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What CD Player do you use with your Maggies?

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Posted on October 28, 2009 at 16:19:27
ElmerFuddRules
Audiophile

Posts: 20
Location: Carolinas
Joined: December 23, 2004
 I am looking to upgrade my CD player in the ~$1000 range(+/-$ who knows). Any Stellar recommendations? The Apollo & Cambridge players have sparked my interest, but I am open. I have a pair of 1.6's with a REL T2

RE: What CD Player do you use with your Maggies?, posted on November 3, 2009 at 13:27:19
6 Meters DX
 Currently, a lowly MARANTZ CD-5001 with a Cirrus Logic chip. Sounds good enough for me! The MG12's sing with this inexpensive CDP!

RE: What CD Player do you use with your Maggies?, posted on November 1, 2009 at 11:23:59
r_clemens@att.net
 I use an Adcom GCD 750, purchased second-hand at a local audio salon. It was missing the remote, but I generally listen to my CD's start-to-finish.

A significant upgrade over an old Sony that I wore out. Sounds great, too! Nice 1250.))upgrade for only 125.00!

Musical Fidelity DAC, posted on October 31, 2009 at 08:04:25
Satie
Audiophile

Posts: 100
Joined: July 6, 2002
 I suggest the better 24/192 upsampling Musical Fidelity DACs, Particularly cheap is using the HTP processor - which also allows multiple inputs. That is what I use

Other cost effective way is one of the higher end dolby digital processors from Proceed and Aragon. Just turn off the processing and you have a great DAC.

Musical Fidelity has a sweet sound signature that is a great fit for sometimes top heavy maggies.

RE: What CD Player do you use with your Maggies?, posted on October 30, 2009 at 10:37:44
klao
Audiophile

Posts: 38
Location: Bangkok
Joined: March 15, 2008
 I quite like my C.E.C. beltdrive CDP (old model) TL-51ZX on loan to my father. The current one is my system is Cambridge Azur 840C.

Long term plan is to invest in a fine SACD/CD/BD player instead of just redbook. Too lazy to get into music server. :)

RE: What CD Player do you use with your Maggies?, posted on October 30, 2009 at 04:32:49
roblanger
 I've been happy with the sound of the Cambridge 840C running through a tubed linestage and power amps into a set of MMG's.

Happy with Denon 3910 via DL3 or analog but this..., posted on October 30, 2009 at 00:02:09
JBen
Audiophile

Posts: 202
Joined: May 18, 2008
 ...may be a great choice: the Oppo BDP-83. I've been auditioning a friend's on and off for a while.

In stock form it is hard to fault. With upgrades like those in the link below, it may well be unbeatable anywhere under 6+ times its total (modded) price.

RE: Happy with Denon 3910 via DL3 or analog but this..., posted on October 30, 2009 at 10:30:38
klao
Audiophile

Posts: 38
Location: Bangkok
Joined: March 15, 2008
 ModWright is also offering mods for this Oppo Bluray-universal.

I have a Denon 2910 SACD/DVD-A/CD player but seldom use it., posted on October 29, 2009 at 20:35:20
Opus 104
Audiophile

Posts: 2715
Location: Northern Virginia
Joined: June 13, 2008
Contributor
  Since: July 20, 2008
 Most all my listening is analog . . . vinyl. In fact, I'm having a vintage Thorens TD-150 restored and upgraded. Not done yet, but soon.










"It was a dark and stormy night. I had taken a creative writing course." – Crow T. Robot, MST 3000.


Just a Cambridge Audio DVD player doing yeoman as a CDP..., posted on October 29, 2009 at 19:40:10
Marc Bratton
Audiophile

Posts: 4581
Joined: June 15, 2000
 Pressed into service after the transport of my beloved Rega Planet died (for lack of a 50 cent part they no longer supported...GAH!!) While the highs aren't quite as silky, amazingly close. Impressive, for a $199 DVD player. When it dies, I'll probably pull it and just go straight vinyl, since I only have a handful of CD's now.

If you still want a CD player, posted on November 4, 2009 at 05:54:12
Keith944T
Audiophile

Posts: 129
Location: Western PA
Joined: April 23, 2009
 The Cambridge Audio DVD 99 is pretty good.
It also plays SACD, DVD Audio and of course Red book.
Oh, its also a darn good upscaling DVD player too!
In fact, at the time, it was the only player you could hook up via HDMI for multi-channel SACD play. Or so I was told.
But since you're thinking vinyl only, I'm guessing you don't care much for multi-channel audio.
My DVD 99 is actually my 2-channel SACD player, I use a $160 Sony 5 disc SACD changer for the multi-channel stuff.
I usually use my Cambridge Audio Azur 640H for Red book, that way I can rip it into the unit's server and listen from there afterwards.

Here's your opportunity to go Hi-Rez!, posted on October 29, 2009 at 19:12:25
CometCKO
Audiophile

Posts: 395
Joined: August 9, 2002
 Have you thought about going to a music server instead of a dying format like CD? Four advantages:
* Instant access to your whole digital music collection
* Ability to download & play much-better-than-CD quality 96Khz/24-bit Hi-Rez formats (see HDtracks for example)
* Much quieter transport via hard disk vs. optical/mechanical transport and jitterless distribution via Ethernet
* Ability to stream to players throughout your home

There are downsides too, but music quality is not one of them. Mostly they are a pain to set up in your price range. I'd recommend a system using
* a low cost server box using an Atom-powered motherboard. Check out Vortexbox for example (less than $400 on Amazon)
* a Logitech Squeezebox as a music player
* a decent-quality DAC (could be added later)

This can all be done under your price cap of $1,000. I did this a couple of years ago, and ever since then my CD player has been gathering dust. It was a darn good player too (Musical Fidelity A5 with a tube analog output stage). Sound quality is NOT a reason to avoid this. The biggest hassle is getting all your digital CD's ripped into the server, but the Vortexbox makes this really easy to do, if time-consuming.

Highly recommended. I love being able to instantly dial up 3 versions of Beethoven's Piano Concerto #2 played by different virtuoso's.

RE: Here's your opportunity to go Hi-Rez!, posted on October 30, 2009 at 08:17:08
Kirk57
Audiophile

Posts: 129
Location: Chicago's North Shore
Joined: December 9, 2008
Contributor
  Since: November 10, 2009
 +1

I know this is not answering the OPs question, but I have gone the music server/Squeezebox route myself. I don't even have a CD player in the main system any more. I am very pleased with the sound quality and the access to your entire library via a remote is a revelation (IMHO)
How about an Ipod and Wadia dock? Dawnrazor, listening? :), posted on October 30, 2009 at 06:54:52
grantv
Manufacturer

Posts: 3017
Location: B.C.
Joined: January 15, 2002
 Is there any difference/advantage of one or the other? I understand not from what I've read. A 160GB Ipod and Wadia dock totals around $6-700 or so, yes? Isn't that a lot easier, plus no PC build, noise issues, etc...?
The big drawbacks for me still include (regardless of which one) downloading/loading the songs, lack of direct interface, hassle of viewing a screen just to play a song...
The positive is potentially better sound obviously, maybe quicker access to more music...
Can one download uncompressed music for free?

RE: How about an Ipod and Wadia dock? Dawnrazor, listening? :), posted on October 31, 2009 at 22:43:43
Dawnrazor
Audiophile

Posts: 7507
Location: N. California
Joined: April 9, 2004
 Hey Grant,

Call me crazy but that sounds like a good option, but personally I think that is a bandaid at best. Definitely not a mac guy but anyway you slice it (ok maybe an iPhone is different) you need a computer to get your content. So put the money to a dedicated one.

Why not just get a mini and something like the Apogee firewire dac or something like that? Or the musliland and your existing dac?

Most uncompressed music or hirez is not free though, and last I checked most if not all of iTunes was 128k material. Disks into a mini is much better IMHO. Though there are some sights that will have music for free like this one though it might not be the best quality as they are all live shows, but every now and again there are some high bitrate selections:

http://www.archive.org/browse.php?collection=etree&field=%2Fmetadata%2Fcreator

None of those issues are insurmountable. The hardest one is the ripping. But having ripped about 400 disks I could easily do more if I had to. For me it is totally worth it.

The big mistake people make when ripping is to do it all at once. Just do a few a day starting with your favorites and dont kill yourself. It takes time but it is worth it.

And I just finished a computer build which was my very first one. It was super simple and just worked. Heck Grant if I can do it I cant think of many who couldnt. And everyone has some computer expert that they know even if it is a few friends removed.

here is a new website that might help especially with the screen thing.


ITunes file resolution is improving, posted on November 1, 2009 at 07:41:28
Kirk57
Audiophile

Posts: 129
Location: Chicago's North Shore
Joined: December 9, 2008
Contributor
  Since: November 10, 2009
 Itunes Plus files are all 256 kb now, and no DRM. Cost $.30 more.
RE: ITunes file resolution is improving, posted on November 1, 2009 at 09:54:25
Dawnrazor
Audiophile

Posts: 7507
Location: N. California
Joined: April 9, 2004
 Thats good to know. Though 256k is not exactly cd quality :) And even lossless is not exactly like the original on most systems.

Yeah I know it IS lossless but there is extra processing which on a dedicated optimized system can be heard. Though the player in the link i offered decodes Flac into wav before playing so it doesnt make a difference in that case. Very few players do that AFAIK.

And iTunes is not the best sounding player on a mac...


RE: ITunes file resolution is improving, posted on November 3, 2009 at 08:32:36
grantv
Manufacturer

Posts: 3017
Location: B.C.
Joined: January 15, 2002
 Too much info. :)
I'll stick to my ole' trusted CD player for now. A few other system/room upgrades are taking precedence anyway; new sub(s), rear couch platform for HT portion, finishing off my bar....
As are some house renos, a car repair or two, etc.
I seriously appreciate all your input on this DR. I am curious, and maybe one day... Although I don't at this point understand why an Ipod would offer any worse alternative as a server than a PC. Rip your CD's to your PC, load them onto your Ipod as a lossless file, no?

True, it's a significant advantage, posted on October 30, 2009 at 02:33:50
esande
Audiophile

Posts: 172
Location: Washington, DC
Joined: December 27, 2008
 To ditch the CD device and go to all digital storage and management. This as I see it is an enormous advantage when all you have to worry about is the DAC and the line feed. This is where it is going anyway.

I still maintain an analog front end but that is rarely used. Eventually all of the analog device and separate device technology is going to disappear, retro-purists to the contrary. No lossy compression necessary, storage space and bandwidth get cheaper every day.

I'd never consider a new CD/multiformat device today. That IMHO is history. Finally.

We have an opportunity to do this right, let's take advantage.
being a heretic, I use a modded Denon 3930ci, posted on October 29, 2009 at 04:36:22
wazoo
Audiophile

Posts: 1889
Location: Middle GA
Joined: December 6, 2006
 I can't comment on the stock unit because it came to me via The Upgrade Company. I will say that the 2ch performance of the modded unit beats my Rega Planet and my Marantz SA8260 (recently got it back from Marantz because it started rejecting more and more SACDs and even CDs - works fine now), and it's a universal player (well, not quite since it doesn't play BluRay). I wanted to reduce my equipment load by using a single player for music and movies - this one is a keeper (but I keep wishing it did BluRay).


"Jazz is not dead - it just smells funny" FZ
Where did you get it modded?, posted on October 29, 2009 at 07:36:06
jimbill
Audiophile

Posts: 1155
Location: Texas
Joined: May 31, 2004
 And how much?

Can you give me some details on what they did to it? And how significant was the improvement?

Needless to say, I have one. I had to send it in for repair right after the warranty went out. The transport had to be replaced.

The Upgrade Company, posted on October 29, 2009 at 08:56:15
wazoo
Audiophile

Posts: 1889
Location: Middle GA
Joined: December 6, 2006
 David Schulte & company performed the mods - see link below. I don't remember how much it cost, but I can dig out my receipt after work - it was about a grand (or a little more) if memory serves. Add that to the grand or so for the deck and it was somewhere around $2500. The overhaul of the 2ch section was pretty substantial, along with a master clock replacement and various power supply improvements. I have no idea how to compare it to stock because I never had the stock unit - purchased with a delivery address of The Upgrade Company. I didn't have the unit until after they were done with the overhaul, which they completed in a very reasonable amount of time. Even though I can't comment on how improved it is over stock, I'm very pleased with the unit and it's been rock solid.


"Jazz is not dead - it just smells funny" FZ
RE: What CD Player do you use with your Maggies?, posted on October 28, 2009 at 22:28:05
Audiojan
Audiophile

Posts: 47
Location: Sweden/US
Joined: June 7, 2001
 I used to have a Rega Planet (both the original one and the Planet 2000) and Rega does sound fantastic on Maggies. The strength of the speakers and the CD player is very similar, both very "organic"; they're not perfect, but I'd rather live with the flaws that I enjoy that the flaws that I don't...

If you are going to step a bit further up in price, I also really like Wadia... especially when connected directly to the amp and run balanced... The older 830/301/850/860's are amazing machines and you can often get them for fairly reasonable money.

Cary 308-T, posted on October 28, 2009 at 20:23:48
SHIF
Audiophile

Posts: 778
Location: SillyCon Valley, Nor Cal.
Joined: December 25, 2001
 This is a very musical unit. The tube stage is not simply an output buffer, it does all the voltage amplification. There are NO audio ICs in the signal path of the CD308T. The gain is all in the tubes.

Too bad this thing only gets used 10% of the time. Most of the time I spin vinyl.

The original retail price was 2500 and these show up on the used market for about half price. Well worth it.

Cheers,
-S
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Very pleased with my Rega Apollo, posted on October 28, 2009 at 18:46:11
3rdRock
Audiophile

Posts: 45
Location: Nashville TN
Joined: April 2, 2006
 Very musical. Hard to believe that the music that flows from this player is coming off of a spinning disc!

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