The new Audioengine D3 has already been reviewed as sounding a little more natural and cleaner than the old Dragonfly. We need to now find out how the D3 compares to the new Dragonfly 1.2 which is actually less expensive than the D3.

The DAC chip is just a part of what to look for. The analog output stage or amplifier is just as important. This is what provides that big involving dynamic punch. Also look for a unit that has an AC power cord inlet in order to install a fat and probably expensive power cord. This does make a...

The transport of the Pro Tascam CD-200 is probably every bit as good as any of the CD players mentioned and you can pick one of these up new for around $250. You can match this with the new Anedio D2 DAC and still be under $2000. You will not have SACD capability but redbook should be as good as...

I noticed that Amazon has the Marantz CD 5004 @ $349 and the TASACM CD-200 @ $249. The TASCAM has a great transport. I actually do own the older Marantz CD-5002. This unit sounds edgy with missing detail and the transport makes noise. I hope that the CD 5004 is a better unit. Just the same, I...

Quote: The old single disc CD player is kind of a thing of the past while the muli-format player is a bit of a slowfull PITA. A professional player like the TASCAM CD-200 might be what you are looking for with it's top quality transport and quick bullet proof response time. You can...

Quote: I have an older Marantz CD5002. As a transport, this machine is just OK at best. Some of the people over at DIY Audio think poorly of Marantz transport mechanisms in general. You might look at something like a TASCAM CD-200 with the TEAC designed CD-5020A transport.Early...

The problem with transports in general is that there are good ones and cheep ones.The TASCAM CD-200 seems like one of the better bets available for around $250. DIY Audio has a little information on these. More should be coming soon.

  Quote: I had a Cambridge Audio CD player several years ago and it sounded great when it worked. I had it repaired under warranty the first time it broke and I gave it to a friend when it broke the second time. I replaced it with an inexpensive Marantz CD5001. This unit makes strange...

Many would argue that the Teac VRDS is the best CD transport ever built. I have never personally owned a Teac CD player but one unit to look at would be a Tascam CD-200 with the newly designed Teac CD-5020A transport. I have no personal experience with this unit but they aren't terribly...

Quote: The stock Technics tonearm is a bit on the heavy side and will tend to track better when matched with low compliance,(stiffer), cartridges like the Denon DL-110 while most moving magnet cartridges with higher compliances may present tracking issues with the heavier tonearms.  

  Quote: The mastering has a great deal to do with sound quality but unfortunately digital artifacts cannot be mastered out of digital recordings nor can the artifacts discarded by the defined compact disc lossy codec standards be master back into digital recordings. These are things...

  Quote: I am 56 years old and I have gone through many machines trying to get CDs to reproduce high-fidelity. It seems that everyone is looking for the next great DAC in an attempt to get their sound straightened out. Digital always sounds digital even though specifications approach...

I have yet to hear a digital source that sounds analog which is the way we all hear. I like the way the compact disc is more quiet and dynamic than vinyl which makes digital a fun listen in many respects. The problem lies in the reconstructed digital signal itself. There is always just something...

I own both digital and vinyl sources and both are capable of sounding good with the edge going to vinyl. The big problem with digital is that we are still living in the DAC dark ages comparable to the 78 RPM vinyl era. I suppose digital will finally catch vinyl within the next 50 years. Until...

An integrated phono preamp within your receiver will save you space and save you an interconnect.