Big difference as @newbee stated. Look for a slightly used Bel Canto CD3t, compact, and built like a tank. I have one and love it. Love the small footprint and big sound even though most my CD's are now on my Innuos Statement.
Is it worth upgrading a CD player?
I’ve had my Marantz CD6002 for around 14 years and it’s still going strong. I have it connected to an Audiolab M-DAC+ and play via my Rega amp. I’m mostly vinyl but have started to playvmy CD’s more recently and wondered whether upgrading the CD player would be worth it or not, given the fact it’s played via a dedicated DAC. Am I right in thinking there would be little noticeable improvement?
- ...
- 114 posts total
+1 Transport. But, Also, it will depend on your other equipment. Rega makes a really large range integrated amps from extremely inexpensive to much less inexpensive. Which do you have and speakers? What is your longer termed goals? Move your system up? Or just bring your CD player closer to your vinyl playback? If thinking longer termed, I would consider a streamer as transport instead of physical media. For the price of a CD / month you get access to a nearly infinite amount of music, much at a higher resolution than CD. Streaming can equal or exceed the sound quality of Other digital content or even vinyl at different price points. |
My advice is the opposite of @kota1 . The DAC is the most important part of a CD system. If you have a DAC you like, then you are really just using the CD player as a CD transport, sending a digital signal to the DAC. Streaming you are fighting bit losses as large files are sent over the internet. I don't know for sure, and maybe someone who knows can speak up here, but I think CD players are much closer to "lossless". If that is the case, there is not much to be gained. The key to digital is to get a DAC you like and it sounds like you have. Once you have that DAC, I would never use the DAC in a cd player. Jerry |
Thanks for all your responses! I have around 1,000 CD’s boxed up (after switching back to vinyl 7 years ago, oh the irony) and I just did a trial on Qobuz which was great but I’m looking interested in playing the CD boxsets I have where the bonus discs weren’t ever released on vinyl so it’s my only way to hear alternate takes, unreleased tracks, etc.). At this stage my CD player is basically a transporter as it feeds into the Audiolab M-DAC+. From the comments above, as I’m happy with my DAC I should stick with what I have. Thanks again. |
- 114 posts total