The best CD player with volume control

Jrud, Perhaps I could shed some light on this dilema for you. As I write this I am about ten hours into my first impressions of a CD50 I bought on this site. I sold my Wadia 21 and had anticipated landing a 16 that was available here in Atlanta locally but that fell through. ( I was inteested in getting digital inputs) I had been pleased with 21 and preferred it to a ML39 I owned previously. I have been however in the "something is not quite right" state of mind for some time prior to this move. I have to be honest and state that the only reason I gave the CD50 a try is beacuse of the passioate writings of carl_eber at this forum. I enjoy his comments. I will keep it short and sweet. This is the best I have heard digital sound at anytime in my life. I will spare you all the details because I don't even know how to tell you how good this player is,but will end by saying this has to be the most undervalued audio component of all time(did he really say that?!) and you would be a fool not to give it a listen before trying a more expensive digital source. I can't comment on the BiDat. I haven't even ditched the stock cord yet.

Carl, you commented on the CD50 coming back into production this summer. The only thing on resolution's web site was the CD55 which sounds like a replacement for the CD50. Do you know the deal with what is happening with those two? Also Petland, don't I recall you as having been a huge Wadia fan? If so, then I will have to hear that player since I have always loved the Wadias.

I had heard that it would, but apparently it has been replaced altogether. Given its unique upsampling, it is likely that the CD55 is better (overall) than the CD50, perhaps. HOWEVER.....I certainly am in ZERO hurry to sell my CD50, and am very glad to hear how much Petland enjoys his! You need to try the affordable MIT Z-Cord 2, and then IMHO you'll really be overjoyed! I've also thought that the CD50 is extremely underrated, undervalued, under appreciated, over-obscured, and want to welcome Petland to "my 'un-digital, digtial' world" of bliss with the CD50. I would call it the "un-cola" of CD players, but that would just make everybody think it has a euphonic character. I don't think it has any character at all. It's too bad RA doesn't pay me a commission, but then, I'd be a "salesman", and that would lessen the meaning of whatever I happen to be saying.

to Nhorton, I was a huge a Wadia fan. I thought I was close to the best that 16/44 could sound when I ditched a modified LS22 and bought the 21 over a year ago and started running direct. As we all know in this hobby you don't know what you have until its gone be it good or not so good. All I can tell you is that the CD50 has me at a loss for words. Carl is right in a sense it is pointless to try and describe because I promise people would form incorrect notions of the experience of this player. The best way I can say it, and I'd like to see if Carl agrees, is imagine a digital source that has all the attractive qualities that digital can offer in terms of ultimate resolution, low noise etc, and has absolutely none of the qualities we have have grown to despise. So far in my experiece the CD50 stands in a class of its own at a price point that is absurd in comparison. I wouldn't even call it a giant killer because I think whoever designed this player has taken it in a totally different direction than what is considred the best digital available today. It is unique in the best possible way.

I have the Resolution Audio CD55 It replaced the CD50, which replaced the Levinson39, which replaced the Accuphase DP65 It is a new step above what I had considered to be the very best sounding (hands down) one box player It is 24/96 but better yet Michael has a propreitary new upsampling algorithm from 44.1khz to over 700khz/24 bits It is stunning It still has an awesome dedicated internal pre-amp analog volume control I run it direct into my Lamm monoblocks into VonSchweikert VR6's Detail from 20-20k. No hash no grain no drop out of detail like digital volume controls It is killer