Upgrading cd player

Don’t overlook.Esoteric should be on your short list too

Good luck Willy -T

Can’t believe they won’t let the OP do an audition.  My former dealer would charge the card a week beforehe released the unit for an audition, just in case someone was going to cancel their card after talking the unit for a weekend .  He then charged $150 for the weekend audition, which counted towards the purchase if you bought.  If you returned you were out the $150.  At the time I thought this was absurdly draconian,but if you are like the OP here planning to spend 12K then an extra one fifty for peace of mind is worth it

@68pete

+1 on the Esoteric K-03XD.

For those that don’t know, Esoteric is the bleeding edge best subsidiary of TEAC. I think it’s a passion project of one of the Toyota heirs, as I can’t see how it possibly makes money.

The K-03 has a really nice, metal, transport, multiple DACs, a great clock (and the option for an external clock), all fully balanced or digital inputs and outputs, and went to extreme lengths to isolate the electronically-noisy bits. It’s also in an aluminum block that weighs about a ton. Looks very sharp.

I like the DAC set up so much, I run a USB from by Lumin U-1 streamer to it.

Other than the Esoteric K-01XD (which gets to stupid money for improvements I’m no sure the human ear could hear), I’m not sure anything can compete.

Regardless, of choice, do please get something with a TEAC transport. So many "high end" players are nothing but re-packaged Sony Playstations and all plastic bits inside. (There are a few that use some excellent third-party components, but they are hard to find. I’d rather go get a 1990s CD player with a digital out and hook it to a modern DAC)

I asked the dealer if u could take home the Mac to demo on my system and he said he can’t do it. So I don’t even know if it’s worth hearing it on their Mac system. 

So, the dealer has a chance at a $12k sale and he won’t let you take his demo unit home for a couple days???  Run away!!!  U gotta be kidding me.  I wouldn’t give that guy a sale on principle alone.  And I agree that listening to it thru all their Mac gear would be basically useless as that system will no doubt bear no resemblance to yours whatsoever and would be impossible to “listen through” to assess what the CDP really sounds like, and of course it’s not in your room either soooo…writing’s on the wall I’d think.  Personally, if my system had a lot of ARC gear in it and I loved the sound I wouldn’t let a Mac piece near my system as they’re pretty much polar opposites sound wise.  But that’s me.

Plus, there are obviously some other great CDP options out there (although dwindling as DACs/streaming rapidly take over the world) and several have already been mentioned above.  If I was you I’d absolutely get the ARC DAC9 as you clearly like the ARC house sound and it’d obviously synergize with your system/tastes and pair it with a Jay’s Audio transport — I know you’re looking for a one-box solution but I just couldn’t help myself.  Sorry.  FWIW, and best of luck in your quest.

tattooedtrackman

I asked the dealer if u could take home the Mac to demo on my system and he said he can’t do it.

Huh? What's he afraid of? I suggest cultivating a relationship with a different Mac dealer.