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question about "lower" priced CD players/DACs

I have a PS Audio D-Link III DAC fed from an old California Audio Labs Icon MK II CD player and I'm pretty happy with the sound. But seeing the reviews of and the popularity of the Oppo BDP-95 and the Audiolabs CD8200CD players, I find myself wondering (like most of us), "if I upgrade to the 'xyz' player will I get a lot better sound?".

I've seen reviews by American reviewers that claim both these units "punches several times above its class", "best player under $5000 (U.S.)", etc. but I honestly think that's a lot of hype and probably more than a little of the stuff that comes out of the back of horse :) .

So what do you all think? Are these two Cd players (or any CD players in this price range) truly standouts like the hype suggests, or are they all similarly capable and it comes down to preference in presentation rather than huge differences in sound quality?
timoteo

Showing 1 response by richardfinegold

richardfinegold
196 posts
 
I have the D-LinkIII. I've enjoyed it for years, but I'm beginning to tire of it's aggressive, in-your-face sound, although it can be wonderfully detailed. This became really noticeable after I added another Digital Player (Denon DCD A-100) in the same system. The D Link tends to sound similar regardless of what transport I use, so I don't think that changing the CD player will get you much.
I have 2 suggestions that haven't yet been offered. The first is to get a good CD player with digital inputs--basically a DAC that spins discs. There are some great finds in the $500 range.
The second is more off the wall but would suit your budget well. Get an old Pioneer CD/SACD/DVD-A player, circa 2005, going for about $150, that has an "i link" and a matching receiver for about $300. These were FireWire connections, and you won't believe how good they sound together, either in 2 or multi channel.
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