Universal player recommendation

[akhter]

My sig has my current equipments. Recently my friend brought his Linn Genki cd player over, and I was amazed with the sound quality. My denon produces 80% of that sound when playing SACDs and 60% of that sound (imho ofcourse) when playing cds. Living in a small nyc apt, I really don't want a dedicated CD player. Is there a universal player in the $2000-$3000 range that can produce CD playback on par with the Linn Genki and DVD playback on par with my Denon 2910?

I have heard mentioned numerous times that a universal player will never be as good as a dedicated cd player. Is it because of the transport? if i understand it correctly, the DACs can be equally good on a dedicated player vs. a universal player.

[jimmyp58]

Just sent you a PM....

[aud19]

Benchmark Dac1 and/or a dedicated player. Jimmy can help ya out there

[JetFlyGuy]

I am very happy with the Marantz DV-9500, it retails for about 2K, but can be had for around 1600 USD

[Burke Strickland]

While the Denon 2910 is a very fine player, maybe you should take one step further up the Denon line to the 3910. In my side by side comparison using the same DVDs, CDs and SACDs in my own home theater, the video was very similar (with the 3910 having a slight advantage over the 2910) but with audio, the 3910 "smoked" the 2910.

Wider soundstage, cleaner detail, more "depth", more "you re there" feeling. I had been sceptical of the reviews that claimed that unlike most universal players, you didn't need a stand alone CD player if you had the 3910 in your system. But that has become my conclusion. With multichannel SACD, the 3910 is a champ as well.

But I'll have to admit the best stand alone CD player I've ever heard is the now-discontinued Linn CD-12 (list price $20,000 USD) and I would still find room for it in my rack if someone gave one to me. :>)

Burke

[gd]

Depends on how critical a music listener you are... there may be no uni that satisfies.

I went the outboard DAC route, and glad I did... my entry-level Pioneer 563a is good enough for now (with only a couple dozen hi-rez discs), and when I do upgrade, it won't need to be to a $3-5K uni just to get good redbook performance.

You can do well there for under $1K, and if shelf space is a problem, a DAC can be tucked away, out of sight.

[Burke Strickland]

"Right on" comments, Greg. I enjoyed a Pioneer 563a as a transport in my home system for a couple of years before I upgraded to the Denon 3910. (The Pioneer still serves me well in my desktop music system at work.) Since it has the same transport mechanism as Pioneer's far more expensive Elite stand-alone players of its time, it served well in the mode of "transport only". And its DACS are pretty good considering its price point, just not up to the level of a really good external DAC unit or a high quality pre/pro.

Actually if you are using the player as a transport only, many players will do OK (or better) with CD, especially with a really good external DAC, or a pre/pro with exceptionally good DACs. But since SACD and DVD-A playback is most usually dependent on the player's DACs, the players further up the "food chain" will usually render more pleasing results.

Of course, if these hi-rez formats are not a big priority, then finding a player that does them justice is a lesser issue. Initially I took the leap to the Denon to take advantage of its video connectivity, and moved on up from 2910 to 3910 when I heard a significant difference between the two.

Burke