Ok, back to the topic at hand. I have tried many CD players. Some were good at PRAT. Some were good at smoothness, and some were clocked to a Souza march. All lacked one thing. That is harmony. It's what strings the notes together into seamlessness. Vinyl has that naturally. It sends the untouched musical waves to the preamp.
The problem with 98% of CD players is that the engineers strive to get clean notes for the outcome. So you often get a sound that can be perceived as correct analytically. Their scopes show low distortion, and accurate clocking. I look at it this way, The best oversampling CD players sound really good if that is all you know.
As usual, for me, I argue for non-oversampling DACs often. I want to talk about that something else that digital players OS and NOS can't get. The notes are all there, but the analog result lacks a very important condition that vinyl has naturally. It is hard for anyone to explain it. You just have to witness it. Music should flow harmoniously, as little handled as possible.
My class D amps and house preamp has balls with truism. The Apogee Scintilla starves for real music. The best I had heard with this grand speaker was with an excellent record player. The sound was never forgettable. With my power group I could get the fast turns, powerful dynamics, and great detail. It was better than my memory, except for one thing, that eery liveliness. What was wrong, I thought to myself, walking around a circle wringing my hands. It was a record player. Maybe....
I have the ticket to bring that missing ingredient only vinyl could give. Someone up above mentioned the PS Audio Perfect Wave duo and as careful as the engineers were to give you a clean chain of notes, it does not equal vinyl to that listener. It is very smooth and dynamic. Unfortunately it misses the frankly honest analog play from a good vinyl rig.
Instead of buying the PS Audio, I chose the 47 Lab Flatfish unheard. I did that, because their philosophy matches mine... simple brings better things. Their attention to a solid reading of the CD and a remarkably short circuit works magic into the outcome (I can say that, because I am not an engineer). The designer says you will experience harmony and bass detail you always missed before. I was looking forward to the bass improvement because my PS Audio transport was not too good at that.
I was frankly shocked just what this little transport did to my non-oversampling sound. I was use to great dynamics, quick transitions, and fine detail. I did love the bass of the Flatfish. I didn't know what expect in terms of harmony. Like everyone, I didn't know what I was missing with a great NOS system. When the Flatfish spun the CD, I understood exactly what they meant by harmony. The information off the CD is amazingly complete. The original recording does get stamped on that silver disc complete. Engineers have done everything they could to change the output with multiple chips. The flatfish/AN sounds real, and beautifully entertaining. The music flows lyrically. The detail actually improved. That was just an insignificant bonus. No, this is something else... Music, as it should sound.
There is a review of the Flatfish with it's Progression DAC. The reviewer got it right with the same comments I am using. Unfortunately his, and all reviews of the 47 Lab Flatfish include it's DAC, the Progression. I am sorry to say this, but my Audio Note DAC with a pin up it's butt is a far cry better than the 47 Lab house DAC sound. I remember a reviewer bringing up just that point, AN DACs rule over the 47 Lab DACs.
I hope I explained this well enough. It isn't the 1s and 0s that are the problem with digital players. It is the overworking of the signal that is the problem. See what huge CD players are out there. They have size, cushion, and every up sampling, oversampling, filter, clocks invented.
First, to beat vinyl, get a DAC with no chips other than the convertor with clock. Then buy the 47 Lab Flatfish transport, and it's power supply, the Dumpty. Then match it to a great system. There, you have got it, I promise. You will not fret another crackle playing your vinyl again.
Ok, let the stones fly!
