Upgrade CD player or get into LPs? Suggestions

I take for granted you do realize nobody can answer this question for you, but rather provide some food for thought. How much do you value the availability of online music? Or the flexibility digital streaming enables? Or the ritual of selecting a CD (or an LP, for that matter) and playing it? Or toying with mechanical setup of a vinyl rig? Only you can answer that.

Having said that, here's my take: I pondered around this a while back too. Freeing up funds for me is not easy and I marvel at the improved sound a great system provides, rather than being fascinated by various media. Plus I live overseas where CDs/LPs/Hi-rez availability is limited. So I'm focusing on playing files only with the best components I can afford throughout the chain. Unlike vinyl, which is a mature technology, and CDs, which I consider mature too, playing files is nascent so I prefer not to spend big bucks there anyway. $1k today buys digital playback performance we couldn't dream about 5 years ago, and I bet this evolution pace will continue for a while. So I upgraded speakers, then amp, then preamp, cables, got myself a Squeezebox Touch (great!) and now will get a DAC. Plus significant work on room accoustics.

I would love to eventually get into vinyl, but that will have to wait. Do you own many LPs? Does the music you like come in vinyl?

If I wanted to upgrade my CD player and had your budget, I would probably buy a used Esoteric X03SE. Can't comment on vinyl. Maybe get a DAC and use your Cary as transport + experiment with files?

Do you own several hundred records in perfect condition? Do you want to go from a quiet background to clicks and pops? Instead of buying a turntable look for an early ('85-'89) Magnavox CD player. Leave it on for several days and you will think you are listening to a turntable with a MM cartridge without the clicks and pops.

"Do you own several hundred records in perfect condition? Do you want to go from a quiet background to clicks and pops? Instead of buying a turntable look for an early ('85-'89) Magnavox CD player. Leave it on for several days and you will think you are listening to a turntable with a MM cartridge without the clicks and pops."

That is so ridiculous, it's hard to know where to start....

Nothing is going to sound like vinyl, but vinyl. I love my digital rig and enjoy it often. But it doesn't sound as good as my WT Amadeus, nor should it. Don't listen to these naysayers, especially not the one I quoted above. You have a good cdp, spend the money on a good turntable and preamp then start hitting the used record stores. You will be glad you did.

Shakey

Forget cds. Go for a TT or digital streaming.

Wow. Clicks and pops??? What are you listening to, some vinyl that used a nail? The discussion between vinyl and digital has gone on for some time. the real question is do you listen to music or use it as background? First, to answer your question, have you considered an external DAC first? You would be amazed at the difference between an internal and good quality external DAC. Before you go down that road, please understand that a DAC is three things. 1. A digital component that processes the digital signal. 2) a power supply and 3) an analog output stage.

Very important to know that the analog output stage should be judged just like a good quality pre-amp. People get so caught up in computer music and ease of use that they completely forget that the analog portion better be top quality or it doesn't matter how good the digital side it. This also includes a high end pre-amp quality power supply. if the two are present, then the DAC suffers. This is typically why internal DACS compared to good external DACS don't compare well. Go borrow a decent DAC and plug it into your system and you will hear the difference. I would still get the vinyl rig going anyway, because, well, it is wonderful to me.

But, I can tell you, in my long years of experience, that a good vinyl rig (phono stage, turn table, arm, cartridge, etc.) vs a good digital setup, if the music was originally digitally recorded to digital master and then mastered to vinyl and cd, you won't hear as much of a difference as opposed to music that was originally recorded to analog master and then to vinyl and cd.

enjoy