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Why are CD Players so uninteresting?

bluesky said:
Why are CD Players so uninteresting?

It's digital.

Seriously... it's kind of hard to get all worked up or excited about digital anything. Not that there is anything wrong with digital. I have 600+ CDs and I like them all. But digital is just digital, nothing to get excited about, and likewise for the sound quality. Digital is like a big 'So What'. But some CDs do sound outstanding.

CD Players: Guess it's all about how the CD player functions and sounds. If it functions perfect and sounds great... great enough. It works. What more do you want out of a CD player?
Click to expand...

That's pretty much how I feel about records and turntables. I can easily get excited about CDs, even more about discs with DSD layers and players. Records? TTs? Not interested.

Analog vs digital otoh, is a moot discussion. How good a recording sounds depends on the quality of the equipment and the skills of the people using it, NOT whether it's analog or digital.
 
Philips CD 100 was neither B, nor P or C. After 30+ years it still looks, sounds and tracks better than most players out there.


15710185.jpg
 
Having owned a WORLD class CD player it is easy to listen to Vinyl as its much more detailed and real. Is it always as boomy or sharp NOPE! but its real.. I can tell you this a good cart and a decent table can best a 10,000 player.. Now its my opinion and you know what they say about them! they are like ....A... holes and everyone has one and they all stink!
By the way my player was a Krell KPS25sc
its boxed behind a Sony psx5 with a Stanton 691 EEE,s
 
C.A.P said:
Having owned a WORLD class CD player it is easy to listen to Vinyl as its much more detailed and real. Is it always as boomy or sharp NOPE! but its real.. I can tell you this a good cart and a decent table can best a 10,000 player.. Now its my opinion and you know what they say about them! they are like ....A... holes and everyone has one and they all stink!
By the way my player was a Krell KPS25sc
its boxed behind a Sony psx5 with a Stanton 691 EEE,s
Click to expand...

You have the right to your opinion and I respect it. I just happen to feel opposite of how you do. Listening to CDs, even on a cheap player like my first CDP, sounds a lot more real, detailed, etc than what I can hear from a record even on the best TT, tone arm, cart, needle combo out there. Never forget, every ear/brain combo is different.
 
I actually prefer albums myself by far. But I also have one of these and an Emotiva. This kills the Emotiva.
351C-Cambridge-Audio_Front_Silver.png
 
It's amazing how everyone here seems to hear things differently. My very uninteresting Emotiva cd player just happens to be the best sounding source I own. It easily bests my Clearaudio vinyl rig as well as my Otari and Crown reel to reel machines. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the lesser formats for what they are.
 
motorstereo said:
It's amazing how everyone here seems to hear things differently. My very uninteresting Emotiva cd player just happens to be the best sounding source I own. It easily bests my Clearaudio vinyl rig as well as my Otari and Crown reel to reel machines. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the lesser formats for what they are.
Click to expand...
It's like with chicks,you might prefer brunettes(like me) but you can appreciate blondes and redheads.
 
I really like that Cocktail Audio Media/CD/preamp rig. Balance outputs even. I am not in market for a new rig just yet but I'm definitely going to have to give that one a shot once the bug bites again.
 
It's interesting what you say about the Emotiva. Mine only lasted a few months and was the second most expensive CD player I have owned. I bought it when I was looking for "The Sound". Turned out it wasn't the CD player, but the amp/speakers that made all the difference to me. In fact the Emotiva sounded no better than my other CD players.

But I seem to have bad luck with pricy CD players. The $10 ones work great, but don't look like much.

I don't really need changers because I have all CDs stored as apple lossless files on my QNAP NAS that iTunes sends to my airport expresses throughout the house. It is just that sometimes, I want to listen to an album as it was intended, from beginning to end, with a little tactile feedback. For years, that was my only source with my NAD C320BEE hidden underneath a side table safe from spilled drinks. Young grandson in the house. Now they system is on central display in my living room. It is McIntosh vintage MC2205, MR74, C26, and a Pioneer PL-L1000 on top. Over on the side are the CD player and the tape deck.

image.jpg

What can I say, I love quality sound, but I also love eye candy.
 
Beatnik said:
I have a CDX that's not to boring like the typical black box and tray.

beogramcdx.jpg


Click to expand...

I put an ad in the local online sales forum and after a few months I got a response. The seller is the original owner who bought it in Europe and brought it back here. Price is on the high side, but the unit is immaculate and functioning perfectly. I was very impressed. I tried to set up a trade with him, but no dice. So this week, I made a really good sale of a complete stereo system. I gave the buyer a good price for buying the complete system from me. I was going to spend the money on 4 new drives to upgrade my NAS, but it looks like the drive seller is out of stock. So the second item on my wish list is that CDX I saw before Christmas. Called up the seller tonight, and I'm picking the unit up tomorrow.

I'm very excited. I hope it goes better than all my other expensive CD players went. It will look gorgeous with the rest of my system.
 
image.jpg image.jpg

I picked up the Beogram CDX this morning and now have it in my living room. I think I need to reorganize things, but I am very happy with it. Although I don't hear a difference in this configuration.

I'm very happy! Happy New Year to me! :)
 
To address the title of the thread, because you generally can't spend boatloads of money tweaking them like you can for say turntables.
 
BilboBaggins said:
I picked up the Beogram CDX this morning and now have it in my living room. I think I need to reorganize things, but I am very happy with it. Although I don't hear a difference in this configuration.

I'm very happy! Happy New Year to me! :)
Click to expand...

Happy New Years to you and your Beogram CDX ! :thumbsup:
 
Here's a few I think are lookers:


Kyocera DA-910:
666Kyocerada910_0.jpg


Micro-Seiki CDM-2000X:
136b520377618728156463bc4a232780.JPG


Sony CDP-R1:
cdp-r1.JPG


Victor XL-Z900:
c470e411681fe784eeb50e74b8ea83a2.jpg


Regards,
Nick
 
C.A.P said:
Having owned a WORLD class CD player it is easy to listen to Vinyl as its much more detailed and real. Is it always as boomy or sharp NOPE! but its real.. I can tell you this a good cart and a decent table can best a 10,000 player.. Now its my opinion and you know what they say about them! they are like ....A... holes and everyone has one and they all stink!
By the way my player was a Krell KPS25sc
its boxed behind a Sony psx5 with a Stanton 691 EEE,s
Click to expand...

Glad no one tool the BAIT... Caps and extra periods added for effect.
 
And coming back to the OP, CDP's can be very interesting. The better ones will have dual transformers and sometimes outboard power supplies. Some like my Sony CDP-XA7ES has a fixed laser in which the platter itself moves and the disc is held with a counter weight. And some will have multiple DAC's per channel like the Yamaha CDX-1120 which has four total AND dual transformers. The Technics SL-P1200 and SL-P1300 have pitch control and a "scratch" wheel for LP like action. The Technics and Daunia's NEC CD-903 are on my collect list.
 
Digital is about convenience. I appreciate it, but if you're going to mess around with physical media, should be a record. Rip cds to a hardrive and change from your couch. I'll get up to flip a record, but why bother with digital when you don't have too?
 
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