What makes a Cd player a Great cd player


Can someone please explain to me what a great cdp do that a good cdp wont do? Is the purpose to make what has actually been recorded sound better, or to merly expose what has been recorded?
ddan6815
I appreciate all the responses, I really do. and from what I've gathered, it is possible to find a very pleasing sounding cd player. I wont even go as far as to put a price tag as to how much one would have to spend. I think its more of a trial and error and a little bit of luck, to find the perfect synergy that mates well with your speakers and amp. I also think there are so many other factors that can come into to play such as the acoustics of your room, some such as myself my never find what I may consider that perfect sound because of the vaulted ceilings in my home, the very open area in which my system is placed, the wood flooring just to name a few of the drawbacks. Also just to clear up the misconception of vinyl sounding better than cd, I dont think its a case where vinyl sound better, its just more natural sounding and less fatiguing, than some cd players, maybe not all, just the ones thats within my budget, that I've had experience with. Maybe oneday, I'll buy another house, with a dedicated listening room, and fork out a couple grand on a great cdp, but until then, I'm pretty pleased with what I have and can afford for now. In other words my system still puts a smile on my face when I listen to certain cds....:)
If I was to spend 2 to 3k on a cd player, will it even come close to the sound of Vinyl, or will I get the realism that I get from vinyl.

I would echo Jmcgrogan2's succinct answer to your question: No.

That's not to say it won't sound good, but it won't sound like vinyl. If that is the primary goal for your investment then I'd agree with Tvad - spend your money elsewhere.

If you do a search on your question you will find it is a very common query/debate. Much like tubes vs solid state, you'll find plenty of arguments on both sides.
1. you can try to audition brands that are famous for making turntable, these brands tune their cdp based on vinyl sound, u could look around linn, roksan, rega etc. u could get them used under a grand.
2. think about what it is about vinyl sound you like, you want natural, cdp can do natural, you want laid back, warm, dynamic, etc i think cdp thesedays can do pretty good job on those things, but you can't expect microwave food to taste the same as can food, both are processed but done differently.
My take on this is, the sound is dependable on the type of disc, some certainly sound better with vinyl(recorded back in the early days before digital was introduced), now with sacd/cd format, when matched carefully, u can have a top notch system with cdp, like others suggested, it might be harder to get the sound u want upgrading/changing cdp with that budget, than the rest of your system.
I agree with Grannyring,

"A great CD player does not attack you with music, or hyper detail. Rather, it fills the room with pleasing music that is never hard on the ears and always draws you into the music."

There is too much emphasis on resolution and transparency. Resolution and transparency mean nothing without magic, the magic that sucks you into the music and holds you there. This is what a high end component should do.

Whether you prefer vinyl or digital is a matter of taste. I have heard both sound good. A lot of it has to do with which source you based your system on.