[[email protected]]

Can anyone recommend an entry-level ($1000) CD player? I'm thinking
about 3 categories: solid state, tube or transport/DAC combination.
What are pro/cons of these choices and has anyone compared any or all
of the following products?

solid state:

Rotel RCD-1072 ($700)
NAD (Models C542 - $500 and C521BEE - $300)

vacuum tube:

Ah! Tjoeb 4000 ($750)
Jolida JD100-A ($900)

Separate DAC and Transport:
MSB LINK DAC III ($500) + transport

Thanks in advance

[jwvm]

wrote:
Can anyone recommend an entry-level ($1000) CD player? I'm thinking
about 3 categories: solid state, tube or transport/DAC combination.
What are pro/cons of these choices and has anyone compared any or all
of the following products?

solid state:

Rotel RCD-1072 ($700)
NAD (Models C542 - $500 and C521BEE - $300)

vacuum tube:

Ah! Tjoeb 4000 ($750)
Jolida JD100-A ($900)

Separate DAC and Transport:
MSB LINK DAC III ($500) + transport


Why do you want to spend so much money on a CD player? The digital
output from a $25 DVD player into a decent receiver will likely be
indistinguishable from much more expensive players, at least in blind
tests. You would probably want a unit that has a good display since the
$25 units require a television set to operate. Spend the money you save
on good speakers!

[mp]

wrote:
Can anyone recommend an entry-level ($1000) CD player?

Sure. Buy the Denon DVD-1720 for about $150.00 Then pocket the rest of
the money, or buy some CDs with whatever you save.

mp

[Walt]

wrote:

Can anyone recommend an entry-level ($1000) CD player?

Buy a commodity unit and use the money you save on better speakers or
acoustical room treatments.

//Walt

[[email protected]]

Walt wrote:
wrote:

Can anyone recommend an entry-level ($1000) CD player?

Buy a commodity unit and use the money you save on better speakers or
acoustical room treatments.

//Walt

Am I reading this right? Mid-Fi recommendations coming from the
rec.audio.high-end group?

for readers of this thread who want another suggestion: the current
issue of UHF magazine (# 77) reviews a brand I've never heard of - CEC.
Their CD3300R model CD player garnered nice comments. I believe the
price was about $650 (US) or $750 (Canadian).

another review:
http://202.186.86.35/audio/story.asp...udiofile/25cec

[Steven Sullivan]

wrote:
Walt wrote:
wrote:

Can anyone recommend an entry-level ($1000) CD player?

Buy a commodity unit and use the money you save on better speakers or
acoustical room treatments.

//Walt

Am I reading this right? Mid-Fi recommendations coming from the
rec.audio.high-end group?

Yes...and if you are aware of the reasoning behind the recommendation,
it shouldn't be a surprise.

for readers of this thread who want another suggestion: the current
issue of UHF magazine (# 77) reviews a brand I've never heard of - CEC.
Their CD3300R model CD player garnered nice comments. I believe the
price was about $650 (US) or $750 (Canadian).

At those prices, some audiophiles would consider these 'mid-fi'.

___
-S
"As human beings, we understand the world through simile, analogy,
metaphor, narrative and, sometimes, claymation." - B. Mason

[mp]

wrote:

Walt wrote:

Can anyone recommend an entry-level ($1000) CD player?
Buy a commodity unit and use the money you save on better speakers or
acoustical room treatments.

Am I reading this right? Mid-Fi recommendations coming from the
rec.audio.high-end group?

for readers of this thread who want another suggestion: the current
issue of UHF magazine (# 77) reviews a brand I've never heard of - CEC.
Their CD3300R model CD player garnered nice comments. I believe the
price was about $650 (US) or $750 (Canadian).

another review:
http://202.186.86.35/audio/story.asp...udiofile/25cec

From the review you cited:

"Overall, the performance specifications for the CD 3300 should satisfy
the more fastidious audio nut: frequency response of 20-20kHz flat
within 1dB..."

Obviously the "reviewer" did not measure the device, but is simply
quoting literature. If the specs fluctuate within the parameters stated
it is not a very good player given what is out there, but who knows
since the reviewer is evidently ignorant of the actual circumstances.

"The CD3300's remote looks rather plasticky next to the stunning looking
player."

Probably because it is plastic. Great review!

"The upshot of all this is that I found that with some of my review
recordings, there was a dearth of excitement in the sound."

Who knows what this means? Sounds like he had a bad day at work and
psychological factors are influencing his listening.

All the above is why one should just buy what those here have
advised--something inexpensive. Of course what you will not get with
something inexpensive are fantastic looks and great build quality. If
that is important then buy an Accuphase from Japan. But these things
are commodities and, to my way of thinking, it is better to spend money
on where it will count.

mp

[bob]

wrote:
Am I reading this right? Mid-Fi recommendations coming from the
rec.audio.high-end group?

Yes, you are. More and more of us are coming to realize that modern
Redbook digital-to-analog conversion is sonically transparent. That
doesn't mean there aren't bad implementations out there, but there is
no reason why a $50 DVD player can't sound the same as a $500 or $5000
CD player (unless the latter has been intentionally or incompetently
designed to sound different!). If you didn't know which one was
playing, you wouldn't be able to tell them apart.

If you want the best in high-end sound today, put your money into
speakers and room acoustics, and seek out well-made recordings.

bob

[DW]

It depends upon the sound characteristics you want. If you want liquidy
warm sound that may not be as extended as solid state designs, then tube may
be your choice. Seperates may or may not match well (considering the cables
involved as well), so if you like to experiment, this set-up may be your
choice. Out of your list, perhaps the Rotel, but I am very pleased with the
entry-level Arcam DiVA player, or if you're looking for a good universal
player, I would suggest the entry-level Pioneer Elite model. I have had
reliability issues with more than one NAD player over the years.

Happy Listening!

-DW
An audiophile and music lover for over 25 years (and counting)!

wrote in message ...
Can anyone recommend an entry-level ($1000) CD player? I'm thinking
about 3 categories: solid state, tube or transport/DAC combination.
What are pro/cons of these choices and has anyone compared any or all
of the following products?

solid state:

Rotel RCD-1072 ($700)
NAD (Models C542 - $500 and C521BEE - $300)

vacuum tube:

Ah! Tjoeb 4000 ($750)
Jolida JD100-A ($900)

Separate DAC and Transport:
MSB LINK DAC III ($500) + transport

Thanks in advance

[[email protected]]

On 2 Oct 2006 23:45:04 GMT, wrote:

vacuum tube:

Ah! Tjoeb 4000 ($750)

Get's a good writeup in Sterophile. Several people recommended it to
me when I was looking.

Also looks out for Consonance CD-120.
http://www.avhifi.com/asp/product.as...chFor=&PT_ID=1

They come up on ebay sometimes. Tubed Class A output stage. I have
Consonance Reference Mk II.

Maybe the new Rega would be good to try out as well.