[slide4417]

Can someone suggest a current good sounding CD player? I suspect 20 years advancement makes anything I have obsolete.
Not the esoteric, overpriced goofy stuff. Just a killer choice in the few to several hundred dollar range.

 

[Pjotr27]

Marantz CD6007 (new around USD 499)... great player for the money.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Audiolab 8300CD. Just friggin' incredible. It's around 1000 bucks or so but worth every penny. Has a USB DAC that plays high rate PCM and DSD up to 256 (512 advertised but does not work).

 

[twsmith]

Audiolab 8300CD. Just friggin' incredible. It's around 1000 bucks or so but worth every penny. Has a USB DAC that plays high rate PCM and DSD up to 256 (512 advertised but does not work).

If you already have a good dac, then I would seriously look at the Audiolab 6000CDT transport (about $550). This machine is simply amazing! I've compared hi-res (including DSD and hi-res PCM) files with Redbook CDs of the same material played on the Audiolab and they sound virtually identical. In a few cases, the CD version is actually better. I've also burned a few hi-res files to 16/44 CD-R discs, and noted no change at all in sound quality when comparing the CD-R (on the Audiolab) with the high-res original. The machine is very well built and easy to use, and a big plus is that it is completely silent with all discs. I've had a few rather expensive players in past years with unacceptable mechanical noise. In my opinion, there are really no downsides to this machine unless you really need a true player (1 box player/dac). There are many reviews of the 6000CDT and almost all give this transport very high marks.

 

[]eep]

so if I understand correctly you are just curious what improvement is possible with the current state of DAC. Then if your cd-player has a digital output why not just put your money where it counts? Get a modern top of the line Sigma-Delta dac-chip, or even better, a discrete R2R DAC.

I seriously doubt that a mere transport can lift the performance of redbook to the level of DSD on a good dac (if so, it's not a good dac, usb output is not 1:1, insufficiently resolving system, or your hearing isn't the best). Dac performance has improved considerably over the last 5 years, let alone 20. And high-res material pushes performance to a different level altogether. If you buy a new dac like the Topping D90, SMSL M400 or Denafrips Ares II you can get the most out of regular cd's and profit from high-res files via usb-input from pc, mobile, mediaplayer etc. (HD or streaming). I wouldn't buy a standalone cd-player ever.

 

[Rob the Comic]

Marantz CD6007 (new around USD 499)... great player for the money.

Agree with this. I have the previous model; CD6006 and I think the SQ is good enough for my other components, which are TOTL Schiit Yggdrasil and Phonitor XE.