The ROTEL CD14 MKII might be your last CD player...
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- čas přidán 23. 02. 2022
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Still have about 10 vintage Philips cd players, that still work fine. Use them as transport. One can buy still parts for them. I repared two of them.( belt + kamrad)
After more than 30 years of use, the lasers are still fine.
Those Philips Marantz CD players are made to last forever! I also have a bunch of them, and, with some clever mods, they are realy top sounding machines! Take a look here:
czcams.com/video/_ulG2VxlxDI/video.html
What is transport for a CD Player?
Steve,
I subscribed to your Spotify podcast. I listen to your interview with Tekton Design’s Eric Alexander. I enjoyed the format so much that I listened to all of the other podcasts in succession, great stuff.
I’m looking forward to your upcoming podcasts.
Thank you for your appreciation of the CD, I completely agree with you. An additional and important advantage of CDs is that you can listen to them in your car. I do this a lot because many of my CDs sound better (are more "at home") in the car than at home.
Steve you have helped me so much in much search for a CD player that will provide a uplift from my Yamaha 5 disc and Oppo 203 units that I have ben using. I 've short listed -Marantz CD60, Rotel CD 14 MK11, Rotel Diamond DT 6000 ( on special in Aust but still double the price of others), Audiolab CDT 7000 using a SMSL 100 Pro DAC. Your summation has convinced me that sweet spot is where I'm at with the CD 14 MK11
I had an all Rotel system for awhile. Now I'm saving for a Jay's Audio Transport. Good review Steve! Keep it up.
Thanks for the great reviews. I picked one of these up recently, and it's a big upgrade from my old CD player. I was using the internal DAC in my Rotel A14MKll with my old cheap CD player, which made it sound better, but when I got this CD player I noticed it's built in DAC is an improvement over the one in the A14. I would like to try an external DAC like the Denafripps you recommended. The first song I listened to with the CD14MKll was Phil Collins "I don't care anymore," then I put on Pink Floyd The Wall. I like the sound quality, it is the best I have heard so far. I am impressed listening to my CD collection with it. My REM Murmur CD sounded great. I see what you mean about the remote buttons being to small, they are a hassle.
Hoooray! I cant wait for your review on those Gato speakers!
Your best shirt ever. Excellent tailored cut. Like pattern. Five stars to Miss Audiophiliac.
👌Bravo.
Another fine review by Steve Guttenberg! And a big "Thank You" to turning us on to Brian Eno's, Before And After Science, for those of us that weren't already familiar with it. I'm listening to this album for the first time as I write this. A brilliant album! Right up there with Laurie Anderson's, Big Science!
Love Rotel. I have a Rotel RCD-855 CD Player that still plays great! Love it. I think I bought it in 91.
So would this sound different from another CD player if both are going through a DAC? Does it make a sonic difference as a transport?
Shout out to FRED FRITH!! Guitar/multi and impro genius - now a music professor at Mills College, Oakland CA. So many great recordings from the early 'Henry Cow' - combining impro and tight composition, the heavy power trio 'massacre', the apocalyptic 'art bears albums', the possibly Mike Oldfieldish 'Speechless' and 'Gravity'. I must have missed so much out. For a transformative experience the Art Bears Winter Songs is essential - you may find it 'harder' than 'Trout Mask' - though come from a avante garde classical place and you'll get it right away.
btw; He played on Tubular Bells live on BBC - with Steve Hillage!
If I bought that Rotel cd player it would definitely be the last thing I ever bought. My wife would see to that.
😂
The albums you share are such a pleasure to listen to. Specially being of non English speaking culture who totally missed the phase of living with American culture and its music, it's fun to come across these for the first time. Hoping to find reviewers like you from other nations who can share quality music from their culture too, the ones they lived with as they happened, if that makes sense.
#butbut no one cares, comment else where, you are of no good to the hifi community bc you will never own hifi.
@@JohnJohn-lk4lq I love you
@@prabinpaudel5572 disappear
@@JohnJohn-lk4lq I hope you never disappear on me. Where have you been? How are you? I hope you are doing well brother. Or sister.
@@prabinpaudel5572 the cancellation of your blood line should bring a smile to my face
Before And After Science! An all time fave of mine. Percy Jones is such a joy, like a cool Euro take on what Jaco Pastorius would do.
i once had the Rotel CD 1070. great player, but now use a Oppo 103 transport and an external DAC. if Rotel had added digital inputs to the CD14 like the Rega Saturn, i would be very tempted. having omitted this this option in the age of streaming was a mistake.
SACD and DSD still are the ultimate in the silver disc sound. Many CDs sound very good based on the quality of the recording, but DSD discs if recorded well give the audiophile/music lover that extra special something plus all the buzz words if played through a high quality system with the best electronics and speakers. Per Steve's review, ROTEL has good quality and a reasonable price for persons of modest means and frugality based on manufacture in China. I believe a SACD/CD Transport plus a DAC give the best sound if one can afford the combination.
Still loving my hdcd burr brown pacific microsonics chip from the 90's, aughts cd players, and all my Neil, Joni, Dead, Beach Boy, Roxy, etc. HDCDs from that era.
The great thing about CDs is that once you buy them, no one can take them away from you and keep you from listening, not a lawyer, not a streaming service, not a record label, not even the artist who recorded it. I'm in the market for a more modest (but hopefully good) player, something like the Denon DCD-800ne if it is ever available again. Steve reviewed its little brother, the DCD-600ne, a few months ago. There's a Yamaha that on paper looks great, but doesn't play CDs gaplessly. Jeez, here in 2022, you'd expect CD players to at least do what the ones in the 1980s did by default. Ugh.
I started streaming about a year ago (Tidal) and was surprised by what wasn’t available. It’s very disappointing to expect to play something you played last week and discover it’s no longer there! So yes, my ~2,500 LPs and CDs (mostly 2nd hand) are always there.
@@jonathansturm4163 I moved recently to Tidal from Spotify since Spotify lied about rolling out CD quality lossless streaming last year. I don't care about Neil Young or CSN. I have all their good stuff on CD anyway, but I don't like being lied to by any company.
I would have jumped ship months ago if I had known they weren't going to come through with it.
So far, I'm enjoying Tidal. I used a 3rd party software (cost me a few bucks to use) to replicate all my tracks, albums, and playlists I had favorited on Spotify over to Tidal. I think I "lost" about 10% since Tidal's catalog isn't as "deep".
I can live with that. The increase in sound quality makes up for it. Hopefully more streamers will start to include Tidal Connect in their native apps.
But yes, nothing beats having an honest to goodness physical copy of the music you want to hear.
Cambridge axc35 is awesome, under 400
@@PhilRayAudio ended up finding a Denon DCD-800ne. I'm very happy with it. I like that it has the USB input for playing FLAC or DSD directly from a flash drive. But yeah, that Cambridge model was highly recommended by several people. It didn't have the best specs, but many thought it sounded really good. And as you know, the Cambridge does play gaplessly. (Like ALL real CD players and transports should)...Thanks.
@@rosswarren436 The Cambridge doesn't play programmed consecutive tracks gapless, though. I learned this the hard way. However, it used to. The hi fi store I purchased it from demoed it to me on their display model and it did, but the latest versions of the player don't support it. I had it for approximately 15 minutes before returning it. It seems that some ubiquitous functions from back in the day are gradually being eliminated. Maybe in the future, one will have to cue up the laser like a turntable...
Hi Steve. Inspired by you - did an comparison between my sony es dac and an external dac. My findings is, that theres is a very littel sound difference, but the dac might give a better 3d soundstage and maybee a little more free space. Just for fun - played the same music on a high end dvd transport. To my surprice I did recoknise a much large difference in transports with same dac - than between different dacs on same transport. In my test - transports seems to be much more different in sounds, than dacs. Would be fun, if you could try different transports with your denafris dac 🎉😊
Hi another great video Steve , yes I agree that remote is nothing to right home too , but with this cd player I thought I better quality remote would be nicer . Regards mark
The cheap audio man, a few days ago about the A-10 amp, comparing to the Mac's. The a 10 is gourcios and looks like a Mac. 2500!? With really outstanding sound. I always wanted a Mac. But thanks Randy for letting us know, how do I talk to the guys that put this together, contacts etc. Are they in retail stores or directly to the dealership. What's the, the, compared to the Mac's. They are beautiful, eye candy! Any additional information and spec's, please fill us in, I know you will, always loved your site and humor, knowledge. Thanks for letting us know, it took forever to get something special that is on the same level of the mighty Mac. Because the Mac's are that good, thank you so much for the info 😁❤️🌟
Marantz, Denon and Rotel CD players are very well made, quality build and affordable. They are all impressive in their depth, body, richness that will bring joy in listening for hours every day.
I purchased a CD14 a year ago partly based upon your review at CNET from 2016. I’ve been pleased with it - still listening to CDs and pick them up once in awhile. The MKII was announced after the grace period for returns and was months away from release so I’m not bothered to upgrade. Been enjoying your podcasts.
Same and if you look the inside pic side by side, there isnt a heck of a mucn differnce. A bigger filter cap and a little more isolation around the transformer
my favorite CDP is from CEC. Hope you will review one in the future.
OK- love your video and agree, but what is plaguing me with NAD's, Rotel's and other CD players is the mechanical feature of the slide on the door. I am always being plagued with doors that don't open, or stay stuck closed keeping my CD as a suspect to their evil plots and plans. HELP! How do I fix this?
given how fine the cd 14 player is,one could use it as a transport hooked up to a solution 760 dac.the solution 760 dac goes for a cool 72 grand but this puppy would make cd's sound a little better.
I got the CD141st gen, is the mk2 night and day difference?
My CD player is the Rotel RCD951, got it in 1999. Burr Brown DAC, HDCD encoded, this thing is warm, accurate, smooth, detailed, and still going! My next player (when this one finally croaks) might be the new 1572 mkii, since I've had such amazing luck and experience with the 951. I've thought about an Audiolab or Cambridge transport plus external DAC, but the Rotel will probably be just as good or better, and its just easier to match synergy. Cheers
do you think the Rotel CD11 would be a good purchase?
@@andrehb Probably would be. If you could check one out and make sure it grooves with your current equipment, you would know fir sure. So much of high-end audio is synergy with other equipment.
thanks. I'm trying to do a total hifi refresh, current system deserves retirement. Starting point for me is Wharfedale Lintons, which I think would pair well with Tribute A11 because the A11 is clean/neutral/not too warm. So the CD11 would be a good addition to round it all out. Like yourself, worst case scenario is to use the CD11 as a transport.
Based on my understanding of Steve’s fine review skills, I purchased the Rotel RCD 1572 mkII. Wow, I am impressed. The internal DAC is great and playback is fantastic. Because I don’t own enough CDs to go with a high end transport and dac, this cd player is perfect. If you have some portion of your music library on CD but not thousands, I can recommend this with confidence.
You are so right! It is meaningless to buy a separat DAC!
Great review, Steve. There are so many new high-end CD-players coming the last few years. Very happy to see there are some new one under 1K $. I think I’ve allready got my end-game CD-player, but if I was in the game for a new one Rotel would certainly be on my list.
I’ve got 10 000 CDs and I get new CDs every week. As for classical music CDs are still the most important medium. There are such a myriad of small labels around that never go into streaming, and never would issue LPs because they are just too darn expensive to make. These labels are often run by musicians themselves, and they are continously issuing CDs, and many are reporting descent sales too. Cheers for many more decades with CDs. 🥂😃
Nothing like a nice crisp CD playin in yer machine.... From beginning 2 end
What are the two boxes below the Shiit amps ?
Thank you! Very interesting. I've always liked Rotel's electronics and its no surprise to hear this is a good unit.
The last CD player I'll ever own is actually upstairs and not been used for a couple of years now! I went all digital with everything now and I'm delighted I did. After a long life collecting media, my home started to feel like I was a media horder with all my games, movies LP's and CD's packed in any corner with enough room to take a few.
Now my movies are all ripped to a plex server, all my music has been digitised and stays online and accessed via roon, and I get all my games digitally. My home is clean fresh and uncluttered now and I've never consumed my media more than I do now. I wish I had the nerve to do it years earlier.
..... but I've kept about 1000 LP's as I cant stand to lose them! They may be up in the attic with my old Roksan Xerses Record player, but I cant bring myself to sell them :)
Attics get hot so i hope your records aren't warped!
Why can't they make this with a digital input so you can use the dac?
Great review Steve. I actually purchased it's sibling the Rotel CD11 Tribute a couple of months ago. I couldn't justify the extra $300 for the CD14 when it won't even play SACD. But I have to say that my CD11 sounds phenomenal and is built like a tank.
Yep I brought the CD11 Tribute as well and love the sound , really happy with it.
Interestingly from photos it looks like the CD14 MKII & the RCD1572 MKII both now have the same CD mechanism as the CD11 Tribute.
I'm thinking about getting the CD11 -- are you still happy with yours?
I never stop buying CDs since 1989. I love this format and I love my Naim CD5i.
I only play CDs, Sony cdp 11 XLR direct into JBL Urei 6230 power Amp and JBL 4406 and sometimes JBL 4408 speakers. Thanks for a great video.
Thanks Steve
Hey Steve I'm listening In on my Loxjie P20 tube headphone amplifier which I replaced the power supply and got a few different tube for it. It's great because I got a couple different tube converters also and it really expands what I can use on my machine and I'm pumped. This thing sounds amazing, sadly they don't make them anymore because I think they realized they had a better product than what they were selling it for. Either way I just ordered a balanced dac (geshelli labs j2 for now tho rme adi 2 some day!) And I'm on the hunt for a good cd player and I KNEW you would be the guy. Going to watch a few of your cd videos to get a feel.
How quickly does it read the discs?
Like your channel. Have LPs & CDs with old Technics 1600mk2 & PD9. Both will outlast me, lol
A question, how rare is it with AUS/EBU on a CD-player?
I know that most CD-drives have them but I'm curious if a complete CD-player have it, just in case you want too be able to upgrade the DAC later?
My Wadia 861SE and my Ayre C5xe both have it. The Ayre only has an aus/ebu for a digital output.
Where did you get that cool shirt? I need one in my life
I was going order a Rotel CD11 Tribute, but after listening to music covering 20 years on my old Kenwood DP R892 player, I discovered it is a subwoofer I need instead of a new CD player.
Loving my AudioLab 6000CDT! Robert Lucas 'Completely Blue') Audioquest 1045
Hello Steve I'm curious what are the White Bookshelf Speakers in the Background?
Gato FM8, review posting in a few weeks
What would you recommend as a CD transport
"Enjoy the music, don't worry be happy" - that is the best result attainable :)
G day Steve . Just wondering if the Rotel CD14 MKII will work with ? I have a ROTEL RA-1592 Intergrated 200 Watt amp ,speakers Wharfedale Evo 4.4 , Turntable Pro-Ject X1 ! Cheers from OZ !
Yes it will!
How does it compare to tube players?
Gorgeous shirt.. Exelent taste .
My last CD player, Pioneer PD-70AE, I haven't used in years because I now rip all of my CDs to Roon. I can't bring myself to store or sell it, and keep it hooked up because it is a thing of beauty.
Question regarding CD Care & Cleaning:
Steve & Everyone:
What do you folks use to safely clean your CD's, without any harsh chemicals that will damage the laminate plastic, and prolong the sound quality and longevity of CD's?
Thank you in advance.
If your only problems with CDs are dust and fingerprint smudges, then a spray bottle of cleaner from an optometrist, $3.00-4.00, and using a clean microfiber cloth will do in almost all cases. Should you have discs that have small surface scratches, a cleaner called "Brillianize" will clean, polish, and put a type of sealant on the plastic. This same stuff can be used for glass display cases, eyeglass lens, flat screen televisions, and other hard plastic surfaces. An 8 oz bottle will go a long way and will cost around $8 plus shipping and handling if you can't find it locally.
Prolonging the sound quality and longevity of discs depends on the owner using reasonable handling and storage practices. Keep the surfaces clean, don't expose the discs to heat, and returning the discs to their cases after playing will go a long way to your goal.
Steve, can you suggest a speaker to play Procol Harem songs?
Klipsch Cornwall 4
What could be music psysical format in a near future?
I like streaming, but psysical format can't disappear, we need it.
You need to interview Daryl Wilson of Wilson Audio and ask him about speaker prices.
Steve, you are a mind reader. I just put in an order for this CD player but it is back ordered. I also play CDs and LPs. I still have a Rotel RCD 02 that it is approaching 20 years old and still going strong. So I figured I was not in a rush to get the new player. My idea was also that this would be my last CD player. The remote is not an issue, since I almost never use it with a CD player. I am glad I put in my order a few days ago, because your review will generate even more interest and demand. Thanks for your review, which confirmed that I made the right decision.
Do you like the rcd02? i found it very dull sounding
@@janco333 Generally yes. It is not the last word in resolution but I find it to have a very good soundstage and rhythm and pacing. I also have a Marantz CD5004, which has a more organic sound than the Rotel, but it lags behind in rhythm and pacing. The CD14MarkII will certainly be an upgrade over both. Remember we are talking about a 20 year old player.
love cds but god they take up so much space, i'll go back to my collection one day i'm sure.
Cool shirt!
As a follow up to my previous comment, I did receive my CD14 Mark II and I think it is now sufficiently broken in to comment on. It is a significant upgrade over my RCD-02, which is a 2002 model. It has a similar sonic signature to the RCD-02, with a slightly forward character and a great sense of space. However, the CD14 Mark II is noticeably cleaner and the tendency toward glare with some discs on the RCD-02 is gone. The CD14 Mark II may be a bit more neutral. I would agree with Steve about this player being the sweet spot. It is similar to the Rega Planar 3 turntable in that respect; it would take a lot more money to obtain a significant improvement in sound. One thing that was interesting is that the box it came in is identical in dimensions and appearance to the one that came with the RCD-02 20 years ago. I find this degree of continuity to be comforting.
Vinyl for anolog recordings, Cd for digital recordings and radio for background “noise”😊
As you correctly addressed, for serious listening, rather than convenience, I still rely on CD's (on a Bryston BCD-1), rather than streaming (Cambridge Audio CXN). And of course there will be many contrarians to the CD format, as they get vacuumed up into the opinion that the streaming format 'is better'. CDs will be around for a long time yet to come.
I think artists/labels will move away from CDs. With streaming services like Apple Music offering lossless, and the current popularity of vinyl, I think vinyl will stay for those looking for nostalgia and flac/streaming will be the future for people looking to listen “seriously”.
I love CD's ... Rumor has it that CD's started making a comeback last year. I hope this is true. Like you Steve, I own thousands of CD's but only 100's of vinyl records these days. Mainly due to losing my collection in a disaster.
I also own a substantial collection on SSD ... High quality DSD and high bit rate recordings (costly, but worth it)
I won't mention my own studio recordings apart from they are mastered to DSD from high bit rate recording.
Regardless, CD's can sound exceptional 👍
CD comeback? no thank you, I don't want hipsters rise the price. Also CDs never was out, CD always been present.
Hello Steve, please review an Esoteric Preamp, and amplifier! Thanks for a great channel.
Unless you can afford something like a dCS Vivaldi Apex and transport.
Check out the Emotiva ERC-4. Fully differential design for $600 (and a metal remote!) :)
Good review. Steve, you reviewed the Technics Sl-g700 sacd/cd player about a year ago. I know one is three times as expensive as the other, but could you comment on differences in how the two players sound playing cds? I am using a 25 year old Meridian 506.20 and can't find anything that is significantly better.
I had a 508.24. I'm pretty sure its a step up from yours. I had absolutely no problem finding something significantly better. Compared to my Wadia and Ayre players, it was no contest.
Why not buy the Marantz CD60?
I was in the market for a CD player. Lucked upon a free in great condition Marantz dv4200 excellent cd playback!!
How to submit for system of the day?
Send JPEGs plus descriptions to Audiophiliac@mail.com
Not going to lie Steve, I bought my last CD player a long time ago.
Will this CD player play HYBRID SACD's?
It will play the CD layer of a hybrid SACD. It is after all, a CD player!
For that type of money I would expect it to have a DSD decoder basicly play SACD'S. I think you can do better for $899.. Possibly go 2nd hand and grab a pretty decent Marantz / Denon or Arcam. That will playback CD/SACD and possibly even do streaming. Still a great review Steve. 😊👍
Thanks alot for your excellent and helpful channel Steve.
I hope if you review Onkyo 7030 cd player.
Kind regards
I bought my first CD-player and CD (Jennifer Rush - Heart Over Mind) in June 1987 so I was very late to start using CDs
Heck, I was already an 16 year oldie.
Right, I forgot. I still only listen to CD & SACD, never radio or streamed music, and I've bought a little bit over 2000 CDs/SACDs since June 2009
You get many CDs almost for free today.
Hi, great player!
I’m looking for a budget CD player… what would you recommend? Thanks in advance
Nicola, that depends on your needs and budget. There's CD players as cheap as a $179 Onkyo C-7030 (with questionable longevity), a $250 Pioneer with no digital outs, and a very nice $379 Yamaha S303 with a USB input for playing higher resolution files. But some of these don't play CDs gaplessly (unfortunately, that otherwise great Yamaha does not), so beware if that is important to you. It is to me, so I'm still searching. The $429 Denon DCD-600ne was reviewed by Steve and he liked it just fine. And it plays gaplessly too. Hopefully the chip shortage is starting to get better such that these devices can be found and purchased easier.
@@rosswarren436 thank you!! I stopped to collect CDs years ago and sold my old kenwood player. Now I came to regret my choice and I would like a budget player to listen my small collection. I’ll give a look to your choices… thanks again
@@nicolazanasi2982 oh, and also check out the $379 Cambridge Audio AXC-35. Many like it just fine, even though on paper, the specs aren't stellar. But at the end of the day it is the sound that you hear that is important, and it has a coax digital out if you want to feed an external (better) DAC one day.
I too have about 1000 CDs and plan on getting a lot more use out of them, even though I do streaming through Tidal. I just enjoy playing CDs and vinyl more.
I'd love to have that Kenwood CD player you sold. LOL.
Nice looking sound panels. Can you share where to buy those?
GIK Acoustics
I finally found a preamp i like with aegir lol
It amazes me how often companies screw up the remote. People want simple, sturdy and decent sized buttons, not microscopic. Some of these remotes resemble the instrument panel on a jetliner. This Rotel CD player appears to be a contender, but that flimsy loading tray makes me a bit nervous.... looks like something you're see on a $69.00 dvd player.
I agree, plus this Rotel looks like it has a cheap and nasty display. It doesn’t instil enough confidence in me given it’s price.
I’ve still got my Sony player from 1999, it’s one of the fixed pick up mechanism type. It has full aluminium build, rotary jog dial for slick easy track selection and a lovely clear display which also includes CD text capability. Nicely laid out remote control too.
Compared to todays CD player offerings I feel like my old Sony is pure luxury by comparison and it’s still working perfectly. I think it was truly my last CD player.
Thanks so much for reviewing an affordable CD player! Something we almost never see anymore.
The last cd player I'll ever own is my Rotel rcd 951.
I have bought CD's and vinyl this year. It is a way to get the artists more money. Streaming robs the artist.
I stream to hear new music, then buy the CD’s I enjoy.. Ripped CD’s in WAV format always sound better.
I thought that cd disks played the same whatever cd player was used. The amp and speakers would define how well it sounded. Am I wrong? In otherwords my $200 Panasonic cd player should sound the same as this rotel if all the other equipment was equal.
Sorry, you are incorrect. The quality of the CD player namely it’s digital to analog conversion can certainly affect the sound quality your system.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac thanks for replying. I've got a number of DVD and dedicated cd players and without playing them side by side they all seem the same to me in quality. I use denon, merantz and Panasonic all mid range quality. Thanks again.
My point of contention is that CD playback is more reliable than streaming. And, some songs that I want to hear again are no longer available online. With a CD, that's no problem (not to mention that you actually own the copy).
The same argument is made for all physical media. I'm a believer! My movie & book collection is all physical. With music I have a combo of CDs, LPs and streaming, with streaming making up most of my listening time.
Best shirt yet.
I have a rotel rcd 955ax. I wanted to replace it with a new CD player...it's good that I took it with me to the hi fi store and made an auditory comparison ( marantz, denon ect...price range 400-800€ )...in fact, the rcd 955ax is more musical, it has its own character ... and beware, it is almost 30 years old !!!...new CD players are ok, minimal diference in sound...it doesn't justify buying a new CD player.
Awesome!
I also have the Rotel rcd 955ax and still working great too, but I just bought the Rotel CD11 Tribute.
@@thegoat164 Amazing 👍I too am thinking of buying a rotel 11tribute. How is the sound in comparison with the 955ax? Is it worth the purchase?
@@gogo-fk1lu I just ordered the Rotel CD11 Tribute on Friday and should have it by the end of the week. I've been using the 955ax for over 30 years and the only problem with it is the tray won't open anymore, but since the 955ax tray has edges that stick out far enough I can put my index fingers on the edges and pull the tray out by hand. Just hit the open button and it comes out a little and then use my index fingers to open it all the way, closes fine. Been doing that for years now. I'm not going to sell my 955ax and will keep it for a backup if needed. The first CD player I had was a Technics but it died on me, then in 1991 I bought the 955ax. I enjoyed the 955ax so much that I knew I wanted to stick with another Rotel. I have a home theater setup and when listening to music I use pure direct on my AVR and the 955ax using analog interconnect...sounds AWESOME!!!
Yamaha HTR-6160
SVS Ultra Bookshelf
Rotel 955ax...soon to be Rotel CD11 Tribute
After I have some time with the Tribute I'll get back to you with my thoughts. I was thinking of going with the CD14 MKII but after taking a good hard look at the Tribute I decided there was really no need to spend a few hundred more. The Tribute is also a special player since it's a tribute to Ken Ishiwata.
@@thegoat164 Thanks for the comprehensive reply, I would really appreciate it if you could give me feedback on the rotel cd 11 tribute.
I currently have the following hi-fi setup
atoll in 100
focal aria 906
cd rotel 955ax
tuner ll tangent
audiolab m mini dac
When I was young CD was digital.
How does this compare with the Rotel Cd11 tribute?
Rotel has put out a few great CD players. I am very happy with the RCD 1072.
What happened to daily videos ? Now it’s only every 3-4 days apart
If only using a CD player as a transport, are there certain brands that are known for transport stability or any other desirable features, versus their Dac sound which could be hit and miss for people? Trying to keep my money focused on the part of the CD player that will matter the most- since I’m using a separate Dac. Thanks!
Perhaps just buy a transport then, one that focuses on giving the best jitter free output with a high quality clock chip. Not having to deal with an analog output stage should, in theory, allow for a unit with a lower noise floor and a higher dynamic range feeding your DAC. There are some good transports in the $600 range on up to crazy PS Audio $6500 prices.
CD and VINYL are the only DECENT way to listen to Music
Clever title. Gato Speaker pretty good?
Yes, review to come.
CD's that can't be streamed go for big bucks now.
Example: I think around 6 or 7 Albums by XTC are not on any streaming service.
Or certain Thievery Corporation albums are not streamed either. Because they're thieves.
ouch.
My listening habits are similar to Yours. I like streaming but real listening is LP & CDs
My CD quality hard drive files sound slightly better than my HI-Def streaming.
Just saying.
Good CD sound can easily achieved without costing an arm an a leg. If you have an older CD player and not so happy with the sound, get a new DAC. Yes you can improve you’re turntable’s sound with a new cartridge but there will be pops and clicks, even when you handle your LPs w surgical gloves. I do critical listening with my phono and CD player
Great episode!
they got the mk2 from technics