What makes a good CD Player?

[BillB]

DAC?
Transport mechanism?
?????

Bill

[N. Abstentia]

A 'good' CD player will play a CD.

[BillB]

Mine does that!

I find it difficult to hear differences between the DACs in my player and the DACs in my pre/pro. I find it a little easier to hear differences between playing a CD on my DVD player and playing one on my CD player using both players internal DACs.

Then again I often wonder whether my mind's making up the differences or whether it's just to do with slightly different levels or something.

I do know my DVD player is noiser when it spins a disc than my CD player. During quiet parts of music it's annoying.

Bill

[E-Stat]

DAC?
Transport mechanism?
?????

Although I didn't originally buy my CDP for the following reason, I now consider it beneficial:

Having high, low output impedance. My unit has a 4 volt output at 75 ohms. That enables me to easily drive (or overdrive) my power amps directly using attenuators. Eliminating the unnecessary preamp stage altogether removed its inevitable distortion and colorations.

rw

[mtrycraft]

Mine does that!

I find it difficult to hear differences between the DACs in my player and the DACs in my pre/pro. I find it a little easier to hear differences between playing a CD on my DVD player and playing one on my CD player using both players internal DACs.

Then again I often wonder whether my mind's making up the differences or whether it's just to do with slightly different levels or something.

I do know my DVD player is noiser when it spins a disc than my CD player. During quiet parts of music it's annoying.

Bill

I think you are alluding to the possibilities for differences. Level difference.
How do you compare? Swap CD between the two players? Memory problems here. Two identical CDs and played at the same time and switch? Level differences and synchronization issues.
Most of all, bias?