China-made CDPs

[poolshark]

Are the China-made CDP brands Original and Shanling being retailed locally and by who? They are very cheap but highly-rated, either used as a full CDP or as a transport only. I want to get one to use as a transport to mate with my DacMagic

Thanks.

[O.D. Yeo]

I got my shanling in shanghai, but I recall that JR at LiStyle used to deal them a few years ago.

[Squirrelnutzipper]

Those two cdps are definitely good value. They, as many others, including 12,000 USD players, use the inexpensive Philips CDM 12.10 transport and a variation of the CD7 II servo sytem. Even the expensive Philips CDM Pro2 with metal frame, uses essentially the same mechanism and servo control with error correction as the CDM 12 .10, with arguably no better performance, irrespective of claims to the contrary by manufacturers of alleged high end players. The real difference in sound comes from the design of the power supplies and DAC, and not the transport mechanism, so much.

Used players would also probably suit your purpose as a transport for your DAC, assuming you cannot find local dealers for these brands. One thing though, Philips is notorious for not supporting older models of their mechanisms. If you plan to keep whatever player you settle on for a long time, it might be advisable to buy an extra cd mechanism. The relatively common and plastic CDM 12.10 is available for around 30 to 50 USD, if you look around. It is made in China. You should just tuck it away for a rainy day in the future, should you need a replacement mechanism.

[poolshark]

I got my shanling in shanghai, but I recall that JR at LiStyle used to deal them a few years ago.

Thanks OD. I will check on JR.

[poolshark]

Good advise SNZ.

I did read up on some expensive Krell CD transports being converted as paperweights due to the lack of support from the older Philips mechanisms. Krell was pretty-peeved about this (and more so were their consumers). This is one of the reasons why an inexpensive but good CDP is on my wishlist now. At less than $300, how could I go wrong? It will presumably last for at least 10 years (and another 10, with a spare $50 transport) so it's definitely a bang for the buck deal.

Go to http://www.ornec.com and see the huge sale they have on Original and Shanling CDPs. The Original A6S or A8S would be good enough for me. There was a review on the A6S used as a transport only and pitted against the ML # 31 reference model. There were a few differences but very, very minimal, surely not enough to justify the ML's 10-fold price. And you are right, the key is in your DAC. I hope it matches well with my DacMagic. I don't see why not

Now if I can find a local dealer

[Squirrelnutzipper]

Good advise SNZ.

I did read up on some expensive Krell CD transports being converted as paperweights due to the lack of support from the older Philips mechanisms. Krell was pretty-peeved about this (and more so were their consumers). This is one of the reasons why an inexpensive but good CDP is on my wishlist now. At less than $300, how could I go wrong? It will presumably last for at least 10 years (and another 10, with a spare $50 transport) so it's definitely a bang for the buck deal.

Go to http://www.ornec.com and see the huge sale they have on Original and Shanling CDPs. The Original A6S or A8S would be good enough for me. There was a review on the A6S used as a transport only and pitted against the ML # 31 reference model. There were a few differences but very, very minimal, surely not enough to justify the ML's 10-fold price. And you are right, the key is in your DAC. I hope it matches well with my DacMagic. I don't see why not

Now if I can find a local dealer

The price is so low. For that kind of money, just get it from Ornec. How can you go wrong? I am sure that it will be good with an external dac.

I think that cd players are fast becoming obsolete anyway, so why spend huge amounts of money for them? I did build a transport from a kit, using the CDM 12.10 mechanism. It has very nicely designed power supplies and a beefy transformer, as well as a nice clock implementation. I use a PC based system almost all the time for digital, but I figured that I ought to have the ability to spin discs, especially if a guest brings some over to listen to. It sounds very nice, actually, but I prefer the PC based front end in terms of sound quality and convenience, for reasons I have expressed in detail before.

I am sure that whatever you end up with as a sanely priced cd spinner will please you. Good luck!

[poolshark]

Good points. I think whatever will replace the CDP will be backward-compatible so CDs will still be playable. Not sure though if CDs will still be subsequently made and sold. This could be my last CDP purchase as it should last for another 10 years.

On another note, my old Rotel RCD-951 skips the 1st few tracks of certain CDs, esp when cold. After half an hour of use, it will track anything. Or, sometimes reinserting the CD will take care of the problem immediately. Would you say this is a laser lens issue? If so, who can replace the lens here? What are my options? It's a great player but it's almost 10 years old and gets cranky at times.

[Squirrelnutzipper]

On another note, my old Rotel RCD-951 skips the 1st few tracks of certain CDs, esp when cold. After half an hour of use, it will track anything. Or, sometimes reinserting the CD will take care of the problem immediately. Would you say this is a laser lens issue? If so, who can replace the lens here? What are my options? It's a great player but it's almost 10 years old and gets cranky at times.

There are a number of possible problems, other than laser failure. For a quick guide to troubleshooting and possible problems, have a look here: http://www.lampizator.eu/LAMPIZATOR/TRA ... ology.html This guy has a lot of hands-on experience with many types of cd players and dacs, from the low end to the high end. You may not agree with 100 percent of what he has to say. I do not, but some things I do see eye to eye with are his advice not to pay too much for any cd player and also that PC audio beats cd players.

Be his opinion subjective or otherwise, he speaks from a vast amount of experience and experimenting, and not mere conjecture or reliance upon manufacturer's overhyped claims and the scribblings and droolings of so called expert audio reviewers. See if this helps you identify the problem you are experiencing. Hopefuly, the mechanism just needs a good cleaning and relube. Let us know what you find out.

[poolshark]

Thanks for the link. I never knew that there were many other places to clean inside the CDP. I was just cleaning the top lens, which (now I know) isn't the lens itself. It's the bottom lens (and under it that must be cleaned as well

Happy holidays!