To improve 2 channel - Best $500 CD player?

byteme
byteme Posts: 73
edited January 2003 in Electronics
New, used, whatever, what's the best out there right now for $400-500 or so.

I'm not into SACD so that's not a concern. I've either got or had the following:

Sherwood Newcastle CD980 - current champ and a bargain too
Rega Planet '99 - jury still out, so far I don't like it
Rotel RCD-950 - eh, very average

Rest of the system is:
Sherwood Newcastle AM9080 5 channel amp
Sonic Frontiers SFL-1 hybrid tube preamp
Polk RTA11t mains
Zu Cable Julian
Z cable live V3
Zu cable warmouth

Thanks!
Post edited by byteme on

Comments

  • HBombToo
    HBombToo Posts: 5,256
    edited January 2003
    try this link...

    http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?dgtlplay&1047338978&class&3&4&

    I have the Cal Audio CL 20 and it is a great transport.

    Good Luck
    HBomb
    ***WAREMTAE***
  • shack
    shack Posts: 11,154
    edited January 2003
    NAD C541i
    "Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right." - Ricky Gervais

    "For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible." - Stuart Chase

    "Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago." - Bernard Berenson
  • tryrrthg
    tryrrthg Posts: 1,896
    edited January 2003
    used arcam CD72
    Sony KDL-40V2500 HDTV, Rotel RSX-1067 Receiver, Sony BDP-S550 Blu-ray, Slim Devices Squeezebox, Polk RTi6, CSi3 & R15, DIY sub with Atlas 15
  • organ
    organ Posts: 4,969
    edited January 2003
    You may be able to find the NADC541 cheap because it was just replaced by the C541i. I have the 541 and I'm extremely impressed by it's performance.


    *edit* I forgot to mention both models decode HDCD.


    Maurice

  • phuz
    phuz Posts: 2,372
    edited January 2003
    I've had a Rotel RCD-1070 for over a week now, and I'm lovin it.
  • jrausch
    jrausch Posts: 510
    edited January 2003
    You should look into a nice used DAC for that much and just use the digital out from your player. The DAC mostly determins how the player will sound anyway. If you have a large CD collection this would be an excellent move. Your music will sound like music and not some grainy, harsh and hacked up digital POS. Feed your system a clean analog wave and you'll be able to get more from your amps and speakers. Check out the DAC deals on Audiogon, all of the yuppies are selling their Multi-grand DAC's for hundreds to get some cash to move to SACD.
    "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it."
  • byteme
    byteme Posts: 73
    edited January 2003
    Originally posted by jrausch
    You should look into a nice used DAC for that much and just use the digital out from your player. The DAC mostly determins how the player will sound anyway. If you have a large CD collection this would be an excellent move. Your music will sound like music and not some grainy, harsh and hacked up digital POS. Feed your system a clean analog wave and you'll be able to get more from your amps and speakers. Check out the DAC deals on Audiogon, all of the yuppies are selling their Multi-grand DAC's for hundreds to get some cash to move to SACD.

    I've been looking into that too! That's actually my first choice right now. Any suggestions along those lines??
  • HBombToo
    HBombToo Posts: 5,256
    edited January 2003
    I'm sold on the Pioneer DV 47a or ai...
    ***WAREMTAE***
  • jrausch
    jrausch Posts: 510
    edited January 2003
    I can't recommend any particular DAC, but I just bought a Parasound Ultra DAC 2000. This uses a pair of UltraAnalog 20bit DAC's and receiver. I just converted my 2/ch rig to a Parasoud PL/D 2000 Line drive pre. Once I did this I could hear just how bad my DVD player was. This DAC was just the ticket. Every problem I was having was eliminated. The sound is very smooth and transparent. Before I could only listen to 2-3 CD's in my collection without having to turn down volume, due to harsh digital jitter from my DVD. Now I can't find anything in my collection that I can't keep from turning up and the "Music" just keeps getting better with more volume. My amp is kicking out 475 watts per into my Lsi15's 250watt rating, so I have to be careful with the volume. Man, talk about instruments and vocals coming from dead quiet space and all the more dynamic. I say read some of Sterophiles reviews on bargain DAC's and choose one that sounds like your taste and what you expect from it. SACD is better, but not a standard as of yet. Having to go out and buy another version of everything in your collection can only add up to some serious cash. Make the most of what you have now with this simple upgrade.
    "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it."
  • dsc
    dsc Posts: 14
    edited January 2003
    I got away from all of it and went MP3. Look at your CDs, no matter how you handle them they get damaged. Then there is the whole problem of accessing the music you want.

    I purchased a 40 GB Nomad Jukebox 3 and encoded my 350 CDs at 320KB constant bitrate. Sounds good enough to me through my Yamaha 1200 w/ Polk Monitor 10s; Cs400, PSW650, etc. I got the docking station that is permanently attached to my system.

    Now, I have playlists for piano sonatas to Heart conerts, w/ New Age and Jazz to boot. I can easily pick music by genre, artist or album.

    Given that I grew up on reel to reel amd LPs w/ a Thorens turntable (and discwashers and tonearm lifts) this is a REAL treat.

    My guess is that sometime this year we will see a receiver sized cabinet with one or two 120 GB drives in it, a simple OS running something like MS MediaPlayer 9; with digital outs and a simple display (w/ output to your video screen as well). There is even now a lossless WMA compression sheme that may well out run MP3. (Gotta rip all those cds <again>?)

    Anyway, I would hold out to spring to see what pops up.

    Regards,

    Dewey
    Dewey Clark, owner
    Historic Timkeepers, Inc
    Full restoration services ofr precision timekeepers
    http://www.historictimekeepers.com
  • dholmes
    dholmes Posts: 1,136
    edited January 2003
    I am using the Toshiba sd9200, it has received high ratings for its dvda and cd sound. It also makes a good dvd player ( it has the chroma bug ) but I dont think its that bad
    My HT set-up Panasonic front proj, 120 in ws screen, ATI amp,Integra 9.8 pre-pro, 2 Polk rti150, cp 1000, 4 fx 1000, Pioneer blu-ray 2 SVS sub pb 12-ultra 2, & Paragon popcorn popper. ps 3 Coaster leather HT recliners.
  • byteme
    byteme Posts: 73
    edited January 2003
    I ended up selling my Rega Planet and sticking with the Sherwood Newcastle CD980 for now. Also Picked up a Channel Islands Audio VDA-1 DAC and outboard power supply VAC-1. They should be here Thursday (1/23). All the reviews pointed to going this way - great price, great product. I was able to find them slightly used so got even a better price. Now all that's left to do is get the parts and do the crossover tweak on my RTA11t's!! Well, that and maybe get a dedicated transport and sell the Sherwood!!

    Thanks!
  • tonyv1
    tonyv1 Posts: 365
    edited January 2003
    Get an external DAC. I'm using a Rotel RCD 951 connected via an MSB Link DAC III w/ 24/132 upsampling. I conned Canare to send me some "sample digital cables".
  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited January 2003
    Originally posted by HBombToo
    I'm sold on the Pioneer DV 47a or ai...

    I'm with Hbomb at the moment.
    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
  • Apex
    Apex Posts: 69
    edited January 2003
    what the heck is the "Chroma bug"?.
    H/K AVR7000

    "LSI25's bi-wired with 2.4s

    Mirage OM c2 Center "LSiC soon"

    FX300i rears "LSi15's soon for the rears".


  • shack
    shack Posts: 11,154
    edited January 2003
    BEWARE - IGNORANCE IS BLISS - ONCE YOU KNOW WHAT THE CHROMA BUG IS YOU WILL START TO SEE IT IF YOUR DVD PLAYER HAS IT - PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!

    DESCRIPTION BELOW
































    This is the chroma bug HERE is an article form the folks that first brought it to attention.
    "Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right." - Ricky Gervais

    "For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible." - Stuart Chase

    "Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago." - Bernard Berenson