The best Cdp that have volume control

A differing opinion of the RA. It's an incredible deal. You might find a used one close to your range. I've got the Resolution CD55, and it's bettered stand alone DACs I've owned that cost $2-3,000. I use it with Pass monos and Genesis speakers. And I prefer it run direct to amp, rather than through my tube preamp (now sold). BTW, the Resolution DOES HAVE A PREAMP---it's just built-in. It's an excellent, passive pre that is designed to mate well with the (high) output of the DAC section. Some people like passives better than actives, and some vice-versa. I generally prefer the transparency of a passive, but if you listen to a lot of rock, you might like aan active pre better. I wouldn't call it a smooth-sounding player. It's very detailed witout any harshness. Listen to it and decide for yourself.

richards is right - listen & decide for yourself. my brother-in-law also auditioned the cd55 & found it no better than the cd50, if anything, the cd50 was a bit smoother, he said. i haven't heard the cd55, so i have no personal experience. regarding music-choice, my brother-in-law listens mainbly to acoustic music - strings & woodwinds - & hr still prefers his cd50 run thru his preamp. again, listen & decide for yourself

doug

Actually it is not a "passive pre" at all, it just doesn't provide gain above unity (a "passive preamp" implies there is no active device in the output stage, and thus passive preamps are simply resistor networks outside the chassis). It is not comparable to a CD player with no internal volume control when combined with a passive preamp, and I strongly disagree (again) that any preamp, tube or ss, will improve the performance of a CD50. I have listened to mine in a splendid system with a correctly treated room for much longer than Sedond has even heard of Resolution Audio, much less actually heard the unit. It just doesn't need "smoothing out", nor does it need help driving any amplifier load. Your opinion simply isn't as informed as mine, Sedond, and yet somehow you feel that is of no importance, and you keep pushing an uninformed one.

Somehow I knew this would happen.

take it easy, carl. my opinion, & that of my brother-in-law, are as equally informed as yours - to our ears - which is what's important, imho. our systems are *also* "splendid", in "correctly treated rooms". who cares if you have listened to res-audio for 50 years, & i only heard it the 1st time yesterday? what's important, is how one thinks something *sounds*.

the only opinion i am "pushing", is my opinion that the digital format (res-audio products included) *can* be improved by quality tubed preamps. this is not an opinion unique to me - many audiophiles share it. i even emailed res-audio directly, & they agreed that in many instances, their player's sound can be improved by the addition of a quality preamp.

carl, i respect the fact that ewe seem to disagree w/me about this, it's baffling why ewe can't seem to respect my opinion about it, or the opinions of others, even including the opinions of the designers of the equipment in question. i'm also baffled why ewe still refuse to divulge which (if any) preamps ewe may have run the res-audio cd-player thru, which has led ewe to your conclusion.

i have always found that having an open mind has helped me to learn about achieving better sound in audio; it's also been quite useful in other real-world endeavors.

regards, doug