ya, sure leafs, whatever... don't knock it 'til yuve tried it. no, i dint try a $5k cd player. i *did* try i highly respected $3k cd player, tho, & the results were as reported above. sure, perhaps spending $5k or more *will* get ya more resolution w/a better cd source, but i don't tink cd hardware is worth spending lotsa money on rite now, w/the current state of flux over future software standards. or, perhaps, as ya say i'm tone-deaf.
me, i tink it's a matter of priority tho, cuz getting a premier-quality pre-amp made a *huge* difference in the sound of *all* my sources - vinyl *and* fm, as well as cd. and, these sources *are* worth upgrading, cuz improvements *can* be heard when doing so.
since most of my listening is to winyl or fm anyway, i don't need that nth degree of whatever musical walue cd has to offer. even the best cd rig can't compete w/a good winyl set-up - the most expensive cd-players can only do so much. i got 95% of what *any* top-line cd-format source hardware has to offer, yust by using a great preamp & a decent source. mebbe i'm tone-deaf cuz i've never heard *any* s.o.t.a. cd set-up sound as good as a well set-up $3k analog rig, but i don't tink so. ;~)
doug s.
ps - please find someone else to pick on - don't ewe tink this is gettin' old, yet? better still, try not picking on anybody.
