CD Player to go with Krell 400xi and B&W 804s

[crazy]

Any suggestions?

This is NOT for me - but for a friend of mine who's building a crazy stereo setup!!! He insists in purchasing the Krell CD player to go along with this setup, but it costs like $4K or something! It doesn't even play DVD-A's.

I'm sure there are other CD players out there which are as good but not so expensive!!! (and plays DVD-As)

[cfrizz]

Crazy, stand alone cd players play cd's & that's all they play.

Universal DVD players will play dvd-a's, sacd's, dvd-v's & cd's. However, the playback of cd's will not be as good as when done by a stand alone cd player.

I love my Rotel 1072 cd player & it only costs 699.00. But if he wants a Krell & has the money for it, more power to him!

[crazy]

Universal DVD players will play dvd-a's, sacd's, dvd-v's & cd's. However, the playback of cd's will not be as good as when done by a stand alone cd player.

So even a good Universal player won't play CDs as good as a stand-alone player?

[schwarcw]

If your friend is willing to spend that kind of money there are high end universal players out there. I haven't heard them, but I presume that sound pretty good. Classe, Exoteric, Denon 5910, Marrantz DVD-9600, MacIntosh 861, Cary has one I believe. These players support all formats and should have very good sound. Price for these is $2 - $5K. He should seek out, look and listen.

[cfrizz]

I have pretty decent equipment, and a contest between my 15 yr old Rotel cd player & my 3 or 4 yr old Pioneer universal dvd player was a no contest. The Rotel won hands down!

[schwarcw]

The Rotel is very nice :) The Denon 3910 and Marantz 9500 I've heard were comparable or better. Price is much higher also. Rotel 1072 has great sound and value, I don't believe it supports the hi rez formats. Can't remember, been a while since I saw and heard one.

Carl

[RuSsMaN]

At that price point, Classe. B&W bought them a little while back, and stole Levinson's best digital engineer in the process. Look for great things coming in the not to distant future.

Classe will soon be untouchable, for the solid state / digital side of things, in my opinion.

Cheers,
Russ

[tryrrthg]

If he's got the money,McCormack UDP-1 (http://www.onhifi.com/product/mccormack_audio_udp1.htm) is a very nice all purpose player. Plays DVD's too.

[cfrizz]

It is just a cd player, no hi rez capability

The Rotel is very nice :) The Denon 3910 and Marantz 9500 I've heard were comparable or better. Price is much higher also. Rotel 1072 has great sound and value, I don't believe it supports the hi rez formats. Can't remember, been a while since I saw and heard one.

Carl

[LuSh]

I'd tell him too take a look at a Resolution Audio Opus 21, Lector CDP-7T or Ayre CX-7. You might want to ask your friend why he wants to go multi format when both SACD and DVD A are all but dead. Both the Resolution Opus and Lector's come with separate power supply's.

If he's cool with a combo player (DAC/Transport) I can't recommend the Museatex Bitstream enough...I currently use this DAC with my Krell 400xi with great results. I think there is another one for sale on Audiogon non-modded for dirt cheap.

[ward91]

what about

audionet art v2

resolution audio opus 21

moon equinox

all of these coas about £2000 and got 5of5 stars in what hi fi sound "n" vision awards 2004

sony scdxa 9000 es

this got 4of5 in da same book.

was he looking at a krell sacd 5.2 ?? for £4,244

[crazy]

You might want to ask your friend why he wants to go multi format when both SACD and DVD A are all but dead.

Atleast for the few enthusiasts out there, there are a few SACDs and DVD-A's still available and being released once in the while. I just order 9 the other day through cduniverse.com :-)

[Dennis Gardner]

I agree with Russ on the Classe players. I spent an entire afternoon last week with them on B&W 800s, and 802s. They are world class in their presentation and the noise floor on them paired with the Classe M400 monoblocks was the quietest I have ever heard.Classe CDP and DVD Players (http://www.classeaudio.com/delta/source-menu.htm)

[ward91]

those classe things are what b&w use to test i think as on a free b&w dvd when they were going on about the things that make you notice a recording from a live sound the camera paned across the face or the classe cdp then onto a b&w 802 d and then to a woman with a violine.

you all neded to know all of that .

[F1nut]

3600+ SACD's on the market right now with more every day, far from dead. DVD-A as such is all but dead and has become DualDisc. However, it's a crap shoot if they will play on your unit.

[shack]

I'm sure there are other CD players out there which are as good but not so expensive!!! (and plays DVD-As)

Maybe it's just me...but I'm not sure anyone with the obvious desire to purchase some "high end" audio gear and the ablitly to do so.....NEEDS anyone's advice as to how to spend his money. Especially from folks who have never owned comparable gear. Kinda like telling a guy planning to buy a Ferrari...."you know....this Chrysler 300 has a hemi, goes fast too, and besides, it has 4 doors and a big trunk....all for less money!" :rolleyes:

[Joey_V]

I agree with Shack.

[Zero]

A second agreeance with Shack.

Although I just can't help myself - Classe gear , including the Omega, is a prime example of overpriced hifi if there ever was an example. I hope the future will show progress because for now (in best J. Sherman voice) "It stinks"!

[Dennis Gardner]

Overpriced is in the wallet of the beholder........if he is looking at Krell gear anyway, he can afford to look around for something that works well with his comparable gear.

[Zero]

Dennis,

Only to a degree. While 4g's for a CD-Player is nowhere near budget line, its still attainable and not top teir either - therefore you arent in the threshold of the cost-no-object class to where a story, symbols, and status is the standard.

It's not that Classe is bad. It's just that there are so many pieces of equipment out there that can do what Classe does - but at a much lower price point. Be it sources, amps, pre amps, or integrateds.

On a different topic;

Why the focus on DVD-A? Is this his want or your want? If he has his heart on Krell, I'd say let him go through with it unless you can actually SHOW *let him hear* something better. We could all spout off brand name after brand name and it wont do much of any good...other than to complicate things.

[RuSsMaN]

Dennis, remember this guy gets a hard on when JVC releases a chip amp. Hifi is NOT the order of the day for all.

Cheers,
Russ

[Dennis Gardner]

I'm the kinda guy that has only spent about $3k on personal vehicles the past 10 years(company car) but I can see myself baggin' a Classe'/B&W 800/802 rig in the next year or so. I guess its a matter of priorities along with $$$ ability. ;)

[RuSsMaN]

Good. If you beat me to it, at least you live within a few hours drive so I can get my rocks off.

[Zero]

Funny stuff Russ. Screw it, I mine as well join the rest with half assed tubes. It may sound worse, but its much cooler!

[audiobliss]

Compatible with CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-RAM, DualDisc, MP3, WMA. dts-CD, Video-CD and S-VCD formats.
That's quite a compatability list for something as 'high-fi' as the Classe!

[RuSsMaN]

Funny stuff Russ. Screw it, I mine as well join the rest with half assed tubes. It may sound worse, but its much cooler!

Hardly, and it's much warmer in the listening room tonight, literally.

[Zero]

Well - that is a side benefit for summer time tube listening.. a good excuse to take the clothes off..

And on that note - sorry for the derail, Crazy! At 4g, it is difficult to 'go wrong' with a cd player. I would be more worried about convincing him to 'invest' in your system.. :)

[miner]

Rotel RCD-1072 & RCC-1055 (changer), both $699, great bang for the buck.

[pjdami]

I like my tubed Jolida JD100 modded with Blackgate resistors / capacitors and Audio Note diodes (by Parts Connexion through UnderwoodHiFi). Sounds really good with the 400xi. I like rolling tubes in the Jolida to get the tone that I want. It uses 12AX7 or 5751 tubes.

[audiobliss]

Shoot man...for $4k, couldn't you have someone make a tube CDP just for you? Now that'd be sweet...

[shack]

Just let the guy buy his Krell CDP..... :rolleyes:

[F1nut]

Just let the guy buy his Krell CDP..... :rolleyes:
Agreed!!!

Some of these suggestions, while not bad choices, are not in the same ballpark as a high end cdp.