Best redbook cd-only player ?

Hi Lloydelee21,

I am not up to date with their latest units. After 20 years of digital sonic revolutions :-) I am really amazed what THAT unit can do with regular CD's. Excellent soundstage, the tones are good, it can't change a mediocre Mastering to a top one, but it is really amazing with the Standard CD's. I prefer those more than SACD, the tonal Balance is simply better overall. And 2. Hand it is really a good recommendation.

Syntax,

Sounds great...and yes, i agree. I have decided to run with the best redbook i could find for a few reasons:
1. large selection of redbook available for 3bucks each on Amazon, etc
2. far fewer hi-res discs/samples available
3. quality to me seems to be more in the mastering than in the format
4. redbook with great players can be amazing
5. redbook players second hand have come down in price which is how i buy my equipment. the latest/greatest digital always comes at a premium

I will wait until hi-res is more readily available (by far) and also somehow manages to make the majority of hi-res files far, far superior to redbook.

Lloyd -
after reading enough reviews and listening to current players loaded with functionality I don't need, I arrived at the same conclusion as you. And the money I will have saved is going towards really good IC's and power cords.
my final choice, by the way, is the modded Wadia S7i Statement.
-john

John,

congrats! I have heard a modd'd Esoteric X-01SE and an unmodd'd Wadia s7i and they were extremely close in quality, though the Wadia was definitely less expensive. I would be most intrigued to hear a Wadia s7i mod'd someday.

Congrats and hope you get loads of enjoyment out of it!!!

And yes, no doubt great ICs, power cords (and just pure saved money) are all great things. enjoy and congrats.

Audio Note