CD player upgrade help needed

S

soulman

Guest
I suspect I know the answer to this question already but I'll ask it anyway….

My turntable is so much better than my CD player that I don't listen to CD's anymore. I can't, though, afford to replace all of the good cd's with vinyl so need to look at an upgrade on the digital side of things. I could either buy a Marantz CD6004 for £200 new or do a deal on here for a Monarchy Audio 22a DAC, what do people think will be the biggest upgrade and are there other options at this price point?

I could buy the marantz and have 7 days to audition it, possibly alongside the Monarchy (if I ask Rick really nicely) which I expect people will say is the only way to make sure.

 

browellm

Wammer
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Sep 9, 2008
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Not heard the Marantz, but I have heard the Monarchy extensively. Really excellent DACs

 

KND

Wammer
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Nov 5, 2013
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P'bo UK
AKA
Karl
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I would always look at what your money could get second hand (providing in good condition) before looking at new if you can.

What is your budget?

If you can live with the looks, and have £250-300 to spend I would recommend looking at an original X-ray.

 
S

soulman

Guest
nearer £200, the marantz was originally £300.

Will pretty much any old cd player be transformed with the addition of a DAC like the Monarchy?

 
G

Guest

Guest
Vinyl is just better than CD really as everyone with decent hearing already knows:p.

Glad to be of help anyway...

 

browellm

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Sep 9, 2008
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There are a few well mastered CDs Mark!kr Keith.
No one is disputing that. But on the whole, they aren't.

Fine if you're a classical fan, but I don't want to listen to audiophile jazz-wank.

 
S

soulman

Guest
Vinyl is better for me at the moment because my tt is vastly superior to my cd player

 

Cas

The Scarecrow
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Mar 20, 2006
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Chris
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Analogue is just better than digital and crap sound engineering makes digitized sound a whole lot worse.

 

Purite Audio

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Keith
In which ways is vinyl vastly superior, if you can identify the areas then it will make choosing a suitable CDP easier.

Keith.

 

Papa Lazarou

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Aug 18, 2005
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Phil
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
If you can budget around £300 you'd be able to afford something like a Meridian 506. Great build/looks and smooth sound - a comparable new player today costs best part of £1k.

 
S

soulman

Guest
More life, richer tone and detail, more dynamic and instruments sound more real, bigger more solid soundstage ummm probably other things as well

 

KND

Wammer
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Nov 5, 2013
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P'bo UK
AKA
Karl
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
On my system, my CD player - a MF X-Ray v1 - pulls an amount of finer detail out of a disc in a way that my record player - pro-ject xpression 2, grado gold, MF x-lps stage - simply can't compete with. BUT in terms of imaging and refinement the deck wins hands down. Add a better cartridge and I think the high end detail could catch up with the CD player.

My neighbours SME deck and arm with Koetsu Jade cartridge however pisses all over his Krell KPS 25.

 

FiftyPlus

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Oct 5, 2007
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I suspect I know the answer to this question already but I'll ask it anyway….My turntable is so much better than my CD player that I don't listen to CD's anymore. I can't, though, afford to replace all of the good cd's with vinyl so need to look at an upgrade on the digital side of things. I could either buy a Marantz CD6004 for £200 new or do a deal on here for a Monarchy Audio 22a DAC, what do people think will be the biggest upgrade and are there other options at this price point?

I could buy the marantz and have 7 days to audition it, possibly alongside the Monarchy (if I ask Rick really nicely) which I expect people will say is the only way to make sure.
Ignore the faffing around on here, and second hand CD players are a risk as CDPs don't last forever. The Marantz CD6004 for £200 new is a no brainer. My original Marantz lasted almost 20 years, and having initially purchased a Cambridge CDP I ended up with another Marantz as it was a better all rounder. Vinyl does tend to be better providing you have a decent pressing that's well mastered to start with, though some upgrades can make a bit of a silk purse out of a sows ear. Am waiting to home audition (or try out as I am unlikely to afford one) a higher quality CDP, though I notice that it is often the more expensive ones being repaired. The real cheapies don't survive long and despite comments here are likely to sound rough or mediocre compared to better choices. A £300 CDP like the Marantz is probably the sweet spot, so my advice is get one home and try it!!!

 

FiftyPlus

Wammer
Wammer
Oct 5, 2007
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Vinyl is just better than CD really as everyone with decent hearing already knows:p.Glad to be of help anyway...
The worst opinions are those that are absolutist. I prefer vinyl on most things (and especially classical if you can live with the clicks etc.) but CD is no disaster. To buy music in physical form you still need both formats. In the end they are a means to play music, and neither format will equal the real thing played accoustically like classical. It would appear that you need to pay about £300 each format to get in a reasonable ball park. The recordings are the ones you're stuck with, but I would rather buy the music I want performed by who I want it performed by, than something that just happens to be a nice recording. Good stuff badly recorded still ends up more enjoyable than bland uninteresting stuff recorded well.

 

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