Best CD player under 5000

leafs, as far as abandoning a preamp goes, even w/the resolution audio cd-50, known as being one of the best to use, run straight-in to an amp, i tink its' better to run it thru a preamp. so what if it *is* a tone control? if it sounds better, it sounds better.

i agree w/yer gigo theory - it's yust that, w/cd, i tink the 95% level of the best of what's out there, starts at ~$500, and the *best* of what's out there is still behind good winyl. believe me, i *wanted* someting like a res/audio cd50 to make a big difference in my system's sound - i'd have bought a used one, or someting similar, if it helped. but, mebbe i *am* tone-deaf, as ewe say - i yust happen to tink it's my nice toobed preamp. ;~)

and gregg, sorry ewe don't like my funky-jive - it's only cuz i like to have fun w/language that i do it, it has nuttin' to do w/tryin' to get *any* type of response. i have no pre-supposed accepted audio accumen, nor am i looking for any pre-determined acceptance of my posts. all i am is someone who likes to listen to music, interested in bettering the experience, & interested in discussing what i've heard w/others also interested in a better listening experience. sometimes, i agree w/other info here, sometimes not. sometimes i try tings suggested here, sometimes not. some folks style i like, others not. oh *well*...

re: the topic at hand - being as the pursuit of this hobby is, in many cases, influenced by budgetary considerations, i'd rather listen to a $500 cd-player thru a $4500 preamp than a $2500 cd player thru a $2500 preamp, or a $5k cd-player run straight into an amp, etc. yust my opinion, ewe & anyone else are free to disagree w/me, & please do so, & post yer experiences, equipment inwolved, etc. i'm always up for learning, & improving the sound of my stereo...

doug *tone-deaf, pre-supposed audio-guru* sedon

Sedond you all wrong.Also the res 50 Player is not god.Everyone knows that so pick a good palyer and make you comparison.My god a certin Eber uses a CD 50 that should tell you its a piece of yunk.

sedond

my apologies. don't know what got into me last night. i guess i had a bad day and took it out in the post i sent in. i feel pretty embarassed today about sending it (boy, once you hit that send button you can't get it back, no matter how hard you try!). in the future i'll stick to putting in my .02 strictly about the music and the equipment.

gregg

It isnt funk or jive. It's Doug's own original method of annoying people. I've gotten used to it, so it doesnt bother me.

Interesting opinion Doug. I have listened to a lot of cd players and quite a few preamps, and come to the opposite conclusion. I'd rather hear a good $3000 to $5000 cd player through, for example, the op amp preamp of a NAD integrated than a $500 Cal changer or any other $500 player through a $5k preamp and $5k amp. I use a meridian 508.24, which I like a lot and would recommend for consideration in this thread, but it's discontinued. I also liked an expensive Linn model that I heard once and, though I generally don't like Sony anything, their xa7es (is that the right name?).

I think maybe you just prefer the sound of vinyl and that's your point. There's a world of difference in cd players.

While some folks are on the subject of Resolution Audio... I know I'm marching to the beat of a drummer's beat that most people won't hear but here's my next digital upgrade, nonetheless.

I have a Quantum DAC which gives the current Resolution products a run for their money even though it is based on the Ultra Analog chips (no longer around) rather than the Burr Brown's.

These can be had for less than a grand these days (originally sold for $3200). I plan to pick up a second Quantum and a Resolution Cesium transport and run in a balanced format. One DAC per channel. Takes lots of PC's since the Quantum has separate power supplies and cords for analogue and digital sections. Less than 3 grand and it slays.

Now I'll add that I am really re-focusing on analogue and my priority is upgrading my nearly new (but used) Oracle table to full Mk V specs and spending real money on a great cartridge.