Why bother buying an expensive CD player?

Posted by: Alex S. on 05 September 2002

Anyone who reads Vuk's delightful prose will know that I managed to con the State into subsidising the purchase of my CDS2.

The question is, why did I bother? This 6K CDP is one of the best I've heard, certainly one of the best of all those I haven't heard, yet it is very disappointing when compared to a just serviced (properly by the smiley Ray at Grahams) mid spec LP12 (AWLingo/NakedIttok/GaryiDV17D2/Linto/all sitting on the stand(s) of a well known manafacturer).

No matter how good the CDS2 is its still rather obviously a digital device. Compared to the record player its less involving, less subtle, less enjoyable (and lots less silly hi-fi terms too).

Okay, we all need a CD player because a bunch of prats in Japan, USA and Holland decided to make a shit load of money at our expense by forcing us to buy nasty, small, silver discs instead of large, lovely black ones, but why did I spend so much time and money trying to fool myself that the silver disc could ever come close to the black one?

Don't forget my LP12 is not tooled up with an Aro, DV Very Expensive, Phase 17, Groove, its a pretty humble combination (which well-serviced is better than any well-tempered), yet it laughably outperforms what is arguably the best silver disc spinner there is.

Would I not have been wiser, and the State richer, if I'd stuck with my CD3 and changed the clock? Or bought a Micromega Solo for next to nothing from anywhere but ebay? Or bought a Densen somethingorother? Or a Rega Starship Enterprise? Or bought that modded Sony thing Kit bought (shame it seems to have been broken since purchased BTW). I even thought I might stick my Toshiba DVD player on top of a huge Mana scaffold but then some sense prevailed. . .

So, do I now think of spending 12K on a CD12, or at least 12K on Naim's new flagship which must surely sail out of the gloom sometime soon? Levinson Reference anyone? Drill the CDS2 for phonos and stick Valhalla into it? Maybe not. Get a CDX? Sorry, didn't really like it. Perhaps the only answer is to jump on the LP12 and buy a P9 or a Clearplastic or Platine Vermin or Ill-Tempered or something. That should redress the balance.

Alex

Posted on: 06 September 2002 by P

Thanks for sharing your opinion

Now here's some advice for you.

I would strongly recommend moving your TV away from your speaker. Maybe this is the cause of the insufferable interference you might think is being caused by having your deck too close to your preamp?

P

Anal or what?

Posted on: 06 September 2002 by Alex S.

redeye,

I think everything on this forum has been done to death, including me, but if you're that bored why bother posting?

Martin,

That's a fair comment about different stands for different pieces of kit - I'm doing a few experiments. True to common belief my present stand does most good to an LP12 but I am not ready to admit that it does bad to any other piece of my system.

Jay,

Like most of us who were happy with our vinyl front ends I eventually felt forced into it. I remember when CD first came out and lots of LP12 owners were dumping their decks for the new Meridians on the block - Jeezuz! Anyway, by '95 there was too little new vinyl left and not enough second hand so I bought a CD3. That would have been fine but then I bought better amps. . .

Mike,

My point was a little glib but the P9 et al sound like extraordinarily expensive and good CD players; the LP12 is the quintessential analogue device.

Steveandkate,

Actually you must be the only honest tax paying builder. . .

Alex

Posted on: 06 September 2002 by Nuno Baptista

did you ever heard a Rega source?

MY sistem : Naim Nait 5 amplifier,Nad c 540 cd player,B&W 601 speakers,Naca5

Posted on: 06 September 2002 by Steveandkate

Alex - can't believe you fell for my "honest tax paying " line...

Posted on: 06 September 2002 by matthewr

Alex said "the P9 et al sound like extraordinarily expensive and good CD players; the LP12 is the quintessential analogue device"

I bought my CDS2 and would be happy to use a CDX because in all ways that are important to me they sound like LP12s which are really good. Not sure if this makes it a CSDS a "quintessential analogue device" although I would agree that its "extraordinarily expensive".

In general I'm of the view that if you've spent £6k on a CDS2 player and its not as useful and enjoyable as your LP12 then I'd sell it and buy a CDX (or something even cheaper) and only use CD when I had absolutely no other choice. As you live in London ISTM that vinyl availability is good enough that there is no reason to have a very expensive CD player unless either the money is more or less meaningless to you or you are totally satisfied with its performance and usefulness.

Matthew

Posted on: 06 September 2002 by Jay

quote:
That would have been fine but then I bought better amps. . .

That sounds familiar!

I bought a Rega P25 to partner my CD3.5 and play the odd old record I lying around. Now I have a CDX/XPS

That P25's cost me a fortune!

Jay

Posted on: 06 September 2002 by matthewr

"what did you upgrade to the cds2 from?"

It was my first CD player -- before that I was vinyl only.

Matthew

Posted on: 06 September 2002 by Chunny Nochubb

Background: Forum reader last 6 months, newbie poster, vinyl buyer 1968-1986, CD buyer 1992 to date.

I stopped buying vinyl 6 years before I started buying CDs, because I could no longer cope with the bother of spending 10 minutes examining LPs in the shop before buying only to get them home and find them pressed off centre and warped so much that even if they could play, the turntable looked like a roller coaster ride. By the mid to late eighties the availability of LPs was strictly limited to a few genres and you treated with contempt for even asking for them.

So now, vinyl has had a resurgence, the quality of manufacture has improved, but the number of new releases available is still limited and dependant on genre, I cannot imagine that it will change much.
I will continue to use CD as my principal source because my collection is now twice the size of my vinyl and when adding to it will be greatly restricted if I confine myself to LPs.
I will just have to live with the fact that when I upgrade to the CDS2 or 3 or 4 (dependant on size of lottery win), that I could get a better sound for a fraction of the price.

CNC

Posted on: 06 September 2002 by Alex S.

I bought a CDX to replace the CD3. The relationship lasted just 3 months and for once I got to do the dumping.

Chunny,

Although so little new vinyl is available at least what is is usually top quality. I agree with you though, most of the vinyl produced once CD had got going was really crap (as was most of the music).

Alex

Posted on: 06 September 2002 by redeye

Does anybody believe there is a magic bullet cd player anywhere out there???

Lets not get too carried away...we're talking about a 4 inch bit of tin here

The folks who are the happiest are probably the ones who pick their medium and use that. Either silver or black only

Posted on: 06 September 2002 by garyi

I am very happy with both sources, however I find that with blues and stuff I buy it on vinyl and phat beats chill down etc I buy on CD, I think perhaps CD is more suited to this format.

Posted on: 06 September 2002 by Steveandkate

Well, you seem to be getting told to sell it - let me know when and how much...

Guess the 52 will have to wait..

Posted on: 06 September 2002 by Martin Payne

quote:
Originally posted by P:
I would strongly recommend moving your TV away from your speaker. Maybe this is the cause of the insufferable interference you might think is being caused by having your deck too close to your preamp?

P,

I have heard the detrimental effects of having LP12 close to the preamp several times.

The first time I wasn't looking for the effect. I was demoing Starbase racks, and installed the LP12 on top of the power supply stack. The sound was obviously worse than before (with the crappy old racks). I moved the deck away, and we replayed the same track. All three of us did the usual "are you sure that's the same track, etc, etc" when something major has improved.

Once you are aware of the effect, removing the deck to a safe distance is like a breath of fresh air.

This is the only reason I bought a stageline - the combined length of the cable from the Ekos to the Stage, and the SNAIC to the 52 achieve a reasonable separation.

While we're on the subject, I recently persuaded JN to rebuild his two Fraim stacks from 2x4-tier to a 3-tier & a 5-tier, so that his SuperCap wasn't directly under the SNAXO. This was a ridiculously large improvement. I would certainly take passive 250 well setup over 2x250 active with the Supercap too close to the SNAXO.

cheers, Martin

[This message was edited by Martin Payne on FRIDAY 06 September 2002 at 22:35.]