Add a DAC or buy a new CD player?

hey, soobieguru, there's a melos maestro reference preamp f/s by melos audio restorations (the *new* melos company) on audioreview for $1k - i bet it'll tame the digital-nasties of yer rotel better than yer pass aleph p does, and no resolution/detail penalty... doug

upgrade your preamp by $1500 - it will give ewe the best overall sonic improvement, imho. go w/a tubed unit. it will also have the added benefits of improving any other sources you may be using. going from a linn kairn to a melos music director mad a *big* improvement to all my sources, especially cd. w/this unit, i could discern no differences between my $500 nad cd-changer, & a $1700 alchemist cd player. my brother-in-law noticed only miniscule changes when going from the alchemist cd player to a resolution audio cd-50, but *huge* changes when going from his alchemist preamp to an a-r ls-16. doug

hi kadlec, i also had a *pretty good* preamp - the linn kairn, w/its latest iteration of the switchmode power-supply, is no slouch. but, it *is* solid-state. i think digital needs tubes. rogue audio 99 preamp (if your amps' input impedence is high enuff), cary slp98, melos ma-333/music director, or melos sha gold/reference/maestro, would *all* give ya better sound/dollar than your classe w/upgraded cd, imho. (these are yust the ones *i've* personally heard). all the above can be had for less than $2k, the sha gold, for less than $1k. all are also f/s here, & on other classified audio sites, btw... doug

i guess ewe yust have to try for yourself - my experience, & that of my brother-in-law, are prety much opposite that of john & elizabeth. w/a nice tube preamp, the difference between $500 cd-changers up to $3500 cd players are nominal, & the $500 cd player w/toob preamp is much nicer than the $3500 cd-player & nice solid-state preamp. oh well... ;~) doug

hi megasam, i don't disagree w/your opinion, but i guess i tink that w/a $500 cd-player, ya got about 95% of what cd has to offer - that last 5% is *way* too expensive, until ya get closer to 95% w/a preamp - ymmv. regards, doug