Shure 1840 for CD listening only -- CDplayer with HP-output or extern HP-amp?

[Hardanger]

I own the Shure 1840 and want to buy a new CD player for to listen to CDs only. Would it be better going for a player with a decent built-in headphone output or run it through an extern head amp?
What CDplayers and amps can you recommend?

 

[obobskivich]

When you say CD player, do you mean a portable unit, or a hi-fi unit? Portables have largely gone the way of the dinosaur, but there's a few manufacturers still making hi-fi CD players, and there's heaps of great gear on the second hand market (a lot of it can be had for peanuts too).

 

[sodasoda]

Why wouldn't you tell both sides then, portable and stationery?

When you say CD player, do you mean a portable unit, or a hi-fi unit? Portables have largely gone the way of the dinosaur, but there's a few manufacturers still making hi-fi CD players, and there's heaps of great gear on the second hand market (a lot of it can be had for peanuts too).

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I own the Shure 1840 and want to buy a new CD player for to listen to CDs only. Would it be better going for a player with a decent built-in headphone output or run it through an extern head amp?
What CDplayers and amps can you recommend?

Your main problem with built in headphone amps on CDPs is that they tend to not really be good headphone amps. At best, there's Marantz with a headphone driver chip and typically a better power supply design, but it's still basically just a little bit better than a DIY portable amp with one 9v battery, and the Philips headphone driver chips they use have a high output impedance. My Marantz CD60 was good enough with my HD600, but my SR225 sounded like tin cans on them (and actually my 9v CMOY was a lot better).

On top of that you'd have to buy a Marantz CDP, but by contrast you could just get a DVD player from a store (or use whatever computer you typed that post in, provided it's quiet enough) as a source unit for a DAC-HPamp or a DAC and a HPamp. So say you use your computer or laptop and its quiet enough at idle, you can get the Schiit Modi2 and Vali2 for less than a CD5005.

 

[Hardanger]

Your main problem with built in headphone amps on CDPs is that they tend to not really be good headphone amps. At best, there's Marantz with a headphone driver chip and typically a better power supply design, but it's still basically just a little bit better than a DIY portable amp with one 9v battery, and the Philips headphone driver chips they use have a high output impedance. My Marantz CD60 was good enough with my HD600, but my SR225 sounded like tin cans on them (and actually my 9v CMOY was a lot better).

On top of that you'd have to buy a Marantz CDP, but by contrast you could just get a DVD player from a store (or use whatever computer you typed that post in, provided it's quiet enough) as a source unit for a DAC-HPamp or a DAC and a HPamp. So say you use your computer or laptop and its quiet enough at idle, you can get the Schiit Modi2 and Vali2 for less than a CD5005.

Thanks for your replies. I only have a rather basic knowledge of all those technical terms, I regret. I only have an external ASUS-CD-drive, it's not entirely quite at idle but almost. How do I connect the laptop to the Magni2/Magni2 Uber? Or buy a very plain CD player without heaphone amp and get it connected to a Magni/Rega/Meier? Sorry my newbie questions.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Thanks for your replies. I only have a rather basic knowledge of all those technical terms, I regret. I only have an external ASUS-CD-drive, it's not entirely quite at idle but almost

I'd just use that to rip my music into a solid state drive, or you can set up a NAS storage device but don't put it in the same room where you listen since these have cooling fans and spinning HDDs.

How do I connect the laptop to the Magni2/Magni2 Uber?

Laptop >USB> Modi2 >RCA cables> Magni2/Vali2

Or buy a very plain CD player without heaphone amp and get it connected to a Magni/Rega/Meier?

I'd just rip the CDs but if you really prefer swapping out discs for every album then get a CDP and hook it up to a Schiit Magni2 or Vali2 or Meier Corda Rock or Jazz. Rega Ear has very high gain though - it's fine with an iPod or a portable DAC with low voltage line outputs playing properly recorded tracks, but use a 2v line output CDP or mains-powered DAC, or play Loudness War recordings, and you won't be able to move the volume knob past the point where the potentiometer has an imbalance between left and right.

 

[Hardanger]

I'd just use that to rip my music into a solid state drive, or you can set up a NAS storage device but don't put it in the same room where you listen since these have cooling fans and spinning HDDs.




Laptop >USB> Modi2 >RCA cables> Magni2/Vali2




I'd just rip the CDs but if you really prefer swapping out discs for every album then get a CDP and hook it up to a Schiit Magni2 or Vali2 or Meier Corda Rock or Jazz..

I guess I'll go for an affordable CDP, for example Yamaha CDS300BL, Denon DCD-520AE, Onkyo C-7030. Or the more expensive Onkyo C 755. Which one would be the best choice? Then hook it up to a head amp. Can there really be told a difference between Magni 2/Uber, the Meier Corda Rock and the Corda Jazz?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I guess I'll go for an affordable CDP, for example Yamaha CDS300BL, Denon DCD-520AE, Onkyo C-7030. Or the more expensive Onkyo C 755. Which one would be the best choice? Then hook it up to a head amp.

I'd take whichever is cheapest and, if it matters to you, has the same color faceplate as the amp.

Can there really be told a difference between Magni 2/Uber, the Meier Corda Rock and the Corda Jazz?

Jazz has the lowest noise floor and more power than the Rock but whether you'd hear differences is something nobody can answer for you. I have a friend who can tune a guitar by ear but can't tell the difference between his iPod earbuds and my HD600 driven by an Ibasso PB2, but he'll easily hear the difference with Grados. And those are headphones already which make a bigger difference than amps.