Quote:
Originally posted by Jon Beilin
only time you'll be happy is with a good amp and a good source. Feed the amp crap, you get crap... feed a bad amp good sound, you get bad sound...
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I totally agree. I used to believe that CD players were all about the same (its digital, how can you get it wrong?) and a good amp would make the difference. While I feel that both play an important role, the source is exactly that...the source.
My 12 year old, $120 at the time, Sony is losing its laser, so I too was looking for a new player. I wanted to go the used/demo route because of the bang for the buck. Here's what I listened to and what I thought:
Sony SCD-1: amazing SACD, very good CD, but $2700 used.
Sony SCD777ES (the older top-loader): 99.9% of the SCD-1, $1800 used.
Sony 9000ES: once broken in, just about all of the 777 for CDs. $875-675 used.
Sony 222ES: SACD were good, CDs were dry and uninvolving, transport was loud.
Adcom GC750: good reviews, I thought the soundstage had no depth, and the sound was uninvolving (I wasn't tapping my foot and kept skipping to the next track).
Creek CD43 (not mkII)- loved it, smooth, great sound stage. $1000 new.
CAL Icon MkII HDCD: amazing resolution and unforgiving; bright CDs (so many of today are) were quite fatiguing with my DT250s, which aren't bright. $600-400 used.
Arcam Alpha7 (not SE): smooth, musical, involving, great for the money. An SE (better PS) $350 used.
Arcam Alpha8 (not SE): smooth, more space between the instruments, better sound stage, not as musical as the 7. $450 for an SE (adds HDCD).
Linn Mimik II: smooth, musical, good (not great) resolution, a little forgiving (more than the CAL), good soundstage, and space between instruments. $600-500 used.
Musical Fidelity A3CD- similar to the Linn with a little better resolution. $700 used.
I went with the Linn. Just to be fair...I have a Mimik II at home already (3 years old). I just bought a second one for work.
-tom