cd players with volume control

Acuujim- You really ought to give the Wadia 860x or the new 861 a shot, I owned the CD50 at the same time as the Wadia and it is way better than the CD50 in my system. True you need to run the Wadia at the top end of it's volume output for maximum resolution, but that is not very hard to do by adjusting the internal output voltage switches to match the output of you amps.

If you decide to run directly from cd to power amp, there will be times that you will not be able to achieve enough gain. There are many recordings cut at too low a level to be able to bypass a gain stage. Just something to think about.

Frap. I think your wromg. My wadia 861 has more gain direct to my pass x 350 then i need, but the pass is 150db.

frap: you mind tellin' us where you got your data? i'd be particularly interested in learning which of the cd players you've used exhibits this characteristic. i'd also appreciate a listing of the cd's that you've found are recorded at unusually low volumes.

Well sir, the data is from 12 years ago;right about the time I abandoned the direct in approach. The data is from my personal experience. The cd player at the time was the Sony 707esd, a very fine unit I might add. The amplifiers were ARC tube units. The wire was MIT MI-330 E.
From memory, I recall 2 cds where enough gain could not be achieved.
1)William Boughton/ English String Orchestra/Music of Gerald Finzi/ Nimbus Records
2)Dire Straits-
Brothers in Arms
There were others, which is why I abandoned the direct in approach.
Say, I thought this was a discussion forum for people to help each other out. I am starting to get the impression that its a members only fraternity. I see I have been slammed on this thread. Perhaps my experience was an isolated case. Apologies if I was wrong