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okw3188

Where to find good CD player locally

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I'm looking for a cd player (budget below $1200). It's meant to output to my headphone amp (Meier Concerto), driving Beyer DT880 (600 ohm). And I do not wish to use external DAC. My choice of music is classical and jazz vocal music.

 

Sad to say that I've been looking around in Harvey, Best Denki, but nowadays, CD player is limited.

 

Would welcome anyone giving some suggestion.

 

 

Tachi.

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I'm looking for a cd player (budget below $1200). It's meant to output to my headphone amp (Meier Concerto), driving Beyer DT880 (600 ohm). And I do not wish to use external DAC. My choice of music is classical and jazz vocal music.

 

Sad to say that I've been looking around in Harvey, Best Denki, but nowadays, CD player is limited.

 

Would welcome anyone giving some suggestion.

Tachi.

 

 

 

Hi,

You have a rather generous budget for a audio cd player and I'm surprised you

went to the places quoted above. :blink: If I had your budget I'll head to Adelphi shopping center.

You could peruse the common hifi mags or go online to find out. My recomendation is if you are

not brand conscious then your budget could land yourself a MIC (made in China) player with

a tube output buffer. Or to save money get a diy tube DAC.

PS on second thought a vintage VCD play with analog power supply will also do.

 

Good hunting.

Edited by dacboy

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You will do that too, if you have about 400 CDs in your collection. Anyway, spotted Marantz K1 Pearl Lite, a very interesting cd player with an USB input. It is able to tap the digital output from iPod then uses the Marantz DAC to convert it to analog.

 

So, this player serves me well, built-in digital dock for iPod, DAC conversion, very good CD transport (uses the same as the big brother K1 Pearl), then it also has a headphone output (although not the class as my Meier).

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Wow, Marantz released a lite version of the SA-KI Pearl? If it's within your budget, go for it. Another option in your price range is the Cambridge Audio 740C at Alpha Audio.

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I got it yesterday, currently burning it. Sound is impressive upon 1st hearing.

 

Really amazing for its price, especially the headphone output. The player is a 3 in 1 :

 

a) It taps iPod loseless file and then convert using its DAC. You can even control the individual track on the remote control, however, album selection would have to be done on the iPod.

B) SACD player by itself.

c) It also has a USB input for digital, way to go!

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I got it yesterday, currently burning it. Sound is impressive upon 1st hearing.

 

Really amazing for its price, especially the headphone output. The player is a 3 in 1 :

 

a) It taps iPod loseless file and then convert using its DAC. You can even control the individual track on the remote control, however, album selection would have to be done on the iPod.

B) SACD player by itself.

c) It also has a USB input for digital, way to go!

 

 

what damage? should be more than your 1.2k budget :holiday:

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Hi,

Congratulations on picking a commonly viewed machine as well made japanese style.Marantz has

capitalised on the Ken Isihwata name to mount a clever marketing campaign in 2009.This being the

30th year of the famed designer's career at marantz.It has also made a pitch for the younger generation

for PC interface with USB and iPod compatibility.Which in past years of audio cd players were much

lacking although demand was growing,I think it was that the older generation of engineers was not prepared

to fool around noisy pc circuits when the audiophile segment shun such inclusion into their hallowed audio

beliefs but as time went on I guess they have to accept the encroachment into hifi.

 

Marantz limited 500 pcs of the big brother Pearl KI is mostly distributed to it's resellers to make

consumers salivate over such a cd player when few could afford/ hard to obtain.What with it's solid copper chasis

(did I get it right? or is it still copper plated like the old KI series).But the electronics are still rather

similar.It even says that they put in a low noise power supply for the flouresant display,I wonder

if it makes any difference when all along designers never considered it a problem,could it be they are

running out of ideas to temp consumers?

 

So with the lite version Marantz came a conquering,the dac is crytal semiconductors flagship

chip CS4398 which have been around for some time.I think it being on the market has garnered a

trust worthy reputation.It's all quite political when you think about it like the english supports the

Wolfson dac and the Chinese put in any one that is the flavour of the month.Of course the US ones

will back their own exports.

 

I bet the tweakers will have a field day with the KI lite.PS there are some diy dac kits

sporting this chip.

 

edit: After reading Stereophile's review of the DCS' Scallati cd player combo at US $80K (Sing $104K)

as the saying goes "Imitation is the best form of flattery", it is noteworthy that Marantz in the

Pearl KI cd player also sports similar features like offering 2 types of digital filter instead of 4

by DCS and the low noise power supply for the display. :yes:

 

Cheers.

Edited by dacboy

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You have to do your homework prior to buying. City Electronics price is ok, looks like family business.

 

By the way, ebay price is about US$1500, even from Hong Kong without shipment!

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