You NEED A CD Player! - Emotiva ERC-4 Review

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[@richardlloyd5519]

Some new CD players don't support

[@richardlloyd5519]

Sorry....too much egg nog....some new CD players apparently don't support gapless playback, so that any album that has crossfaded songs (Abbey Road, side 2, Dark Side of The Moon, Queen II, many live albums and just way too many to name) will have a "space" inserted. That would be pretty annoying. It just would not be the original album. A friend who purchased an ERC-4 sent it back because it had this issue (or so I am told). This would be a great time to find out if that is accurate information. If the ERC-4 can handle gapless playback, I'm ready to buy one ; ) That thing is built like a tank!

[@cheapaudioman]

@@richardlloyd5519 it does NOT play gaplessly, unfortunately. I tested it out with a live album.

[@richardlloyd5519]

@@cheapaudioman I don't want to turn this into a "plug" for another brand, and perhaps there are many others that have Gapless Playback, but the Rotel CD-11 Tribute definitely checks that box. Funny that a feature that nobody even thought about because it was so common, is now becoming hard to find! This might not matter to listeners who are used to streaming individual songs, but if you like listening to albums...well I'll sop there.

[@cheapaudioman]

@@richardlloyd5519 I appreciate the heads up. This is a great machine. Personally I listen to a lot of live records and gapless is something that is important to me. It’s very important to know which products can support that feature

[@DannerPlace]

I recently bought the ERC-4 based on this review. What a fine piece of gear, I could not be happier. Thank you.

[@TheKnobCalledTone.]

In my opinion, CD is the best format ever made. 1. Putting on a CD is a similar physical experience to putting on vinyl. 2. Whilst the cover art isn't as big as it is on vinyl, it's still nice to look at and have. 3. CDs often come with great booklets. 4. A well-mastered CD (i.e. pre-loudness wars era) will sound better than vinyl. 5. CDs are way easier to maintain than vinyl. 6. CDs take up less space than vinyl. 7. There are many releases out there from the '80s and '90s that haven't made the transition from CD to streaming. 8. Used CDs are still cheap, even though they're getting a little more expensive now people are beginning to wake up to CDs. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy vinyl (even though it's become a meme) and I use streaming when I need something convenient e.g. music in the car. But when I feel like sitting down and actually listening to music, CD is still the way to go. BTW it's nice to see there are dedicated CD players still being made that aren't terrible or insanely expensive.

[@quentendeclercq9165]

I agree, though a cd case is all plastic. Vinyl albums have posters and require you to take care.

[@gokhanersan8561]

There are a lot of well made, affordable dedicated CD players out there. A good CD player and a well-mastered CD is a great combination to enjoy music. Some of the recent CD masters suffer from loudness wars, but some masters are superior to their 1989 versions. Almost all newly mastered jazz CDs are superior to their previous releases.

[@davidlara9350]

Yesterday I bought 2 cds and saw lots of people buying them, a dad was buying tons of cd's with his young daughters and they seemed to be into the world of music/audio, it made me smile ☺

[@josexavierjr.5633]

Good review, Randy. Looks like a real nice machine from Emotiva. Last year I bought an Audiolab 6000CDT transport and love it. I have over 2000 CDs from 1983 to the present. Recently sold off my vinyl collection starting from 1972 (needed to downsize), and I have been replacing some of the old albums with CD versions that have been properly remastered more recently. These CDs sound fantastic, as good, or better than the vinyl, without the occasional "snap, crackle, and pop". I love vinyl, but it does need a lot of attention and maintenance; and the current price for a new album is a bit much. CDs are cheaper in the long run.

[@ConnorBright]

What dac do you run the Audiolab through

[@josexavierjr.5633]

@@ConnorBright For a while I used the DAC built into my Parasound 200pre preamp, but now I’m using a Cambridge DAC Magic 100 (more detail & dynamics).

[@jimshaw899]

I'm curious to know how you sold your LPs. I have a wall of them that I hardly ever play anymore.

[@josexavierjr.5633]

@@jimshaw899 Been selling them to local record shops. The new popularity of vinyl has made it easy to sell, especially vintage stuff. I had about 100 45s that got me $1500; there were some gems in there I guess.

[@olmecus]

Last week I received my 6000cdt and it's a fantastic piece of gear. I paired it with the schiit bifrost 2 through a blue jeans coax cable and it sounds phenomenal

[@hoaxs1939]

I started purchasing CDs again for several reasons. 1. I own it and comes with art, lyrics. 2. Do not need the internet to enjoy it. 3. CDs, If no longer made / limited runs hold their value. 4. Rip it to flac and have two ways to enjoy it. 5. Thirft stores, resale shops have CDs for cheap. I like looking for movie soundtracks and compilations, fun way to discover new artist. 6. Often the only way to own lossless versions.

[@jordanrussell345]

Agreed on all points.

[@clivepacker]

I had the ERC-3 and now have the ERC-4. It’s by far the best player I’ve listened to and I include some very high end multi thousand dollar units in that. It’s just so musical. It’s detailed without being clinical, deep and warm without being bloomy. You can’t buy better in my book.

[@davidwho7847]

Great review! I'm with you on the CD appreciation. I recently purchased a NAD C 538 player and resurrected my CD collection(100's). The CD player has a Wolfson DAC and it sounds awesome! I'm back on the CD kick again. lol! Keep up the good work Randy.

[@gokhanersan8561]

I bought the NAD c568 out of necessity, to replace an old Denon player. It made my flat-sounding CDs sound warm and lively. Never thought a CD player would make a difference.

[@gvr6079]

Also bought my 1st CD player in the mid 80's and the 1st CD I bought the same time was " Brother's in Arms" from Dire Straits.Till today is still one of the best pressed CD's I've owned

[@danielgriffis9759]

Love that album. You betcha I have the LP.

[@sivagurupathamvadivelu680]

Ride across the river.

[@toby9999]

@anonanon 10 I have a box full of vinyl's, mostly from the 70's and a bigger box full of CD's of which I'm still adding to. I also have Brothers in arms on LP. Sadly, I no longer have a turntable and I don't have space for one anyway. Probably prefer CD's on balance.

[@mdluk199]

@anonanon 10 Vinyl is not better than cd no matter how much you try to convince yourself that it is

[@richardlloyd5519]

This is an incredibly well built CD player. So for those who do like CD's (I am in that group) this would be a lot of player for the money. The deal breaker for me (and it might not be a problem for you?) is that this player doesn't support Gapless Playback. In listening terms, that means crossfaded tracks (like most of Dark Side of The Moon, most of Abbey Road Side 2, MANY live albums, Sgt. Peppers, multi part Classical pieces, ad infinitum) are going to have a space placed between tracks. That bugs me, but then I am used to listening to complete albums, not Playlists or collections of individual tracks. It might not matter to a lot of folks? Just thought I'd throw that out there in case anyone missed the back and forth Randy and I shared. I'm sad because, otherwise, this thing is a piece of art !!

[@danashay]

Nice show Randy. Thanks so much for being there for us! Going through my attic, and decided to pop a disc into an old Phillip's cd player. And changed my perception of cd players forever. That thing sounded WAY better than the players sprinkled throughout my home and shop. Real game changer! Gonna have to check out this affordable Emotiva deck, can't wait! Merry Christmas!!

[@donjaun540]

I'll never get rid of my eclectic collection of CDs. I love them. 👍

[@jerrytook7308]

I've had the ERC-4 pretty much since it came out, and I'm pleased to see your review of it; there aren't many. Yep, it's a fine player, with a solid build and pleasing design, and I'm pretty happy with it, but I do have a few beefs: 1) It's true, it doesn't support gapless playback. 2) When you load a CD, even the cheapest players will display the total number of tracks and total time. Not the ERC-4. 3) Now, this one really bugs me: it automatically starts playing the CD when you close the tray. So, you either have to leave the tray open, or hit stop/pause until you get in position, or shrug and just let it play. Makes absolutely no sense to design it this way.

[@richardlloyd5519]

I wonder if these are things they could fix with internal programming? Those bugs all SEEM like Firmware Update kinds of things. I'd probably trip over our dog trying to make it to the couch before the first track kicks in ; )

[@g.d.1722]

Heeey ... hoo ... it's been a long time since the last CD player was reviewed on KZbin by any of the dozens of reviewers. So props, Randy, for that alone! CDs are not dead by a long stretch so we need more, and better CD players reviewed! Merry Christmas everybody!

[@ThePittsburghToddy]

I basically have moved away from vinyl because I don’t have the patience to clean records anymore. I have a couple older OPPO players that I use for CDs without complaints. There’s a used bookstore in my neighborhood and can usually find a selection or three for $5 -$8. 💿✌🏻

[@outofvideos]

I was buying CD's for 25 - 50 cents six months ago. Either I dried up their stash or they have no more discounts because of covid19. :(

[@ThePittsburghToddy]

@@outofvideos Too bad I missed out on that!!

[@bikdav]

A chain of second hand stores in my area typically sells CDs for about $2 each. I found ones that I was looking for.

[@outofvideos]

@@bikdav I love $2 CD's. That's the going price in my city too. A local newspaper sometimes donates music to my thrift store.

[@alanmodimages]

Thanks Randy! By all accounts, this Emotiva model does a better than average job with CD's. So glad you were able to bring it some love. Merry Christmas :)

[@brodelicious]

I’ve been waiting for a long time for a source review from you. Thank you so much! Keep it up. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[@matthewharhai4039]

Just bought it, along with B2 bookshelves, stands, TA1 and xs8 subwoofer. Merry Christmas to me! I can't wait to receive.

[@cnhhnc]

CDs are my major source. I bought my first player in 1990. The rest is history. It was a Sony died in 1998. Bought a JVC changer still in use. 2000s, bought a Harman Kardon HD990-also has a DAC input and balanced outs. 2010-11? TUBE CDP, a Jolida four tubes (two output, two input tubes), lol. Heard good things about Emotiva CDPs.

[@rosswarren436]

I still play a ton of CDs. And yes, they do sound a bit better than my streaming set up. Looking to get something like this or one of the Denon offerings. The fact that this has a DAC you can INPUT other devices into makes it worth the additional $100 for some people. (Other manufacturers should take note). Would you say the DAC is as good as say the Schiit Modi 3+? Great thing about CDs (or vinyl or cassettes) is that I can still play music even if the Internet is down and there's no one tracking what I listen to, and I have access to liner notes, sometimes lyrics, and album artwork and more that you don't get with streaming. Happy Christmas Eve!

[@cheapaudioman]

I didn't A/B this dac against anything else but I probably will in the future. I'll put it this way, it didn't seem to be holding anything back that was for sure.

[@VioletGiraffe]

I don't like streaming and don't use it at all, but I keep all mu music digital on my PC's hard drive. I still have cover scans, booklet scans and whatnot, can make my own notes etc., while also benefiting from media library with instant search and access to any music (through players like AIMP - my favorite - or foobar2000). Sure beats having to juggle CDs whenever you want to switch albums or genres, unless you have one of those 200 CD changers. Currently 2.3 Terabaytes of lossless music, 73.5 thousand tracks.

[@AlistairMaxwell77]

@@VioletGiraffe all totally legit purchases right?

[@WisGuy4]

@@AlistairMaxwell77 10 or 12 years ago when home theater PCs were all the rage, you would get all of these Internet authority-in-their-own-mind types boasting about how they had all of their DVD and Blu-ray collections saved on their hard drives “for easy access.“ I wonder if even 20% of them had recorded nothing but movies that they paid for and legitimately owned, rather than borrowed from the library or rented, just to make a pirated copy.

[@Chiroman527]

@@VioletGiraffe So you copied 73.5 K tracks onto your PC's HD? I'm unfamiliar with LossLess format? You copied those tunes from CDs onto your PC in CD Audio sound ? I'm an old guy, 70, retired, and not familiar with this process. Your advice would be great. I don't use my Laptop as a Music source. I DO use Streaming sources (TIDAL, Spotify, Pandora). To my ear, TIDAL HiFi is pretty damn good. And, I use that source to play my Drums to MY MUSIC ( I resurrected playing Drums after a 50 Year Hiatus in 2019 - play recreationally as a Retirement Hobby ). So, when I'm at my Drumset, I either bark out whatever Tune I want to hear (I BT connect my DEnon Receiver to Alexa (Echo), or use my Smart phone to create a Playlist from TIDAL, or Spotify. Be well, and Happy Holidays !!

[@thetrumanshow4791]

You're damn straight Randy! You go girl! l've got about 730 CD and I love every single one. I've been collecting them since I first saw them in my local store (1983). But . . . I've probably bought more CDs in just the last 4 years than I have in the 38 years I've been collecting. My players include the Marantz ND8006, two of the Panasonic DP-UB9000P1K (this is the newer one with updated DACs), a Sony UBP-X1100ES and a Raysonic CD238 tube CD player (yes, you read that right . . . "TUBE" CD player).

[@danashay]

Wow. You got it bad. Must be nice!

[@thetrumanshow4791]

@@danashay I've never thought of it that way, but you might be right. lol

[@gokhanersan8561]

The prices are so good, and recent cd masters are so much superior that this year alone I must have bought two dozen CDs. Sometimes I buy cd quality music from Qobuz and burn CDs to enjoy them through my incredible NAD C568 player.

[@stacydalebarendse3978]

You need to get your eyes checked!🤣🤣🤣

[@fts81]

My very first more expensive CD player was the ERC 3. Stunned till this day, especially the DAC.

[@DougMen1]

I have over 600 CDs, and many of them I've had since the 80s, and still play as well as the day I bought them. Show me a vinyl album you can say that about. I don't stream. I like having a hard copy of my favorite music, and i gave up the hassle of vinyl many years ago, with all the setup and maintenance hassles, not to mention the storage space needed for 12" albums. And, IMO, the sound quality advantage of vinyl over CDs is negligible, if non-existant these days. Plus, when CDs came out they cost $15 and an album cost $6. Now CDs still cost $15 or less, and albums are over $20!

[@callumelcombe3703]

You say you don't stream, but have you considered a NAS box to hold rips of all your CDs so you have your hard copies but you can play whatever you like on demand from anywhere?

[@sdrtcacgnrjrc]

About bleeding time someone talked about CD players :D

[@zeprls]

Never stopped using my DBX DX5. Had it 34 years and it’s still going strong and sounds amazing.

[@pzim81]

Just got mine yesterday and yep, Emotiva built a real tank with the ERC-4. CDs sound great and patching the streaming through their dac is very good too. thanks for the recomendation

[@shanedaiken2831]

I know this video is from the past but I had to mention my first ever cd I purchased was INXS KICK as well. Took the town bus to the mall at lunch in highschool when it first released. Enjoyed your video as always. Greetings from Trenton Ontario 🇨🇦

[@alm5693]

The option to connect digital components to the ERC-4's DAC makes this a really versatile unit. I bet that feature will boost sales. Another nice feature of CDs (vs streaming) is that you tend to listen to the whole record. You'll sit for a while and find out what an artist was trying to say with their album. My favorite feature on a CD player was on the first Sony CD player I owned in the 80's. It had the option of skipping songs by picking their button (1 thru 20) on the front panel . Hate tracks 7 and 12? Sony let you dump them before you hit the play button.

[@darkpatches]

I had one from the mid-90's. First thing was to fix Double Fantasy and subtract the Yoko songs. ;-) I admit that I have a lot more respect for her songs on that album nowadays.

[@Harald_Reindl]

and with FLAC files I just remove them from the playlist - nobody is holding me back from listen a complete album and nobody needs streaming

[@JohnstonCheng]

You compared CD player vs streaming, was the streamed file hi-res or 16/44? I’m also interested in how it compares vs playing the same CD on your BD player?

[@toddwalker4301]

I just purchased a Numark CD player online because my old one kept skipping even after cleaning the rails. It was also the cheapest under $300. No remote, but it's good exercise to get my butt off the couch to operate the thing. CD's are still the go-to source of music in my home. Great video, Sir!

[@rjzlwop3153]

Very awesome review sir I’m not wanting to spend that much money on a CD player, but thank you for the review and merry Christmas Eve to you and your family

[@boomertsfx1]

Cheap audio man is gettin' spendy, yo! Cool to see balanced output I guess!

[@michaelschafer6379]

Good to hear there are still new players come out ... I am "rocking" a secondhand Yamaha CDX397 MkII because my secondhand Oppo BD-player I only use for BD's ...

[@Techrewinds]

I believe cd will be the next vinyl in the next 5-10 years so I’m stocking up on all of them right now while they are cheap ! 🙌

[@carminedesanto6746]

Still running my Denon 3520 after decades of faithful service ..it’s a BEAST!

[@fts81]

I have an erc-3, it’s a beast, well built and sounds amazing. Can’t praise enough. Customer service is also second to none

[@streamvideo2160]

nice review! I have ERC-4 for quite some time. The transport is very good. It gives full body sound comparing with other transports I have. The DAC of ERC-4 does not seem to be its strength, and sound is on the dry side. I use the AES digital output connecting to an external DAC. The result is way better than the internal DAC. The external DAC costs twice of ERC-4. So, it's not a fair comparison. But it gives a good sense of where this CD player stands. For the price, I think ERC-4 is a good value using as a CD transport. However, if using as a CD player or DAC, I think there are other options in this price range.

[@madcrabber1113]

Examples please?

[@lencycler1]

Merry Christmas Randy....great show as always. Have you every transferred download music to a thumb drive and listened to it via usb port on a blu ray player. It sounds pretty good to me and claims to be playing at flac level sound. No cd's or extra streamer devices. Just wondering. Thank you.

[@isiso.speenie5994]

What kind of Oppo ya got ? I've a bdp95 it is supposed to be the best for audio !

[@finscreenname]

I never got rid of them. My favorite is my Sony CE 595 SACD player I've had since new. The one in my Pioneer Super Tuner III head unit in my truck is a pretty good one also.

[@mdd47]

I am about 75% CD and 25% vinyl. I can stream from my desktop computer to my preamp with a little Bluetooth dongle, and it sounds a whole lot nicer than you'd think. But IDK, I just enjoy using the CD player. I like my shelf full of CDs and picking one out, flipping through liner notes, etc. I enjoy the ritual of it.

[@brochg]

Awesome review on what looks like a really solid option!

[@mdluk199]

Streaming services regularly remove albums once licensing agreements are up. This is especially true if the album isn't mainstream. CDs are a great hard copy back up for when this happens or your internet is down. CD's are the best sounding physical media format and of course can be ripped to MP3 for listening on your phone when away from your home cd player.

[@steverogers6340]

I recently bought a s/h Marantz CD6003 cd player for £140 (bargain), it sounds amaaaaazing, I also stream from my tablet to an iFi Zen Blue to my Marantz PM6005 using the amp's DAC via the optic input and that also sounds pretty good. It's not night and day but the CD player just presents everything in more detail and with a larger soundscape. And as I suffer from dropouts with Bluetooth its just so satisfying to know when I put a CD on it will play and play properly. Merry Christmas to you Randy and your loved ones!!

[@Johnman9000]

I remember considering it a few years ago when it was $399.. should of bought it back then. And i am still buying CD's all the time.. at least 2 cd's per month.

[@scottbaylor6215]

I’ll have to watch this again. I agree with you I prefer CDs over streaming. That said, question I have for you is how much better is this as a CD transport over a cheap DVD or BlueRay player? In other words? If I don’t need a DAC, what is here that is worth ~$600? (I’ll check the comments section later). And Merry Christmas to you and yours. 🤘🏼🎸🤘🏼🎄🎁

[@ufarkingicehole]

I have the same question. Bluray contains far more info than a cd so it seems to reason that minus the Dac, it should be at least as good

[@Harald_Reindl]

It's all about the DAC - no matter which one you use - the builtin in CD/DVD players are mostly crap and if you bypass them with digital outputs the player no longer contributes to sound quality - digital is digital

[@scottbaylor6215]

@@Harald_Reindl I guess that’s where I’m at. If I use a digital out of a $60-$99 BlueRay player into a nice external DAC, is that a better solution than buying a $500 CD Transport?

[@ufarkingicehole]

@@Harald_Reindl so buying a dirt cheap external disc drive and run it through a legit Dac would be the way to go

[@Harald_Reindl]

@@ufarkingicehole surely - the only thing you need is a digital output - the weakness in a audio chain is always DAC

[@bigblueocean]

The speed was really kicking in towards the end...... Merry Christmas Randy :)

[@robmoye7373]

I have a Pioneer dv-414 DVD player from 1999 that I use as a transport for cd's. Got it at a thrift store for cheap, and needed some fixes. Fixed all the issues and it works like new. Don't use it a whole lot though, still buy cd's from time to time but I usually just rip lossless flacs from them and put the cd away. Still nice to spin a cd ocassionally.

[@avro66]

I'm using my 1992 pioneer PD 75 as a transport,, its been slightly modified but sounds wonderful as a transport or stand alone player.

[@Chiroman527]

Hey Randy, The Cheapaudioman, A very Merry Christmas to You and Yours !! I tend to agree with you about your topic of CDs. I play them frequently, especially, some that I recorded (I have a TASCAM Player / Recorder), to Music which I Play my Drums to (BTW, How is your Drum Playing Going?). I also use TIDAL HiFi and Spotify (and sometimes Pandora), to play specific Genres or Playlists of MY Music to either just listen to for enjoyment or to play Drums to. I too have a Teac CD / Cassette Player which can record CDs to Cassettes or USB drives. This video review raises the "age old" argument of CD Audio quality vs. making digital compressed copies via USB Flashdrives or to your PC's HD. IMO, and to my ear, Playing TIDAL HIFI tunes is superior to playing compressed digital audio. And Playing Remastered CDs (The White Album, Abbey Road and now Let It Be, for instance), on my current equipment (TASCAM or The TEAC) is Outstanding!!. Could the Emotiva unit be better? Does the Emotiva play all CDs (recorded RWs) ? The TASCAM has a Optical Input , the Teac does not (typical Line Out RCA connections). For the record, pertaining to personal observations, I have maybe 40-45 LPs, mostly older ones[ Black Sabbath, Beatles, Cream, Blind Faith, Simon and Garfunkel, Eric Clapton, Tommy (The Who), Loggins and Messina, etc. ] , many of them with the "cracks, pops, and clicks for being played on inferior equipment and/or not "babied" with critical care. Yes, there maybe that "warmth" to the LPs, but the CDs offer that Clarity (especially the Remastered ones), no Pops & Clicks, & definitely more convenience. I replaced my Tommy double album with a Newly Pressed Vinyl copy and a New CD recently. I purchased the LP and the CD (Used in very good condition) on Amazon. As a Test case, for a Kick (hey at 70 yo and retired what else are you going to do - particularly under the Chinese Virus Infliction/ Hibernation). The new Vinyl offers that slight "warmth" but the CD Audio quality puts it over the Top for total sound. And as I said, I don't have to get up and Flip the albums on the TT (Audio-Technica LP120XBT -USB) connected to my Denon DRA-800H Receiver, Schiit Mani Phono , and Elac Reference Debut 6.2s or KEF Q350 Bookshelf Speakers. By "Warmth" , I mean, that touch of fullness at certain points in the music - subtle for sure, not an overwhelming difference.

[@declanfarber]

I have the Emotiva ERC-3 and the Oppo 205, and the Emotiva trounces the Oppo IMO, with both fed thru a switch box into the main system (testing, testing…) The ERC-3 had the tray on the right, which some people bitched about (for some reason) but it allowed for better separation of components, electrically. Could you hear the difference? Dunno. FWIW, I also had Sony’s first CD player when it came out in 82? That was an interesting and temperamental beast. Long since died of birth defects, I wish I still had it for comparison purposes.

[@tommccarthy3385]

I run my Bluesound and my CD player through the same outboard DAC and, yep, CDs do sound better. Not night and day, but it's noticeable.

[@stevesmith3033]

I just bought the Beatles complete CD box set in mono. Very expensive. Also got some old jazz albums off eBay from as far as Berlin. I love the ritual of spinning CD's in my top loading belt drive player and listening to full albums. CD is definitely not dead :)

[@andrewbardwell4832]

What player do you have? I currently have an old Rega Planet. It’s a top loading player. With a see through lid - fun to watch.

[@stevesmith3033]

@@andrewbardwell4832 It's a C.E.C. TL51XR

[@stevenwaldstein2249]

Love CD still but have also ripped all mine to lossless flac for Roon and stream them to the Roon endpoint In my Bluesound Node 2i that hooks up to my Emotiva UMC-200 that has a DAC input as well. Planning to add an ERC-4 to that same system.

[@musicjewell9329]

Can you tell the difference after you rip them?

[@AlistairMaxwell77]

@@musicjewell9329 its lossless , its an identical digital copy

[@curt248]

What is the DAC input on the umc used for? Can you use an external DAC for two channel sound on a 5.1 theater unit?

[@gregjones2472]

Somebody gets it

[@stevenwaldstein2249]

@@curt248 there are four, two toslink optical, and two SPDIF that allow digital inputs since the UMC is a pre-amp also so 2 channel inputs for stereo sources.

[@mr.b4444]

Randy, Merry Christmas Randy to you and your family. .I grew up in the vinyl era and was stationed in Japan in the early 80's when CDs and CD players hit the market there. The players were still too expensive for me to purchase but the clarity was way better than anything else I'd heard on vinyl. When the price dropped I started purchasing CDs instead. I have around 2500 hundred CDs now, jazz. I'd never go back to vinyl so CD players are relevant to me. But I have to say this whole CD transport thing is a bit overdone and expensive in my opinion. Hundreds of dollars for a CD player that cost less than $50 several years ago. I have a Teac player that has a recent problem with the tray but it plays and I use the optical out on it and connect it to the Burr Brown internal DAC in my Outlaw RR2600 MkII receiver. Sounds great. I don't stream but I ripped all my CDs to FLAC and play them from an external USB SSD through a SMSL DP5. The FLAC files sound the same as the CDs do.

[@naastradamus]

Totally agree that while streaming is awesome, there is definitely an improvement using CD vs. streaming (I've only used Amazon's service). Just last week I got my OPPO 970-HD back from their amazing support/servicing folks. Just $50 to get the tray to stop closing on me while trying to swap discs. They basically replaced all the internal electronics! Hooking it up as my dedicated CD "transport." It's dead silent while playing discs. Running optical out to the modi 3. I'm convinced it has improved quality/depth/details even over Amazon's high resolution streams. I've also found certain songs on Amazon have clicks/distortion/errors that don't exist on the original track. Example: Ween's song "Baby Bitch" when he sings "Now you've come back again" you'll hear it. I thought something was wrong with my signal chain or my amplifier. Nope. CD sounded fine. So now I'm wondering how common that is in Amazon's streaming library.

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

Really? I'm a big ween fan so I'm going to investigate this.

[@wg5768]

No audiophile here but,I don't believe that streaming music sounds as good as a CD or vinyl. I also prefer Blu-Ray movie dvds to streaming. To me ,the only good thing about streaming audio and video content is the convenience factor. I'll stick with my combination Blu-Ray Dvd/Cd player. Merry Christmas!

[@musicjewell9329]

I'm curious have you tried tidal or quoboz?

[@mikeday62]

I got a really old Denon CD player (DCD 610) for $25 free shipping. It's almost more impressive than my amp and speakers. Plus a sweet Yamaha KX-500U cassette recorder with a hundred switches and dials for $39. I'm the totally cheap-audio-man.

[@danashay]

Nicely done! (Merry Christmas!)

[@barrygalvin8631]

Nice review Randy! I agree cd’s sound better than streaming! However if you can download the digital file rather than stream it, the sound is slightly better, but still prefer cds!

[@benjaminsmith3151]

Good to see someone out there still has the skill to build something with moving parts, and not have it suck. I use a pre-HDMI Sony DVD player, but it is less reliable than my first NEC CD player I bought in 1991 that survived 3 cross country moves.

[@therealboofighter]

Have you seen or heard of the Brennan 2 CD player/jukebox?

[@RodneyAllanPoe]

A CD player/DAC is a marvelous component. I feed mine TV/Chromecast audio via optical, and Panasonic 4K audio via S/PDIF (just for comparisons). It's all balanced into Emotiva pre + power. ✅

[@nelsono4315]

at my age I have the vinyl collection I do because when I was growing up vinyl was the only game in town. I would not start a vinyl collection now if I was just starting out. I have over 2000 CDs and a CD player. I enjoy both vinyl and CDs. I am NOT a streamer and have no plans to. Don't need it. I don't own a car. Thanks for another excellent video. 🙂

[@solomonstewart1025]

Phillips and Magnavox cd/DVD players usually do a good job. They go for peanuts in the thrifts.

[@connorduke4619]

According to numerous hifi channels. CD transports consistently beat streaming unless you set up your streaming is properly set up with network switch, LPUs for all modems, audiophile ethernet cables, etc. I prefer operating my system manually and not via ipad and therefore have an Audiolab 9000CDT and it is great!

[@tomdavis6371]

That Sith Audio really has an impressive line-up of products. I think I need to invest in their ball-peen hammer for those times when I need that special tool to properly fix a piece of audio gear that isn't being cooperative.

[@garyfain7235]

Hi Randy, nice review. Love the Emotiva gear although I don’t have the CD player. But, May soon! I have around 300 CDs and buy probably two a month on average. Actually bought two today, Them with Van Morrison and Albert King. I do stream quite a bit as well, but the CDs just sound better to me. Whenever I sit down to listen, I’ll either pop a cd in or drop the needle in some vinyl. I walk every day and stream music while I walk and if I’m working around the house I’ll stream as well…continuous play with having to pop another CD in. Thanks again for your reviews, I’ve become a fan of the cheap audio man

[@angrygirl7083]

Looks real interesting! But what FGS is balanced left and balanced right? Sorry, I'm just in this for 50 years. BTW i love my new ELAC Uni-Fi 2.0 speakers, thank you for that review. Some cd's sound amazing, awesome, but many disappoint me, compared to streaming.

[@gdownz1044]

Great Review 👍 I still have the Technics CD carousel player with MASH that I bought brand new in 1988 and it sounds way better than a few newer players I have. I'm using it for Christmas and it's Awesome and So are CD'S!! Thanks Randy Man!! Merry Christmas ☃️🎄🎅

[@curt248]

I have one of those. They have a certain sound to them that brings tons of nostalgia from the time when it was cutting edge technology. Iv really like it

[@gdownz1044]

@@curt248 Awesome 👍

[@depafeo]

I got back into cds over that last 2 years. I have a Panasonic blue-ray player that I turned into a transport that is feeding into a Schitt Modi 3+ dac. Just over the last few months gotten into ripping cds that I've been buying at used music stores into flac/apple lossless. Would love a review of some mid level DAPs like Sony's NW-A55 and FiiO X5

[@andrewbrazier9664]

I am also using s Panasonic Blu Ray player as a transport - via optical out to my budget Matanz PM6005 45 watt amp which has a reasonable DAC ( 2nd system )

[@markcarrington8565]

Hey Randy, I completely agree that CDs are a fantastic source. In fact, they are the only source in my primary system. As you have the Denafrips Ares II, I recommend you try the digital outputs on the Emotiva. If the Ares is better, and I’m betting it will be, you can the save some money by buying the Audiolab CDT6000, which is not only cheaper, but is rated at the best transport in its class by many reviewers. Have a great Christmas 😄

[@cheapaudioman]

I’ll check it out. I just found out that this one and maybe the audiolab won’t play gapless. Do you know if the audiolab will play gaplessly?

[@markcarrington8565]

@@cheapaudioman the dealer I spoke to rates it as his most underpriced product and he didn’t mention what would be a pretty big shortcoming. No other reviewers said anything either.

[@MW-nb4dv]

@@cheapaudioman The audiolab 6000cdt does play gapless between the "tracks". It doesn't digitally remove any silence between songs, but it doesn't add any like some players/transports will. If the cd was made to play seamlessly that is how it sounds with the cdt. I've tested it with Nirvana's MTV Unplugged, Pink Floyd cd's, and some other live cd's too.

[@ptbfrch]

Bought the Audiolab 6000CDT about a year ago, and I am extremely happy with it. All my CDs came alive through it, and I'm still rediscovering some long forgotten gems. It's not the same physical experience as vinyl, which is my passion, but this made it really fun to play CDs again. And it sounds superb! It was a toss-up for me against the Emotiva; I heard about some mechanical issues with the predecessor of the 4.

[@rickypelletier363]

I also have the 6000cdt along with the 6000a. The price of vinyl and resurgence has made finding cds while thrifting extremely cheap and easy, thrift stores and people are just giving them away.

[@ptbfrch]

@@rickypelletier363 Yes. I'm a vinyl collector and fan since I was 12 years old, almost 40 years. Through it all I never stopped with vinyl. But, I really don't mind playing CDs, and as you say the 2nd hand market is really good. I'm not giving up vinyl any time soon, but I also really enjoy how much fun it has become to listen to CDs. Much more enjoyable than streaming, to my taste. Sound quality? It can be exquisite with all methods , so more than good enough.

[@rickypelletier363]

@@ptbfrch I started collecting vinyl about 8 years ago. That is awesome that you kept your collection. I talk to a lot of people who are collecting for the second time because they sold their collection during the 90's 2000's.

[@JohnSmith-zl8rz]

that thing scratch cds

[@ptbfrch]

@@JohnSmith-zl8rz No scratches in one year for me.

[@stevemaclaine4547]

cds will never ever die ,especially with me.

[@greenbeginner9221]

Have you ever tried comparing your streaming sources for audible differences? For example, your computer through a DAC vs a streamer or two through the same DAC? It would be interesting to see if there's a difference.

[@GustoTheGamer]

cd’s Will make a comeback. Even rare cd’s Will become expensive and collectable.

[@drdelewded]

Some are already..

[@Hailz01Gamming]

Wym comeback? CDs are still VERY MUCH a thing. They are far from going the way of the cassette tape/records 😂 if you’re from the US, I just bought Taylor swift’s newest album at target last week

[@vincentbrennan9614]

Randy I enjoy all of what you represent sir!! So now where do I get my own Sith type ROctopus? I see its just something every audiophile should have!! Note I have been recommending you over several of your peers cause old stuff aint cheap and when it breaks forget about getting it fixed at a reasonable price!! Ok so im tight and righteous and the way I see it its all about the music as it always has been sir!! What say you? Thanks!! Rock on!!

[@hanayahaddad6422]

I'm still trying to understand - how is it possible for the CD player to sound better than the digital track of the same fidelity (and using the same DAC etc.)?

[@kurtcharnoski1595]

Is the lack of galleys playback a big deal ? Are you still enjoying this Emotiva product ?

[@dominikalbers6983]

I bought an 25 years old Kenwood dp 7060 CD-Player this year for 60€. It has a remote, output gain control on the remote, is 6,5kg of metal and has a really nice looking Display! I love buying CDs on E-Bay... last hit 10€ for 5 great Albums! Its a lot of fun and it gives me something to collect, grab out of the shelf and look at it. physically interaction with the music i like.

[@burkholdst.rudderberg3574]

Streaming is quite popular now. ( My TASCAM solid state recorder works quite well with my streaming application. ) Last night my internet was out for several hours; streaming works only when it works - which is not all the time. ALL my disc players around the house, even the ones not currently hooked up, work well whenever I use them! My SACD player plays pure multi-channel information where as I have never heard of a music streaming service doing that! CDs / SACDs are STILL the king audio formats ( and, yes, I do have a healthy collection of Reel to Reel tapes and LPs ) !

[@edwardtaylor6293]

Did you try bypassing the computer altogether as you can with Amazon Music's Exclusive Mode? If you do, I think you will find that Ultra-HD streaming sounds just as good or in some cases better than CDs. I have tried it with Blind A-B comparisons and I usually couldn't tell the difference, and often, I would pick the stream. Oh, and I should mention that I love CDs. I also grew up with them.

[@pablogerman453]

You don't need pretending to be funny, we watch you for your review

[@Audfile]

I had the ErC1 and ERC2. They are flawless transports if you bypass the dac. Extremely built. Nice machines! They also sell for about what you buy them for.. like a Honda.. Plan on getting a 4.

[@Jack-oc2fc]

Hey Randy, to your ears, does a $10,000,000 CD transport going into xyz DAC sound any different than the $10 DVD player with digital outputs going into the same DAC? This is a hotly debated topic, would be interested in your input.

[@Cyba_IT]

I have the old 5 CD Sony carousel you mentioned and it sounds amazing. The difference between the flac digital version and CD version of Swedish House Mafia for instance is night and day. Better instrument/track separation, better dynamics, clearer sound. If I want background music I stream or play digital files. If I want to have a good listening session I listen to CD's. I bet that Emotiva sounds glorious.

[@Harald_Reindl]

It's nonsense - a FLAC rip from the CD has exactly the same quality when you are smart enough for a optical digital connection to your AVR/DAC

[@jeremylatvala7590]

Those old Sony systems were an awesome value. I started using my old Sony 3CD RX66 Mini HiFi system that was in storage for years. It was only $299 for 2 3-way speakers, 60WPC Amp, Cassette player and Kareoke. It has a pulley mechanism that uses rubber bands to rotate gears and change the CDs that had worn out. I simply replaced it with fresh rubber bands and everything works like a dream. Sounds way better than I remember too.

[@darkpatches]

It's the golden age of CDs AFAIC. I've more than doubled my collection in the last few years through thrift stores and stores like Half Price Books (typically paying $1-8). I remember when the classical CD section at Best Buy in the 90's was an entire row. But I also remember paying $16-20 per cd back then. The selection may be smaller now, but it's ever changing with new stuff and there are often treats to be found (e.g. the stack of SACDs for $5 a piece!). So I'm still big into CDs and like to collect vintage CD players that are held in high esteem. But as far as a $600 new player goes, without an ABX test (of which I've done plenty), this review didn't happen. ;-)

[@rabit818]

A lot of classical were imports back in the day hence makes it pricey. They hardly go on sale for $11.99 at Tower. CDs can be had in 2021 for a song and a dance. Check out the last day estate sales, you can get deals. l got an EMI 10 cd box of Le Chant Francais for a buck.

[@moonytheloony6516]

Merry Christmas Randy!

[@V1ralB1ack]

Might be worth mentioning the pioneer udp lx500 doubles as a 4k player and CD player and it has a 20lb steel plate to cancel out vibrations for the loading tray. Also schiit is coming out with their CD transport soon and it should have new features never before seen on a CD transport.

[@Finn-McCool]

I still rock the Sony DVP-CX777ES SACD jukebox. Because I love me some SACD. 400 is just about enough.

[@stevenwaldstein2249]

Thank you for the video. Keep going back and forth on buying this specific CD player to pair with either my system that uses a Emotiva Pre-Amp ( that has a DAC input already ) or my system with Adcom Pre-Amp. But do have a question. I stream music as well but put in place a Roon and UNpN/DLNA servers and stream all my CD that I have ripped that way. Can then create my unique playlist (thru Roon). So I really use my CD player really. Do we really need a CD player anymore or just a great CD drive for my, in my case, Apple computer that I use for ripping CDs and serving Roon FLAC/ALAC files. These files get mirror on to my RAID system where the UNpN/DLNA server runs ( for redundancy).

[@preiter20]

Merry Christmas Randy to you and your family!

[@speedythecat07]

I have thousands of CDs and hundreds of mostly reissue vinyl. My ears fatigue easily. I don’t have any trouble listening to records. In the same system CDs cause me serious ear fatigue. I need to try to find a warm sounding DAC and bypass my CD players onboard DAC. Unfortunately I’m going to have to wait till next year. I’m in the process of upgrading my phono stage and cartridge this year. My amp is a Yamaha A-S501 my CD player is Yamaha CDP-S300. Speakers are Wharfdale Diamond 225. Most people say that amp and speakers are neutral and non-fatiguing. If you dig around a few peeps have said the 501 sounds bright. I agree, but I’m sticking with it and try to sort it out. Would love to be able to buy that emotiva CD player this year but... How’s the onboard DAC on the emotiva? I won’t be selling any of my CDs, but I’ve drank the vinyl kool-aid and I’m loving my 1210GR. Best purchase ever. Anyway, when you love gear and have little money, you have to be patient, and I try to be. This isn’t an instant gratification hobby, but when it all comes together it’s priceless. My ears have been abused by car audio at high volumes and shooting sports before anyone gave hearing protection a thought. I’m 53, but my ears are 96.... Love this channel! Have had my eye on the emotiva CD player for a while. maybe next year!

[@jp93309]

My pioneer elite dvd player plays cd and sacd. Surprisingly good dac. Definitely worth the $6 at goodwill.

[@danashay]

WOW! Nice score!!

[@williamcanada6195]

Thanx ! Happy Holidays to You and Yours !! God Bless !!

[@djsoulfilter]

I still listen to CD’s. I use a Sony DVD/CD /SACD player as a transport hooked up to my Fiio DAC and it sounds really good.

[@ralphmckenzie8802]

I'm still using my Sony 5 disc CDP-CE235 CD Player from 1999. It came with RCA and optical output option ( I always use optical) and it still plays flawlessly, its never been serviced and it never missus a beat. All my other Sony gear has since expired but the CD player keeps on keeping on, and the sound quality is excellent, better than a couple of far more costly CD players I have had in the past.

[@solomonstewart1025]

Optical output usually makes for better sound.

[@CloudyMcCloud00]

Thanks for the great vids! I was (due to this one) becoming quite interested in this player -- till I just discovered it's lack of gap-less playback: a deal breaker for me (like another commenter), as I'm into classical. I actually find it hard to process that a "CD player" wouldn't support that -- but there we are. And this costs twice as much as the Cambridge Audio AXC35 -- which does support gap-less, although not (apparently) SACD: also a problem for me, but much less serious than not having gap-less. (I've still to establish if lack of "support" for SACD means the disk won't play at all -- or is it just the SA layer that isn't recognised: which wouldn't bother me at all. Do you know?) Incidentally, the reason I'm now looking for new HiFi is that my 17-year-old Sony CMT-CPX22 5-disk changer has finally given up the ghost (CD door can no longer figure out how to open) -- and it seems 5-disk changer functionality is now way out of fashion! I'll miss that, a bit, but (I've had to accept) not a deal breaker, any more. It's actually 100W per channel, but was never enough for classical CDs -- so more power is definitely a must!

[@bizyz]

i am a hard core user of cds which are like a drug for me as vinyl just doesn't cut it.so i am very glad that randy has finally reviewed a cd player and i hop he will review more.but what i was looking for in his review of the erc-4 is the build quality of the unit,the smoothness and sturdiness of the drawer and the sound quality in terms of bass,mid range,imaging,sound staging,etc.

[@cheapaudioman]

build is good. I'd need to bring more in. the internal dac wasn't as good as the denafrips and I wouldn't expect to be. Internal DAC is very good

[@QoraxAudio]

Do you know some good CD transports? I already have a decent DAC, so I don't need that... Currently, I'm using some random Marantz DVD player, but it has one of those generic plastic laser mechanisms in them...

[@beornthebear.8220]

I've put all my CDs in lossless compressed format on my computer. I had many LPs which I lost, and now that older things are remastered in digital, I'm not going back to LPs (even though I could actually read the cover). I want a physical thing, even though I have dowloaded a few things. If I like the music and the artist, I will buy the CD. The artist should get recognition for his/her/their work. I bought an Emotive DAC, and the sound would jitter and pause. I had 18GB RAM and he'd the music on the local hard drive, and even bought better cables and cable buffers for USB 2 and 3. I hauled all unnecessary services and programs, and nothing helped. I ended up getting a new computer as I want to start mixing my own material. I now usually run my sound through my guitar pedal board, and I have no problems. I might set up my DAC again with this new computer. It sounds pretty good already. I used to work in a record store, and liked the LPs, but I like the silence of CDs (s/n ratio).

[@TheNaka9]

Has the ERC-4 have gapless playback on cd? I was reading somewhere that live recordings presented a gap between tracks...