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I tried another (cheap) buffer and was disappointed. Went to $1,400 tubed pre as a buffer and happy

65.31.171.38

In Reply to: RE: Indeed buffer amp posted by Tubers on May 11, 2012 at 23:12:12

So it was not a cheap jump for me, but the $150 tubed buffer i bought just did nothing for the sound.
I had a chance to buy a $4K tubed preamp to use as a fancy tubed buffer for $1,500 and did so. That worked very well.
So IMO no, a cheap tubed buffer is not going to solve the issue you have.
Though buffers show up in used ads all the time. Buy one used, and then if it does not work out you can sell it for about what you paid.

My uber cheapskate suggestion is to put ferrite beads on your CD player interconnects. Expensive ones from AudioQuest, or cheaper from Radio Shack snap on the cables. They attenuate the HF a little. Or also try other cables.
Cheap cables with copper litz forms of wire would be the most useful.
Also a cheap powerline conditioner might help on the Cd player. The cheapest is ferrite snap on right on the Cd power cord. One at the player back, and one near the AC wall plug. I use them on all my digital stuff with captive cords.. all the time.

Follow Ups:

Respectfully must disagree, I've run across litz ICs that added grit and made things worse. - cfb 07:06:27 05/12/12 (2)
So recommending just any old litz wire is not going to help ameliorate CD grittiness.

Also, no buffer is going to improve on an already poor quality CD player output; all it can do is color the sound even more. Many CD players have three or more output buffer stages to begin with and they are made with the most common op amps available, all at a cost of less than a dollar. The 741 or 5532 op amps can be as low as 25 cents each in bulk. For example, take the Toshiba in the post below. When it was new that was a $2,000 player and yet the audio output circuit downstream of the DAC consists of about five dollars in parts including the RCA jack.

So, what's a solution to a gritty sibilant CD player; either sell the unit and replace it with a better sounding player or use it as a transport only and add an outboard DAC; preferably one that is known to have a warm or smooth sound quality.

Furthermore, while you certainly got a deal on the tube preamp if you had purchased a high quality DAC in its place you would have better sound. If you get a chance to try a quality DAC connect its output direct to your amps and I think you'll be surprised.
- I bought a $2,400 DAC and found it to be inferior to my old Adcom DAC. I returned the new one. nt - Elizabeth 14:15:24 05/12/12 (1)
  Naturally or experience varies.
  The op is asking what can he do cheap. I only mentioned my experience with a Buffer in relation to a buffer i found worthwhile. (I was not suggesting the op bbuy an expensive preamp..) The best cheap bits to try are the ferrite, which on AC and interconnect offer a bit of relief.
  I would have to spend $10,000 or more on digital to beat what i have now. A price i am not willing to pay, since i am very happy with how my digital setup sounds.
  - If the OP is looking for dirt cheap, a 12AX7 ART DI/O DAC can be had for $60 ebay, had quite the following - cfb 16:06:43 05/12/12 (0)
    many modifications were done by many owners and it even had a vacuum tube output buffer. That would certainly be as cheap as a set of ICs and it might show a taste of what an outboard DAC can do for the sound quality, while still using the OP's CD player as a transport.

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