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Where's Digital playback at today ?

Pardon my ignorance on this subject as I have not be around any digital playback for over 10 years.,..Some back ground, over a decade ago out of pure curiosity I purchased a Sony SCD777es .
Over the coarse of the three plus years that I owed this player I had it modified with all the stuff that was popular back then for this particular model.
Comparing other more expensive and popular digital players of the day back then ultimately left me cold.
So hence the title of my query, what's out there for under $8000.00 that a vinyl head could possibly warm up too?
Thank you
128x128in_shore
don_c55
1,025 posts
 
I Listen to vinyl most all the time, and am very satisfied with the Sony SCD XA5400ES CD/SACD player.

Slightly warm and sounds "vinyl like"! Only $1500.

I do not think you need to spend $8000. Save your money and buy more CD's.
in_shore's avatar
in_shore OP
596 posts
 
Hi Don you could very well be right , save your money and look at your Sony.
One evening I was reading some vintage absolute sound on digital, around the time the editor and writers started to embrace cd sound ,gag,and caugh... However it seem there were digital revolutions after revolution that came and went with no real meaningful leap in performance, just price, Shirley this can't still be true?
bhobba's avatar
bhobba
303 posts
 
Amongst the big boy stuff you are likely to be able to actually audition (of stuff I have heard anyway), I would say the only thing you would probably go for is the Playback Designs MPD3 via DSD - but only via DSD.

I have heard two DAC's via PCM that surpass it, but they are made in minuscule quantities - one by a small maker - the Phasure DAC, and another a handmade DAC based on an enthusiasts heavily tweaked design and built to order called the Killer.

You can see my write up of both here:
http://www.audionervosa.com/index.php?topic=4874.0
http://www.audionervosa.com/index.php?topic=4783.0

Of those two however the Killer would be more suited to those of analogue tastes.

Trouble is unless you live in Australia you would have Buckley's of hearing one - which is a pity.

Thanks
Bill
in_shore's avatar
in_shore OP
596 posts
 
Bill this is interesting, thank you.
tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
2,588 posts
 
The Esoteric K series have received good reviews from both magazines and users. The K-03 and K-05 can be purchased for under $8,000 used.

Another option is that Sony has just come out with a player, the HAP-Z1ES ($2,000), that plays DSD and PCM downloads. There are quite a few downloads available now and Sony promises to make a wide variety of DSD downloads available. Sony also says that the other two major music groups, Universal and Warner, are on board with the plan.

I'm waiting to see some reviews and more downloads before I do anything with this. Acoustic Sounds has a Super HiRez section on their website if you'd like to see whats available now. Sony just started shipping the players Dec. 30th.
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