Recommend a good CD player for me

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Recommend a good CD player for me

Postby vintage_dog » Tue Apr 08, 2003 9:38 pm

my 1995 laser disc player i use as transport has been acting up lately... now i need a good replacement that does not cost an arm and a leg...something i can use as a transport to my dac.

any ideas guys?
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Postby rtsyrtsy » Tue Apr 08, 2003 10:15 pm

You do know I've been at this digital source search for the past several years. (And that it ended quite recently!) So here goes.

Rene has several options:

1--a nice looking (not sure about sound) Sony SACD player for below PhP20k. I like the idea of using an SACD player as transport for CDs since you effectively get 2 sources: an entry level SACD player, and potentially a good redbook transport.

2--Audio Note 2003 used for quite a while a Musical Fidelity E624 (Audio_Tyro's current source) as transport feeding his Audio Note DAC. As he's moved up to an Audio Note CDT-One (not the 2, right?) w/ big time mods I'll let him fill you in on how the E624 was as a transport. Audio Note 2003's MF E624 is now w/ Rene selling for also about PhP20k.

3--In the Positive Feedback review of the Audio Note DAC 1.1, the reviewer (was it Larry Cox?) felt his Pioneer DV525 (discontinued though) is a stonking bargain in its performance as a transport. I bought mine (in my HT now) for less than PhP15k.

4--A couple of months ago, there was a PhP10k EAD CD player. It's actually a beeffed up Pioneer (w/ Stable Platter, the one where you load the CDs label side down).

5--Sonny Tuazon has a California Audio Labs Delta transport & Alpha DAC. Not sure though if he'll sell just the transport. The DAC has a nasty ding w/c could help you bargain.

6--Of course, there is the DIY route:

http://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/armoniacd1_e.html uses a hard to find Philips top loading transport though.

http://www.diymania.net/pass/project/transport.htm may require you to buy a DVD-burner for your PC so you can rip out your Creative Sound Blaster CD-ROM for this project.

http://www.marleylondon.com/cdpro.htm

http://www.otlamp.com/pix/ps/cd.html if you can stand the looks.

I'm sure the dedicated DIYers on the board would have more to add.
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Postby onedown » Wed Apr 09, 2003 10:01 am

vintage_dog, i'm also looking for a cd player. i hope you won't mind if i post a few questions of my own in this thread of yours. so here goes.

i'm looking for a budget priced cd player that sounds decent enough. i'm hoping that you folks can help me out here. from my window shopping, i've seen three models that are within my budget. haven't auditioned any of them yet, but would definitely do so before i finalize my purchase. would appreciate your feedback about the players listed below. i'll be using the player mostly for headphone listening via a DIY headphone amp that i got from one of the stores in park square.

Pioneer -- heard that poineers tend to sound a bit thin

Teac CD-P1250 -- as per teac's website, S/N ratio is only 70 dB. is this too low?

Yamaha CDX 396 -- yamaha website says this model uses a single bit DAC. does this mean that this is an inferior player compared to other players that uses a 16-bit DAC?

thanks.
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Postby vintage_dog » Wed Apr 09, 2003 10:09 am

hey russ, thanks for a most helpful post. will follow through on some of your tips.

thanks!
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Postby stjohn » Wed Apr 09, 2003 10:18 am

would a musical fidelity a-series or x-series cd off your shortlist?

:idea: if you're looking for transport, check-out Melvyn's DCM - he has a Mephisto. I used to have a similar unit way back 80s... Pierre Lurné, you know... this is also a descent cdp, and if you have a treasured DAC, this maybe a ticket for you. am not sure how much, though... i think he's got an arcam, too.

good luck in your hunt!
8)
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yamaha cdx 496

Postby dinolara » Wed Apr 09, 2003 10:32 am

[Yamaha CDX 396 -- yamaha website says this model uses a single bit DAC. does this mean that this is an inferior player compared to other players that uses a 16-bit DAC? ]

I'm using Yamaha CDX 496 and I'm very happy with it. It's a budget CD player so don't expect too much.

I cannot comment when used as transport but as a complete player I'm satisfied.

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Postby rtsyrtsy » Wed Apr 09, 2003 11:26 am

onedown wrote:i'll be using the player mostly for headphone listening via a DIY headphone amp that i got from one of the stores in park square.


What DIY headphone amp in Park Square? I'd be interested in this.

onedown wrote:Pioneer -- heard that poineers tend to sound a bit thin

Teac CD-P1250 -- as per teac's website, S/N ratio is only 70 dB. is this too low?

Yamaha CDX 396 -- yamaha website says this model uses a single bit DAC. does this mean that this is an inferior player compared to other players that uses a 16-bit DAC?


I haven't auditioned Japanese CD players in a long time and this is because I never quite liked em from way back ("thin" sounding would be one of the reasons why) w/ the possible exception of some Marantz models then and perhaps 47 Labs or Kondo-san's stuff now. 8)

However, do read through the "Reviews" section of this forum where I posted listening notes on various CD players I auditioned before. They are mostly in the PhP30kish range and I'm not sure how that compares vs. your budget.

Keep an eye out on the used stuff. AT some point, Rene had a Marantz CD63 for under PhP10k.

My loyal NAD 502 has recently been put to semi-retirement. It's been lovingly cared for (no more box but I still have the locking key and manuals I think) and had only two minor breakdowns in its 9 year life: one was a display bulb replacement by Upscale and the other was a belt replacement by Hyperaudio. Let me know if you are interested.
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Postby onedown » Wed Apr 09, 2003 12:16 pm

dinolara, thanks for your feedback. :)

rtsy, i got the headphone amp pre-assembled from phasetron. i'm not sure how it would compare to higher-end ones like your x-cans v2 as i haven't listened to headphone amps before. this amp had absolutely no documentation, so i couldn't post more info like its specs. got it just the same since it costs less than a senn 497. :) right now, its connected to a balky china-made vcd player.

i'll check out the reviews you posted, though 30K is way over what i can afford. the three players i mentioned costs less than 10K.

as for your NAD, thanks for the offer, but i would prefer something younger. guess i'll have to wait, just in case rene has something more recent for sale.

thanks for being patient with me. :)
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Postby onedown » Wed Apr 09, 2003 12:39 pm

rtsy, forgot to ask, but pardon my ignorance, :oops: but i don't quite understand what you meant by 47 Labs and Kondo-san's. are they audio stores, or brand names? they sound like audiophile lingo to me.

thanks again.
:)
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Postby rtsyrtsy » Wed Apr 09, 2003 1:04 pm

onedown wrote:rtsy, forgot to ask, but pardon my ignorance, :oops: but i don't quite understand what you meant by 47 Labs and Kondo-san's. are they audio stores, or brand names? they sound like audiophile lingo to me.


47 Labs is an innovative Japanese hi-fi manufacturer who have made waves recently with their unassuming but supposedly highly musical Gaincard amplifier (size of a cigarette pack per monoblock and reputed to be carried up the air by stiff, higher end cables!), their Flatfish CD player/transport, and non-oversampling (S/S) DACs. Like Naim, they also pay quite a bit of attention to power supplies.

Kondo-san used to be Peter Qvortrup's partner in Audio Note. They've had an unhappy business separation and Kondo now markets his products under his own name. Kondo sells the most expensive amplifier in the world: the Ongaku. I understand there is someone here in Manila that has one of Kondo's pre and power amp. :lol:
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Postby onedown » Wed Apr 09, 2003 2:06 pm

thanks for enlightening me, rtsy. from your descriptions, they must be among the best sounding gear available. too bad though, by the time i have the cash to even consider buying one of them, i might be already deaf due to old age. :lol:
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Postby rtsyrtsy » Wed Apr 09, 2003 4:06 pm

onedown wrote:thanks for enlightening me, rtsy. from your descriptions, they must be among the best sounding gear available. too bad though, by the time i have the cash to even consider buying one of them, i might be already deaf due to old age. :lol:


Many ways to get good gear.

First, you don't need to buy expensive.

Second, you can always hunt for good, used models or for good deals on new ones. This is how I've built my system, slowly but surely. Prior to my latest round of upgrades, I used my former system 9 years.

Third, save, save, save!
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Postby vintage_dog » Tue Apr 22, 2003 10:29 am

well, this is how my "search" ended....

got a Sony SACD player instead with the following published features:

plays DVD-Video discs, multichannel & stereo SACDs, CDs, audio CD-Rs & CD-RWs, and MP3 CDs
192kHz/24-bit audio D/A converter
108MHz/12-bit video D/A converter
selectable interlaced/progressive-scan video output
Pixel-by-Pixel I/P Conversion de-interlacer with 3-2 pulldown processing
twin laser pickup
Precision Drive 2 system
SmoothScan and SmoothSlow search modes
TV Virtual Surround for enhanced 2-speaker sound
built-in Dolby Digital/DTS decoder with 5.1-channel output
bass management for multichannel output
optical and coaxial digital outputs for Dolby Digital/DTS/PCM
2 sets of A/V outputs (2 composite, 2 S-video, and 1 480i/480p component video)
multibrand remote (operates most TVs)
audio signal-to-noise ratio 115 dB
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Postby rtsyrtsy » Tue Apr 22, 2003 10:37 am

vintage_dog wrote:well, this is how my "search" ended....

got a Sony SACD player instead with the following published features:



Are you saying you helped Racio buy the Shanling buy getting his DVD player used as transport? :lol:
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Postby arnoldc » Tue Apr 22, 2003 10:41 am

a conspiracy!! ha ha ha

congrats vintage dog 8)
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Postby vintage_dog » Tue Apr 22, 2003 10:46 am

well...not quite...

i got a 755 model (racio's is a 700), from the US. should get here in a month together with some other audio toys...
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Postby Xander » Mon May 19, 2003 3:42 pm

I have an Onkyo CD Player and nakalagay sa front eh Accupulse D/A Converter. What the heck does it mean? (yung Accupulse).
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Postby yeo » Tue May 20, 2003 2:13 pm

i second the suggestion for marantz cd63. with a little modding, this player is truly excellent! also, the optical pick-up head isn't too difficult to change.

a customer bought his audiolab 8000cd to me for repair. the optical pick-up head died. after repairing, we did a comparison between the audiolab and my cd63. my cd63 simply has more life! the audiolab sounded like it was from the 80s... :cry: i'm disappointed as its build quality is really top notch.

anyway, just my 2 cents.

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