Do high end CD players actually make a difference? (1 Viewer)

[RicP]

Yes RicP: that means that your dear Sony player could very well sound like shite in a certain context.

Really? Wow, Jeff thanks so much for opening my eyes...I was truly lost until you entered this thread.
Incidentally, maybe you want to make sure you read every post carefully in the thread before deciding to play Daddy, it may prevent misunderstandings.

 

[Steven Simon]

Attention Members: Please keep this thread CIVIL.
Steve:

I bought that with the FULL intention to return it, NEVER thought of keeping it.

You just lost all credibility with the statement. People that engage in such practicing are flat out wrong!!!!

 

[Keir H]

The DAC's in the Krell HTS2 are CS4226 or Burr Brown 1704? Which are better?

 

[Scott Oliver]

Steve,

Great post glad you found something that made you happy.

I have a system along the lines of yours, pretty much all $5000 range products.

I was going to suggest that perhaps the Krell HTS 2 was your problem, for I believe I am suffering from the same thing. My Theta CasaNova seems to like adding its own sonic flavoring to anyhting sent through it. Recently, discovered this by doing a bunch of interconnect comparisons between pre and amp, and discovered they all kept sounding very similar. Closer listening did detect differences, but not enough to warrant cost. Without, the Theta I believe these differences could be greater.

So of course, me seeking better and better sound am now thinking of selling the Theta and getting a superb 2 channel pre like a Lamm, Wyetech Labs, or Art Audio. I believe these pre's will allow the sound of changes to the system to make it through with less flavoring added on by the pre.

BTW, Tara Labs makes great cords. Reference Gen.2 interconnects are a very good buy at their price point. One of my dealer friends also swears by their Prism speaker cable as well.

For reference:

Meridian 500 CD transport

Sony dVP-7000 DVD transport

Theta CasaNova DAC/pro/VC

Art Audio Concerto MKII amp

JM Reynaud Offrandes

Bag End Infrasub-18

 

[Philip-j]

I recently converted my stereo set-up to ht. The cheapest component I bought during this process was a Linn Genki cd player, and it had, by far, the greastest positive effect on the sound. It is a great player. I bought one piece at a time as I converted to HT, and each component made a positive enhancement to the listening experience, but the source had the greatest impact. I have had my system for several months now and would heartily recommend spending the money on a good cd player. Oh by the way, I looked at some high end dvd players, but none of them can match a very good cd player for music only....Consequently, what I ended up doing was spending my cash on the cd player and retaining my panasonic rp 56 dvd player. This panasonic unit is not too shabby using the Anthem's DAC's

My system: mirage omc-2 centre

mirage om7 fronts

mirage m5's rears

mirage bps 400 sub

Bryston 9bst amp

AVM-20 pre-pro

Linn genki cd player

 

[Michael R Price]

So we haven't agreed whether CD players make a difference? If anything would show a difference, it would be comparing a Toshiba DVD player to a Sony XA777ES.

Steve, thanks for starting this thread, it shows there is more disagreement on the subject than I had initially thought. Regardless, I will be upgrading my CD player.

So many components in CD players can theoretically degrade the sound... jitter in the transport, a cheap DAC, poorly designed I/V stage, noisy power supply... most of them have cheap IC op-amps in the signal path... only a few very expensive CD players, it seems to me, do all these basic things (transport, DAC, I/V, etc) correctly. It's become clear over the years that accurately reproducing a CD is very hard to do right.

If you can notice the difference between power cords, I think there's a good chance you'll notice a difference between CD players. Not that I have experience to back that up, though.

 

[JordanS]

Someone mentioned that speaker wires and cables have to go through a "break-in" period..........?

You gotta be kidding....?

 

[Serge Breton]

anyone looking for an Arcam 8SE?

 

[Craig_Kg]

Someone mentioned that speaker wires and cables have to go through a "break-in" period..........?

Oh good. Lets add some DBT arguements to this thread!

 

[mike_decock]

Lets add some DBT arguements to this thread!

Bring it ON!!!
-Mike...

 

[KeithH]

Oh, please no! No DBT debates!

 

[kevitra]

How about bring back a thread from last January...

 

[Lee Scoggins]

Someone mentioned that speaker wires and cables have to go through a "break-in" period..........?

This has been fairly well established for years.
Read the technical discussion at www.audioquest.com for the reasons why.

 

[John Royster]

Oh,

But Lee you quote a manufacturers website. It has not gone through the rigorous peer review of the sites I post!!!! My obscure unpublished club sites have more truth than yours!!

Of course a CD player makes a difference.

 

[LanceJ]

Eeeek! It looks like Audioasylum.com's messages are somehow leaking into HTF's server. :frowning:
LJ

 

[RobertR]

It has not gone through the rigorous peer review of the sites I post

Much as the audio industry would like to wave their hands and make it otherwise, peer review is an essential prerequisite to adopting ANY scientific claim.

Of course, the likes of audioquest can always simply declare their claims have nothing to do with science...

 

[Craig_Kg]

This has been fairly well established for years.
Read the technical discussion at www.audioquest.com for the reasons why.

Audio signals are essentially highly distorted AC. There is no residual charge for the dielectrics to adjust to. Cardus try to use the same arguement to promote their (hugely expensive) cables.

 

[mike_decock]

Of course, the likes of audioquest can always simply declare their claims have nothing to do with science...

You mean the influence of suggestibility isn't a science?

-Mike...

 

[RobertR]

You mean the influence of suggestibility isn't a science?

Of course it is, but Audioquest completely ignores it and tries to pretend it has nothing to do with anything people hear with their wires. They prefer gobbledygook.

 

[Lin Park]

Seems mike and Robert have jumped out of the $10k challenge thread and carried their discussion into this one. Did someone say objectivist?
Lin