2. digital
  3. 1195328923

What am I missing using a 20 year old CD player??

I have the Sonographe SD-1 CD player which I purchased in 1988. Sonographe was a subsidiary company of Conrad Johnson. They modified a Magnavox 2610 CD player to produce the Sonographe SD-1. The unit has operated flawlessly for 20 years. Overall, its sound is clean textured and dynamic, but also can sound hard and somewhat sterile or digital. This "characteristic" has been consistent through several speaker systems I have owned over 20 years. It was formerly mated to Aragon and CJ electronics until recently. My current system is a Creek Classic SE5350 integrated amp; a pair of new(recent) Silverline Preludes and Analysis Plus Oval 12 speaker cable, and a Audio Magic Spellcaster II interconnect. Therefore, I am curious how much better have CD players gotten in the last 20 years. What might I be missing sound-wise that would offer noticeable improvement??? I ask because I am considering the Rega Apollo player. Finally, I was told by a high end audio specialist that I might need to spend to $1500-2000 to better the Sonographe. I question that because it only received above average reviews. I think, though not sure, Stereophile put it in their "C" equipment category..... Any and all advice welcomed. Thanks, Jimbo
sunnyjim

Showing 2 responses by knownothing

Ag insider logo xs@2x
knownothing
1,536 posts
 
I would take your old CD player into a (several) store(s) and AB it with newer models, or if possible, ask to demo new models in your home with your own system. There have been a lot of improvements in DAC and filtering technology over the last twenty years directed at getting rid of the "digital" sound signature. I would pay special attention to comparing how well bass notes are reproduced, overall tonal qualities, and what I would call "granularity" or lack of it in the presentation. If the newer models you can afford don't sound more like music to you than your Sonographe, then you are missing nothing.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
knownothing
1,536 posts
 
Here's my point. I have no idea how good the Sonographe player is in question, or after 19 years if it is still operating up to spec. I do know that there have been clear improvements in clocks, filters and DACs used in CDPs since 1988 that all have the potential to improve sound quality, and that these developments have trickled down to less than state of the art machines. There are also corners cut in terms of other components inside electronics equipment that tend to offset the improvements in digital components of lower end machines compared with 20 years ago.

So, now we have machines available in and around $1000 with modern DACs, low jitter, and either upsampling (Cambridge 840C) or use other tricks (Rega Apollo) to get the most out of digitally recorded material. Worth a try to see if you can do better than what you currently have within your budget. If not, then be satisfied in the knowledge that what you have is still pretty darn good.
More to discover