CD player question help please.

first of all..your questions are definitely not stupid.  we are here for knowledge and because we are all sound freaks that like to talk about audio and audio gear so you are welcome to ask what ever that is on your mind mate. 

now to your question..

I can't give you a definitive answer ..but it mostly depends on your budget.  the wadia transpost is pretty expensive..isn't it?  if all your music is on cd's i say get the marantz cd player.  this way you can use it with it's built in headphone amp,as a digital transport to a dac in case you will get one, or as an analog source straight to your amp.   

I have the marantz CD5001 and i am very happy with it.  i am using it mostly as a transport to my dac, but sometimes when want a little different sound,i am using it's headphone out..like i am doing right now with my M50.   sounds great!     

I say start with getting the cd player and using it straight to your amp.  later if you want you can get a dac,   but the built in dac in the marantz is of a very good quality.

Also in favour of Marantz CDPs, I still have a CD60 and when the CDM4 transport isn't giving me %#@& I really love the sound. I just plug in my SR225 straight into the jack for when I'm reading, but when the DAC with my PC system broke, I moved the LD MkII into the bedroom and stacked it on top of the Marantz. Love those with the HD600.

BUT, IF and only IF you're stil buying CDs. Much of my music isn't exactly available in 24/96 purchase download, and even IF I was happy with ripping off people via free downloads, not many people rip these into FLAC or WAV. Which is strange because symphonic metal is so layered 320kbps only cuts it when you're using the typical DAP (which means at most it plays FLAC/WAV, but I'm excluding hte likes of hte HM801, S:Flo, etc.) In any case YouTube holds me over until my CDs arrive from Europe. If you download your music, say, 24/96, and use a good CD Player in your carand not an iPod cable (ie, like a Nakamichi or one of those Network/Active-type Pioneers/Alpines/Clarions), then get the CD Player, that way you don't burn CDs for just that Marantz CDP.

BTW, CDPs have a host of other tweaks, or as some people prefer, issues. Like vibrations: jsut because you're not using speakers doesn't mean it won't get any from spinning a disc to begin with, that's why good CDP's are usually heavy and can sound a lot better vs a slim DVD player. If some PC-based systems sound as good, that's because the DAC they're using with it has good jitter correction. Also, the transport can be problematic after a few years, and in the case of the botched NAD units a few years ago, within weeks. So try NOT to buy a new model CDP for at least 6months and wait if a significant number of people start ranting about theirs. My Sony SACD-CE595 stopped reading SACDs (the irony! gaaaaah) after five months, and then stopped reading CD-Rs, then stopped playing the regular CD layer on the SACDs. Nuts.

And if you're buying a good CDP, choose one that sounds good and skip the DAC. If a few years later a really good, new-tech DAC comes out, buy that instead of a new CDP, so long as the trasport has proven to be robust. Or maybe even try a vintage DAC, like newer TDA154x NOS designs or CAL Delta, etc, and alternate between that and the CDP's analog out whichever sounds better for what you're listening to. And if you're willing to buy used on Audiogon, wait for those old 16-bit Meridians, or some Sony ES-series that can go for under $100. I remember missing one that went for $200+shipping, with just a minor scratch on the cover. I'm just hung up with car repair costs but I have a vintage Hi-Fi store in my city that still has some old Musical Fidelity tube CDPs; if I'm still using speakers I'd probably snatch one of the matching amps, too.

Oh, and if you're really planning to go into getting a DAC, then try hunting down a pro-audio Marantz with digital out. Might not sound as good, or even look as good on the front (it might even have two transports, one's a burner), but you can find nice bargains on these once in a while. Just make sure to bring CD-R's to test the transport.

Yes...I was very impressed with the CD5003. I thought the sound was great, even out of the hp jack. You can always add a DAC and a higher end dedicated amp later as you please.