help with selecting a preamp and cd source

[s00ka]

hi there - i'm new the the forum so i apologize in advance if there was a thread similar to this already posted that i haven't come across yet..

i recently bought a pair of b&w 804's and a rotel rb 1080. my problem is now selecting a preamp and a cd source. i'm having a difficult time finding one as my resources are limited as in retailers in my area. (there is actually only one retailer in my area and they have limited items so it makes it difficult to go check them out)

i had looked into the rotel rc1070 but i'd really like outputs for the preamp.

ideally, i'd like to spend no more than about $500 for the cd source and probably under $700 for the preamp.

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated :) thx!

edit: err..balanced outputs, that is..

[dean_martin]

Check out www.audioadvisor.com then post back and ask for experiences with this online retailer if you see something you like. I'm not an employee or stockholder - just a satisfied customer who lives in an area where I have to drive 3-4hours to audition the good stuff. Others may be able to recommend other reputable online dealers with return policies.

[Mr Peabody]

Without a doubt the best value in cd players I've heard is from Arcam. You may have to increase your budget but it will be worth it. If no one carries Arcam in your area go to www.redtrumpet.com

You might find a good buy on a preamp at www.spearitsound.com. They carry several brands of high end gear and you can find some occasional good buys under the "demo/trade-in/close out" link. Normally, I'd advise buying the same brand preamp as your power amp for synergy purposes but in this case preamps aren't Rotel's strong point. I know you can buy Adcom in your price range but I'd also not recommend them. I just checked Spearitsound and there wasn't much in your price range. That Krell KRC-3 would be awesome at $1,499. Any of the British brands like Arcam, Creek or Roksan would be good. That Cambridge stuff is reasonably priced but I'm not familiar with it at all. If you're willing to take a chance there's always Audiogon and Ebay. You wouldn't go wrong with the Brits or brands like Classe', Linn, Primare, Anthem, McIntosh, there's many others that would be good as well. Good luck.

[Geoffcin]

[QUOTE=Mr Peabody]Without a doubt the best value in cd players I've heard is from Arcam. You may have to increase your budget but it will be worth it. If no one carries Arcam in your area go to www.redtrumpet.com

For a quality CD player your going to be hard pressed to beat Arcam. Sometimes you can find them used on Audiogon.com too.

[s00ka]

thanks for the input guys! i'm also looking at possibly adding a tube component to the chain - I personally would like to find a decent tube component but the bf prefers SS - we'll see who wins out :D

we had thought about the krell but i think i want a little more 'sound' - the krells tend to be so very neutral..

[Mr Peabody]

The preamp would be a good place to add tubes, you would gain the characteristics of tubes yet have the SS power. The site i told you about www.spearitsound.com has some Cary and Conrad Johnson pieces that might be worth checking out. I'd advise asking them or someone else familiar with "single ended" design to see if they would match a SS power amp. Some of the Cary stuff is single ended which is a different design than the typical tube gear. My tube listening is limited but I almost went with an Audio Research system. I fell in love with their pre/power running a pair of Martin Logan Requests. In the end I went with the slam and dynamics of Krell and Dynaudio.

Another piece you may want to consider that may let you and the bf both be happy is the Musical Fidelity tube buffer. I haven't heard but have been considering one. This piece goes between your cd/pre or pre/power or in a tape loop and I guess gives you the attributes of tubes. My hold back is I can't find anyone who has used one and it costs $400. at www.amusicdirect.com. I have respect for MF but I'd like to know if this buffer is a gimic or can I expect any degregation to my audio signal.

[psonic]

How about a universal player for CD playback that would allow SACD & DVD-A also? IMO, you cannot get a top CD player such as Arcam, new w/ warranty for $500. I suggest a good CD/SACD unit, and hey, you can always have it modified for more performance. I just picked up the Philips DV963sa http://store.yahoo.com/800stereohometheater/phdvprscsapl.html, the overall performance so far is impressive all around (I am selling my Rotel CD player and just using it), and I am excited about getting some SACDs as well. Perhaps one of these would do the trick for you also: http://www.hometheatermag.com/dvdplayers/604marantz/, I have heard good things about this as well: http://www.hookedontronics.com/sales/P4179f5b4a_P117_Pioneer+Elite_DV-45A.htm. Or maybe this: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-OC8XF5vXntQ/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?i=158SCDC2KE

The area where you can really save some money, IMO is the Preamp. They are not a high wear & tear item like a CD player and aren't a big risk to buy used, so $$ can be saved. As far as great bang for the buck, I am very fond of the B&K PT3; built well, sounds sweet and has a tuner and remote. These are fairly inexpensive used now and sound as good as both Rotel Pre amps I've owned. The preamp I am currently running can be had cheap too, the RSP-960 (see reviews). It has pro logic so kind of outdated, but I keep it around due to it's sweet stereo sound and full remote. I also tried the RC972 (direct A/B); it was more harsh and less transparent and revealing than the good ol 960. This is the older brother of the RC1070 I think, so hopefully they don't sound similar if you do buy it. I have not auditioned the RC1070, but have seen it for around $300 used. I would be cautious though, as I don't like the 972 at all, but I do like the 960, so there is some inconsistency. This is another reason why used is good, if you don't like it you have $300 invested, not $699! You dump it on Ebay and try something else. I am also fond of the Conrad Johnson tube preamps, though not sure any are remote controlled. You might also look into something like arcam

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?preatran&1101527751.

[RGA]

Another option would be to get a cd player with a decent transport that has a Digital output - then buy an External DAC. Audio Note makes argueably the best DAC's in the world and they have a relatively inexpensive one called the 1.1x. The DAC is $700.00US so a bit out of your price range but they come up used from time to time. These units are quite large - larger than some amplifiers depth wise and height wise - pretty wide too.

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0200/anmeetsmsb.htm

I would buy a used cd player which is heralded as having good transport qualities. The Cambridge Audio Disc Magic is a Transport only device which is a few years old so you could probably get one cheap. Arcam used to use good Sony transports - not sure if they still do but they too would make a good choice. Getting a good condition Arcam Alpha 7SE would be quite nice. I plan to get this Audio Note DAC myself - if you can hear them someplace would be worth a listen. If you must go with the one box player Arcam is as good a choice as any but $500.00 is doubtful you'll attain one. Cambridge Audios are OK not as good as they used to be but still good value.

[psonic]

I agree, the dac is a good Idea as I understand some very inexpensive players, even multi-players make good transports. Heck, all it does is read the 1's and 0's and stream them on. Speaking of DACs this looks oh so sweet... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=14974&item=5724230129&rd=1

"I would buy a used cd player"

Strongly disagree, this is the one item in the audio chain which is wear and tear, so to speak. My Denon DVD player is sitting here dead (won't read disk) at just 13 months old. My Rotel has begun skipping. I recommend getting one with a long warranty, or get it dirt cheap, at a small fraction of retail. Then if it needs a repair, it is not so bad.

By the way s00ka, this Philips 963sa has really surprised me as a CD player, It just keeps getting better and better as it breaks in - I do not miss the Rotel one bit. It does CD upsampling and has made quite a buzz around the net for its audio quality including CD playback. Per one German Audio Magazine (can't find the link), it was rated between the Rega Planet and NAD 541i, pretty darn good considering what else it can do. Here's one of many reviews on it: http://www.epinions.com/content_115265932932