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Ruminations On CD Players

After multiple factory rebuilds, I'm ready to replace my twenty year old Arcam CD-73 CD player.  I've looked through lists of recommended CD players in the $2000 range, and have noticed that some are all-inclusive while others have separate transports and DACs.  Other than ease of replacement, what are the benefits of having the transport and DAC separate?  Any recommendations on CD players in this price range?  I only have music CDs so don't need anything that can do more than that.

 

Thanks,

John Cotner

New Ulm, MN

jrcotner
jrcotner OP
64 posts
 

I correctly titled this post.  Ruminations, indeed.

secretguy
1,601 posts
 
soix

7,193 posts

 

 

 

Call me a "dinosaur", a "nostalgist" or even a "nostalgic dinosaur"; I enjoysearching shelves for a CD, pulling it off the shelf, removing it from it’s case and placing it into my Jay’s. Perhaps there’s a ritual aspect to it -- I haven’t psychoanalyzed myself in this particular regard but it’s physical media for me!

@stuartk Well, that’s fine if you enjoy the “ritual” and playing the same stuff over and over again.  But what you’re really missing out on more than anything else by not embracing streaming are the thousands upon thousands of new songs/albums you’d have access to (a lot of it in hi res BTW) for the price of just one new CD per month.  Finding and enjoying new music is infinitely more enjoyable than living Groundhog Day over and over. Once you experience discovering worlds of new music, going back and spinning the same CDs seems downright stifling and Neanderthal.  That’s been my experience anyway, and I very rarely spin a CD anymore and don’t miss it in the least.  But, to each his own. 

 

Plus he doesn't get the joy of ripping off an artist with every stream!! Good times!!

soix
8,836 posts
 

@secretguy Nobody is forcing an artist to make their music available to stream, so if they feel they’re getting “ripped off” then just don’t do it.  Plus, the vast majority of music I stream I would’ve never found or bought otherwise, so at least they’re getting something through streaming rather than nothing.  I suggest getting off your high horse, or, maybe more appropriately, your dinosaur. 

ghdprentice
6,475 posts
 

@soix 

 

+1

elliottbnewcombjr
5,245 posts
 

I went on quite a journey looking for a better sounding CD player. Then I remembered I do have a few SACDs, and now used SACDs are inexpensive, so I narrowed the choice to CD/SACD players.

I don't stream, so external DAC, versatile inputs are of no interest to me.

It became clear to me that is is the combo of transport, processor, filters, over-clocking, IOW, it is a salad of many parts that give the final sound.

I ended up buying and loving the sound of a used Sony XA-5400 ES. The lasers do get old/weak, so any used one, find out the approximate hours of use. Also, are parts available for that model, do a simple search on hifishark for units and parts.

My Quest, with help here, a long read, but much discovered along the way. It may be helpful to you when finalizing on a different unit.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/sony-sacd-player-scd-xa5400es-yay-or-nay

 

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