Upgraditus: Me Want New CD Player.....

[Kruppy]

I'm looking for some advice/feedback....

Anyone have any experience with the Musical Fidelity X-Ray VR3 CD player? I'm looking to upgrade and starting to do some research. Used X-Rays can be had for $500-$750, which is my budget.

Any other suggestions in that price range?

I know we have some systems with the Rotel 1072 (Jeff Z I believe) and the Denon 2910. Any comparison in performance between the three?

How about the Rotel 1055? I do like multi-disk players being the slope headed mouth breathing knuckle dragging chest thumper that doesn't like to get up to change CDs. Insert caveman growl.

I know I haven't re-posted my system yet, eventually I will, but it consists of the following (in addition to other HT stuff):

Adcom GCD-700 CD player (Makes funny nosies, I think it's about to crap out)
PS Audio PCA-2 Pre
Adcom GFA-5800 Amp
SL3s

Thanks

 

[MarkNewbie]

If you can go to SACD, I highly reccomend you pursue that route. You can still play CDs on an SACD player. I played the same song on CD and SACD and there is a very noticeable difference! Now that I have an SACD player, I am starting to buy SACD versions of CDs that I already own to experience the difference. Your MLs will show that difference for sure! Just my two cents worth!

 

[Kruppy]

Got One

I actaully have a SACD player, but it's not so good on CDs (Phillips 963SA).

 

[MarkNewbie]

I actaully have a SACD player, but it's not so good on CDs (Phillips 963SA).

That is odd. I have a Denon CD player and it can't hold a candle to my SACD player when playing CDs. Hmmm. Maybe you should sell both and invest in a better SACD player? How does it do on SACDs? Have you compared a recording on SACD to the same recording on CD?

 

[Kruppy]

To be honest, I haven't tried it with SACDs yet. It's a combi player and I use it for DVDs. The unit got very good reviews for it's DVD and SACD performance, but was nocked for it's tinny CD play back. I picked it up on clearance from B&H photo really really cheap.

 

[MarkNewbie]

To be honest, I haven't tried it with SACDs yet. It's a combi player and I use it for DVDs. The unit got very good reviews for it's DVD and SACD performance, but was nocked for it's tinny CD play back. I picked it up on clearance from B&H photo really really cheap.

Have you visited B&H's store in NYC? I travel to the city quite often on business and have stopped at B&H on multiple occasions mainly for my other hobbie which is photography. In fact, I'll be there next week! It used to be that nobody could touch their prices on Nikkor lenses but now they are on the high end. If you have not been there, I highly reccomend making a visit next time your in the city. I can spend hours in there and they give out some great candy. Bowls of it all over the store! Why not give a few SACDs a spin on it and see what you think? You might decide like I have to try and only listen to SACDs. You could almost liken it to LPs. It is richer and warmer sounding than CD.

 

[Kruppy]

Never been to B&H, but get their monstrocity of catalogue. My wife dabbles in photography.

I've been meaning to buy some SACDs but just haven't done it. I'm lazy like that.

 

[MarkNewbie]

Never been to B&H, but get their monstrocity of catalogue. My wife dabbles in photography.

I've been meaning to buy some SACDs but just haven't done it. I'm lazy like that.

You should make a trip to your local Best Buy and pick yourself up a SACD or two. Best Buy just reduced their price on SACDs and I bought a couple on Sunday evening. You owe it to yourself before you go out and plunk down money on a new/used CD player. Just noticed that your in MI. I am in Detroit at the moment. My flight home on Friday will be number 98 on Northwest this year. Have to hit 100 to requalify for platinum with them. That will be next week on the trip to NYC. I come through Detroit almost every week on Northwest. Doesn't include the 12 on Delta. See why I need good music? LOL

 

[Kruppy]

Thanks for the BB heads up. I've been hesitant to plunk down 20+ bucks for disk. I have a BB about 5 minutes from my house, although I'm not that fond of the place. I think I'll stop by tomorrow night after work.

That sounds like too much travel for me. I live in a northern Detroit suburb about 25 miles out of the city. Just a quick layover? I might be able to suggest some nice places to eat or visit if you end up staying more than a couple of hours. Hope the Northwest strike isn't messing up your travel.

 

[MarkNewbie]

I am not fond of Best Buy either. I had a kid in there tell me that there were no better speaker cables in the market than Monster! He had never heard of MIT, Transparent, Nordost or even Kimber. Said he would know if they (other brands I mentioned) were good since he was in the business. I shook my head and walked away. I have no doubt he was staring at my back thinking "Stupid old fart".

 

[DTB300]

Thanks for the BB heads up. I've been hesitant to plunk down 20+ bucks for disk.

The BB's here have a very limited selection of SACD. Tower and Border's have SACD and Tower has the best selection on the two. But you will pay for that selection and ability to get it NOW when you walk in.

For cost wise, you can order on the Internet from places like CDUniverse and pay $12-$15 per SACD, but if you want it right away, you can pay $18 - $20. I recently picked up some RCA Living Stereo Classical SACD's for under $10 each at Tower.

When the SACD is done right - two or multi-channel, the sound is well worth the cost. For me and what I have own and heard, Jazz and Classical SACD are the best - especially the DSD's.

IMO, most of the Rock SACD's are just so-so. Yeah I know everyone has fallen all over themselves on Dark Side of the Moon SACD. The MCH is interesting, but the quality of the sound just does not compare to most of the Jazz SACD's and Classical's that I own and have heard.

There are also some SACD where the two-channel is better than the MCH and vice-versa. The re-release of Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms has everyone saying the MCH version is much better sonically than the two channel SACD layer.

Dan

 

[MarkNewbie]

I did ask about the price reduction at my local Best Buy and they told me they were doing away with SACDs. Seems that the kids with car stereos that go "Whump, Whump, Whump" in the night are not looking for SACDs. I saw prices down to $10.00 on some of them. Seemed there was an average of $14.00. The thing I buy most at BB is the new DVD releases. I am involved in the distribution of new DVD releases for Warner Home Video and Sony both. BB has the best price on them from Tuesday to Friday of the actual release date. Everything comes out on a Tuesday for some reason. And even though I coordinate the actual new release deliveries, I can't get them from WHV or Sony and have to buy them like everyone else. Normally, BB is a buck or two cheaper than Wally World (Wal-Mart).

 

[Jeff Zaret]

I know I am going to get it for this one but.................it would seem to me when a mass retailer like BB decides to drop SACD format that should be a sign. No offense Dan and others because I know there are recordings that sound great in SACD but IMHO it is not a profitable format for the studios. Can we say DAT, DVD-A, El-Cassette??????

I would be careful to start an investment of SACD right now with HD-DVD, and BluRay around the corner. Personally, I would think there will be a product that results from these technologies that will be for audio.

If you already had invested I would say fine continue and you will enjoy it but understand that it may become like vinyl is now, a niche and will always have limited releases. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying it is inferior or anything negative but I am conservative when it comes to things like this because I have invested enough in obsolesence. Maybe this is why I still have to get up to turn parts of my stereo stuff on and off - no remotes!

Jeff

 

[DTB300]

I know I am going to get it for this one but.................it would seem to me when a mass retailer like BB decides to drop SACD format that should be a sign. No offense Dan and others because I know there are recordings that sound great in SACD but IMHO it is not a profitable format for the studios. Can we say DAT, DVD-A, El-Cassette??????

No offense taken...the demise of SACD has been talked about to death everywhere, but they still seem to be coming out. With Jazz and Classical the most prevelant genre's for SACD, it would make sense that BB would not be carrying them anymore. BB seems to carry more of the rock and roll, hip-hop, adult comtempory, main stream type music, etc.

It will be interesting to see what happens when the new DVD type formats come out.

Dan

 

[Kruppy]

Not that I don't mind the direction this thread has taken, but I really would like some advice on a nice cd player upgrade in the $500 to $750 range. Anyone have some suggestions/comments on the three I've noted above or any others I should consider?

 

[garmtz]

Arcam CD23, Unison Research Unico, NAIM CD5.

 

[Anthony A.]

the xray is a good cd player, but it must be paired with the x power supply and the x dac. all 3 make a very good cd player, but for that price you can also get a cary 302/300 used so you must decide. the musical fidelity is a nice unit regadless but if you're into tube rolling, try out a shanling or jolida cd player as they are in your range and very good for the money. you can then spend more on good tubes and cables. cheers!!!

 

[DavidG]

M. . .

Try to find a Meridian 506.24 or even better a 508.24. The 508 may blow the budget slightly (if you can find someone who'll sell). An alternative would be the later 507 / 588 - but they both fetch mega money! You won't find a smoother, more detailed CD spinner without buying a Wadia!!

Cheers,

David

 

[Cherian]

I just got a Sony DVP-CX985V. This unit plays CDs very well as long as I go digital out to my processor and let my Sunfire do the digital to analog conversion. This unit plays SCAD and DVDs very well. Picture quality is excellent.

The best feature of this bad boy holds 400 DVDs, SCADs, or CDs. This unit can be had for under $300.00. It will take some time for me to label all my CDs and DVDs, but once that is done I think I will be very happy.