Which Player Vaulted CD Sound From Toy-dom?

[gtortorella]

As this time of year inspires reflection, I thought I would share this question I have been pondering.

Back in the early 1990s, a very wise dealer and audio enthusiast commented to me that a CD player "is still a toy." At the time, I thought his comment was a bit of an exaggeration, but, years later, I understood the wisdom in his words.

In around 1980, we digiphiles were promised "perfect sound forever." This catchy catchphrase stuck with CDs for quite some time, but when did the digital domain really begin to prove its merits? Here is my answer: While I had dabbled with an NAD player and some other gear prior to 1992, the player that "turned the tide" for me was the CAL Icon Mk.II. This 18-bit overachiever was a fine player--the first truly analog-sounding player I had heard. The first audiophile seminar I attended featured a CAL Delta/Sigma combo. These separates were my "dream" gear for a long time.

I welcome your thoughts on this question.

 

[Jahn]

Isn't there an early Marantz that usually gets the credit for kicking CDs into HiFi-worthy territory back in the 80's? I forget the model.

 

[gtortorella]

Could be, Jahn, but my first experience with a Marantz player was in the mid-1990s...with the CD63SE. Not a bad player, but I would never go for the variable out today--headphone amps are too good for that

 

[jefemeister]

It's widely thought that Wadia was the first company to make an "audiophile acceptable" DAC in 1988, with the single-box W6 debuting in 1992.

 

[gtortorella]

Indeed, the Wadia front end gear was/is quite formidable. About ten or so years ago, I heard the top-of-the-line Wadia, with the monster Levinsons for power, and the B&W Nautilus loudspeakers. Wow, what a rig...though, even if I had the cash, I would not pay that much for gear (the loudspeakers were $32,000 at the time). IMHO, gear should not cost that much.

 

[PATB]

According to Meridian, they came up with the first audiophile CD player back in 1984. Not credible since the claim is coming from the Meridian website. However, I seem to remember Stereophile acknowledging this claim.

 

[jefemeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PATB According to Meridian, they came up with the first audiophile CD player back in 1984. Not credible since the claim is coming from the Meridian website. However, I seem to remember Stereophile acknowledging this claim.

interesting. I did not know that. According to the Wadia website, they claim the first external DAC which I believe was the W2000 available in 1988. If Meridian's was truly available in 1985... well, there's obviously a conflict there. I'm sure Meridian had a good product as well. It would be interesting to do a shootout!

 

[cfo]

I bought the Meridian MCD in 1984 as a Christmas present to myself. It was better than any cd player available at the time, but did not challenge my turntable in any respect.
The digital gear that really did it for me was the Micromega dac. I sold my Theta Pro Basic II dac shortly thereafter. Even sold my Oracle Delphi TT with no regrets.
I have tried other dacs, including the Cal Sigma, Bel Canto, MSB, etc. They're long gone. Even the Sony SCD-C555es playing SACD's is not better (but close).
I have heard better dacs than the Micromega. They cost $3k or more. I paid $500 for one I have about 9 years ago. I bought another one for $300.

 

[clarke68]

Not that we should necessarily take Stereophile's word for it, but in their 1983 review of the Sony CDP-101, J. Gordon Holt wrote:
Quote:

...the sound was so opulently gorgeous it almost defied belief! It was a total incarnation of the perfectionist's wildest dreams: rich, velvety, airy, awesome, liquid, yet incredibly detailed. There were none of the analog disc's problems. No marginal mistracking, no subtle VTA-error distortions, no disc-resonance smearing, no feedback-induced low-end boom or mud, no ticks or pops or pressing grumbles even at the highest listening levels. And there was no analog-tape flutter or modulation noise or transient-rounding or print-through or hiss. ... We all know that digital must have problems, right? Right. Perhaps [the CD] does, but I am in no position as of now to say so with any certainty. What I can say is that the worst problem we have been hearing from many (if not most) digitally mastered analog discs—harsh, irritating high end, particularly from massed strings—was not audible from any of the material I listened to on the CD unit.

Then, just over 1 year later, in a review of the Magnavox FD-1000:
Quote:

...the Magnavox FD-1000 is the best-sounding of the CD players I have auditioned, which only confirms what I had heard about the unit before I tried it. This, by the way, is the player on which Telarc bases their claim that their CDs sound identical to their original master tapes. This is one little honey of a machine, sonically so good that it may be some time before it is surpassed. Since the sound is what we're after, not the operating features, this is the player on which I do most of my CD listening.

Then, one year later, the Meridian MCD:
Quote:

I'll say one thing, though: the MCD has, as far as I'm concerned, elevated CD sound to the point where it is directly comparable with the best analog sound. To date, then, this is the best-sounding CD player I've encountered. True it has an uninspiring deck, but if all you want to do is put on a disc and enjoy CD sound that's about as good as you're likely to get today, that isn't really important. With that one reservation, the Meridian MCD is most highly recommended.

The review does credit Meridian as being the first "small, perfectionist-oriented firm" to produce a CD player, but overall I think this illustrates a truism about technology in general, that the golden age is always right now.

Digital is getting better all the time, but the more important thing (to me) is that great digital is also getting cheaper. Analog is getting better too, but state-of-the-art vinyl rigs seem to keep getting more expensive all the time.

 

[lini]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cfo I bought the Meridian MCD in 1984 as a Christmas present to myself.

I vaguely remember that player - didn't it sport an led to display error correction activities?

Greetings from Hannover!

Manfred / lini

 

[gtortorella]

Some interesting replies here...

cfo: So you like the Micromega that much? I have heard great things about this DAC, but have never had the opportunity to audition it. Where did you find your second unit...audiogon? Micromega was a Seattle-based outfit, right? Were they absorbed by another company, or did they just fall by the wayside? How do you think the Micromega compares to today's similarly priced DACs?

 

[fewtch]

.

 

[cfo]

Both of my Micromegas were purchased from Audio Connection in NJ. Micromega is (or was) a French Company and may no longer be in business, certainly not in the US. Their dacs come up occaisionally for sale on Audiogon or Ebay. I wouldn't buy one of their cd players or transports, but their dacs seem to be made fairly well. They are not the last word in transparency, dynamics or inner detail, but are no slouches. They excel at timbral accuracy, something that many digital devices lack. They are fussy about transports and digital cables as they do not have any built in jitter filters.

 

[lini]

cfo: I haven't heard anything about Micromega no longer being in business - recent changes on their homepage noticable as well... Over there, btw: http://www.micromega-hifi.com/

Greetings from Hannover!

Manfred / lini