wpines Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 Can you folks recommend some CD players with a volume control? I'd like to get one with a volume knob on the face but if there are good one's with remote only, that'll do. I want to input this directly into a tube amp that has no gain control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 my pioneer PDM-90X 6 disc player has a volume control on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 The CD players with volume controls I've seen just control a range of gain, but will not go all the way to zero. It's not like a conventional volume control on an amplifier. Turned all the way down it is still producing some gain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuzzzer Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 Some Denon CD players have a volume control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wpines Posted June 7, 2008 Author Share Posted June 7, 2008 DD - I guess I'm looking for one with a volume control on the analog output as opposed to the digital. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BE36 Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 Adcom GCD-700 has volume control down goes down to zero for all pratical purposes. At -50 and the preamp all the way up I can not hear unless I am within a 1 foot of the speaker. 20 bit Pacific D/A's (Good rep) and 352.8 Hz oversampling. I would go with the single version GCD-750, has more connection options and better design options. Both can be had for less than $300 on audiogone best bang for the buck IMVHO. Interested to hear from the CD experts on the forum to confirm or counter this position. How much can be gained by adding a D/A into the system? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrestonTom Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 Another option is to simply stay with the CD player you have and see if you can get by with a "passive" pre-amp. In its simplest for this is just a potentiometer. In more complex forms it can be a transformer circuit. There are caveats about the gain and relative of impedance of the source and load, so they do not always work well. You can make one yourself or you can see if there is an Adcom SLC (straight line controller - essentially a switch & a potentiometer) on eBay. These only cost about $50-75. I would also advise not spending a great deal of money on a passive "pre-amp", since the fancy parts may not make much of a difference. If you make one yourself the parts are quite inexpensive and the value of the pot can be matched to you configuration. Good Luck, -Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcmusic Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 My Ah Njoe Tjoeb 4000 has a volume control on the remote. Jay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyone Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I have a Sheng Ya CDS10 tube cd player that has volume control on the remote. I think most of the Rega cd players have remote volume control also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev313 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Oppo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark electro Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 My old Yamaha CDC-905 volume control goes all the way down and has pretty decent sound and is very dependable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 My old Denon DCD-670 has a separate volume knob on the unit for headphone output AND a software volume control that you can operate from the remote. I used to use it for fading out when recording CD->Cass for the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ69 Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 wpines, I've never had much luck running a CD player direct drive. You really need a pre-amp. The sound I got from direct drive set ups was a bit harsh. I know it seems unnecessary, but it's never worked for me. Thanx, Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 I have a Mcintosh 7007 that has two sets of outputs...one is variable out and the level is controlled by the knob on the front or the remote. It is one sweet player....and really sounds great going directly into my Mac power amp. It just happens to be for sale so PM me if interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 My Ah Njoe Tjoeb 4000 has a volume control on the remote. Jay Have you tried running the CD player and using the volume instead of a preamp? I have been wondering about this for a long time but never bought one. Does anyone know the minimum and maximum gain of CD players with volume controls? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wpines Posted June 11, 2008 Author Share Posted June 11, 2008 FB, you've got pmail. Thanks for all the replies. I'm looking to run a CD player directly into a NOSValves VRDST powering Cornwalls. I've tried to run my Heart tubed CD6000 player into the amp but the noise is terrible. Buzz and hum. I like the McIntosh sound in general so this might be the player for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SET12 Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 My Ah Njoe Tjoeb 4000 has a volume control on the remote. Jay Have you tried running the CD player and using the volume instead of a preamp? I have been wondering about this for a long time but never bought one. Does anyone know the minimum and maximum gain of CD players with volume controls? Seti, I have been running CD direct for the past 6-7 yrs with outstanding success, I recently had a forum member insert a peach preamp in my system and I have to say I held my breath as I knew that if I liked what I heard I was going to be designing a line-stage for myself! The peach is a very musical performer but not in the league of the best that I've heard. What I heard from the peach was very tubey bass lines and a very substantial reduction in transparency although it was very pleasant to listen to my standards are higher than what it was able to deliver me. Which didn't surprise me when you consider what the audio signal has to travel through! When my player Direct is connected virtually at the input tube of my amps. I also did not hear much in the way of extended dynamics. When my player was reinserted the bass lines were much more taught and controlled. But the transparency was so much greater as to really put a smile on my face. I think I have the right conditions for CD direct to be successful and that is having a powerful player like my Sony X77ES which is very substantially well built at 37lbs. My players volume does go to zero although it is not remote controlled the resultant sound quality is high enough for me to get out of my chair to change it if need be. Another key to success is to have a power amp with sufficient gain, my own SET amps have about 25db of gain that's about 500mv in for 10 watts out at an 8 ohm load most of my listening is upper 80db-low 90db levels that's 9:30-10:30 on my volume control and upper 90's at 12 o'clock my player can clip my SET amps at the 1-2 o'clock range. The volume control runs from 8 o'clock to 4 o'clock and the higher the control runs the lower the output impedance (12 o'clock is about 5k out) of course also one should use short interconnects although I use 2 meter ones with no apparent issues, my input impedance is 500k on my amps. With the modifications that I've done to my Forte's and especially since I have added the Duelund capacitors to my mid-range of my outboard crossover networks the resultant sound quality has been just stellar for me. As far as voltage out of players that are designed to drive direct there's really no limit to what they can do in contrast to a line stage. They can be designed to give as much gain as most line-stages, of the players I've seen 5-10 volts out is not uncommon and of course at a lower output impedance as well! SET12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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