Vinyl guy seeking recommendation for a top level cd player


I know cds are dead.  Best time to buy a cd player, the way it looks.  I want an all in one box.  I don't stream so a separate DAC is not required.  Most of my cd collection have been ripped to a PC as Flac files and then down loaded to a Sony HAP-Z1ES.  Currently about 3000 Redbook and perhaps 100 SACDs.  The way cds are being dumped I figure on becoming a buyer again so these numbers will go up.  I have looked at Marantz SA10, Esoteric K1 (lightly used), and Luxman D-10X, so far.  It would be good if the sound could approach vinyl.  The Z1 does up to a point.  Listening this morning to the same recordings, the Z1 compares to a high end MM cartridge, but not to a SoundSmith Experion.  Maybe I am asking too much, but in any event a new cd player is being sought.  Thanks in advance for any advice.
Bill
billstevenson

"Sir Charles Mackerras conducting the Prague Chamber Orchestra performing the Mozart Symphonies.  Excellent in both performance and sound engineering!"

I have that set too, and could not agree more.  Wonderful.  I also should report that yesterday I was comparing the vinyl and redbook cd versions of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue both circa 2010 versions (not the latest and greatest) and the cd sounds decidedly better.  So I have to amend my comments.  Redbook cd can sound very good indeed and best vinyl at least sometimes.  Finally, what's with all the spam showing up in this discussion?

Thanks @billstevenson for the thoughtful follow up to your Luxman D-10x purchase.

I bought a D-10x one year ago, and in my research prior to purchasing it I read this thread, so it is a treat to re-read it and digest the follow up by the op.

I remember reading that the D-10x was especially good at making Redbook sound good, and I have to certainly agree with that. A lot of jazz and classical recordings from the 1990’s and 2000’s can sound amazing played by the D-10x.

I still buy cds regularly and find releases from Japan online - both Redbook and SACD - jazz and classical recordings.

The cd is not dead, and neither are the producers of superlative cd players such as Luxman, Accuphase, Esoteric etc.  There is still a market for high end cd players!

 

I could not agree more.  The amazing cd is a veritable bargain at the moment too.  The other thing that is interesting to explore is older cds marked AAD, some of which sounded...well let's just say there was a reason people turned away from the format, but now on these new players, which do magic things, a lot of the old cds sound very, very good.  The Luxman is the very best in my experience, with the Marantz really right with it.  I have no experience with others and cannot offer any comment outside of what I know  I am sure there are others, but without a frame of reference just reading a rave is worthless. 

Wavetouch audio modded Oppo BDP-95 is the world's best CD, SACD, FLAC player. I've been in audio shows and stores. I've been searching on-line to find a better sound system. They all are sounding vague and bright behind veils. 

Audio signal is fragile and delicate. Unfortunately, all audio signals are broken right at the source in all audio systems. Only WT modded BDP-95 is done right. 

Alex/Wavetouch audio

The Oppo BDP-95 is an almost 15 years old product made by a Chinese company that "In April 2018, OPPO Digital announced they were stopping production and development of new products but would continue to support existing customers".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oppo_Digital

No matter how good a modded Oppo may be, it is a niche player based on a discontinued product by a company than now manufactures smartphones and not disc players.

There are serious high end manufacturers of cd players who continue to push the boundaries and innovate such as Luxman, Accuphase, Esoteric etc.  They are the present and future of cd playback.