Atoll CD80 CD Player $1750

(3.75h, 17.32w, 12d, 14 lbs)

Made in France With 3 Year Warranty!

I’m a big fan of CDs and CD players. As a classical piano fan first and foremost, I don’t care to listen through mechanical noise and PRETEND is isn’t there. IT IS.

Further, I want the pitch to be right with ZERO wow & flutter. An LP spinning off speed with ANY hint of W&F reminds me of cassettes from yesteryear, no thanks.

The same holds true for great female singers with sparse accompaniment. I also like to choose the disc I’m going to play and am very likely to listen to the entire program- as the artist intended. The silver disc is my favorite format for this. I find streaming fine for keeping me company. But for diving into the depths of Chopin, give me CDs seven days a week. Please ignore CD naysayers. They know not of which they speak.

Atoll has hit the nail on the head of marvelous sounding gear at reasonable pricing. Atoll designers carefully listen to their products in the design phase. Atoll prefers the Burr Brown DAC sound for CDs vs a myriad of competitors. They’re quick to tell you that what they DO around the DAC, is more important than the DAC itself. Atoll’s line stage, post DAC, is discrete. They don’t run a pile of chips. In actuality, Atoll “voices” the sound of its CD players. They don’t sound sterile.

CD80 has a fast, responsive mechanism. It’s a joy to use. Most CD players, even the fine Marantz line, tends to be tardy in response to your commands.

CD80 has a uniquely open/airy sound for this reasonable price point. If we compare it to the most logical competitor, the Denon DCD1700, the Denon (1 year warranty by the way) is darker sounding. The Denon’s pace sounds more plodding.

I much prefer Atoll’s spacious image- which also delivers a tight foundation of bass. Many modestly built CD players cut corners in the power supply and deliver a sound that’s too lean for my liking.

Atoll achieves this lovely balance in CD80 by using three transformers and ten regulated power supplies. It has 21,400uF of filter capacitance- more than most 50 watt amplifiers have.

We luv CD50 for its high performance for the buck. CD80 is a tad better for a pinch more money. I’d spend the C-note for CD80.

CD80 does have digital inputs so you can use its on board DAC for your streamer. Nice touch!