shuttleboi
100+ Head-Fier
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- Dec 1, 2005
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I was looking at the Marantz CD5003 and the Cambridge Audio 640C, both of which are under $400, but then I started investigating $1000-$1500 units that can play SACD and look to be solidly built.
I own 700 CDs and want to get back to the visceral feeling of handling my CDs and looking at the booklets instead of ripping them to FLAC. I don't own any SACDs, but those Depeche Mode SACD editions sure are tempting.
I'm assuming $1000 CD players have pretty good DACs, so whatever I buy will probably be hooked up to a Woo Audio 6 or something and then to headphones.
So, does anyone have any opinions on these units:
1. Sony SCD-XA5400ES, $1499 list. This is Sony's newest top-of-the-line SACD player. Released October 2008. Stereophile Magazine apparently says this is the best SACD/CD player available right now, with the redbook CD quality almost as good as SACD. I've not seen anything on head-fi about it.
Sony ES SCD-XA5400ES Multichannel SACD/stereo CD player with HDMI output at Crutchfield.com
2. Yamaha CD-S1000, $1299 list. There's also a CD-S2000 for $1999. Plays SACD. I've read on head-fi that there might be drive noise problems.
Yamaha CD-S1000 Stereo SACD/CD player at Crutchfield.com
3. Marantz SA8003, $999 list. I've read that it sounds great. Plays SACD. But the unit is slow to respond to input, and it doesn't display CD-Text.
Marantz SA8003 Stereo SACD/CD player at Crutchfield.com
4. Cambridge Audio 740C ($1099 list) and 840C ($1499 list): They don't play SACD, but I've read that these are excellent players. They have optical inputs, so they can serve as DACs as well. Not sure if they show CD-Text.
Azur 740C upsampling CD player
5. Denon DCD-CX3 ($1299 list). This one is really intriguing, but I can't find a review of it anywhere. Plays SACD. It's built small (11" wide), so it will fit onto my desk. I don't particularly like the beige colour.
Denon USA | DCD-CX3
6. Onkyo DX-7555, $599 list. Not in the $1000 range, but it gets 5 stars on Amazon.com.
Onkyo DX-7555 - Audiophile-Grade CD Player | Model Information | Onkyo USA Home Theater Products
I own 700 CDs and want to get back to the visceral feeling of handling my CDs and looking at the booklets instead of ripping them to FLAC. I don't own any SACDs, but those Depeche Mode SACD editions sure are tempting.
I'm assuming $1000 CD players have pretty good DACs, so whatever I buy will probably be hooked up to a Woo Audio 6 or something and then to headphones.
So, does anyone have any opinions on these units:
1. Sony SCD-XA5400ES, $1499 list. This is Sony's newest top-of-the-line SACD player. Released October 2008. Stereophile Magazine apparently says this is the best SACD/CD player available right now, with the redbook CD quality almost as good as SACD. I've not seen anything on head-fi about it.
Sony ES SCD-XA5400ES Multichannel SACD/stereo CD player with HDMI output at Crutchfield.com
2. Yamaha CD-S1000, $1299 list. There's also a CD-S2000 for $1999. Plays SACD. I've read on head-fi that there might be drive noise problems.
Yamaha CD-S1000 Stereo SACD/CD player at Crutchfield.com
3. Marantz SA8003, $999 list. I've read that it sounds great. Plays SACD. But the unit is slow to respond to input, and it doesn't display CD-Text.
Marantz SA8003 Stereo SACD/CD player at Crutchfield.com
4. Cambridge Audio 740C ($1099 list) and 840C ($1499 list): They don't play SACD, but I've read that these are excellent players. They have optical inputs, so they can serve as DACs as well. Not sure if they show CD-Text.
Azur 740C upsampling CD player
5. Denon DCD-CX3 ($1299 list). This one is really intriguing, but I can't find a review of it anywhere. Plays SACD. It's built small (11" wide), so it will fit onto my desk. I don't particularly like the beige colour.
Denon USA | DCD-CX3
6. Onkyo DX-7555, $599 list. Not in the $1000 range, but it gets 5 stars on Amazon.com.
Onkyo DX-7555 - Audiophile-Grade CD Player | Model Information | Onkyo USA Home Theater Products