2. digital
  3. 153556-13368

Should I still buy a CD player? Suggest one?

I just read that Best Buy is discontinuing CDs. This seems like a bad omen for CDs in general. I had a system I liked and lost most of it in a fire this summer. Insurance will buy me a replacement, but is it unwise to buy a CD player now? What are high end people doing now for source?

And, my players was a Creek CD-43, CD-53, bought in about 2002. What would be an equivalent quality now? Insurance doesn't care that they are more expensive now, they just want an equal replacement. If I buy a player, which is the most popular good CD player now? It's important that is it a popular one, because I don't want to get saddled with something hard to sell since things are in flux.

Thanks.


river251
river251 OP
154 posts
 
Thanks again guys. The Zen mini and the Cambridge will, if I understand correctly, require a DAC. Can anyone recommend some DACs? 

Thanks, spirifofradio, for the link, will look at it. Thanks badger_erich, I'll look at the Cocktail as well. Not sure what MQA is, will find out. Caljay, do you remember which NAD you have? NAD was respected back when I was checking stuff out, before I settled in with my system.

Can I only get the new Creeks from ebay? 

Thanks. I'll be talking to my claim guy in the morning to learn more about the process. 

Sounds like a lot of consensus on the Cambridge and Zen. Now to find a DAC. 

Jim


jl35
3,976 posts
 
New Creek CD players are widely available and supposedly quite good 
lalitk's avatar
lalitk
5,422 posts
 
@river251 

The Zen Mini already comes with a built-in high-resolution 24bit/192KHz Digital to Analog Converter (DAC). 
adg101
1,062 posts
 
Several mentions of Oppo, Bluesound and Cambridge which I have all three. What I can say is my Cambridge 851C is better, more refined than my stock Oppo UDP 205 but the 205 is still a great player. Today I prefer using my Bluesound Vault II through the DAC in my Cambridge 851C and since the purchase of my Vault in over a year I haven’t bought a CD as I am more than pleased streaming with Tidal. Not sure I’d spend a lot of money on a stand alone CDP but pick up a Bluesound Vault or Node and look into an outboard DAC from Schiit, Denafrips and MHDT just to name a few. The DAC inside the Bluesound streamers are decent and probably will get one by, but they’re not great but decent for the price; partner with a better DAC and forget about buying CDs for good.
sfar's avatar
sfar
1,758 posts
 
The Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital is a great value at $400. The DAC functionality is very good sounding, it can function as a preamp and has a good headphone output. It works at almost any available resolution and got an EISA Best Product Award. I use one in my office system and can recommend it highly.

https://darko.audio/2018/03/pro-jects-densely-packed-s2-digital/

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/pro-ject-pre-box-s2-digital-dacpreamplifier/?page=3

https://www.project-audio.com/en/product/pre-box-s2-digital/
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