[Mr.T]

Ok, example here how important is the source in getting quality sound to your headphones... For instance ignoring the prices and just looking at the CD Players would it make a huge difference in whether a set of HD600's is hooked up to a $79 RCA 5 disc changer or a $2000 LINN CD Player. (Note using same amps)

Just really how much of a difference does the source make ?

Thanks

 

[Mic]

A lot.

 

[Vertigo-1]

A lot lot.

 

[fyrfytrhoges]

don't know exactly who came up with this one but i have always found it useful "garbage in - garbage out"

 

[dhwilkin]

Great big difference... assuming everything else in the chain (not just the amp) is up to par.

 

[jopi]

The difference can be so large, that you rather prefer to listen to a crappy source without an amp or a lower quality amp to cover up its fault than to bring out too much detail, crappy detail that is.

 

[mikeg]

But, how much difference would there be between a Marantz CD5000 and a $2000 LINN CD Player?

 

[Vertigo-1]

There's a difference between players even in the $1k to $2k range, FWIW. Is it like jumping from headphone to headphone? No. Does it matter to how your music sounds like ultimately? YES. Sources may not be very convincing at first as far as how much of a "difference" they make, but for your system to sound its best you WILL have to deal with your source eventually, whether it be the first or last thing on your list of to-do's.

 

[zzz]

117%

 

[JohnActon]

I'll back everyone up here. Moving from a Rotel RCD-971 (admittedly, a very good CD player for the money) to a Cary CD 303/200 made a bigger difference than I would have ever thought possible.

To warp a popular adage, source matters.

 

[Calanctus]

OK, just to make things interesting:

Here is a thread from Audiogon where the original poster doubts very much whether his multi $$$ CD player was worth the upgrade.

Presently I'm an agnostic, but I'm planning to upgrade my source anyway. The players I'm looking at are expensive but not ridiculous (less than $2000) and even if they make no difference at all, I won't be out THAT much.

The only way I'll be sure is if I can hear a real difference after weeks of listening at home, and ideally if I can duplicate it DB with a friend helping me with the test.

 

[zzz]

On a more serious note... I currently have 3 players and all of them had hefty MSRPs when originally released (Toshiba SD9200, NEC CD-903, and Arcam Alpha 9 CD), and even through MG Head they all sound considerably different. With a better amp this difference would probably be even more apparent.

The problem is that `different` sound doesn't mean that it is possible to establish some sort of universal `quality relation` among them, say CD-903 < SD9200 < Alpha 9 or some other way around, as it is well known that another amp or another set of ears would change it. And I'm pretty sure that if I quietly throw in my 120 USD EJ725 PCDP, someone conducting blind player comparison may rank it above some of these other players

.


[size=xx-small](/me shuts up hoping to one day trade this player/amp zoo for one Linn Ikemi and a Sugden Headmaster)[/size]

 

[taoster]

go demo a meridian and be astound!

 

[mikeg]

Quote:

Originally posted by JohnActon I'll back everyone up here. Moving from a Rotel RCD-971 (admittedly, a very good CD player for the money) to a Cary CD 303/200 made a bigger difference than I would have ever thought possible.

But now that SACD is becoming popular, will your trade in your Cary CD for an SACD? If so, then which one? Unless, of course, the Cary unit is an SACD.

 

[Vertigo-1]

I'll probably wait now until every single CD in this world is replaced with SACDs before getting back into SACDs.