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How Much Has CD Technology Improved in 14 Years?

As a "born again audiophile" I recently purchased an ARC VSi55, a pair of JM Labs Micro Utopia Be's and am awaiting the arrival of a new JA Michell Orbe SE and Tecnoarm.

Years ago, I purchased an inexpensive CD player to utilize with my previously existing system (Quad 57's with presently blown bass panal--no room in present home hence Utopia Micro's, Oracle Delphi, Audio Innovations integrated amp). At that time, I was listening almost exclusively to vinyl and had no interest in investing in a mid/high end CD player. The only reason my CD collection has grown over the past decade is because my previous system has been inoperable and the only medium available to me has been CD.

My question is what improvements have been made over time in the various parts of the CD player (DAC, optical reader, transport etc.) when comparing a moderately priced modern player of around $500.00 with my old clunker a JVC XL-V182? I would like to get the most out of my CD's and would like to get an idea of how much an improvement I can expect by replacing my old player. Also do I use digital cables for the interconnects?

Thanks,
Lash
lashman
psacanli
535 posts
 
Yes, there are improvements, however you too have not mentioned power conditioning. It can do "wonders" for the sound of an older machine as well as being a serious upgrade for newer systems. Try some. At least to isolate the inevitable digital noise from contaminating your other excellent components. I'm sure you'll get lots of suggestions if you ask just Don't let anyone tell you it won't be a benefit. Try.
tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
2,588 posts
 
CD technology has definitely improved since '93. However, the change may not be significant to you. Does your old player cause listener fatigue? Many newer players are a lot easier on the ears.

You will have to borrow or buy a newer player to see how it sounds in your system. Some people would go on at length about the differences between 2 different players in a given system, while someone else would say they pretty much sound the same.

I would suggest trying a Marantz SA 8001. You can find one for somewhere between $500 to $800. IMHO you would probably hear an improvement over your old player.
tobias
1,534 posts
 
You’ll only need a digital cable if you have a DAC and a transport as your source. The DAC’s outputs, like a CD player’s, will use standard analog RCA cables. The single cable between a transport and DAC would be a 75-ohm digital cable.

Although there are expensive digital cables that deliver great sound, even quite inexpensive ones can work fine as long as you make them the right length. You can find posts that deal with this in the archives but briefly, a 1.5-meter length ensures that the almost unavoidable reflections within the cable do not arrive at the DAC at the wrong time.
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