CD Players with volume controls

MartinLogan Audio Owners Forum

Help Support MartinLogan Audio Owners Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

longhorn

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
181
Reaction score
0
Looking for CD players with variable outputs (volume controls) so I can connect it to the amp.

Thank you
 
Is what you're looking for, in essence, an integrated preamp within a cdp?
 
I have been using A Wadia 861 in my system for the past 2 years.

When I got my first Wadia about 4 years a go I tried it both ways with a Krell KRC 3 and much prefered it without the additional step.

You are on the right track and all Wadia models have a volume control, The Audio Aero also has a volume control and many people like it also.
 
Theta "Miles"

I have the Theta / "Miles" CD player. I tried it straight through the amp, bypassing the preamp, and it definitely sounded cleaner. The problem is the "gradations" of levels available on the CD unit. Hard, at least on the Miles, to find the "perfect" level with 3DB increments per level adjustment.

My Conrad Johnson Premier 18 LS preamp has 0.6 DB of gain between each level and, with the Summits, I would like to have even finer volume level adjustments.

Gordon
 
I'd second Kenscollick's view..................

Wadia would offer the ideal CD solution. Digital volume control in at least one hundred discrete steps, and possibly the best CD replay currently available!
 
I have a balanced Theta Miles , and if you are interested I might be willing to part with it , I want to go with a Krell kps 25sc !!!. The balanced units have two dacs and better sound than the single ended units
 
longhorn said:
Looking for CD players with variable outputs (volume controls) so I can connect it to the amp.

Thank you
Are you planning to connect the CD player directly into Power-Amp? I have been using Wadia 861 for the last 3 years. It's great neutral sounding CD player I have ever heard. I have tried connection directly with Plinius SA102 Power Amp in Balanced Mode. I am using Sonic Frontier's Line 1 Tube pre-amp (Siemens NOS Tubes) in a balanced mode currently. But I can certainly say that Tube pre-amp gives a much warmer sound. One can fix the output voltage(the max range) of the CD Player by altering the DIP switches. Wait for the new 9 series which can play SACD also if you are interesetd in buying a new one.
 
Some of the Cary CD players have volume control built in. I once had a Cary 303/200 and to enable the volume control feature you had to remove the cover and change a jumper on the circuit board. I didn't care for it only because you had to hit the button on the remote for each step in volume (a total of 64). You couldn't just hold down the volume button. The newer Cary 303/300 has volume control that works normally.

Also the Cary DVD-6 DVD player has volume control built in. That's the only DVD player I know of with that capability. Other Cary models might have it as well. I do know their new SACD player does not have volume control.
 
I used to use a Levinson 39 connected directly to an amp. Sounded wonderful...
 
Meridian

Hi there,

If your budget can stretch to it, try the Meridian 808i (the 'i' is the integrated pre-amp bit). It's not cheap, but the 808 / 808i are seen by many as the best single box CD player ever made. I've heard this machine a couple of times now, and I'm trying to work out how to make my bank balance stretch enough to buy one!

Cheers,

David
 
dyazdani said:
I used to use a Levinson 39 connected directly to an amp. Sounded wonderful...


You might try a pre-amp though... I have heard it sound better with it... Wadia and Audio Aero are both much better direct into a power amp. Cannot comment on Shanling or Theta.
 
Back
Top