CD Player failed.

[Sukie]

To be honest, throwing a DAC into the mix is going to give you the best of both worlds. You can stick with CDs or venture beyond, into the realms of ripped FLAC files etc.

I recently needed some new audio set up with a very limited budget. My CD player still worked but I needed a new headphone amp and headphones. I decided on getting a DAC as well as this would mean I could use a streaming service to listen to new music. I assumed that CDs would still be by go-to media but wanted a bit of flexibility.

Well a few months on and I've put the CD player into storage. I've ripped my collection and I'm listening via my phone, using USB Audio Player Pro. I never thought I'd say goodbye to CDs, but there you have it.

Hope the DAC improves things for you.

 

[cistercian]

First I would like to excoriate Tascam for using such a pitiful vestigial analog signal path...yeah,
why even have a headphone jack and RCA lines out with such trash driving them? FAIL.

Enter the RME...WIN, EPIC. I am using the coax out to drive the RME DAC and it is just fantastic.
Obviously over time the Sony was rolling off the highs...that problem is solved. The RME sounds
fantastic and the headphone amp is awesome. I took my rolls mixer out of line and the RME directly
drives the amp...and does so perfectly.

I am delighted with the RME. Best CD audio ever!!!

 

[Sukie]

Really pleased for you. Great feeling when it all comes together. At the end of the day, it's all about enjoying the music!

 

[Dmitri]

Have the same issues as the OP...older ears. I once had a Sheffield Labs “Stop Digital Madness” T-shirt. I succumbed, eventually, to CD. My ability to appreciate high res files is probably nonexistent, and I’ve often thought that some of the DAC stats were kind of ridiculous, as I’d think that after some point, ambient room noise would make the point moot. Headphones...maybe, but that’s a different audio experience all together and not really my preference.

Glad you found a solution that fits your needs!

That said, you can have my Oppo 83se when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.

 

[cistercian]

Really pleased for you. Great feeling when it all comes together. At the end of the day, it's all about enjoying the music!

It is wonderful! Part of the happiness I am enjoying is the functionality the RME brings to my setup. Now I have a proper balance
control, bass and treble control, parametric EQ, a loudness button!, and studio grade volume readout in DB. Not to mention
the epic and colossal headphone amp. It even has a remote! I mostly prefer using my speakers but I also like checking recordings
analytically at times with phones. Now I can do it at a much higher level. I am very happy with my system.

 

[cistercian]

Have the same issues as the OP...older ears. I once had a Sheffield Labs “Stop Digital Madness” T-shirt. I succumbed, eventually, to CD. My ability to appreciate high res files is probably nonexistent, and I’ve often thought that some of the DAC stats were kind of ridiculous, as I’d think that after some point, ambient room noise would make the point moot. Headphones...maybe, but that’s a different audio experience all together and not really my preference.

Glad you found a solution that fits your needs!

That said, you can have my Oppo 83se when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.

That oppo looks fantastic...I bet it sounds great!

 

[Sukie]

I mostly prefer using my speakers but I also like checking recordings
analytically at times with phones.

I'm all about the phones these days. Kids in bed and all that. I do enjoy the more analytical approach, but not at the expense of raw enjoyment. I'm back off to listen to an album whilst enjoying a cold beer. It doesn't get any better than that!

 

[cistercian]

I'm all about the phones these days. Kids in bed and all that. I do enjoy the more analytical approach, but not at the expense of raw enjoyment. I'm back off to listen to an album whilst enjoying a cold beer. It doesn't get any better than that!

Right on! I am having a beer too.

 

[Dmitri]

I'm all about the phones these days. Kids in bed and all that. I do enjoy the more analytical approach, but not at the expense of raw enjoyment. I'm back off to listen to an album whilst enjoying a cold beer. It doesn't get any better than that!

Right on! I am having a beer too.

Always thought the best upgrade to any system was a couple of glasses of wine. I see I’m not alone. ; )
Enjoy!!!

 

[paddycrow]

Next time someone tries to tell you the DAC doesn’t matter, you can tell them they’re full of it (or an appropriate expletive).

 

[cistercian]

Next time someone tries to tell you the DAC doesn’t matter, you can tell them they’re full of it (or an appropriate expletive).

Well I know now it matters a great deal. Listening has been a bit freaky this evening. New details galore.
What a difference.

 

[Dmitri]

Next time someone tries to tell you the DAC doesn’t matter, you can tell them they’re full of it (or an appropriate expletive).

Ha! Ha!
Doubtless your right....I’m just an old grump... ; )

 

[paddycrow]

The quality of the analog output from a CD player depends on the DAC chip the manufacturer used and how well it is implemented. I'm not sure how a 1980s vintage player would measure, but I suspect not very well.

I had an RME ADI-2 DAC FS, it was excellent. I believe it uses AK4493 chip. Mine was previous generation, I'm not sure what changes they made. I sold it when I bought the Classé Delta Preamp you see in my avatar, it has an outstanding DAC built in (I believe AK4497 chip).

 

[cistercian]

The quality of the analog output from a CD player depends on the DAC chip the manufacturer used and how well it is implemented. I'm not sure how a 1980s vintage player would measure, but I suspect not very well.

I had an RME ADI-2 DAC FS, it was excellent. I believe it uses AK4493 chip. Mine was previous generation, I'm not sure what changes they made. I sold it when I bought the Classé Delta Preamp you see in my avatar, it has an outstanding DAC built in (I believe AK4497 chip).

I stayed up late researching DAC chips used in my old cd player. It was extremely pedestrian...when it was new!
The new DAC is in a different world altogether. It was amazing last night hearing new things in my CD's.
All this time I assumed CD meant CD performance...FAIL. To be fair, the new RME has a superior analog audio chain
working in concert with the excellent decode...specs like the RME has are in the fantasy realm compared to 1990.

 

[cistercian]

@paddycrow I viewed your avatar pic enlarged...epic system you have there! Very nice!

 

[Dmitri]

That oppo looks fantastic...I bet it sounds great!

To my ears yes. No objective tests of course...and my ears are, as you remember... not exactly nineteen anymore. Still, the 83se is more than just a few years old, and though at the time one of the better options it may very well not test comparably to some of the newer DAC’s. Ultimately, I like a universal player...and though I’m sure I’ll be seen as a dinosaur with an asteroid screeching down over his shoulder...I’d love to continue that route for at least one more iteration of my system. I drooled over the Oppo 205 for awhile, but couldn’t justify it. When I finally bought a 4K set, I thought I might as well go for it, but sadly...too late. : (

 

[cistercian]

To my ears yes. No objective tests of course...and my ears are, as you remember... not exactly nineteen anymore. Still, the 83se is more than just a few years old, and though at the time one of the better options it may very well not test comparably to some of the newer DAC’s. Ultimately, I like a universal player...and though I’m sure I’ll be seen as a dinosaur with an asteroid screeching down over his shoulder...I’d love to continue that route for at east one more iteration of my system. I drooled over the Oppo 205 for awhile, but couldn’t justify it. When I finally bought a 4K set, I thought I might as well go for it, but sadly...too late. : (

I would not worry. That CD player was optimized with an excellent analog chain and is worlds better than what my Sony was.
The incredible thing to me is how I never realized how much was missing on the Sony.
I don't know where it would be hard to tell a difference performance wise vs perception. I think in my case going from a poor Internal 16 bit DAC
chip in the Sony which was built for low cost in 1989 vs a 32 bit DAC designed for high performance recently is a large jump in performance.
Proper audiophile CD players should not show a giant difference compared to a hot rod outboard DAC...I think.

 

[paddycrow]

@paddycrow I viewed your avatar pic enlarged...epic system you have there! Very nice!

Sometime next year I'm going to upgrade my speakers.

 

[Joaquin Dinero]

I'm all about the phones these days. Kids in bed and all that. I do enjoy the more analytical approach, but not at the expense of raw enjoyment. I'm back off to listen to an album whilst enjoying a cold beer. It doesn't get any better than that!

Actually it does. Enjoying a second album with a second cold beer

 

[CDMC]

Seriously, a decent computer with any reasonable DAC will easily replace and surpass even expensive CDP. Not to mention, seriously, rip your CD collection and get on board the wave that literally started a decade ago. Physical media offers Zero advantages and is so less convenient. I am likely older than you and grew up on LPs and then CDs as the transition happened. I used to spend $1000 without blinking on a CDP but I would never under any circumstances put money into a CDP. About 8 years ago I ripped my collection to my PC and invested in a DAC. I have never looked back. I was slow to transition but I can't help but be honest, refusing to transition is stubborn and equates to cutting off your nose to spite your face. You have so much to gain from moving to PC based music listening.

Sorry for being so adamant, but I really can't fathom why anybody would stick to using their physical media. Absolutely no advantage to doing so as far as I can see.

x10,000. I finally bit the bullet about 5 years ago and burned everything to flac and bought a jriver id player. Being able to play any of my music at any time and easy access to it all on a tablet was amazing. Even better was starting to use a streaming service where I found more new music I liked in 6 months than the prior 20 years.

For the OP, go buy a streamer and hook it up to your stereo (you can start at under $100). The quality is great and the services are $10-15 a month, which gives you access to 40+ million tracks. You can also stream great internet radio stations like radio paradise. In two months, your only question will be why you didn’t do it earlier.