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My CD-player stopped working. Does it make sense to invest in a new CD-transport?

My older CD-player stopped working, so I am considering whether I should go now for a new CD transport. Most of the time I stream audio (Qobuz) and I have a many €€€€ streamer and DAC. So no need for a CD transport?

However, though I haven't bought a CD for at least 10 years, some people say that a CD still sounds better than streaming. And I have a huge collection (classical, jazz, blues, pop). I was looking at the front loader Teac PD 505t or the newer model PD 507t (about €1000-1300). Does that make sense? Or just forget about CDs and CD-players, keep or rip some for the good memories when buying them, and donate or sell the rest? What do you think?

stievus
beernut's avatar
beernut
305 posts
 

While most of my listening these days is via a Wiim Ultra which I truly enjoy, I have enough cd's to warrant a decent player. I recently purchased an excellent Emotiva player (used) on the cheap and am happy with the choice. I do notice a slight improvement in resolution, I mean slight. But with 1000+ cd's at the ready I felt motivated to keep that tradition going....

robeffy's avatar
robeffy
81 posts
 

I bought a Cd music storage system, a Baetis, with a built in ripper. I basically play my CD's once, and then put them into play lists ( the songs that really work for me ). I have a Main List of tracks, currently over 12,000 tracks, that I hit Random on now and then. It changes up the song order. If I need to "listen" to a CD, I have a Sony Blu-Ray player that will do. My 2nd stereo system in the garage has a 5 disc CD changer, so there is a back up. My Rega turntable hasn't been used in around 12 months.

motown-l
346 posts
 

I prefer to buy used CD players with digital outputs and use them as transports. I am currently using a decent circa 2000 Rotel CD player through my DAC. Solid build and good quality transport. It's onboard DAC sounds a little crude by today's standards.

fred60
158 posts
 

Check out the Shanling Onix Zenith SACD transport. It's $2,400. Generally very positive reviews. The transport mechanism I'm not sure about, but it is a top-loader. Has i2s output as well as the more common digital interfaces, like Coax, etc. I'm probably going to buy it.

loomisjohnson
2,021 posts
 

i also have an (embarrasingly) huge collection of cds, many of which i'm sentimentally attached to and couldn't bear parting with, so whether or not they sound better than the same material on streaming is somewhat irrelevant. for that reason, i'd always have a cd player around.  something like rotel or onkyo would do the job, but i've always liked the older universal disc players (pioneer elite, sony es, etc.) which are typically overbuilt to hell, do sacd and are really cheap used. alternatively, something like the oppo bdp95 is a very good sounding player.

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