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CD Player Advice


CapZark

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I need a new CD player for my 2 channel system. I am most interested in the best sound quality possible for my budget. Something that will give me LP/analog like sound. My budget is $1,000.00. I only play audio CDs, so I would like to stick with something that specializes in CD audio. I don't need all the DVD, MP3, etc.. Single disk player ok. There are so many options, any advice would be appreciated.

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I checked those out and they look really nice. I have mostly vintage equipment, but I'm a little hesitant to buy a vintage CD player. There are some older Pioneer players on Ebay that are in my price range and they look like they are built like a tank (see below).

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270689256562&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

I'm just curious if it would be wise to buy a 20 year old CD player that weighs 40 lbs? I would think the newer ones have come a long way since then, but I don't know a lot about them?

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i think there has been a lot of improvement in the DAC's in cd players over the past 25+ years, i would second the cambridge audio azur line...

or buy an outboard DAC. I recently purchased a Cambridge Audio DacMagic (actually christmas gift from wife), mucho improvement.

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I'm just curious if it would be wise to buy a 20 year old CD player that weighs 40 lbs?

Being that I happen to have a 21 year old Denon DCD-3520 that weighs 40+ pounds and is in almost mint condition both physically and mechanically, I would say why not if the price is right. I found one on the Atlanta c-list about four months ago for $200.00 and did not hesitate to buy it. It is built like Fort Knox and I would put it up against many $2000.00 players of today in build quality and sound quality.

http://www.thevintageknob.org/DENON/DCD3520/DCD3520.html

Bill

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Dont be afraid of vintage players some of the better ones are built very well and sound even better. For my main 2 channel system right now I use a HK 7600ll and it sounds much better than every player I have tried so far (about a year) It is very detailed and crisp but remains musical and warm. It received very good reveiws in its day and bested much more expensive players and now can be purchased for less than 50.00! In the last year I have tried old and new cd players from oppo, nad, and sony and none of them sound as good. I had I guy out who worked for altec for awhile and he said my system sounded better than any altec system he had heard, all with a 50.00 cd player.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Some of the older top of the line CD players (McIntosh, Sony ES) were and are excellent, but these things do contain transports and other parts that wear, so, personally, I'd either buy new or look for a current model on the used market.

When my Sony ES player finally dies, I plan to replace it with a Marantz Reference series CD player. These seem to be very well made (extremely important down the road if you plan to keep it for many years, as I do) and about the best available at anything resembling a reasonable price. Even so, the entry level Reference CD player (the SA-15S2) lists at about twice your budget. On the other hand, a good used example might be about $1000 and well worth it!

The benefit to buying top quality is that you can still be using and enjoying it 10, 15 or 20 years down the road, long after sonically similar, but less well built, units have been replaced two, three or more times. In the long run, quality products are cheaper than inexpensive products and you get to enjoy the best the whole time.

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