CD players vs Oppo

[elf1]

Hello Holics,
I am looking for some sound advice (pardon the pun) on purchasing a CD player $600 budget or oppo blue ray. I only listen to cd's, but I would be interested in having a USB port.
I want to connect CD player to my AR SP6 tube preamp. I presented this situation to the people at oppo. They informed me I could use their 203 player but I might hear some distortion when compared to the 205. No one likes distortion and I cannot justify the $1300 for the 205.
I want something that is reliable with good musical sound Magnepan 1.6 speakers. Am I asking too much for a $600 budget or do I save up for the oppo 205.
Any advice is appreciated

 

[lovinthehd]

I seriously doubt you'd hear a significant difference between the 203 and 205 myself, let alone any audible distortion. The 203 certainly is still one of the better optical disc players out there.

 

[j_garcia]

IMO, you will hear a difference between the two via analog, but whether or not that is worth the price difference is hard to say. You will NOT hear distortion from the players themselves on either of them though. For CD only, I'd say no. For SACD I'd say yes to the 205.

 

[elf1]

From the responses so far the Oppo would be recommended over a stand alone CD player.
Thanks for the recommendations.

 

[mtrycrafts]

From the responses so far the Oppo would be recommended over a stand alone CD player.
Thanks for the recommendations.

If you are not interested in video playback, go for a stand alone player for much less and buy more CDs.
Or, even a less expensive BD player.

 

[lovinthehd]

From the responses so far the Oppo would be recommended over a stand alone CD player.
Thanks for the recommendations.

Personally I'd use it for both the video and audio format versatility and I probably wouldn't even use the analog output particularly (unless it was significantly audibly better than digital but that's more than I'd expect)....what the limitations of a cd-only 2ch player are worth to you compared to a universal optical disc player with multi-ch capabilities, or what analog processing you need, that's something you'd have to determine worth on for yourself.

 

[sholling]

Sorry (and this won't be popular) but count me in the ranks of very disappointed Oppo owners. They might, maybe - have minutely, with a magnifying glass, better pictures than competitors costing half as much but I will never fall for their marketing or fanboy hype again. Save yourself a lot of money and frustration driven blood pressure issues and skip them. If all you need is basic CD playback stay with your old CD player, or, best of all just rip your CDs to a NAS device and save the hassle of swapping CDs manually. CD playback is rapidly going the way of the dodo.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/6/16973538/bestbuy-target-cd-sales-vinyl-cassette

 

[tyhjaarpa]

I have had my 103D for a while and it is amazing player. I would just save the money and buy the 203 as most likely you wont notice the difference in sound. I personally dont see point buying stand alone CD player unless you need to save money and can get good deal on CD player. With player like Oppo you can play any media you possibly want to incase you happen to get some other discs than just basic CD.

 

[elf1]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I truely appreciate it. Perhaps I need to edit my original post. First , my Audio Research preamp is from the 70's - there is no optical connection. My present CD player is a Rotel 865bbx from the nineties. The player is working fine. So why am I wanting to change? I don't if technology has not improved since the nineties. Also I like the option of having a USB port. I listed the Oppo models because of the good reviews of their audio sound and build quality. However, if the sound quality of the Oppo or stand alone player is not an improvement over my existing Rotel, there is no reason to change. Sorry I am so winded, but if anyone has experience with stand alone CD players in my budget range that has better sound and quality than Oppo - let me know.
Thanks again for all suggestions.

 

[KEW]

To my knowledge, there have been no significant improvements in CD playback technology since your 90's CD player.
Just play it until it won't play any more or you decide to add a Blu-Ray player to your system. Your Rotel player is likely to last a long time! That said, you might want to pop the top and inspect for dust build-up on the mechanism and clean the lens (I would use denatured alcohol instead of the rubbing alcohol suggested in the video). If you have dust build-up on the mechanism, ask here. I do not know what the best cleaners and lubes are for this application (some plastics are self lubricating, but at 20 years old, they might be starting to get a little dry).

PS: If you happen to talk to Oppo again, ask them where the distortion in the 203 comes from (just for the fun of seeing how deep of a BS hole they will dig). IME the Oppo is a well made unit, but I really can't say it does anything better than my Sony BD player. In today's world in a real (not Colby brand) CD player, I look for reliability, reasonably quick load times, and a quiet transport (once the music starts). I would venture your Rotel is a win on all three counts!
There is no excuse for a CD player adding distortion. I have a $70 portable Panasonic CD player from the early 90's that I can hook into my main system and it doesn't miss a beat.

 

[elf1]

Thanks Ken for your comments and video. I did clean the laser a week ago and it plays well. I guess my question should have included any improvement in CD player DAC's? Case in point, I replaced my Adcom 5800 (great amp for $$), with a Bryston 4B st. I could definitely hear an improvement in sound from my Maggie's. As for Oppo, I appreciated the fact that they commented on the distortion issue. As someone said, they doubt I would hear it and that might be true. Unfortunately Oppo put that thought in my head.
Once again I thank everyone for their comments- I learn a lot from the forums.
PS: I do have a video system in my TV room which consists of Jamo speakers, Yamaha receiver and Sony player.
Thanks All

 

[KEW]

Case in point, I replaced my Adcom 5800 (great amp for $$), with a Bryston 4B st. I could definitely hear an improvement in sound from my Maggie's.

The Bryston is a great amp, but one thing you won't ever know for sure is how much of the difference you heard was from age of the Adcom.
Whereas a CD player usually either works or doesn't, an amp is (at least partly) a device that gets "consumed" with use. If your Adcom had been driving the Maggie's for a decade plus, there is a good chance it was not performing to original specifications. Replacing the capacitors is a typical maintenance item for such a scenario (and something you might want to try if you still have the Adcom or passed it on to a friend).
Hopefully the Bryston has enough extra "oomph" to hold up well under the load of the Maggie's.

@PENG , am I presenting a legitimate view of amps and their deterioration? Thanks!

 

[tyhjaarpa]

As you already have the Rotel player I would stick with it untill it dies. After that I would get universal player like Oppo.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Thanks Ken for your comments and video. I did clean the laser a week ago and it plays well. I guess my question should have included any improvement in CD player DAC's? Case in point, I replaced my Adcom 5800 (great amp for $$), with a Bryston 4B st. I could definitely hear an improvement in sound from my Maggie's. As for Oppo, I appreciated the fact that they commented on the distortion issue. As someone said, they doubt I would hear it and that might be true. Unfortunately Oppo put that thought in my head.
Once again I thank everyone for their comments- I learn a lot from the forums.
PS: I do have a video system in my TV room which consists of Jamo speakers, Yamaha receiver and Sony player.
Thanks All

I would not replace your CD player until it stops working. I suppose you are using the analog out. Still keep and use it.
As to your amp comparison, that is another debate which I will not start.

 

[3db]

I agree with mtrycrafts in that keep using the Rotel until it stops working. There is no sonic improvements that Oppo would offer you over the Rotel.

 

[PENG]

The Bryston is a great amp, but one thing you won't ever know for sure is how much of the difference you heard was from age of the Adcom.
Whereas a CD player usually either works or doesn't, an amp is (at least partly) a device that gets "consumed" with use. If your Adcom had been driving the Maggie's for a decade plus, there is a good chance it was not performing to original specifications. Replacing the capacitors is a typical maintenance item for such a scenario (and something you might want to try if you still have the Adcom or passed it on to a friend).
Hopefully the Bryston has enough extra "oomph" to hold up well under the load of the Maggie's.

@PENG , am I presenting a legitimate view of amps and their deterioration? Thanks!

The GFA-5800 could be 15 years old or older, so it is possible that the caps have deteriorated but that doesn't mean it would affect the sound under all conditions. If purchased used, it is also possible that it has been serviced and may not have been restored to the original factory conditions. All it takes is the bias adjusted incorrectly, just an example and the sound quality could suffer enough to be noticeable.

My GFA-555 (the original) performed well right up to the point when one channel died when it was about 20 years old. I continued to use it for the center channel for some time. When I bought my Bryson 4B SST, I AB it with the Adcom and immediately felt the Bryston sounded more transparent and have more musical bass, but years later I no longer felt that way when I compared them again. To me the initial excitement and expectation might have something to do with the perceived improvement at the time.

 

[elf1]

That settles it, I will keep the Rotel for a while longer. Hopefully CD players will still be available when mine dies. I do have to take issue with regard to the Adcom (made in the nineties I believe) when compared to the Bryston. While my hearing is not what it used to be - I definitely heard an improvement. There could be many reasons for the sound difference as was pointed out by some. However I would expect it to perform better as it is considered higher quality amp. Since I purchased both amps used, I do not know if they are both within spec. Perhaps one day if I have energy to move the 60lb Adcom I can compare against the Bryston.
Thanks All

 

[sterling shoote]

I ripped all of my CD collection years ago to my iTunes Library. I still buy CDs too and they get ripped to the iTunes Library. I buy CDs when I want the whole album and I want to own it all. I do have three universal players which will play CDs, and I've listened to many of my CDs on all three players; but, since I can not distinguish for better or worse the ripped CDs from the discs, I mostly enjoy the ripped CDs for the convenience of it. But, here's the catch, I like SACDs, the multi-channel kind, and that requires an SACD player. I bring this to your attention as a universal player which accommodates SACD, like the OPPO, with analog outputs would allow you to enjoy SACDs, both stereo and multi-channel, as well as CDs. I have not heard any music storage medium out there today that presents music better than SACD.

 

[lovinthehd]

I ripped all of my CD collection years ago to my iTunes Library. I still buy CDs too and they get ripped to the iTunes Library. I buy CDs when I want the whole album and I want to own it all. I do have three universal players which will play CDs, and I've listened to many of my CDs on all three players; but, since I can not distinguish for better or worse the ripped CDs from the discs, I mostly enjoy the ripped CDs for the convenience of it. But, here's the catch, I like SACDs, the multi-channel kind, and that requires an SACD player. I bring this to your attention as a universal player which accommodates SACD, like the OPPO, with analog outputs would allow you to enjoy SACDs, both stereo and multi-channel, as well as CDs. I have not heard any music storage medium out there today that presents music better than SACD.

Well sounds like OP only has a 2ch system in the case of the option of enjoying multi-ch SACD. As far as multi-ch optical discs blu-ray is more capable than SACD IMO.

 

[Mikado463]

From the responses so far the Oppo would be recommended over a stand alone CD player.
Thanks for the recommendations.

agreed, not knowing the rest of your kit, it's somewhat though to judge. I own the 205, have zero regrets. There are certain functionality pluses to it over the 203 which I didn't mind spending the extra $$, YMMV.