimes very small. Magic happens at 3000-5000$ price tag. So, my recommendation would be, if you can’t spend 5000$ on your CD player, then buy any CD player. They are all pretty much same. But if your budget allows you to spend as much as 5000$ new (or 3500$ on second hand market) then go for EAR Yoshino Acute, Lampizator Big 7, Audio Note CD players. Those 3 brands will give you the best value for your bucks. You'll have all advantages of digital and very analog type of sound. If I could go back in time, I would buy only top gear right away (Atma Sphere amplification, Lampizator DAC and Devore, Audio Note or Quad speakers). I've spent a lot of years upgrading from one component to another (and loosing money each time). In this hobby the one shall simply take a mortgage of 20.000$ and buy the best gear he can get for that money right away. It's not different to buying a good car. For 1500$ you can get only a crap. But for 20.000$ you will have a decent and safe car you'll keep for many years.

@larry5729 - you are a bitter man.

Whichever way you look at it, the "loudness wars" are a huge reason to think carefully before investing in another CD player. Listen to a recording like West Side Story (original Broadway cast, Larry Kert, Carol Lawrence Chita Rivera etc) and much of your collection might start sounding a little flat with far from life-like dynamics.

No CD player, or even system, can help you with that. Unless you're into Jazz and Classical of course, or anything but mainstream Pop/Rock.

Why the **** should anybody should seek to compress Motorhead??

@fstein Expensive CD player = "The sound of money burning". Indeed.

On the bright side, its all great news for the vinyl revival and horn loudspeakers. And for modestly priced CD players.

roxy542,793 posts07-16-2019 7:18pm

geoffkait,

I actually enjoy reading posts like yours. It is true of course that digital was pretty terrible for the first number of years, but now that I have been living with a competent transport and non-oversampling DAC for years, I enjoy the great sound (perfect...? NO) and grin at all of the outdated criticisms of digital's deficiencies.

>>>Many audiophiles think their system sounds fabulous. As long as you’re happy I’m happy 😃