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My beloved old Sony X7ESD CDP broke down recently. It won't start up anymore, display is dark, drawer won't open. Bummer.
I had a pile of consumer grade CDP's in the attic. All from the fleas and thrifts. I did a multi test. Winner: Rotel RDC-06, the previous entry model Rotel CDP.
So i could play my ca. 2K, and growing, CD collection. But i started looking around on the used audio sites.
Found this Consonance CDP used in my small town. Took it home and hooked it up to my set. It has a tube output stage. 24/192 DAC.
I hear things i thought were impossible with redbook CD playback. It produces plenty of highs but it's not harsh at all. Cymbals, triangles, bells, never heard them like this on CD. Likewise the way it reproduces reverbs and ambience.
I bought it for less than 1/4 of the new price. There's not a scratch on it. With remote and original box.
Audiophiles are now leaving CD replay for streaming. So they are selling their high end CDP's, transports, DACs.
CD's are getting cheaper and cheaper. I bought some brand new jazz Cd's lately, 5 euro per. Used Cd's in the thrift: 1 euro per max. Records in the fleas and thrifts: forget it, even good classical is gone.
"The torture never stops"Greetings Freek.
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Makes a world of difference.
There's a nice CEC belt drive transport for sale here in the AA classifieds right now. I might buy it if the money wasn't a problem.
I have a cec tl-1 and it is the best cd transport I've ever had in my system.
I've never seen a belt drive CD player.
CEC has been making belt drives for years now. Their CD transports have always been considered state of the art. The belt helps to isolate the drive mechanism.
I had the same cd player and it was sweet sounding indeed.
I do it all in the name of music!!!
Just spun a thrift store Nat King Cole record on my modded 70s Lenco L75/Decca Int./Shure M97 TT. This puts everything into perspective. Let's say i'll allow the Consonance CDP to allow the Lenco's shoelaces...
Ok now there is a lot of talk about 24/96 FLACs and even beyond but where are they?
Vinyl is still king here but try to find 90s and 00s pop/rock on vinyl used. There are new pressings now but at 25 euro per it's becoming an expensive hobby.
Spinning a Lou Reed best-of Cd now, 1 euro, all original plus jewel box. Beat that!
"The torture never stops"Greetings Freek.
The Opera/Consonance room at RMAF featured some visually stunning gear. Looks to be built to a high standard. When I visited, playback levels were too low to evaluate, but I've heard positive comment on there gear over the years.
No doubt the better CDP's produce a much better CD experience, but there are complicating factors IMHO, although getting in cheaply is the correct approach.
New DAC's are producing great sound at ever cheaper levels. They also have the ability to play all high resolution files regardless of source. As the original files are digital with time hi-rez will be available cheaply.
The detail you mention is far more noticeable in the hi-rez formats, and CD remains 16/66. 24 bit is noticeably better. Vinyl users will find it difficult to accept less. Listen to files rendered on a Alesis masterlink.
A top quality transport therefore is what you are looking for. DAC's come & go and other sources will be required as the key benefit of digital is the ability to select playlists or albums remotely.
I'm mainly spending on vinyl reissues and upgrades as I put in my digital route a few years back. DAC is the new BRYSTON BDA2.(recommended)
The customer is then charged what he is likely to stand. ...
Indeed! If you love music you have to have a way to playback digital or you'll miss out on over what 90 some odd percent of all recorded music over the last 20 odd years?
I respect people that love vinyl and have a good rig that outplays their digital rig. I don't understand hating CD/digital so much that you have no way to play it in your system.
ET
There may be another reason for not having digital in a system... Because it would be costly to have two or more different sources of same quality, and that accepting one being inferiour is not an option. That's how it is with me. And that's probably also why pure digital-users don't do vinyl.
As a music lover I can't see a single platform as an option in any case today. A heavily tweaked early 18 bit DAC chip CDP is usable and quite cheap. I'm totally OK with those that don't like digital although most don't know or haven't heard the "good enough" rigs that can be had for around 3K.
But regardless as a music lover I'd have a 39 dollar DVD player as a CD rig to hear music I love not available on LP Tens of thousands of recordings from the last 20 some odd years are digital only.
What many don't realize is how much more important RFI/EMI suppression and superior AC delivery is to digital that IS NOT as important to analog and it gets worse every day with so many flat screens and switching power supplies polluting everything.
ET
Yes, I can certainly see what you mean, and I actually agree with you - by sticking to the vinyl media I am robbing myself of some music. However, I can actually get most of what I want, on vinyl.
From time to time I ponder about installing a CD-player again, but I have not come around to it yet. Streaming isn't my taste either, at the moment, other than internet-radio when I am working. It is also a matter of the media, where I simply get more joy out of the whole LP handling. That's just how I am, clinging on to something old in a modern world :-)
The Consonance is excellent. I use an Ah! Tjoeb in my main system. It also has a tube output stage and an upsampler and I'm delighted with the sound which rivals my lps.
Sim
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