Differences in CD players? Am I crazy?

Zoya, I know that it's possible that the disks used were not the best example of the new medium. But SACD is touted as the next level of improvement. It should be as obvious as can be. One should not have to strain to attempt to hear the difference. The differences that can always he heard instantly is speakers. This audio hobby can be a huge black hole to drop money into.

Try listening with some reasonable quality headphones. That would allow you to hear differences better without buying a whole new amp/speaker setup.

TOmek...rest assured...you are not crazy...assuming your el cheapo DVD/CD player is relatively new...maybe even one with a 24/96 DAC...these can sound surprisingly good as digital technology has improved immensely and the gap between hi-end and midfi has closed dramatically...remember DVDS were one of the first players to incorporated 24/96 DACS ...contrary to most "hi-enders"...a high end player generally comes with BETTER build quality and better COSMETICS...in general...the higher cost is unjustified in relation to actual sound improvement(unlike analog)...however...most hi end shops carry good equipment across the board...so ofcourse a higher end player is going to sound great with VTL, THiel, etc...that being said...Bel Canto Digital rules!

ALso..one last thing...the only "different" digital sound I have encountered...and some argue more like analog...may I suggest a used Brit player by Rega, Linn, etc...which have a more relaxed, "laid-back" presentation...others include Creek, MusicHall,etc...these are $500 and under...good luck