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Outdated CD player

After 15 or so years of not listening to my system I am now getting back into it. Made some big changes to my analog section and now I am evaluating my digital front end. I have a MacIntosh MCD 7007 that I bought new in 1990. I never remember it giving me an ounce of trouble and sounds OK to me. My question is, never listening to any other player, am I missing all the latest technologies? Will a newer unit make a big difference in sound? I was informed back when I bought it that this unit was built like a tank. Any suggestions? If a new unit is suggested, what would be recommended in the $1000.00 range, used?
markpao
macdadtexas
1,794 posts
 
I agree with keeping the player as a transport and buying a new dac, Bel Canto, MHDT, TADAC, Benchmark, move up in price for the Bryston or new Cary Audio that is coming out.

Huge improvement. In fact move your digital music to a server and run it through the DAC. Unless they are SACD, I find that just as good or better in most cases.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,578 posts
 
I you want to experiment with something newer or different, do the DAC route as others have suggested. That is where most of the difference will come from.
dopogue
1,773 posts
 
I went the new-DAC/old-transport route for a while, but the Raysonic CD128 is so much better sounding there's no comparison. Even plays the CD layer of hybrid SACDs better* than my old $3K Sony XA777ES (now sold) sounded on the SACD layer. These are going for $1100/1200 used and I don't think you'll do better for anything near the price. Caveat -- it really needs an active preamp, doesn't show its best through a passive linestage.

Good luck, Dave

"Better" = more open, dynamic, tuneful, involving, etc.
soix
9,873 posts
 
I've never heard your CDP and it may indeed be a fantastic player, but it's been almost 20 years since you bought it and I think you owe it to yourself to at least audition a couple newer players in your system. If it still sounds OK after that then at least you know you're not missing anything. Best of luck.
lgoler's avatar
lgoler
55 posts
 
Just curious, with a unit made in 1990 likely it wouldn't have any digital outputs. How would one connect an older CD to a new BelCanto Dac3, for example?
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