CDPs for full orchestra

My Audio Research CD3MkII cd player does really good on classical music. I also have a nice collection of 19th and 20th century classical. Of course it depends on the recording, but where the recording is right, CD3MkII delivers the goods. I listen to a lot of Mahler, Brahms, Bruckner, Shostakovich, Schoenberg. No problems. I agree that room acoustics play a big part in the soundstaging capabilities of a system. But the source is very improtant as well. I previously had a Bel Canto DAC2 and while it sounded very good, CD3MkII just beats in the soundstage and imaging precision, easily.

05-31-08: Pacific_island_audio
This may not be the answer you were hoping for, but CD players have little effect on soundstange, imaging, or rendering the complexities of orchestral music. For the qualities you are seeking, the recording is the most important factor. You'll never get anymore out of a recording than what is already there. Next most important are the speakers, their ability to deliver those qualities and how they interact with the room.
Pacific_island_audio (Answers)

I disagree. Source is the beginning. CD players sound different. They also image and soundstage differently. Recording quality varies from disc to disc, that's true. But to say that CD players have very little to do with soundstaging is an incorrent statement. I tried more than one cd player in my system, also tried several different DACs. Beleive me, some soundstage and image better than others and the difference is immediate.

If your system is capable of certain level of resolution, you will hear difference between components much quicker and easier than you would with a lower resolution system. The better your components get, the more important synergy becomes. Don't ignore the source.