oogins Posted January 9, 2002 Share Posted January 9, 2002 I want to get a decent single disk CD player. I'm willing to pay up to $500, but no more. The Marantz CD5000 is the only one I've found in this price range. Can you guys suggest any other CD players? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted January 9, 2002 Share Posted January 9, 2002 I bought the Marantz CD6000 about a year ago for around $300. It has proved to be far better than I had expected and I am uterly delighted with it. This is despite the fact that about 2 days after I got it the CD6000 OSE came out and 2 months later the CD6000 HKI both of which are supposedly higher up the range. I do not know how the 5000 and 6000 relate to one another but the 6000 won some award or other last year (EISA I think). ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted January 9, 2002 Share Posted January 9, 2002 Listen, if you can fork out $150 more dollars to reach $650, then I know a GREAT deal on an amazing CDP getting ready to be released. How do I have this info? I am getting ready to add it to the company web site and from the info I have received, this looks to be an insanely great deal considering all the stuff they are putting in this unit. First, they take a Pioneer DV-343 24bit CD/DVD player which is a great little player for the money but not really audiophile quality but a good platform. Then Dan Wright of ModWright modifications (the guy famous for the Perpetual Technologies mods that got raves in Stereophile and online) does his magic on the power supply circuit. Here is a quick list of what this player will offer: Will play: CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD Video functions same as original DVD player. * Digtital Out: Upgraded to 75 Ohm BNC. Ciruit improvements ala Dan Wright. Audio Analog Changes: #1 Power Supply tweaked ala Dan Wright: Better and larger caps all around, Cryo HexFreds and IEC added. Will help video section also. #2 LC Audio LClock + power supply installed. Will help video section also. GREATLY improve the sonics! #3 LC Audio ZAPfilter + power supply analog gain stage replaces stock analog gain stage completely. They take the output directly from the DAC (Brown Burr PCM1716). Again, this will be a HUGE increase in sonic performance as it is the downfall of almost ALL CD players, even those in the high price bracket. #4 Cardas gold plated RCAs on analog out. The player is coming out at the end of January. Basically, the price will be lower than the cost of the components alone and they will be already installed in a player with a proven record of performance. The LC Audio clocking and audiophile output section really does wonders for the sound quality - when you factor in the work of Dan Wright, this player is a GREAT deal. You get a 24Bit machine that will compete with machines many times its price. Most low cost CDPs really short you in the analog section as well as the digital domain. You wont believe the better sound you get when you upgrade these sections. Although I do the site work for DIYCable, I am not connected with them in any way. Take this rec at face value. I just thought I'd share it with this forum as a good deal in the works. I am getting one myself to compare with my 18bit Rega Planet, a player that has so far beaten all of the low to medium cost 24bit machines I have auditioned. The machine will have a DIYCable warranty as well. kh system one online / alternate components / asylum listing f>s> ps- A used Rega Planet is also GREAT way to go as well. I love this deck (the original). The most analog sounding player I have heard and the best ergonomics as well. pps- A few of you have written emails asking for advice or info. I have been so swamped with web updates that I have not had time to get back but I have saved all the mails and will respond! I hate when people neglect email so I apologize. This message has been edited by mobile homeless on 01-09-2002 at 09:19 AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted January 9, 2002 Share Posted January 9, 2002 Since I have not heard or read about the upgraded Pioneer unit that mobile writes about, I can only go with my previous recommendations, yet the idea of upgrading a Pioneer unit seems to make more sense than upgrading the well regarded Marantz ones. Therefore, I would run, not walk, to hear the $579 AH! NJOE TJOEB (pronounced "new tube") 4000 CD Player. In the equipment archives at http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/, ex-Stereophile Dick Olsher says "All considered, the Njoe Tjoeb represents a fantastic bargain - a clear 100 on our value for the money scale. Outfitted with the Amperex Bugle Boys , the Njoe Tjoeb remains my reference in the under $1,500 price category. If you're a music lover on a budget, look no further, and treat yourself to this Dutch Bonbon. The old Tjoeb is dead. Long live the Njoe Tjoeb!" He has since reviewed other, tube modified CD players. See the Heart CD 6000, also a Maratz modified player, at: http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0102/heartcd6000.htm. "Resolution of low-level detail also competitive with any player I've heard to date priced under $3,000. The sound was integrated from top to bottom; no one octave vied for my attention. The grain and grit I have come to expect from inexpensive players were completely absent." Myself? I would also look for one that is a combination DVD/A and CD player. I use a politely British single disc player, the Rotel 951, which has the famous Burr-Brown chips. It was recommended to me by Ralph Karsten of Atma-sphere OTL amps and I am quite pleased with its performance, build quality and handling. I have not compared other more expensive units since I bought this one. If it has deficiencies, I will admit that I have no way of identifying them. I use a vibration isolation platform made of tennis balls and a 30 pound garden paving tile, which I wrote about for the Enjoy the Music.com web site (see http://www.enjoythemusic.com/tweaks/), and this seems to help enough to be worth the twenty dollars invested. A good remote is essential. The more audio components that have one the better. (I can't think of a earthly reason why speaker cables would ever need a remote control, but if someone made cables with a remote, I am sure it would be handy to have!) This CD unit has one, which is especially nice on single disc units (so you can repeat the disc). The play and stop buttons are black, like the unit, so you can't see them in the dark. The shuffle button, which is the one I use all the time anyway, is in the far right hand corner, so this makes night operation easy. I have only owned one NAD or Rotel component so far, both recommendations from Karsten, but I would recommend them strongly as very good values for the money. This message has been edited by Colin on 01-09-2002 at 12:23 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbflash Posted January 9, 2002 Share Posted January 9, 2002 I agree with Mobile. If you can find a used Rega, I would get that. I have a Rega Planet 2000. It has the best sound I've heard. Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Bey Posted January 9, 2002 Share Posted January 9, 2002 I am somewhat leary of modded DVD players, such as the Ah Tjoeb and other variants. My concern is that they have cheap parts, middle of the road engineering, and someone soups it up with aftermarket 'specials' to make it better. At least more marketable. Having said that I have had the parts upgrade done on my DAC, and my amps have extensive upgraded parts and wires. But, they were good engineering to begin with. I guess what I'm thinking is the silk purse from a sows ear thing. I would go used long before I bought new. This market for CD transports is a buyers one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted January 9, 2002 Share Posted January 9, 2002 CD players are a "bit" different in this regard. Many many share the same chip sets and even designs. But what makes it beneficial is the fact that you can take a good player that is well made and swap out the op amps, clock, some caps in the supply, and the unit can basically compete with players many times its price. Many of the even GOOD CD players are short changed in the analog section. These are trouble free upgrades where you substitute parts much like plugging in better parts in your computer. Randy, I understand what you are saying here but it really doesnt apply, especially with the CD player as the example. If you think back on all the great players that used other mechanisms as the base, you will come up with dozens and dozens including many of main names which used Sony, Philips, and even Pioneer as the base of their own players, then rebranded and with better output stages, clocks, and power supplies. Theta, Cary, CAL, and many others did this. In the case of the Tjoeb and the ModWright unit I described above, it is a completely SAFE and legitimate player taken to the next level right off the assembly line. The key is to find a good base player and give it the important parts. The Tjoeb, which I have heard at length, is a very fine player, especially for the money. I think the ModWright cd player is also going to be a giant killer as well. Either of these units would be a fine choice without worry. Actually, CD players are one of the most sketchy devices to buy used of all. IT is just about the last piece of gear I would buy used as it is so fragile and easy to foul. And when a mid-fi player breaks, it is not even worth the effort and expense to fix the unit. I DID end up buying my Rega Planet used but that player is literally built like a tank and the owner was a fastidious audiophile. I got a great deal on a great player. I dont know of many other used players I would buy these days. It is a risk while amplifiers and speakers are much less so. kh This message has been edited by mobile homeless on 01-09-2002 at 09:50 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oogins Posted January 10, 2002 Author Share Posted January 10, 2002 What's your opinion on the Myryad T-10? My dealer is selling the demo for $499. Regular price is $799. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aab3rd Posted January 10, 2002 Share Posted January 10, 2002 Also, what about some of the units from Cambridge Audio. I know some of the newer ones do not have EXELENT reviews but the older CD4SE? does at audioreview.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aab3rd Posted January 12, 2002 Share Posted January 12, 2002 Also, check out this unit from AMC. It is half price at Audioadvisor for $199.00. http://www.audioadvisor.com/store/productd etail.asp?sku=AMCCD8B&product_name=CD8B%2024/96%20DAC%20CD%20Player%20-%20Now%2050%%20Off! It gets pretty good reviews at Audioreview This message has been edited by aab3rd on 01-12-2002 at 02:30 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oogins Posted January 12, 2002 Author Share Posted January 12, 2002 I did some reading on the Ah! Njoe Tjoeb 4000 and the Heart Tube Output CD 5000. The more reading I do, the more interested I become. I also like the fact that they are modded Marantz CD players, and I have always liked Marantz's appearance. But there are a few questions I have, hopefully you guys can help me. What are the main differences between the Ah! Njoe Tjoeb 4000 and the Heart Tube Output CD 5000? I believe the 5000 is newer than the 4000, but the 4000 is more expensive. Does this mean the 4000 is better than the 5000? Second, how well will these CD players sound if being used with SS amps? I really have no intentions of buying any tube amps in the near future. Lastly, what's the build quality like on these players? Are they likely to break down after a couple years? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MZklipsch Posted January 12, 2002 Share Posted January 12, 2002 Myryad T-10 is an excellent choise!! Good sound, decent construction quality. Get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oogins Posted January 12, 2002 Author Share Posted January 12, 2002 When my dealer showed me the Myryad T-10, I was a bit skeptical because I never heard of them before. After doing some research, I learned Myryad is a quality brand from Britain. They are owned by Chris and David Evans, both formerly of Arcam and NAD. After learning this info I called my dealer to ask about the CD player but alas, my dealer already sold the T-10 demo. If I'm able to talk the price of a new unit down to around $500, I'll definately pick it up. This message has been edited by oogins on 01-12-2002 at 06:18 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oogins Posted January 17, 2002 Author Share Posted January 17, 2002 quote: Originally posted by oogins: I did some reading on the Ah! Njoe Tjoeb 4000 and the Heart Tube Output CD 5000. The more reading I do, the more interested I become. I also like the fact that they are modded Marantz CD players, and I have always liked Marantz's appearance. But there are a few questions I have, hopefully you guys can help me. What are the main differences between the Ah! Njoe Tjoeb 4000 and the Heart Tube Output CD 5000? I believe the 5000 is newer than the 4000, but the 4000 is more expensive. Does this mean the 4000 is better than the 5000? Second, how well will these CD players sound if being used with SS amps? I really have no intentions of buying any tube amps in the near future. Lastly, what's the build quality like on these players? Are they likely to break down after a couple years? Anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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