New vs. Old CD Players: Ultimate Buying Guide
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- Опубліковано 1 тра 2023
- Discover the pros and cons of each era's technology to make an informed decision when choosing your perfect CD player.
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#CDPlayers #buyingguide #audiophile - Наука та технологія
![If you can't hear this then you're not an audiophile [See description for link to followup video]](/img/n.gif)
Mike, big fan of your vids, you come across as being very genuine and honest. Not to mention knowledgeable.
Keep up the good work
Thank you so much Darren your kind words are greatly appreciated!
Your topics on the last dozen or so videos have been really good. Not the usual reviews of promoted items done by everyone after a product comes out. Great Job Man!
Well theres the klipsch which many have done but its a good pick though since its one of the standout speakers in the pricerange
I have owned a Pioneer PDR-W37 since 2001 (Elite series). It has a 3CD magazine, as well as a CD tray on it's right side which reproduces and records CDRs.I have recorded literally more than 150 CDs over the first 10 years and it's still in excellent condition.
I just picked up a Marantz CD6007 and it’s absolutely blown me away. I haven’t compared against peer-level current CD players but all my older players from NAD, Denon, Onkyo and Sony and it blows them all away.
Same here. The "pinnacle" of redbook playback in the early 2000's was a $20,000 Wadia (and others). This Marantz is just as vivid. It blew away my Rega apollo.
I will have to check it out!
Raul, can you please tell what makes it so good?
It's always great to take a step up!. Btw I just replaced a Marantz CD6004 with an Audiolab 7000CDT transport (for 650 Euro) and the Audiolab blows it away,. Suddenly the treble opens up and I can hear all kinds of bells , tambourines and background female vocals that I previously didn't or could barely hear.
I found it the opposite sounded flat and lifeless compared to a pioneer pd91
Maranta CD-17 mk2 ki Signature I have had this player for about 20 years and it still sounds great
Great video!
I’m still running my Denon 3502 ( The Beast ) ..yes, made in 1989 and only 2500 units were made ..but it’s literally built like a tank…
Also it’s on its 3rd outboard DAC .
Theta digital, BelCanto..and now a Topping E50 .. proving once more that red book 📕 cd 💿 still has legs as technological advances in the DAC still provide life to the players themselves.
Not to mention, DVD( new/ used) players can be a great source / drive for a cd 💿 playback system.
Have a great day ☕️🍕
He nailed it on the mixing and recording. Especially early recordings.
Thank you for the support!
On the budget side, I find that used combo dvd players that also play cds and especially sacd have pretty good sound. I think the internal dacs are generally better quality to ensure sacd playback isn’t lacking.
ps1. I don't know what it is about that console but I've always found it to be one hell of a cd player
Integra's CDC 3.4 is an outstanding changer with a very good built-in Wolfson DAC.
If I was looking for an older CD player or a transport and DA converter I would definitely not touch anything made in the 80s. There was too much experimental technology going on and it finally settle down by the time you got to the 90s when CD players started sounding their best.
In general I agree, but I think the breakpoint was 87/88 depending on model. An audiophile club member swears by his 87/88 Philips cd player, analog output. It's dac chip tda1541/1543 and analog output stage are well regarded.
Biggest issue with 30+ year old gear is capacitor aging, may need recap at 40+ years, plus laser life depending on model and total hours of use on the laser. If not turned on in a decade or two, may have a lot of life left
Scored a Sanyo 1986 and Jvc 87 cd players recently at thrift, perfect condition with bright clean lcd, florescent displays and pitch perfect tracking and playback, look new inside.
The jvc uses a burr brown ladder dac chip well regarded in audio community
I like early 90s 5 disc carousels, though late 80s disc magazine units from pioneer, technics and others that use compatible magazines are cool
I have had many CD players, but then I suddenly invested in a Sony CDP-597, and then I stopped searching and testing because I was never so impressed. Seriously underrated, this is the most enjoyable CD player and also incredibly affordable.
My favourites:
* Marantz CD-80 😁 (mine are 1989/1990 vintage; I own two, both fully re-capped ca. 10 years ago. NE5534 op-amps rolled to an OPA627BP & NewClassD DEXA op-amp combo). Very good implementation of the classic TDA1541A S1 DAC & SAA7220P/B oversampling filter combo, and an indestructible CDM1 MKII swing-arm mechanism. Pricey now as you say. I was lucky to find them cheap some 15 years ago.
* Marantz SA11S3 (2013 I believe). I use this for my SACDs. Gorgeous sounding player, a bit laid-back typical Marantz sound. Pricey then pricey now.
* A cheaper alternative to the Marantz CD-80 is the *original* 1990-vintage CD-60; I used to have the CD-60SE, Ken Ishiwata's upgraded version of the standard CD-60, but alas it dies and is mechanically nowhere near as good as the CD-80, although it has some of same sound magic. Not to be confused with the recently released CD-60, that's a different machine entirely which uses the same model number as the 1990 "original".
My personal favourite portables (in case you think it is relevant):
* Technics SL-XP1 (1990). Cheap as chips; very good sound, but some might find the high-end rolled-off just a bit too much. However, that makes it a perfect partner for poor recordings with aggressive treble.
* Technics SL-XPS900 (from ca. 1992). Truly superb portable player. With remote control and even a TOSLINK optical digital output for S/PDIF. Good luck finding one though...
Audiogon is a good place to buy used equipment. I have bought several items there. I used an Oppo BDP-105 CD player for almost 10 years and it was very good. I replaced it a year or so ago with a Cambridge CXC transport and a Denafrips Ares II DAC(bought on Audiogon). It sounds great! To me, the CD transport/DAC route is best. It gives you two paths for upgrades.
I agree, I think using an external DAC that you're comfortable with is the way.
I splurged on a musical fidelity Nu vista CD player, and I love this thing it has some unique tubes and a high quality will mastered CD in truly to me. Sounds amazing
I would definitely love to listen to that player someday!
Thanks for this video. I was thinking of buying a new turntable, but it might be more practical just to get a better CD player.
I got the Denon DCD-A110 SACD player last summer. It's fantastic, I do wish it had XLR balanced outs in addition to the RCA.
My Sony CDP-597 (circa 1993) has a rubbish dac but it does have an optical output, so last year I paired it with a Topping D50s dac (using a Topping P50 power supply), yielding sound that, to me at least, is quite acceptable.
One player in my collection that I keep going back to for listening to CD's is my 1988 Pioneer, CLD-3030, LaserDisc combi player. This unit sports two Burr Brown PCM56 D/A Converters and along w/ a 4x oversampling 16 bit filter. The best way I can describe the sound on this unit is that it is warm and smooth whether that is accurate or not. Either way, I never feel fatigued listening to the music it reproduces. I suppose its 22 lb weight might also contribute to its great sound since that denotes more stability.
I've just bought a Bush CD midi hifi for £62. More than happy with it, sound quality is good and plays all my CD's including rock and heavy metal really well. I also agree about physical music collections like CDs. I don't like all this modern day streaming....
Just bought a nad 541i and a 542 are they any good
Paid £100 each
I've also got an either Panasonic or pioneer i think DVD player with a burr brown DAC and 5 or 7 RCA out I paid about £500 for around 2004 that plays SACD i think and just moving up to a Denon 3700 from a Sony 1040
Should I use the players dac or RCA
Thanks for any advice
Even if I've bought rubbish
My player is a DVD player A NAD T562 great sound but I still have to figure out how to replace the tray belt (The mechanism is encased in a stainless steel box and I can find no screws....)
For non high end, I found technics cd players with the 1-bit MASH DAC to be better than equivalent from Sony or Pioneer.
I got into cd replay pretty much at the start and have owned many many players over the years from high end to more midrange cost effective players, from British, Dutch, French and Japanese manufacturers. I can in all honesty say the two best players I've personally owned are the two I have now in my system. Denons DCD 1600ne and 2500ne. They are typically Japanese in their construction by being very well built. Denons Alpha processing is the real winner here, showing you what cd replay is really capable of. These players are for keeps and I won't be changing them. Cd players are an incredibly clever, fascinating invention, and just when its replay standard has become so good have many people abandoned it! What a shame.
That happens with every medium. Everyone abandoned cassettes right when they perfected the format, same with minidisc, same with CD’s.
I use a Sony PlayStation 1 and listen to it once in awhile. Great sounding cd player. Not my main, but shockingly good for 1984!!
Long as the optical output is used, it should work well as a CD transport
@@christophergaus3996 Oh no Chris, I use the rca inputs out the back. The secret sauce is the the Sony engineered DAC. If you all get a chance, give it a listen. But, they are getting harder to find. You need the first gen. 1001, and it must play CDRs. It sound like a 10k turntable with cart. I own 3. It will be a collector item someday, IMO.
I needed a cd player and remembered I had a ps1 that I bought in the late 90s and had carted around over five moves😅 I really enjoy the sound from that, and using the rca as well
@@williamkleckner9844 That is very interesting, I'll need to give it a listen! I have a pretty decent setup, will be fun to try. Hunt time lol
@@williamkleckner9844 Huh, I'm curious. Do you notice sounds in games being better using a 1001 model PS1 vs a newer model? Or mainly just CD playback? Neat info!
My first decent hi-fi player was an Arcam Alpha 6 - that got destroyed in a lightning storm (long story) and insurance replaced it with an Arcam Alpha 9 - both we're great players. But the Alpha 9 stopped working after about 6 years and official repair costs and the fact that I was moving with work a lot meant it didn't get replaced immediately and I'd become more into vinyl. So then a few years later I picked up a Rotel RCD965BX and that's what I currently have. I suspect it's the oldest component in my hifi, apart from my record player.
But I find it a bit bright when I listen to music on it - listening fatigue sets in quite quickly, so I've been pondering an upgrade and whether to go for a vintage model or get something new, but not too pricy like the Marantz CD6007. Not sure as I've been trying to study the ins and outs of CD players and it's complex, much more so than record players.
I picked up a non working Adcom gcd-575, it had an error code while trying to play cds, I thought it was the laser eye but in fact it was a belt that was loose, I bought a replacement belt and it works great after that, I love the variable output on it and run it directly into a 2 channel amplifier, it sounds great for a 35 year old player
I had a Meridian 506 which was excellent in the 90s. I now have a dCS Rossini APEX with clock. It is definitely a step up.
Still using a Meridian 506 cd player. Tried to replace it a couple of times, but nothing I have heard under $2500.00 sounds better.
@@robertzisner9170 yes the 506 is very hard to replace and is still a great player! I kept mine until 2018! The dCS gear (coincidentally manufactured just down the road from Meridian) is better, but at a considerable increase in cost!
For a vintage player, I like Sony ES series. Current player, hard to go wrong with a Yamaha (the CDS2100 is very good). Best I've ever used/owned was an Esoteric player.
Right now I.m using a Sony Blu Ray player and the coax out to a Schiit DAC. I like the sound. I miss my Technics CD player my wife bought me in 1985. It was the cheapest she could find at 300 bucks. I'm retired and my income is down but I do want to buy a quality CD player. What are your favorite players?
My early 90’s Parasound CD/P-1000 with 18bit Burr Brown D/A chips was pretty sweet sounding.
Sony CDP-555ESD, TDA1541, built like a battleship, amazing engineering from Sony 80s. Mine is 35 years old, looks, operates and plays as good as the day it came out the box….though I’ve had a master clock mod done… so it sounds even better 😊.
Had a association with Stereo Shop - Hartford, CT, non bias dealer since 78...learned a lot, could bring anything home for weeks to demo, I love Toshiba hd-xa2 as CD player (hate fan noicy) Sony x800 plays deeper & openingly, both driven by Modi 3 dac. Both sound great, any thoughts out there on this equipment? You are so right recording is the KEY, love Asia Steely Dan music....but the record is not good, Dire Straits Brrothers in Arms is better, but niether is up Lorde's Pure Heroine recoding. Not the music but how it was recorded. What do you suggest for purly CD player.....even though I think for quality @ convenience Bluray are not that far off. Equipment ADS L980; ADS L1230, Mc 27, Mc 28 pres amp, Gran Integra M-508, Onkyo TX-NR 900. Technics SL 1600 mk2. Loved records until ( snap crackle pop) CD's quiet back ground came.Thanks keep talking! Keep talking we are listening..thanks!❤
I agree with the Paul Rigby approach: a specialist CD transport (e.g. Audiolab 7000CDT offers unparalleled bang for the buck - error correction, TCXO clock, toroidal transformer - so I just bought it), combined with the best mid-budget priced R2R Dac (which at the moment is the Ladder Schumann Dac according to several reviewers). There is no no way any CD player this side of $20,000 can compare with such a separate CD transport + Dac combination. Especially when connected with a quality silver cable such as the Tubulus Argentus (famous for their digital interconnects) I have on order.
Good video without a specific product, unusual for a buying guide :)
Started in the 80’s with a magnavox- ok.
Picked up a lower range budget NAD, which was good for the money in the mid 90’s, still works in my garage system.
Did a search for a good cd player. Found an Italian Synthesis Pride Cd player in Calgary.
Tweaked with an hPs sound damper on top and three ceramic feet.
Without the tweaks it may not be as remarkable.
It has an upbeat likable presentation. Musical.
Oppo 103 not particularly good with cd’s, but quite good with sacd, Blu-ray audio, dvd audio, and remarkable with 5.1 audio discs.
Should try some transports with my dac.
I basically love anything from Bang & Olufsen. I own a 9000 and a 3200. Brilliant players, never missed a beat and both only serviced once since new.
I'll be blunt: If old stuff (aka vintage) were so good, it will be made even today: faster, better, cheaper!...but they are just old stuff!
this is a very low information video
I get my CD players from charity shops, People donate their old players and the charity sells them on cheaply to raise money for what the charity is supporting, Its a bit hit and miss as I have had quite a few that get stuck miss and skip like anything if they do that I take them back, But at the moment I have six that work perfectly and what I do is drag one out of where I store them and use one at a time for a couple of weeks and then give another one a go for a little while etc.
Just bought a Marantz CD60 (£200 0ff list price in the UK) and like every one says in reviews I'm hearing thing on my CD's I never heard before, It's rejuvenated my system like nothing before x.
CEC TL51XR. Great belt driven player with unmatched analog sound
Since losing my Cal Audio Ikon MkII to a hurricane I've not enjoyed listening to my cd's. Anyone know if any new players have a similar sound?
I actually saw a few on ebay I was thinking about getting one.
I still use Marantz, Nad, and pioneer cd players in different rooms of the house. Gotta have music everywhere!
I have an old Yamaha CDX-1060 as an favourite CD-player and also two "multiplayers", the OPPO BDP-95, who can play HDCDs, and the OPPO UDP-205
Well I’m definitely no audiophile, but I love old tech for sure especially retro video game consoles. I love vintage stereo equipment as well. I’ll just stick to 1980s CD players. They are built like tanks and part of the experience for me is the equipment itself (the look and feel of it). 80s players aesthetically look/pair better with vintage 70s receivers than the newer plastic-y cheap look and feel of newer stuff.
That’s just my opinion and I’m sure many here would say it sucks. I’ve had luck with my vintage Sonys. I love the look and think they sound just fine! I’ve got a CDP-70 and a CDP- 302ES. I’ve also got an 80s Realistic as my garage player that sounds good too!
I love the retro stuff as well!
If you are on a budget and want to go new picking up an Onkyo C-7030 is a good option. It plays well, and has digital outputs so you can always upgrade the DAC as finances allow. I have a 10 year old one in my second system with a Schitt Modi 3+ DAC and it is still plugging away fine. I splurged on a Technics SACD/CD/DAC/Streamer (the SLG 700 MK1) for my main system and, yes, it sounds really good. Good option if you can afford it.
@rhorto01: I have the C-7030. It sounds great. But, mine skips when moving around nearby. Mine is almost as bad as older turntables that skipped when walking near them.
@@bikdav Have you tried anti-vibration pads (the kind they use for washing machines and the like)? Could be a cheap fix.
@@rhorto01 I could try that. But, my cd changer and Blu-Ray player don’t have that problem. There as foot-fall resistant as can be. That’s why I’m baffled.
Just bought a Yamaha cd s300 player off Crutchfield. Excellent
I bought a brand new Marantz CD6006 in 2019, it sounded and sounds delightful even for the full price. Some CDs I had for 30+ years revealed details I had never heard before. If you find one in good condition for under 300 moneys, go for it!
Yes, very good player as was it's lower sibling the CD6005, (Same player actually, just one had USB and the other didn't for about $100 difference).
I Like my Yamaha CDM-900 110 CD player I use optical out to my receiver it sounds amazing with the right recording I bought it secondhand a few years ago cheap
I had 1980's Krell and Denon CD players, both built like a tank but sad is no longer working well.. Today, I have the Marantz SACD30n and have not looked back.
One vote for the Magnavox CDB-650, just sounds great.
Grabbed one from a fellow audiophile who upgraded the op-amps. Sounds great on its own. Had remote and manual
@@Nohandlerequired Now upgrading the opamps sounds interesting. Do you know which ones he used? I've upgraded the ones in my amp.
I have a pretty good system and am considering trading my 20 year old Marantz SA-11s1, their top player of the time, for a new McIntosh MDC600. Is this a good or bad idea? Will the McIntosh sound better?
i have experiance with both these players i would say differant not better just sayin
@@blobbynobby4619 Well, I made the purchase about 9 months ago and I can say for sure the McIntosh is a big improvement over my old Marantz.
Ive had many but i fell in love with the sony ca80es. Its a 5 disc carousel that sounds incredible. Ive had 2 different marantz, a shanling, and an arcam, then i got this sony and its just awesome, sounds just as good and a little better than a couple of those but i can spin 5 discs it was a no brainer, also has the cd text which i like.
I bought "Sony" CDP-511 back in 1993.
Still works!
Friend bought some "all-in-one" system and he paid a little bit less that I paid only CD player. He was laughing at me, I overpaid that player.
I still use my CD player, he threw in the trash.
By an older less expensive cd player with an optical out so you can play cd's. When you get more money, upgrade the DAC.
That’s a smart route
New Rotel RCD1572MKII bought on Black Friday sale in Australia for AU$1,399.00. It plays my "A graded" redbook CD's impeccably. @@mykandrew
Still have my Technics SL-P1200 .. my best cd player ver
Thought you’d have a list of recommended players
I have two Sony BD-S380s as transports..they play anything you can throw at them including home made SACD-Rs ;-)
I picked up a Micromega Stage 3 Best sounding player I have heard, Sounds better than my Old Marantz CD 67 MK2 special edition. And my Denafrips Ares II Dac. The Micromega has a bigger sound stage and sounds less congested then the denafrips.
I’m looking a “new” cd player. I was looking at the Denon 1650ar that’s around $500 used on eBay or something new like the Denon 900ne or the Marantz 6007. The 1650ar is built like a tank but paying $500 on a used 25 year old cd player kinda scares me. You never know how people take care of things…
In my opinion its better to invest in a new dac than in a vintage cd player
I am using an Ayon tubed CD player made in Austria! Sounds like Music 🎶
DVD players double as CD players. I use an obsolete DVD player (it lacks progressive scan) for playing CD's'. Somehow the Blue-Ray players don't do as well with music. DVD players are still easy to find.
Rotel CD11. Great build and sound quality. Reasonable price.
Excellent player, I really liked reviewing it!
I am getting a number of patrons opinion, (Great speakers), best CD recordings you can get, CD player or muti bluray format, good dac, amp. Can be more complicatedly simple. Love you doing this....help from your patrons....what do you think..you guys?
Just buy a good external R2R/multibit DAC and the spinner of your choice.
I quite like my phillips cd players sound wise though the marantz 5 disc changer my mate gave me is not to bad .
What’s the opinion ofSony dvp 9000es player
Sony ES series for me! I like their readers and have been robust and fairly easy maintenance. Yamaha has been good to me as well. Have an Onkyo DX-C390 6 and no complaints. I use all these as transports in my systems.
Yamaha CD-S300, love.
i own two cd players ; Denon cd-600ne and Rotel Cd-11 tribute both are very good !
I'm using Technics SL-PG460 from 1993. Have it in silver which seems a bit more rare, but still, nothing special. Paired with my Onkyo amp from 1989 it sounds alright, though.
My favourite cd players are arcam alpha9 cd ,tascam cd450 i cant stand streaming features on new units i enjoy your videos mike
You have great voice, btw :D
Thank you!
A new Lyngdorf CD-1 and you are good to go.
sometimes vintage is the way to go. i have a Pioneer PD-S703 rom 1994 and it outperforms my dad's more recent Marantz CD6004 by a long way
To sum up CD player sound comparisons, isn't it really just a DAC competition?
Yes, mostly, but the transport module has a small role to play as well.
Eu sinto que CD tem uma sonoridade mais interessante em CD Player do que em DVD ou Bluray Player.
Eu suspeito que o laser ser dedicado a um só tipo de mídia, faz essa diferença.
Mais ainda, o CD tocado num mini system sempre terá um processamemto superior também em potencial, e a combinação com as caixas acústicas próprias e dedicadas do aparelho, faz diferença!
Eu suspeito que o laser ser dedicado a um só tipo de mídia, faz essa diferença.
O melhor mini system que eu já ouvi CD foi o Aiwa NSX V599, com surround ativo, saída óptica digital, caixas de três vias com woofer e mid-range. O áudio é realista, vivo, envolvente, em camadas, exatamente como foi gravada em estúdio.
Pra mim,.esse aparelho representa a perfeição tecnológica nesse aspecto. Esse modelo deveria ser tombado como patrimônio histórico da humanidade.
Infelizmente, o fim de tudo isso foi uma decisão de acionistas, investidores e capitalistas. Eu não preciso de um desses leitões separados. Um bom mini system como o que eu citei, não precisava de mais nada. E o valor não passaria de R$1.200 atualmente. Triste!
Regredimos ao minimalismo! Uma prova de que o sistema não é comprometido com a verdadeira melhor tecnologia.
Soon my wife and i will get the Philips 900 set
❤simply solution , buy a Marantz, an old or new , it doesn't matter .
Just buy a cheap bluray player with toslink out and an external DAC that accepts toslink -- there are a ton of them online and they go for maybe $100.
Done
I think the 1990s was the golden age of CD players, just like the 1970's was the golden age of the integrated amplifiers.
I highly recommend a solid built player from Bang Olofsen, the CD 7000. With Philips CDM 4 and the iconic dac chip TDA 1541A. The main caps on this unit is not long lasting and should be replaced sooner rather than later.
Another gem I just found for only $80 is the Sony cdp-xb 920 QS. Not at all as costly as the ES variants but almost as good sounding. Fantastic sounding player when selecting any filter but the standard. This is also using the Philips DAC bitstream tech but Sony calls it Current Pulse.
Heard some Micromega players from the era and they were ground breaking.
Another second hand gem is Denon. Most of the top models from Denon are good.
Well that’s the same with vinyl. If recording sucks sound sucks
Appreciate the non-list🤨. Recently bought a Nakamichi MB-3, because it's Nakamichi. No regrets
Nice tips! My Rotel RCD-1072 still rocking the house on its own internal dac after 17 years or so
I have a Rotel RCD-1072 about the same age as yours and I did have it serviced almost three years ago.The service included cleaning out the dust, a bit of lubing the few moving parts where appropriate, checking voltages, cleaning the lens, and a new drive belt. I'm using it as a transport and will until it finally wears out or the new toy syndrome overwhelms the thrift genes in the DNA from my Yankee upbringing. When I do purchase a new CDP, I'll miss the track selection calendar on the 1072. That feature seems to have disappeared from the newer players.
Any fans of the Adcom GCD-575 from the late '80s?
I might need that one to complete my Adcom set
My first CD player was a very heavy Magnavox that I bought in the 80's for about $350 on closeout. The sound quality was pretty bad, most obvious with harpsichords that made a chunky non-musical sound. Fortunately the player developed an occasional high frequency screech so it was easy to justify trashing it.
biggest issue with older CD players is the CD drive mechanisms. They will eventually fail and replacements are getting rare for most. Teac made some of the best CD drives ever the VDRS system was second to none but even they eventually fail. I do know how many CD players are sitting in my friend vintage audio shop dead due to CD drive failing. stacks of them. CD players can, and many do, sound better then streaming but they are inherently prone to failure eventually due to mechanical systems that have quite close tolerances, etc. there are even some really nice chips in many of these older CD players that are desirable but the drives leave them hanging every time. I know there are many still running out there but enviably they will fail.
Thats the caveat with vintage. You never know when they will stop working.
Top loaders are more reliable I would imagine
Audiolab CDT 6000 cd transport
How do you like it? What dac are you using?
Have a oppo 93
Also a pioneer from 1982
If you want the best sound for an average mortal go and grab a modded and serviced Marantz CD 63 MKII KI. Till today its competition plays in the 2000 bucks + or even more range...
I’m interested!
@@mykandrewPls try one out, tell and thank me later. If a modded one is not available just try the standard KI. Trust me you won't regret it Andrew. And thanks again for your recommendation of the Oberon 3 bookshelves 2 years or so ago. They are too good to be true for the price that I paid (350 Euros for both new and with discount). Perfect match for my Cambridge AXR100...
1989 Denon dcd620 sounds full and is a tank. Similarly thrift store find: Technics SL-PG100 is a tank at $15 with Mash. NAD 5320 is another tank (solid) but not an exciting sound. Rotel RCD-951 from 1990: most excellent detailed sound, could use a hint of depth, but fussy on disc quality and may skip.
I went through countless 1990's Sony & JVC 5 disc carousels that lasted at most 2 years when purchased used.
I accept that newer players may be better, but I will stick with my 25 year old Arcam Alpha 7.
If it works, it works!
@@mykandrew And works extremely well.
The 7se must be the best secondhand value for money player ever it's better than a Audiolab 6000cdt with a rega dac .
Let's be honest, a modestly priced new cd player will comfortably outperform one from the 90's or 80's. And i am talking about decent Japanese and British brands, not cheap Chinese rubbish. I would estimate that the best value would be found from buying a second hand mid to high end cd player from 8-15 years ago from companies like Marantz, Naim, Cyrus, NAD, Rotel, Roksan, TEAC, Primare, Leema and Audiolab. Or Denon and Arcam if you wanted an SACD player or Universal Disc Player.
Companies like Technics, JVC, Onkyo and Pioneer weren't known for making particularly good disc spinners over the last 15 years or so.
Most of my CD players are holdovers from the early 90's. I have Technics, Sony and JVC.
If I already own a complete hi-fi system with some great, dedicated amp and dac, why should I spend hundreds of dollars (or more!) in a player that just reads and spits out digital data? Build quality? I'm confused. 😶
If that's what you believe, then stick to what you're comfortable with. Nobody is trying to change the way you look at things. Enjoy your music!
Yes, I have a few CDs (not many) that sound like crap in any player, most of my CDs though were made from the mid 90s through present and sound fine to very good depending.
For CD players, especially if CDs are ones main medium of choice or equal and one is needing to buy a player, I would stay away for the old ones, unless you know it was built like a brick chicken house, well cared for and doesn't have five thousand hours on it or something. Other than that, one is better off with new.
Sadly though ones choice of new players is rather thin no matter the price point. Only about 5 years ago one could get a very decent or better new player from Marantz or Rotel or what have you for around $300 or less. Today due to greed mostly and shipping costs internally, (not to mention tariffs applied a few years ago by someone who doesn't understand tariffs at all), one will not find a good player less than $600, but there are maybe a couple of decent players for less than that. I know Yamaha has one for around $400. Also one could go for a pro player like Tascam for $400 and that is not a bad choice because the transports on those are from the upper tier of transport module makers.
As far as I know, there are only two manufactures or so making transport modules for all dedicated audio CD players, whether they are $400 or $4000. The problem is that those manufactures also have two tiers of quality and you never know which was used in what player.
There are others out there from Denon, Onkyo, NAD, Cambridge and Pro-Ject for example, but I'd steer away from those unless one just needs something temporary or that won't get much use. Having had experience myself with half the ones I just named plus more, they don't last more than 2 years before they start having problems. It is a rule of thumb though to think that the lower tiered transport modules are used by the Denons, Onkyos, NADs, Cambridges and such while Marantz (which I know for fact), Rotel and others use the higher tier transports.
I have two Marantz players, one from about 5 years ago (I got new and has very low miles), that is solid as a steel beam that was around $300 new. I also have a more expensive one that while also solid as steel, I'm not as impressed with as it has too much fluff on it (bluetooth, direct streaming, etc.) that is useless. Sure it has the capability of playing high rez and all that, but none of that means anything. I only play CDs on it. (Although I have not explored a couple of other functions it has, but they are of no importance to me). The other thing I notice about the Marantz players I have compared to others I had in the past is that the Marantz players are not light weight. I don't know why. Both my players weigh in around 16 to 20 pounds. Other players I have had from the likes of Denon, Onkyo, etc were all around 5 pounds. Maybe Marantz puts bricks or weights in their players, I don't know as I have not had to pop the hood on either. (I have been under the hood on my other players in the past and can tell you that most of what is in them is air).
I also have an old Denon multinational DVD / SACD player from I don't know when, many moons ago. Still going with no issues, I don't use anymore, but it is around should I need to. Not many made and is pretty light, but it has it where it counts.
Also, unless its an Oppo, I would not use a DVD player or BR player to play CDs. Sure, it works, but the topography and such just are done with audio CDs in mind and the transport modules are low quality. DVD and BR players are made to be disposable.
As for how a player sounds, one can always attempt to change the sound with an outboard DAC.
Glad i see your comment. I'm new in cd player, mostly just play cd from low end player and end up just 2 year before the player get start problem. So for long running miles do you suggest marantz and rotel to go with?
@@BoluKeju From what I understand, either of those will do the job. Just go with which has the lower price. I have lots of experience with Marantz. I have no experience with Rotel, but plenty of those who do have no complaints. While I appreciate the robust drives and such that Marantz uses, there is nothing else super impressive about them. I also would not go for more than a Marantz CD6007. The higher priced units are so not worth the money. The CD6007 is sold out now though and likely not coming back, so I think the Rotel is all there is.
@@ericelliott227 thanks for your experience, gonna check between 2 of them
Sony cds 777es denon dcd 1500 11
I was givin a pioneer video disc player years ago. I never thought cd sounded good until I booked it up. No analog outs. No clue on the dac. But sounds so analog. No digital glare.
What is the model number?
@@mykandrew cld-v2600 they are so worth checking out.way over Built for cd's it's not funny because same Lazer is used for video.
Generally older are better, more support for bygone audio codecs and dolby support that modern systems lack because most don't want to pay for thx verification or dolby systems. Most repairs on cd players are minor like a belt or cleaning. I am not saying I have "Audiophile" level gear. Just a Sony CDP-CX355, Sega CD model 1, Sega Saturn, Sony Playstation, JVC-FZ258 and various sony DVD players. though I do not tend to mix media, Consoles play games only and DVD players play movies only. The Sony CDP-CX355 also helps me find bootlegs in my collection since it can only play pressed discs.
Another subject most audiophiles skip is that burned discs do cause a player to die early. Especially if the player wasn't made with burned discs in mind