CD Player for Super HL5 - suggestions?

[Kumar Kane]

I have spent years and money chasing down improvements in the CD player set up. From isolation platforms to tube buffers to running a digital line out from the CD player to an expensive and heavy separate DAC that was larger than the CD player.

I now have all my CDs transferred using lossless rips via iTunes to a commodity HDD, and from there I use a Sonos wireless solution to transfer the bit perfect music signals to my amplifier.

I still have a SACD player in my set up, but my C7s produce great music which sounds the same to me regardless of whether I play a CD in the player, or via Sonos. The sheer operating convenience of Sonos has resulted in all my CDs going into boxes, and the SACD player sitting idle.

I now believe that beyond a point pretty close to that obtained from even budget CD players of today, there is nothing to be gained by spending more on this part of the audio system.

[thurston]

Your observations are an indication that differences may be very small or even inaudible.

It is no proof but should make one think about the results.

[hifi_dave]

Often the way.

I believe it was on this thread - way back - that I said that I like the Rega Saturn and their new Apollo. I've heard and compared them both to some very expensive machines and preferred the Rega's.

There are some bargains out there and amongst them I count the Harbeth speakers.

[MarkNC]

LOVE my Rega Saturn - wish I could afford a second one as a spare!

[Maccar]

How did you get on?

My answer to posts like this elswehere would be to find a Harbeth dealer who can set up a system that matches yours sans the CD player and listen to machines within the specified budget; or find a dealer prepared to lend out a player on demonstration.

As I always advise the one that you like the best go for, yes you can read reviews etc but as I said if you like one model best for you it is the one You like best.

There are some very good players at that price point.

Simon

Hi Simon,
Still haven't made the change and probably won't until a little later in the year.
Thanks for all the comments... certainly stirred up a bit of a hornets nest!
All I can say is that I trust my ears and sure won't be buying something purely because it looks good... let's face it, if that were the case, I wouldn't have bought Harbeth, nice enough looking though they are, but there are better at that price point.
Cheers
Mac


{Moderator's comment: No, different, cheaper to make probably but definitely not 'better'. Classic elegance is timeless.}

[thurston]

And a question of personal taste:

I have become sort of a design-freak (with furniture by Eames, USM-Haller, Arne Jacobsen and so on) and have to say that a classic, well made speaker as a Harbeth looks better to me than anything else.

In fact: as I have a dedicated listening room (which untill now was only "useful") the Harbeths somehow forced me to trying to make the rest of the room as beautiful and cosy (looking) as they are.

[keithwwk]

Nothing much I can contribute on the cdp side if I really need a cdp again any budget marantz is more than enough but when talk about the look of the speakers I love my Harbeth timeless classic look. Very "human" to me. It happened to match nicely in my hall. I not intended to do that but it just happened. Also the one and only M40.1 very nice looking too.

[Audentity]

All I can say is that I trust my ears and sure won't be buying something purely because it looks good... let's face it, if that were the case, I wouldn't have bought Harbeth, nice enough looking though they are, but there are better at that price point.

OK Maccar, I'm going to call you out on this one. Please provide some examples of "better looking speakers at that price point." Understanding of course that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I think my eucalyptus C7s are some of the best looking speakers around regardless of price! And because of their classic looks they have a high WAF.

[BAS-H]

I have spent years and money chasing down improvements in the CD player set up. From isolation platforms to tube buffers to running a digital line out from the CD player to an expensive and heavy separate DAC that was larger than the CD player.

I now have all my CDs transferred using lossless rips via iTunes to a commodity HDD, and from there I use a Sonos wireless solution to transfer the bit perfect music signals to my amplifier.

I still have a SACD player in my set up, but my C7s produce great music which sounds the same to me regardless of whether I play a CD in the player, or via Sonos. The sheer operating convenience of Sonos has resulted in all my CDs going into boxes, and the SACD player sitting idle.

I now believe that beyond a point pretty close to that obtained from even budget CD players of today, there is nothing to be gained by spending more on this part of the audio system.

+1. Kumar is right.

I sold my expensive player to buy a ticket to New Zealand. Came back broke and in need of a player. For really acceptable sound on an extreme budget, you can't go wrong with one of Sony's better CD Walkman's dating from the late nineties - one with a line-out jack. You get a lot of quality for your buck because there's no power supply involved (the obvious snag being you have to keep your rechargeables topped up).

[errhoo]

I have spent years and money chasing down improvements in the CD player set up. From isolation platforms to tube buffers to running a digital line out from the CD player to an expensive and heavy separate DAC that was larger than the CD player.

I now have all my CDs transferred using lossless rips via iTunes to a commodity HDD, and from there I use a Sonos wireless solution to transfer the bit perfect music signals to my amplifier.

I still have a SACD player in my set up, but my C7s produce great music which sounds the same to me regardless of whether I play a CD in the player, or via Sonos. The sheer operating convenience of Sonos has resulted in all my CDs going into boxes, and the SACD player sitting idle.

I now believe that beyond a point pretty close to that obtained from even budget CD players of today, there is nothing to be gained by spending more on this part of the audio system.

Which SACD player do you use Kumar?

[Kumar Kane]

Which SACD player do you use Kumar?

You mean, I don't use?!:-)

Its a Marantz KI Pearl Lite. Brilliant player, with the usual good Marantz build quality, but redundant now to a large extent. Since it takes digital inputs to its DAC, and my Sonos unit has digital outs that allow for the use of an external DAC, I have kept it in use for just its DAC, and so that I don't feel the hurt of it lying around idle. Even when I bypass it, and feed the Sonos analog output directly to the amplifier, the sound is pretty much the same via the C7s.

[BAS-H]

I sold my expensive player to buy a ticket to New Zealand. Came back broke and in need of a player. For really acceptable sound on an extreme budget, you can't go wrong with one of Sony's better CD Walkman's dating from the late nineties - one with a line-out jack. You get a lot of quality for your buck because there's no power supply involved (the obvious snag being you have to keep your rechargeables topped up).

Please ignore my last post (#69)! I made a mistake. I connected up my DVD player (which also handles CDs). Both this player and my walkman cost ~ £30. The walkman's sound is thin, without body. The DVD player's sound is superior and obviously so. It seems digital output sources are different after all. Hope I didn't mislead anyone.

[Maccar]

Well, I believe my search is nearly at an end.
Having tried heavyweights such as Wadia, Krell and Audio Research I'm currently demoing an Electrocompaniet EMC1UP and without doubt it's the best I've heard... goes superbly with the Sugden and Harbeth combo.
I will be trying the Masterclass CDP next week, but I will be amazed if it's any better than the EMC1UP.
Cheers
Mac

[davidlovel]

In this price range I suggest that you also try to audition the PS Audio Perfect Wave Transport before making a final decision. Note that it can also play hi-res digital music as WAV files on a DVD.
I mentioned this in an earlier thread:
http://www.harbeth.co.uk/usergroup/s...=7960#post7960
David

[denjo]

As with Kumar Kane's post above, I feel that the future is with digital streaming. While CDPs will still be sold, the trend is towards digital media which, when properly executed, can sound as good as a CDP. You don't have the mechanical parts to worry about! You just need a good DAC (USB) or streamer.

[darkmatter]

The PS Audio device certainly has a lot going for it, very versatile as well with the ability to play several kinds of files from WAV, FLAC and AIFF. I think it was reviewed in HFN/RR in August 09?

[Dougal]

Well, I believe my search is nearly at an end. Having tried heavyweights such as Wadia, Krell and Audio Research I'm currently demoing an Electrocompaniet EMC1UP and without doubt it's the best I've heard... goes superbly with the Sugden and Harbeth combo.

I will be trying the Masterclass CDP next week, but I will be amazed if it's any better than the EMC1UP.
Cheers
Mac

Hi Maccar, how did you find the Sugden Masterclass? Did you hear the PDT-4 or the new PDT4 Fusion?

[hifi_dave]

I'm not sure they still do the 'Masterclass' player as it's not on their price list.

I've done the Fusion against Rega Saturn dem and would suggest you get down to your nearest Rega dealer.

[Maccar]

I'm not sure they still do the 'Masterclass' player as it's not on their price list. I've done the Fusion against Rega Saturn dem and would suggest you get down to your nearest Rega dealer.

Dave,
The Fusion is an interim player Sugden brought in before releasing the latest Masterclass model, the PDT-4F. I have heard both these players and the Fusion was poor and yes, the Saturn would knock spots off it.

The PDt4-F is an excellent player, but as I thought not quite a match for the EMC1UP. It just lacked the depth and richness, but sweet in detail and ordinarily a great match for the IA-4 amp and SHL5's.

[garmtz]

The Electrompaniet EMC-1UP is most definitely one of the finest CD-players you can buy, very composed, sweet and 3D.