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Better CD Sound: The Search

Went Big into Vinyl last 2 years, then re-discovered my many CD’s, mixing it up plenty now.

I continue to try and find a CD Player with better sound than my existing cheapo Sony Changer that surprisingly keeps on keeping on.

I am hoping recent upgrades to the system will more readily reveal differences:

99.9999 copper speaker wires and interconnects, locking rca connectors, mx110z tube tuner/preamp overhaul by Audio Classics; cayin a88t bias by VAS; 16 ohm L-Pads replacing 8 ohm pots; and finally a I bought a sound meter to balance/refine the speaker’s L-Pads (it ain’t easy) for the best sound ever.
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CD Quest So Far:

I want dual processors, go used to keep cost down, even consider older vintage.

1. my Onkyo Grand Integra (DX-7500 I think), fixed the damn drawer opening problem several times.

2. This cheapo Sony Changer given to me, eh, use if for parties, why not.
surprisingly sounded as good as the Onkyo to me and friends, gave the annoying Onkyo away.

3. tried used Oppo 83 Video Player for it’s audio

Laser was weak, ’no disc’, found it is a common problem with heavily used lasers. Back it went

4. lightly used Oppo 105. Everything worked, but didn’t sound better than the Sony. Oppo is big, single, expensive, not sellers fault, so I sold it myself rather than return it, lost $205. on that attempt.

5. ’new original stock’ KLH (made by?). played a few discs, then the discs started mis-tracking on discs I know are ok.

found small black bits clinging to the surface in the area of the problems (cds play from the inside out, just guess how far out). Turned out, the belt(s) were dried out, thus when put into motion after years of storage (where?), they shed bits of rubber. Back it went, full refund including return shipping. never compared it to the Sony’s sound

6. Resolved: if vintage, make sure belts are available, get a low price, open it up when it arrives, watch it move ... use, replace belts, return as last choice.

7. Just Bought Two, in transit, One Single; One 6 Disc Changer. (both with oem remotes and power cords, most for sale are missing).

a. Denon DVD-2910 Single Player (big dent on the top. $52. del’d, eBay) (crutchfield keeps old info on their site)
https://www.crutchfield.com/S-6TIPMQKBMUZ/p_033DV2910B/Denon-DVD-2910-Black.html

b. Onkyo Integra CDC-3.4 six disc changer (open box/demo) ($51. delivered) (bserplus.com)
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_164CDC34/Integra-CDC-3-4.html

c. a bag of belts. because I will be keeping something, and I have other old stuff with belts
https://www.ebay.com/itm/334135204014

d. spare rare OEM remote for Integra 3.4, eBay

Keeping My Ears Crossed!

elliottbnewcombjr
Post removed 
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
@tvad, 
My DAC is the Yamamoto YDA -01a , High Fidelity CT-1 Ultimate digital cable (RCA) coaxial input. I added Duelund CAST Copper foil output coupling capacitors about 7 years ago(Thanks for that recommendation back then Bill (@grannyring). I still appreciate that to this day👍.

@grannyring,
A keeper for certain . Straight out of the shipping box (BTW very well double boxed with dense high quality foam inserts) into the audio system.  You could hear it steadily  improve within the first 30-45 minutes. Bill, you would love and really appreciate the Pro-Ject. 

Supremely organic with such ease and liquidity.  The tonality of  acoustic instruments is on the bullseye. 
Charles 
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
@grannyring,
I bought mine (Silver color) from Underwood Hifi/Walter. It was a very smooth and professional experience with him. He has 3 units left(Black only). Then no more he said until February 2022.
Charles
elliottbnewcombjr OP
5,651 posts
 
Oh Happy Day,

Integra CDC-3.4 6 disc changer arrived, like new, perfect, and, despite my ’doubtful’ expectation bias:

FINALLY one that sounds preferable to my Sony. I highly recommend the sound of this with it’s dual Wolfson processors and all of Onkyo/Integra’s tricks applied.

How to describe the difference: Like my AT33PTG/II cartridge, compared to any cartridge with less tight channel balance, EVERYTHING is a speck more distinct. Not bright, not sharp, a very thin veil removed allowing refined clarity. Imaging is the same width, but within that, main vocal, backup singers, specific musicians, simultaneously more precise.

A small improvement to EVERYTHING, is a LOT!!!
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I’ve been refining my speaker’s L-Pads with a tripod/sound meter the last 2 weeks, listening to and actively aware of dozens of favorite and revealing CD’s. Getting the L to match the R, and juicing the mid horn and tweeter horn up/dn for +/- db working together is not easy but a great tool to adjust for their current listening position. Refined my toe-in also with the meter.

The improvements clearly heard via the existing Sony right up to comparison yesterday. Copies of CD’s, pre-adjust volume match, remote switching of inputs made comparison nearly instant.

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Kate Wolf, Give Yourself to Love, volume 2, track 8: Pacheco/Redtail Hawk. They get going, then 3 strings l/c/r. (something like mandolin/guitar/fiddle). The more distinct center is the first thing you notice right away, then the more distinct imaging (same location) of l & r instruments.

Casandra Wilson, Blue Light Till Dawn, her version of Tupelo Honey, any track, she has wonderful musicians.

Eurythmics; Blue Nile; Friday Night in San Francisco 3 guitarists; Melody Gardot; Sade; Eva Cassidy; Nora Jones, Amos Lee; Lyle Lovett; Buddy Guy; Oscar Peterson, Rising Appalachia’ Larkin Poe; Melissa Etheridge, Abby Lincoln  .....

Next: compare something unfamiliar. Tierney Sutton. I have and love a couple of her CD’s, just bought this one: The Sting Variations.

Ever notice, some bands, like Bad Company are masters of reducing the musician’s volume when Paul Rodgers is singing, right back up, down again, one of the reasons his amazing voice and their songs are so well understood.

Tierney: her musicians do not lower their volume when she sings. Clarity of her voice within the music is a speck easier to understand than with the Sony.

I could go on.
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Soooo: at this point, with all the improvements and refinements: would I have heard difference/preference from the Oppo 105? Possibly.
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Features/Light on the Tray when Loading/smaller remote, quieter mechanism
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Next: compare the sets of matching LPs to CD’s, I bet the difference narrows.
elliottbnewcombjr OP
5,651 posts
 
Denon 2910 update:

new laser arrived; surprise: must de-solder two 'anti-static' blobs of solder. did it, whew. switched lasers, got it working.

Playing CDs, but not SACD yet, still twiddling with the allen key adjusters that control the height/alignment of the laser.

I found this 3 part video, great help

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to8ojRiBOag
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