The best CD Player for the money

The Wadia set was not a one box set up. But with that being said,all else that was with this system was way far over the top. Wilson Watt speakers Pass Labs Mono Blocks,Goldmund preamp. Plus some very esoteric interconnects and speaker cables.

After some 48 years in this hobby, I think I finally heard what I consider the ultimate achievement in two channel audio. There is certainly nothing in the past I have heard that can come close and I have heard some very exotic gear in that period of time. It was like being completely immersed in the music, like you could dip your hand into the sonic signature, truly a musical experience I have not experienced till then.

In regards to this thread best CD Player for the money, I have to tip my hat to the Wadia set up. In my opinion it is best for the money,if you have $16K to spend on a digital set up.

Ferrari, although I am sure that the Wadia combo is excellent, according to someone who is the F1 legend Michael Schumacher’s neighbor in Switzerland, his recently acquired $22,000 universal digital player sounds as good as and sometimes better than his $65,000 vinyl setup. Coincidentally, same result was reported from another fine gentleman who A-B-ed the same digital player against his $32,000 vinyl setup.

Just FYI! And no, the above is not a joke!

BTW, the universal digital player in question is a single box player which...

sounds lightweight small, lacking bass drive, micro and macro dynamics, thin and strident

Of course, this same universal player features things as explained by Mrhiendaudio...

there is no need to rebuild the circuit design with hotglued breadboards and wiring all over the place

In other words you should just get...

any number of DVD-ROM RAM Buffered transport equipped players (Denon/Marantz/Esoteric)run into heavily upgraded DAC even older dacs by Theta, Linn, Monarchy and Krell completely crush any 1 box player we have heard

And you are all set!

:-)

Regards,
Alex

If memory serves me correct the F 1 legends system is FM Acoustics amp and preamp, with the rest of the system Goldmund. My last update on this was 2003. Seeing as FM Acoustics never gives anything away, he probably paid for that. More than likely he probably got the Goldmund gear gratis. No matter,still has to be a wonderful system though.

As for me personally I can find little significant sonic difference between a $2,000.00 CDP and a $4,000.00 CDP and have heard both price ranges in separates and single unit players. Personally I won't spend more than $2K on any digital system, for me becomes a point of diminshing returns on investment at above $2K. Not trying to convince anyone, just my point of view. Of course when one gets into the stratosphere of ultra high end like the Wadia setup I heard, then it becomes something all else. In the final analysis each one of us has a perception of what sounds the best to any one individual. What reproduces the music that appeals to me, may certainly not be someone elses cup of tea. And thats how it should be.

Digital has been with us for some 25 years now and I bought one of the first players to hit the market in 1983. Digital has come a long way since then and has miles to travel before it finally puts analog to rest. The gap is narrowing each year and some of the technolgy is trickling downstream at this point to mid high end units.

While at CBS I was able to see the genesis of Digital long before it arrived at the consumer level. First prototype I remember was in 1964.For a variety of reasons to lengthy to go into now it took 18 years to deliver the first digital medium to the market place.

I applaud all who continue to strive for excellence in this realm, to serve the music we all enjoy. For in the final analysis I firmly believe this hobby is much more about the music, than the gear. You see if music was not the key then the dreaded I-Pod and MP 3 would not have the market on music delivery.

I find this point in time in high end audio fascinating as no time before. And feel that a true genuine break through in the digital medium is very near indeed. I don't think it will come from a major manufacturer, but from a cottage industry, where the mavens keep pushing the envelope of design to loftier heights. While I am 63 now and have been in this hobby/business since 1957 and have seen first hand the growth of this industry, I keep looking forward to what the gifted designers will bring forth.

After all Nelson Pass when he started Threshold, did so, literally on his kitchen table and that is where break throughs continue to come from. The kitchen table. Not in a corporate environment, where visionaries are held in disdain.

Boy, were getting some great stuff here! I know this off the subject, but I 'de like to answer Audiofeil(or at least take a look at this subject). I think that long-term satisfaction takes precedent over comparisons. Actually, the question is, "Do you get-off on the music?". Everything else is interesting, but just that! I have to defer to Alex about his 3910(solid-state), but boy what a player that is! Ferrari, you might consider Alex's 3910(compared to analog, and designed with analog in mind) as an alternative to analog. I have a circa-1992 Linn(Ekos, nude Archiv, Lingo, Mana Sound table), and you might change your thinking. I know that I did. Now, not everything in digital will sound better. In fact, in almost all cases, I prefer the analog(pre-1983) to the cd made from that. I also want to point out that recent redbook is much better than earlier stuff. That leaves a huge gap(between 1982 until about 1995) in music, though.

Does anyone else feel that Msb should be a contender?
When I hear the word best I cant help but hear msb!! Although i did not read many other responces about msb. Particularly the platinum cd station! What do you think