Best High End CD Players 2025 - the Compact Disc is Alive!
How to choose an upper echelon CD player today?
13.01.2025 09:09 | ~3 minutes read
The compact disc has retained its place in the sun - sales of disc media are quite stable, new CD players are released with enviable regularity. In general, we can state that even high-resolution music streaming has not “killed” the compact disc - the sound quality of discs on good equipment turns out to be extraordinary, and the accumulated collections allow us to look to the future with confidence. The editors have compiled a rating of the most impressive new High End players that are worth paying attention to in early 2025.
Michi Q5
Pros - muscular and large-scale sound
Incredible appearance, armor-piercing design: the Michi Q5 CD player has practically no drawbacks for its price - before us is a luxurious machine that forms a “punchy” high-definition sound and flaunts grandiose muscles. The capabilities of the eight-channel ESS ES9028PRO chip are revealed to the maximum with excess power, and the top-loading transport has a carbon and aluminum structure, complemented by a floating platform on springs - a true engineering masterpiece.
Specifications
This product is in the Hi-Fi and High End Electronics and Acoustics database
CD / SACD players and transports — Michi Q5
Model name
Q5
Transport
Yes
Player
Yes
SACD support
N/A
Engine
N/A
Frequency response low +/- 3dB (for CD) (Hz)
10
Frequency response high +/- 3dB (for CD) (Hz)
70000
Frequency response low +/- 3dB (for SACD) (Hz)
N/A
Frequency response high +/- 3dB (for SACD) (Hz)
N/A
Gain (dBu)
N/A
Output Level (balanced) (V)
4.9
Output Level (single-ended) (V)
2.3
Input Impedance (balanced) (Ω)
N/A
Input Impedance (single-ended) (Ω)
N/A
Output Impedance (balanced) (Ω)
4000
Output Impedance (single-ended) (Ω)
100
Dynamic range (for CD) (dB)
N/A
Dynamic range (for SACD) (dB)
N/A
Signal to Noise Ratio (for CD) (dB)
115
Signal to Noise Ratio (for SACD) (dB)
N/A
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (for CD) (%)
0.0006
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (for SACD) (%)
N/A
Dimensions (mm)
485 x 150x 452
Weight (kg)
23.5
Official link
Luxman D-07X
Pros - transparent high-definition sound
The Luxman D-07X provides a signature silky sound with a huge sound stage, literally saturated with air. Sometimes the sound of the model allows you to forget that you have a compact disc in front of you, and not a vinyl turntable - this is worth a lot. The player is capable of processing both PCM digital stream up to 32/764, as well as DSD - which is provided by a pair of ROHM Semiconductor MUS-IC BD34301EKV chips, and the LxDTM-i transport is taken from the company's senior model. The result of such a scheme is as much as 130 dB of signal-to-noise ratio.
Specifications
This product is in the Hi-Fi and High End Electronics and Acoustics database
CD / SACD players and transports — Luxman D-07X
Model name
D-07X
Transport
Yes
Player
Yes
SACD support
Yes
Engine
N/A
Frequency response low +/- 3dB (for CD) (Hz)
5
Frequency response high +/- 3dB (for CD) (Hz)
20000
Frequency response low +/- 3dB (for SACD) (Hz)
5
Frequency response high +/- 3dB (for SACD) (Hz)
38000
Gain (dBu)
N/A
Output Level (balanced) (V)
2.4
Output Level (single-ended) (V)
2.4
Input Impedance (balanced) (Ω)
N/A
Input Impedance (single-ended) (Ω)
N/A
Output Impedance (balanced) (Ω)
600
Output Impedance (single-ended) (Ω)
300
Dynamic range (for CD) (dB)
N/A
Dynamic range (for SACD) (dB)
N/A
Signal to Noise Ratio (for CD) (dB)
122
Signal to Noise Ratio (for SACD) (dB)
125
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (for CD) (%)
0.0016
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (for SACD) (%)
0.0007
Dimensions (mm)
440 x 132 x 410
Weight (kg)
17
Official link
Marantz SACD 10
Pros – gorgeous micro- and macrodynamics
The tenth series of Marantz should return the company to the upper echelon of high-end technology – and the SACD 10 player seems to be one of the most successful new devices of the company; its ability to transmit microdynamic contrasts is amazing. The CD/SACD player is based on the proprietary SACDM-3 transport, has dual power supplies with the most powerful toroidal transformers and works with signals up to DSD256 and PCM 32/384. The icing on the cake is the improved Marantz Musical Mastering system and the famous HDAM topology.
Specifications
This product is in the Hi-Fi and High End Electronics and Acoustics database
CD / SACD players and transports — Marantz SACD 10
Model name
SACD 10
Transport
Yes
Player
Yes
SACD support
Yes
Engine
N/A
Frequency response low +/- 3dB (for CD) (Hz)
2
Frequency response high +/- 3dB (for CD) (Hz)
20000
Frequency response low +/- 3dB (for SACD) (Hz)
2
Frequency response high +/- 3dB (for SACD) (Hz)
50000
Gain (dBu)
N/A
Output Level (balanced) (V)
4
Output Level (single-ended) (V)
2
Input Impedance (balanced) (Ω)
N/A
Input Impedance (single-ended) (Ω)
N/A
Output Impedance (balanced) (Ω)
N/A
Output Impedance (single-ended) (Ω)
N/A
Dynamic range (for CD) (dB)
98
Dynamic range (for SACD) (dB)
112
Signal to Noise Ratio (for CD) (dB)
116
Signal to Noise Ratio (for SACD) (dB)
118
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (for CD) (%)
N/A
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (for SACD) (%)
N/A
Dimensions (mm)
440 × 192 × 442
Weight (kg)
33
Official link
Esoteric K-03XD SE
Pros – a huge number of details
The improved version of the Esoteric K-03XD SE CD/SACD player uses a more accurate discrete clock and an improved output stage. The result surprises even seasoned audiophiles – a flurry of details that falls on the listener allows you to believe in the impossible. The specifications are suitable for a textbook – VRDS-ATLAS transport, a proprietary ladder DAC with FPGA Master Sound Discrete DAC, using a 64-bit Delta-Sigma modulator.
Specifications
This product is in the Hi-Fi and High End Electronics and Acoustics database
CD / SACD players and transports — Esoteric K-03XD SE
Model name
K-03XD SE
Transport
Yes
Player
Yes
SACD support
Yes
Engine
N/A
Frequency response low +/- 3dB (for CD) (Hz)
N/A
Frequency response high +/- 3dB (for CD) (Hz)
N/A
Frequency response low +/- 3dB (for SACD) (Hz)
5
Frequency response high +/- 3dB (for SACD) (Hz)
30000
Gain (dBu)
N/A
Output Level (balanced) (V)
5
Output Level (single-ended) (V)
2.5
Input Impedance (balanced) (Ω)
N/A
Input Impedance (single-ended) (Ω)
75
Output Impedance (balanced) (Ω)
114
Output Impedance (single-ended) (Ω)
34
Dynamic range (for CD) (dB)
N/A
Dynamic range (for SACD) (dB)
N/A
Signal to Noise Ratio (for CD) (dB)
N/A
Signal to Noise Ratio (for SACD) (dB)
113
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (for CD) (%)
N/A
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (for SACD) (%)
0.0007
Dimensions (mm)
445 × 162 × 438
Weight (kg)
28
Official link
Soulnote S-3
Pros – the sound is almost real
The Japanese Soulnote S-3 player offers a sound from the “open window” series, almost indistinguishable from the real feed. The device does not use feedback (the voltage gain stage operates on 4 transistors and 8 resistors), four ES9038PRO microcircuits are responsible for the conversion. The noise of the power supplies is reduced radically (at first only synthesis is used and then single-ended amplification), the design is completely balanced - we have before us a real breakthrough in the world of audio.
Specifications
This product is in the Hi-Fi and High End Electronics and Acoustics database
CD / SACD players and transports — Soulnote S-3
Model name
S-3
Transport
Yes
Player
Yes
SACD support
Yes
Engine
N/A
Frequency response low +/- 3dB (for CD) (Hz)
2
Frequency response high +/- 3dB (for CD) (Hz)
150000
Frequency response low +/- 3dB (for SACD) (Hz)
2
Frequency response high +/- 3dB (for SACD) (Hz)
150000
Gain (dBu)
N/A
Output Level (balanced) (V)
5.6
Output Level (single-ended) (V)
2.8
Input Impedance (balanced) (Ω)
N/A
Input Impedance (single-ended) (Ω)
N/A
Output Impedance (balanced) (Ω)
5000
Output Impedance (single-ended) (Ω)
5000
Dynamic range (for CD) (dB)
N/A
Dynamic range (for SACD) (dB)
N/A
Signal to Noise Ratio (for CD) (dB)
110
Signal to Noise Ratio (for SACD) (dB)
110
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (for CD) (%)
0.008
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (for SACD) (%)
0.008
Dimensions (mm)
454 × 174 × 393
Weight (kg)
27
Official link
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