Question CD player recommendations?

daverave

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Hello,

It's been a while since I've done anything to my HiFi set up but my old Kenwood multi disc CD player has finally died. I'm looking to replace it with a single CD player but maximise the sound quality.

I have a Sherwood RD-8108R Receiver which I use for home cinema and a pair of Monitor Audio BR5's for stereo. My set up is a little odd because I use the BR5s as rears for the home cinema (just the way my room is laid out) and the BR5s as stereo for music by connecting the RCA cables to rear inputs on the receiver and selecting 7-channel direct.

Can anyone recommend a decent CD player that would fit my set up (the output would have to be RCA and not optical/coax)? Would an expensive CD player make much difference to a cheap basic one? Sorry, I'm not up to speed with modern day components!

Cheers!
 
For it's cost one of the best players available is the Marantz CD6006. It has a really good DAC inbuilt and in the past I have used it connected by RCA to my Denon receiver. As a bonus there is also a very good headphone amp as well. It also has a very good build quality. Obviously the more money you spend the better the sound quality should be but by connecting to a receiver it really is not worth spending a great amount as any receiver is quite poor at stereo music reproduction.

Looks like it is due for replacement so if interested best not hang around.
Marantz CD6006 UK Edition
 
Interesting! The sherwood RD8108R is an amp and receiver. I think I bypass the reciever part of the amp because I'm using the channel direct option? I think!

Looking more into this, perhaps a CD player and streamer might be a better option for me. I am moving more towards spotify etc., but have found that my current set up (Fire TV) is terrible quality.
 
You might want to rethink your reciever strategy. Where you to get a better reciever, one with a coaxial and optical toslink inputs , then you could replace the CD player with even a very poor quality DVD player , having a coaxial output, and enjoy better quality . If the coaxial digital output is fed into an amplifer or reciever having a DAC , then it is the quality of that DAC which affects the analogue signal quality.
Your Sherwood' at 0.9% distortion is not brilliant.
In the scenario i am suggesting, you would also buy a chromecast audio ,and connect it to the optical input, and use that in conjunction with your smart phone for streaming.
Better recievers should be available on the second hand market from 150 upwards.
I would respectfully disagree with Gibbsy regarding the quality of recievers versus dedicated amplifiers. It would be subtle anyway and Economies of scale might favour recievers .
 
Sorry, to be clearer the amp does have Co-Ax and Optical inputs, but I choose not to use these so I can use my rear speakers as stereo's by sending signals into the direct input channels of the amp/reciever using phono cables. I think this bypasses the DAC? Are you saying that using optical or co-ax is better quality than using phono cables?
 
If it has optical input just get a chromecast audio for £30 and that will play Spotify controlled by a phone or tablet.
 
If it has optical input just get a chromecast audio for £30 and that will play Spotify controlled by a phone or tablet.

Sorry, my point is that if I use optical then my reciever doesn't let me use my rear (more expensive) speakers as stereo speakers. I can only trick it into doing this by using phono cables into the approriate sockets in a direct channel mode. And the chromecast has a 3mm to RCA output, which I think would mean using the chromecasts DAC rather than the receivers DAC?
 
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CCA has a 3.5mm jack socket which can use a jack plug to jack plug or two phono's it also supports mini Toshlink optical connectors thus bypassing it's inbuilt DAC.

Example not recommendation:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/kenable-Op...8&qid=1530459040&sr=8-5&keywords=mini+toslink

So I guess if the DAC in the cca is better than the DAC in my 18 year old receiver (quite possible?) then I'm better off going down the jack to 2 phonos route? This is something that I could test out quite easily.
 
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I would think the CCA's DAC would probably be an improvement in this case. But your ears will tell you.
 
Sorry, to be clearer the amp does have Co-Ax and Optical inputs, but I choose not to use these so I can use my rear speakers as stereo's by sending signals into the direct input channels of the amp/reciever using phono cables. I think this bypasses the DAC? Are you saying that using optical or co-ax is better quality than using phono cables?
I had seen reference to a toslink optical input, but not for a coaxial input. . I don't know the quality of the DAC in the Sherwood compared to the quality of the DAC you had in the Kenwood, but the answer is probably better.. I cannot follow the argument regarding having to use specific inputs in order to get stereo out. It may be so, but your manual may provide for other options. . Many of the sophisticated recievers allow reallocation of inputs ,outputs under menu selection.
Incidentally a coaxial digital is usually better than a toslink optical link for digital signals.
 
I would respectfully disagree with Gibbsy regarding the quality of recievers versus dedicated amplifiers. It would be subtle anyway and Economies of scale might favour recievers .
I have to disagree with your disagreement. Although this has been debated over many times in many threads. For a few years I was listening to CDs played either through a Denon 3313 or Pioneer LX58 via the Denon X6200 in stereo. Both these UD players cost £450. Yet there was something missing, mainly the smile on my face.

Enter a Marantz CD6006, followed by the SA8005 and this time fed to the Denon by analogue. Smile back on my face. Well certainly with the 8005 the music had more detail but my smile was still missing.

Enter the Rega Elicit R with the 8005 connected directly. A ear to ear grin. Music was back in my life. OK the Elicit isn't really pocket money, but it's certainly way off the cost of some of the best but it was still cheaper than the cost of a new Denon X6200 at the release price of £1800.

Then Denon simply cannot handle the KEF speakers with the authority of the Rega for music. The Rega is so much better and I dare say the same would be said the lesser powered Brio and Elex models.

If my missus says she can hear the difference then it must be so.:lesson:
 
I have to disagree with your disagreement. Although this has been debated over many times in many threads. For a few years I was listening to CDs played either through a Denon 3313 or Pioneer LX58 via the Denon X6200 in stereo. Both these UD players cost £450. Yet there was something missing, mainly the smile on my face.

Enter a Marantz CD6006, followed by the SA8005 and this time fed to the Denon by analogue. Smile back on my face. Well certainly with the 8005 the music had more detail but my smile was still missing.

Enter the Rega Elicit R with the 8005 connected directly. A ear to ear grin. Music was back in my life. OK the Elicit isn't really pocket money, but it's certainly way off the cost of some of the best but it was still cheaper than the cost of a new Denon X6200 at the release price of £1800.

Then Denon simply cannot handle the KEF speakers with the authority of the Rega for music. The Rega is so much better and I dare say the same would be said the lesser powered Brio and Elex models.

If my missus says she can hear the difference then it must be so.:lesson:
Well since you have included me in your will, re the headphones it would be un gracious of me to disagree. !!!
 
T
Sorry, my point is that if I use optical then my reciever doesn't let me use my rear (more expensive) speakers as stereo speakers. I can only trick it into doing this by using phono cables into the approriate sockets in a direct channel mode. And the chromecast has a 3mm to RCA output, which I think would mean using the chromecasts DAC rather than the receivers DAC?

The ChromeCast dac is easily superior to the one in your old CD player and receiver.

It is a very good modern dac. Despite what some hifi-ists declare.

Certainly it’s at least (very least) good enough for the receiver. And would also suit a stereo amp up to a good couple of hundred quid with the MAs.
 
Well since you have included me in your will, re the headphones it would be un gracious of me to disagree. !!!
Stay on my good side as the wife has given me permission to buy a headphone amp........well I've worn her down! As for the cans my son has no interest and my grandsons think they're hideous. You're in with a shout mate.:)
 
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T


The ChromeCast dac is easily superior to the one in your old CD player and receiver.

It is a very good modern dac. Despite what some hifi-ists declare.

Certainly it’s at least (very least) good enough for the receiver. And would also suit a stereo amp up to a good couple of hundred quid with the MAs.

Yes, it would seem that my receiver will be the weakest link. Any recommendations for a new stereo amp to pair with the MAs? I'm hoping not to pay much more than £200 - Will this make a significant difference?
 
Yes, it would seem that my receiver will be the weakest link. Any recommendations for a new stereo amp to pair with the MAs? I'm hoping not to pay much more than £200 - Will this make a significant difference?
Do you want an amp to pair with the MAs but still be within the overall 5.1? If so the obvious choice would be one with HT bypass, almost impossible for under £200. I know you have a work around that you are happy with and there are a couple of ways to use an amp with the HT bypass function. The simplest is just banana plugs connections for separate wire from both receiver and stereo amp, or a switcher such as the Beresford.

For just an amp with outstanding bangs for bucks you'll not go far wrong with the Marantz pm5005.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Marantz-PM...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=7BWSB5GD5T5X5H7MFVNC
 
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I have just bought used Marantz CD 6005 and pm 6005 amp, both in pristine condition. Sound amazing to me, worth a look/listen.
 
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Reading more into this, I'm going to totally revise my system. I'm getting rid of 5.1 (hardly use it) and just going for stereo. I'll be keeping my Monitor Audio's and also buying a Chromecast Audio for Spotify. I've read that I can use my DVD player for CDs and use an optical output into an Amplifier so that it uses the Amp's DAC - Have I interpreted this correctly?
 
Reading more into this, I'm going to totally revise my system. I'm getting rid of 5.1 (hardly use it) and just going for stereo. I'll be keeping my Monitor Audio's and also buying a Chromecast Audio for Spotify. I've read that I can use my DVD player for CDs and use an optical output into an Amplifier so that it uses the Amp's DAC - Have I interpreted this correctly?
Can't help with Chromecast but connecting your DVD player will allow CDs to be played and use the amps DAC. Depending on the player it may also be able to play SACD, although I don't know if that's a good thing or not, I've just spent silly money buying some SACDs.
 
Hmmm, I've bought a CCA and using it to stream Spotify premium. It's connected to my Sherwood via a 3.5mm jack to RCA thus using the CCA's DAC. Even with the Sherwoods 0.9 % THD, it sounds good imo. How much improvement will I get with an amp with much lower THD i.e. Will my ears be able to tell any difference! I guess there's only one way of finding out but may be the answer is obvious - or debatable!
 
There are so many ways you could improve your sound, a better amp being the obvious. It's always best to audition and let your ears decide. It can be fun or simply harrowing.o_O
 

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