Do I sense a definitional impasse? A CD player, by
definition, plays CDs. CDs are, by definition, recorded in
the redbook standard/format -- whether they be copies,
burned copies or anything else. If you want something that
plays something other than (or in addition to) CDs -- such
as HDCD, SACD, DVD, Blue Ray, etc -- you're looking for
something other than a CD player...no? If you're looking
for a multi-format player that also offers CD playback
comparable to the best purpose-built CD players, then that
is in fact something entirely different from a CD player.
Oh, and good luck...;)
What I mean by that is: not sure that such a beast exists --
or ever will. The duration of the format wars that we'd
all been waiting out in the hope that such a machine would
get made has left the entire debate a bit moot. For a large
part, the market has shifted to non-shiny-disk-based
equipment. Which is to say that the R&D focus of folks
seems to be directed to multi-format / HD-capable DACs fed
in large part by computers. In short,
don't really see any shop with the gumption to make a world-
beating multi-format player bothering -- the number of folks
buying shiny, spinny disks (of any format) these days has
dropped so dramatically that building such a machine just
'aint worth the time. Or, thats my theory, at any rate
(someone's bound to do or have done it....but the market is
very definitely headed in a different direction).
Alternatively, I suppose, you could get a well-respected
multi-format player (the Oppo comes to mind) and then either
run it off of its internal DAC or wire it as a transport
into one of the afor-mentioned HD-capable DACs. Certainly
an option but, again, not a CD player.... Or, have I missed
the point?
definition, plays CDs. CDs are, by definition, recorded in
the redbook standard/format -- whether they be copies,
burned copies or anything else. If you want something that
plays something other than (or in addition to) CDs -- such
as HDCD, SACD, DVD, Blue Ray, etc -- you're looking for
something other than a CD player...no? If you're looking
for a multi-format player that also offers CD playback
comparable to the best purpose-built CD players, then that
is in fact something entirely different from a CD player.
Oh, and good luck...;)
What I mean by that is: not sure that such a beast exists --
or ever will. The duration of the format wars that we'd
all been waiting out in the hope that such a machine would
get made has left the entire debate a bit moot. For a large
part, the market has shifted to non-shiny-disk-based
equipment. Which is to say that the R&D focus of folks
seems to be directed to multi-format / HD-capable DACs fed
in large part by computers. In short,
don't really see any shop with the gumption to make a world-
beating multi-format player bothering -- the number of folks
buying shiny, spinny disks (of any format) these days has
dropped so dramatically that building such a machine just
'aint worth the time. Or, thats my theory, at any rate
(someone's bound to do or have done it....but the market is
very definitely headed in a different direction).
Alternatively, I suppose, you could get a well-respected
multi-format player (the Oppo comes to mind) and then either
run it off of its internal DAC or wire it as a transport
into one of the afor-mentioned HD-capable DACs. Certainly
an option but, again, not a CD player.... Or, have I missed
the point?