Do you have a DVD player?
Try it and see if you like it first before spending more money.
Try it and see if you like it first before spending more money.
Budget CD player recommendation
Prior to posting this thread, I read many of the previous forum topics, and I appreciate the wealth of knowledge and thoughtfulness in everyone's posts.
Until a few weeks ago, I had not been listening to home audio for the past ten years. This year, with my children being a little older, I unpacked some of my old audio gear and hooked it up.
I have an AR EB-101 turntable with an AT30E MC cartridge, a Van Alstine CA-50 amp, and a pair of Spendor S3/5 speakers (which I bought from a fellow audiogoner; my KEF 101's are still packed away).
Basically, I need an inexpensive CD player. I have a lot of music on CD, which I play in my car (where it sounds truly awful), and I want to play some of it in my house.
I have a 20 year old NAD 5425, which I rarely used, even 20 years ago, and it is horrible. I just can't listen to it. (I couldn't stand it when I bought it, but my friends told me that I needed a CD player. I bought it from George Merrill when he had a hi-fi shop in Memphis. It isn't any secret that George was keenly aware of early CD players' inadequacies. I should have listened to him rather than my friends.)
I understand that CD has come a long way in 20 years and that there are decent players in the $1000.00 range, but I can't spend anywhere near that much money. I need something to hold me over until I upgrade my amplification (probably with a Van Alstine modified Dyna PAS 3 and a Latino modified ST-70), after which I could purchase a better CD player, but I am probably looking at a year or two.
I can buy a NAD 515BEE for about $200.00, but there must be something better out there for $200.00-$400.00.
I read some posts about playing CD's through a computer using a DAC, but I think it is technologically beyond me (and I think DAC's are at least $1000.00).
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Until a few weeks ago, I had not been listening to home audio for the past ten years. This year, with my children being a little older, I unpacked some of my old audio gear and hooked it up.
I have an AR EB-101 turntable with an AT30E MC cartridge, a Van Alstine CA-50 amp, and a pair of Spendor S3/5 speakers (which I bought from a fellow audiogoner; my KEF 101's are still packed away).
Basically, I need an inexpensive CD player. I have a lot of music on CD, which I play in my car (where it sounds truly awful), and I want to play some of it in my house.
I have a 20 year old NAD 5425, which I rarely used, even 20 years ago, and it is horrible. I just can't listen to it. (I couldn't stand it when I bought it, but my friends told me that I needed a CD player. I bought it from George Merrill when he had a hi-fi shop in Memphis. It isn't any secret that George was keenly aware of early CD players' inadequacies. I should have listened to him rather than my friends.)
I understand that CD has come a long way in 20 years and that there are decent players in the $1000.00 range, but I can't spend anywhere near that much money. I need something to hold me over until I upgrade my amplification (probably with a Van Alstine modified Dyna PAS 3 and a Latino modified ST-70), after which I could purchase a better CD player, but I am probably looking at a year or two.
I can buy a NAD 515BEE for about $200.00, but there must be something better out there for $200.00-$400.00.
I read some posts about playing CD's through a computer using a DAC, but I think it is technologically beyond me (and I think DAC's are at least $1000.00).
Any suggestions would be appreciated.