BEGINNER'S GUIDE - CD PLAYERS FOR ALL. THEY AIN'T DEAD YET! HERE'S WHY YOU SHOULD BUY A NEW ONE
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- Опубликовано: 11 дек 2020
- Paul Rigby firstly looks at broad issues regarding buying a CD Player then examines a range of CD Players from differing price points. Mainly aimed at the beginner, hopefully everyone can take something away from this one. (NOTE: The included hardware list is included for awareness *only*)
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I purchased a Teac CD Player because it had a low price of $189.00, remembering that Teac was a good brand back in 70's and 80's, and I only wanted a CD "transport" into my DAC. The piece of junk stopped working after a few months and I found that the company no longer has support or repair accommodations for their products in the US. The repair service providers which I was able to find would have charged nearly as much as the purchase price to "fix" this crappy machine. I tossed the Teac piece of crap into the recycle bin and purchased a used DVD player to use as a transport at the charity store for $10, then I purchased a remote control on ebay for $7. I will NEVER buy another piece of crap Teac product again; to others I say "don't waste your money or your time". Lesson learned: Buy a good machine from a reliable manufacturer, because even if the price is higher, it will end up costing LESS in dollars and grief!
Very interesting.
A disc player for sound.
A disk player for energy .
A disc player that creates sound.
A disk player that creates energy.
A record disk that plays sound
A record disk that plays energy.
So I need a multiplaying energy disk player...so I can use multiple energies at once.
Doge Audio from China used to make a fantastic Tube CD player. Small company. They currently only make Doge 7 DAC, can be fully balanced and tube output stage. Try to review that one. 😉
I have two rigs,one an HH Scott with a Marantz CD player and one which is a complete Luxman.I play vinyl and 78’s as well as CD’s. CD’s are an important
part of my collection being a Blues enthusiast I find it is fantastic that most of the original music long since deleted on vinyl and 78’s has been re released on CD.
*TEAC* *IS* *JUNK!* *DON'T* *WASTE* *YOUR* *MONEY!*
I purchased 2 TEAC players (one for me and one for my S/O's house) and BOTH of them crapped out and stopped working within a few months of purchase and AFTER my Amazon return window closed! BOTH of them!
*BUT* *WAIT;* *IT* *GETS* *WORSE!*
...when I tried to get warrantee info and repair or replacement for these obviously defective products, I found that *TEAC* no longer supports their products in the USA and I'd have pay to ship these crappy machines to Japan for repair, or, I'd have to get a private repair shop to fix them. I called a few shops and they said that it would probably cost almost as much to diagnose and fix the unit as it cost to purchase.
*TEAC* *IS* *JUNK!* *DON'T* *WASTE* *YOUR* *MONEY!*
People are definitely forgetting how good CD sounds. Streaming is super convenient, but if you've got good speakers, you really should throw a CD on now and then to hear the difference.
totally!
I agree. I have no idea why, but CDs *do* sound better than streaming.
@@doctorcXanthophyll I believe its because vinyls are exported in a lossless format basically meaning when it's put into sound there's alot less that's squished down to fit its file format whils mp3 is squished down and sounds alot worse. Basically mp3 is new and imatture and cd/vinyl is mature and is defined more
One of the things I've noticed is streaming can be faulty clicks and pops sometimes not to mention the loudness Wars
its only people people generally stream low bitrate, highly compressed MP3s, if you stream music in lossless codecs they sound just as good if not better, Tidal for example supports AAC and FLAC
This is great to hear. I have been happily buying CDs for over 35 years and will continue to do so as I love the format.
just DReämt öff the bröad us? hinguess i göt fröm a us? döörce cd ^!?^
jewel cäsys were chiip träche -.-
After collecting records for over 12 years now, I recently started buying cds a few months before the pandemic started. I started to notice that even people younger than me are starting to ALSO collect cds. With y2k culture and fashion making a comeback, the early 2000s are becoming vintage, WHICH MEANS that cds will become the new hipster movement. I wouldn't be surprised if vinyl goes back to a niche at the end of the decade and cds make a booming comeback.
That is how I read it, and I have been collecting records for 60 years. I am sure that the analogue revival has much to do with those brought up in the digital era, and most will come to realise all the shortcomings and inconvenience of a technology which is fundamentally the same as Thomas Edison's invention when the novelty begins to wear thin.. CD has suffered from being so easy to produce and there are so many more interested in making a quick buck than paying attention to quality work, but when one hears recordings by companies like Chandos, Hyperion, Pentatone, Onyx and others who stake their reputation on their engineering quality, I dare to suggest that no home format can surpass the sound of a good CD. I am confident that it is here to stay.
I feel the same way about tapes. I feel they'll also make a comeback since newer albums (especially metal) are getting tapes made
I Never stopped buying cds, 95% my whole collection are used cds
I stopped buying vinyl about 2yrs ago, prices are outrageous and the artificial scarcity and limited coloured bs vinyl ruined everything.
Vinyl is back strong here in WNY
Hi everyone, CD is my favorite music media ever. I was in the 70s last century a brave defender of the LP since I listened to a CD for the first time in a public demo back in 1983. I purchased a SONY CDP-101. Since then a quite bunch of cd’s players have been set on my rack but there is one in particular I purchased in 1992, is the DENON DCD-2560. It is a keeper- winner for me. I have recently fully recapped it and swapped the output opamps for a BB opa2134s, OMG what an upgrade, it sounds richer, fuller sound with awesome mids and stunning lows and highs are sweet and spot on. I truly believe CD format will improve sales within we the lovers of the physical format and... no pops, ticks, messy cleaning products and NO stand ups to turn the thing over! LONG LIVE THE CD!
The format is alive and well in Japan and they are doing a lot to enhance and develop the CD into an ongoing niche hi fi product
I would say that thanks to the likes of ebay, CDs are doing well around the world. I, for one, keep buying Japanese SHM SACDs and SHM CDs from Japan and have them sent to me here in Spain.
That has always spoke volumes to me. Japan with all of its advances in technology, still supports the CD format. Many of my import jazz/rnb cds come from there too. Remastered in great form too.
@@johnz4860 Hey, where do you buy Japanese stuff from Spain?
@@MargueritaMarguero Ebay. I buy Japanese SACDs, SHM SACDs and SHM CDs from ebay sellers in Japan, such as ftfym65.
Japan is CD paradise. Used CD's are nearly always in near mint condition as the Japanese collectors treat them with such respect. I've been lucky with my work to visit Japan on numerous occasions, spending much free time and Yen buying stuff from Disk Union Book It , etc CD's are King still in Japan. unfortunately much if the negative press we hear comes out of the USA and UK.
CDs will come back in style when streaming platforms will close down.
Vinyl is becoming way to expensive for the average customer and streaming isn't profitable for 99.99% of the artists.
While this is the worst time to buy vinyl, low prices and low demand make it an excellent time to buy CDs.
CDs will be stylish when they start to disappear. People want what they can't have. Also...after fiddling with expensive vinyl records and fussing with cleaning vinyl, and replacing expensive styluses, people just might see why boomers and gen x'ers flocked to CDs back in the early 90s. Size, durability, features, ease of use, superior sound...what's not to like?
Good turntable are really expensive.. yes, there are a $50-100 brand new Chinese turntable but they won't sound as good as the vintage one. I'm still using a CD on my 1989 Onkyo DX-C300 and 1994 JVC XL-M509
I just got notice of my Netflix increase I can see the music streaming platform start to up price like Netflix has but in fairness its good value to me. If streaming keeps getting pricier and catalogues are split out between them like film people will start to think about affordability and the CD could then revive. Ive over 1200 so I wont run out soon and ones I was are 20 including post so its already niche?
@@reamonntreacy the thing is, all the music in the world shouldn't be $10 a month. It can't be.
What to you is "good value" is actually killing the music industry.
You would help this business more if you spent that $10 a month on a bargain CD and listen to free radio than give your 10 bucks to spotify or tidal or whoever
@@bosco7837
Sorry Bosco I dont have any streaming account I was using netflix as an example of how I think prices will rise for those using spotify etc. I have bought two double cd from Bandcamp this month but I also buy flac and stream myself using dac. Sory earlier comment was unclear.
Thanks Paul, a reassuring video in respect of the future of CD. Following your review of the Audiolab 6000cdt I went and bought it. It connected to a chord mojo with a decent coax from chord. I love it! CD has never sounded so good to me. I love vinyl too but for CD is much better value, I've been picking up some great box sets recently. Thanks again!
I love both cds and records. Each has its right.....👍👍👍👍
Could not agree more, i usually use Allavsoft to download the online music offline and then burn them to cd
I love all formats! :-)
As a very serious, very passionate CD collector with about 700 CDs, I totally respect those that collect Vinyl and feel a warm, sympathetic kinship with them. :)
I knew I had made the right decision, sticking with cd , I recently pushed the boat out and purchased a Marantz SA 10 . Amazing machine!!
Very good review of players, and interesting content on the manufacturing process of CD’s.
Another good player from Luxman, is the D-N150. Has a built Dac also.
CD dead??? I think not. I love my Cambridge CXC transport and Schiit Modi 3.
hi! have you compared cxc with any other transports? i have a primare cd21, and wonder if a cxc will sound better, or any other transport..
I was quite surprised as to just how good the CXC is, I still burn CD's to flac for casual listening, but it does not compare to my Cambridge
Love your videos, always look forward to hearing what you’ve got to say, with great interest.
Excellent presentation ... as always. Thank You Paul. Best wishes.
Following 30+ years of only taking vinyl seriously, I looked into achieving an analogue sound from CD without spending a fortune. So I now have experience with two Chinese players, both with valve output stages. The Line Magnetic LM215CD and the MHZS CD88J. They are both very musical even when compared to a top flight analogue system.
Stay safe Paul. Thnx for your reviews.
Love my 20 year old Sony CD player, it just sounds like the 1990’s 🤘🤘
@stuartshuck are you saying black colour Sony CD player how is it working want about it's sound quality
I bought my first cd player -the cheapest i could get ...a United.. I got it back when my elderly parents died - it still plays cd's -It just dont like some cds or burnt cd when it should but its a very early player .Its now over 30 year old, hardly used -maybe used 50 times max over the year maybe a little more
Which one?
@@hanniacorena7657 United UMC 27R
@@hanniacorena7657 xb930. I have both cd and mini disc players
The "cds were harsh sounding" line is a myth. I have a Denon DCD-1500 which is decades old that can compete in every way with a modern setup. It's buttery smooth and has a very analog sound profile. The headphone amp is outstanding and the unit itself is built like a brick sh*thouse.
Ive tried Rega Apollo but im very, very satisfied with Rega Saturn whose warm sound has never ceased to awe my mom, a jazz aficionado cousin and me. It looks nicely study and quietly elegant too. The price is reasonable, i think, compared to the Hegel Mohican (almost accessible ) or Chord cd players (ridicously priced! ) or any of the Mcintosh gears. Im told that Marantz and Denon produce wonderful equipment too. Another nice brand (if you want to try an Asian up-and-coming manufacturer ) is Cayin.
These are all great! I've be slowly reducing my CD footprint though, in favour of ripping them all to quality files. I still continue to purchase discs however, but more with an eye toward ripping eventually.
- Red
Great video @The Audiophile Man!
I had the McIntosh MCD500SE SACD/CD/Dac for 5yrs. Wonderful player that I used by connecting it straight into my MC402 power amp. I recently replaced it with the McIntosh MVP881BR Universal Player which plays multiple audio formats and I got a dedicated preamp in the Mac C52. My System sounds phenomenal! The original Gallo Acoustics Reference Nucleus Speakers, Time Portal cables and Furman IT Reference 20i finish the rest of my System. 😃🎼👍🏾
Can you hear the difference with SCAD Vs CD
Just bought a Yamaha CD-S300B which is their base model...sounds marvellous.can't beat Yamaha for quality bang for the buck
I bought the same model last week and love it. So glad that I did and mine sounds awesome too
Just bought a Marantz CD6007 recently to listen to my collection of CDs dating back 30 years. It is bringing back so much memories and happiness. Has not touch the CDs for quite a while. The Marantz is quite a nice player. My simple set up - CD player hooked up to powered speakers, Klipsch The Fives and a Boston subwoofer. Am pretty happy ! Suggest you add the Marantz CD6007 to your list. Enjoyed your video. Has subscribed.
New CD players are great sounding even on entry level stage. And many reissues on CD are better sounding than new vinyl reissues, and in majority cases also much cheaper. I use Denon DCD-520AE and for less than 200$ it is the best you can imagine for that money.
Does it play CD-R discs well?
@@Mac-xz6fj Yes it does. But unlike many new CD players it doesn't have usb stick port.
And I would only expect a basic player without any bells or whistles for 200. The addition of usb is forward thinking in today's age if you don't want to get up every 45 minutes to change an album of any format cd or vinyl.
Bought an Arcam Alpha 7 cd player for £90 from gumtree a few years ago and it sounds miles better than streaming to my ears.
I had one those for many many years 20 + till it died.
@@mikecoffee100 Arcam Alpha 7SE was the CD player in my very first hi-fi!
I was very lucky to get an Aplha 7se from Facebook for £40 this year. Took me back to my teenage years as I bought one new in 2001. Sounds better than Tidal through a decent streamer to my ears, and means I can collect CDs again!
Yamaha Cd-2100 Just purchased and I like it because it sounds incredible. Paired with a Yamaha integrated amp and JBL speakers. Also using a TEAC reel to reel from 1980's and a Bang and Olufsen turntable from the late 1970's. I appreciate your very well presented channel.
Hi Paul,good video.One must not forget the trusty Marantz.All things to all things digital.From the well regarded all in one 6111,to sacd 12.All complete with a rather good head-amp.Keep it up mon.
Cyrus cd-t through an old Audiolab M-DAC with a Chord Clearway coax cable is VERY impressive, great video btw.
I owned Cambridge Audio CXC for 2 years. I loved it as a high value transport.
This week I just upgraded to Jay's Audio CDT2-MK3.
Jay's is simply amazing!
It's easily my endgame transport. It is connected to Denafrips Venus II DAC.
The Rotel CD11 Tribute is quite good for the $600 US price tag.
Got tired of the “convenience” of iTunes and losing items they no longer sold. Considering I already had a good sized collection of CDs and there are still quality releases of older albums on CD, I took a chance on the Tribute. I’m glad I did. Wondering when they are going to apply KI’s work to the RCD 1572. If they do that then I would take a serious look at picking that one up as well.
I have a lot to learn about modern hifi being an audiofile from the 1980’s/90’s. I am using a Technics CD player that I have had for about 10 years that I thought sounded good but it looks like technology has come on. I had been concentrating on just buying records, CD’s and tapes with my expendable income and neglected to update my playing equipment but watching your channel has made me realise I could maybe do a bit better. Once I get back on my feet and the world gets back to some sort of normality then I will need to visit some hifi stores and have a good listen once again.
Paul, thank you for a very perceptive presentation (That means I agree with you) With vinyl sales equalling CDs in the US last year as I heard it, I can see CDs easily doing the same turnabout as vinyl. The quality of pressings now, I bet, are much higher than back in my day. People benefiting from these new LP records have no experience with some of the terrible LPS that were released in days past. Seems like a high quality CD Revival would be a natural consequence of living in such a temporary insecure age. I think people find comfort and a feeling of stability from being able to purchase and hold something in their hand.
My studio is using a Fostex cdr500 cd recorder with tremendous success as a mastering machine. The midrange is quite smooth and the Fostex enables you to record at different ratios. The only problem we have is finding a high level recordable cd.
Superb video!!
For a reliable, great sounding, budget CD player with a small footprint, the Yamaha CD-S300 can't be beat. Mine is over 4 years old, never a single problem, it reads every CD I play on it. CD-Rs - no problem.
However, I think for 2020, a good SACD/CD player is in order. I wish they made more of them. Denon's DCD1600NE is reasonably priced, built like a tank and sounds great.
love my Philips cd 753 ,it's almost valve like sounding ,a really beautiful listening experience.I also have a Sony CDP UK sound badged XB930E,so well built and the filters are absolutely brilliant for matching to personal preferences ,I love filter 2 for Vocals and Brass bands and filter 1 for classical
Yes the CD isn't going anywhere. Although the last 5 years or so I've gotten back into vinyl pretty seriously, I still have 2000 + CD's & will continue to listen to the CD format as long as I live. I bought a budget priced Onkyo C-7030 a few years back & am still very happy with it....
Long live the CD! I'm purchasing more CDs than ever. I just wish some hipster record labels, like Editions Mego and Black Truffle, would offer the choice of CD, instead of vinyl or download only. Since CD is cheap to manufacture, I don't understand why they can't press up at least a small number of CDs for people who prefer CDs. I refuse to pay for overpriced new vinyl. And much of the experimental music I listen to sounds horrible with pops and clicks during the quieter passages. And I will never pay for a download. I'd feel like I'm paying for air.
Thats my exact feel for downloads and streaming! Nailed it on “buying air”
You could download 44.1/16 wav files and burn them to a cd-r. I've done it many times and they sound as good as factory pressed cds.
@@nunofernandes4501 thats my last resort too. But i kinda want the art that goes with the album. Its just preference. And yeah the is no performance hit for the factory
@@justanotheryoutubeuser5029 yes, I grew up buying LPs and then CDs so the physical aspect of holding the cover art or the booklet and reading the lyrics is very important for me too. But if there's no other way, burning a disc is better than just streaming.
@@nunofernandes4501 Practically all the CDRs I've ever made have ended up failing sooner or later. CDR is a disposable medium.
CD's and records are great. Friends don't let friends stream!!
I stream to find out what to hunt for in the second hand CD bin at the monthly record fair in town. 😄
I have a Roksan Caspian M2 CD player and matching M2 integrated amplifier and they are a stunning combo. I went from a high end Audiolab pre/power amplification with a top Arcam CD player and it beats it hands down. By the way, the amp also handles vinyl very well too.
Add the m2 power amp sounds even better
Few days ago I bought for 10€ a Technics SL-PG370A from eBay. Not bad at all, the sound is good for my second "vintage" system and it's fast. From the time I pop in the cd to playing even the last track it takes two second, literally. Most new CD players can't do that, the take 5 second only to open the tray. Some streamers are slower too.
The Marantz hdcd1 makes for not only an excellent small footprint cd player, but also an excellent transport. It even includes a very good built in headphone amplifier.
Very informative video, Paul. Thanks. I'm currently using a Pioneer DV-563A Universal Disc Player (2004 vintage, not unboxed until 2009), which works great with SACDs and CDs. Looking to upgrade to an Audiolab CDT6000 to connect to my Parasound 200 Pre preamp with built-in DAC. I have about 1800 CDs, too many to give up on! Been playing them since 1983, when I had a Sony CDP-101 player.................
Pioneer's DV-575A sounds excellent, too.
I have two Pioneer DV 563a DVD players I use to play CDs and they sound fantastic, especially on my tube amp system. I have tons of vinyl records, but I’m moving back towards the CD due to the cost of first pressing and used vinyl, and the sound is great!
I have a second-hand Sony CDP-XE510 from 1997 which I got for about 13 GBP. All it needed was a new tray belt and output RCA connections resoldered.
Now I mostly use it as a transport with Yamaha RX-V685 receiver, hooked up via optical. I must say that I prefer its own analog output though, it sounds a bit more smooth than the pack of Burr-Browns in the receiver.
thank you bro, your sunshine shirt is dope.
Just bought a Denon DCD 600NE and the sound is remarkable! Love that DVD Player!
Informative, and enjoyable vid ! Cd's forever!!
I bought the Audiolab upon your recommendation which is now made in China and hooked up to Audio Yggdrasil dac with the Blackcat Silverstar mk2 coaxial cable ...voila! Superb sound and thanks ,Paul.
A couple of CD transports not included in your list were the Cirrus CD-T and the Audio Note CDT Zero. I tried to get a used Audio Note, but the CDT Zero model was no longer available. I was able to get a low hours demo Cirrus CD-T unit. I'm using a Meridian Director DAC which seems to be quite a good pairing. Thanks for explaining the rationale to get CD player / transport from a specialist manufacturer. So far I'm very pleased with the result.
Paul, you are a wealth of information, thank you. I would have to say you are the Hans Beekhuyzen of the British audio community (that is meant as a compliment).
I feel rather lucky to have made the choices to this point. Time to sit back and enjoy the music. My first gear was Heathkit tuner and amplifier. My Prima Luna amplifier is using Gold Lion KT77 power tubes. The EL34 based tube is musical joy.
Thank you :) And I'm glad you're enjoying your music.
I have a Prima Luna Evo 400, Rega Planar 8 with Apheta 3 Cart, Marantz SA8005 SACD into Dynaudio Contour 60s. Not where I'll end, but I love it for now.
Hi , Just grabed a Pioneer PD-S703 with stable platter mechanism. (circa 1998 era) Can't believe how good this thing sounds. Love it.
Still using my Marantz CD 12 Transport and CD 12a Dac, that’s about 30 years old now. Still sounds fantastic.
Appreciate the integrity of research.
Yep wrangled the snake oils out, did my listening research across all price ranges, technical research, product durability accounting and service guarantees.
Purchased a rega isis and have not experienced a scenario of diminishing returns.
Only greater respect for musicians and audio engineers.
Thank you for the Audiolab 6000 CDT review as it prompted me to purchase one. My OPPO gave up it's digital ghost and I was looking for a replacement. This unit is a very steadfast logging hundreds of hours now and not a bit of problem. As an inveterate tinkerer. I like having a separate DAC that I can upgrade or change at will (Now a Schiit Gungnir Multibit) I also appreciate being able to tune the sound of my system with different digital cables. I happened into an expensive ($450) silver digital cable at a good price that is quite impressive however, one day out of boredom, I decided to do some Coax cable bottom feeding and ordered several cheap Coax cables from Amazon and Ebay. I was pleasantly surprised to discover some gems. I am now listening to a $30 digital cable with the expensive one on the side lines. I also discovered that the same company that makes my expensive cable also makes an excellent $90 cable. I'll post some suggestions when I get more time just in case anyone is interested.
Hi James - yes would be interested to hear of any good value coax cables you have come across. I currently use an atlas integra coax and a blue jean coax cable in my setup.
Also interested here. Thoughts on Optical vs Coax also welcome! At the moment I’m weighing up a CDT plus Dac vs a nice all in one.
@@fabers92 Hello Niandra, Not sure if you are asking me or Paul, but I'll offer an opinion as I'm an old guy with many opinions welcome or not. There is nothing wrong with a good sounding CD player, Ive owned many and only recently went from my Oppo 93 one piece Blue ray player to separates because the old Oppo streamed itself up to digital heaven. If you find one you like, go for it Find a dealer who will let you take one home and return if not to your liking. The only down side to an all in one player is as DAC technology advances, you may find yourself interested in updating the DAC in your CD player. Id recommend getting a CD player with a digital coax (SPDIF) out so eventually you could use it as a transport and add an outboard DAC of your preference as technology advances.
I have done a lot of testing of Optical vs Digital coax and although some optical cables like the Lifetec sound very good, they are inevitably bested by a good coax cable in my experience. The Audiolab 6000 CDT is a marvelous transport. Before spending a lot of money on digital cables, I'd try a Canare Coax available available on Ebay ($20) as well as the Apogee Wyde Eye or Mogami 2964 (About $45 each) on Amazon. These were the best I found for under $50 and are very capable fine sounding cables in my opinion. I don't know what your budget is, but there are a lot of good DACs around it seems. I am partial to Schiit products (Lots of reviews on RUclips) but you can find good reviews on the least expensive Denafrips DAC, the MSFL 400 and other Chinese units. Never heard Chord but the are highly respected.
This doesn't need to be expensive. Mabe find a used CD player with a good transport and digital coax out, add an inexpensive cable and a Schiit Modi multi bit a Chord Mojo, or a MSFL 300 DAC and you have it.
@@fletchermunson6225 thanks very much, lots of useful info. That is a fair point regarding dac technology- they seem to be getting better and cheaper at an alarming rate.
Ah, and Oppo is interesting, or maybe a Sony bdp. Playing audio blu rays would be a great bonus.
Thanks again for the help- and apologies for my rushed reply.
Replaced using bluray player with Yamaha cd-s300, and it sounds great. I am using as a transport through coax at the moment but even using the internal DAC it was well worth its price, which is very affordable.
I love my Esoteric P05X CD transport, Mutec synchronizable digital master clock MC3+usb, Mutec ref 10 oscillator and Solution pre amp, sounds great !
Great video Paul. I prefer CD`s over any other media. I use a Denon player and it`s wonderful.
Vinyl is trendy nowadays but CD as you rightly state has improved. I bought some budget CD players a couple of years ago for around £200 a piece, they featured 36 & 24 bit DACS as used in top models & I was surprised how good they were infact sounding up with high tech products of yesteryear in the 2 to 1K range.
Hi Paul I have just purchased a new CD Player. At around the £600.09 mark it’s the Atoll MD 100. After run -in the sound is incredible! It’s almost ethereal. The French do indeed make some excellent hi-fi and had some of the best organ composers in the world ie Louis Vierne.
I recently picked up a Denon DCD-600ne. Under $450 on Amazon. It has a decent built-in DAC, and optical output, if you want to use your own DAC. I'm delighted with it.
Still loving my Linn Ikemi, fabulous sounding machine and beautifully built... as for “digital”, well CD is digital. There’s no reason why streaming shouldn’t sound awesome too, I have a Linn Klimax Renew DS/1, it’s nothing to look at (in fact it’s tucked behind a Kallax unit), but it sounds sublime, hard to imagine anything sounding notably better.
Listening to streamed music is like riding on the bus. Listening to your own CD is like driving your own convertible.
cd's are amazing , i love them
My NAD C521BEE compliments my system perfectly including my NAD C162 pre. Whilst I love spinning vinyl, CDs still play a large part in my listening repertoire. I have quite a few vinyl/CD duplicates which is very convenient a lot of the time 🌹🇦🇺
Markie Linhart, a great player, punching miles above its weight.
Interesting video, thanks, subscribed. I bought a turntable last year and having ripped CDs to stream from a hard disk for years I've rediscovered the record shop. CDs are incredibly cheap these days and as my Marantz amp has a matching CD player available I'm tempted. Techmoan did a video on the Technics SL-P1200 and made a good point questioning why most CD players hide away the spinning disc making them far less visually appealing than turntables.
It’s amazing to see now there’s been an increase in CD sales now, which I understand because of the high costs of vinyl right now. Are you going to touch on that CD news? I think it’s great!
Hopefully in the future.
Great video. Recently got a Cambridge cxc v2 transport as a Christmas gift for myself. All i can say is i dumped all my flac and dsd files and now happily hunting cheap used cds. I dont think ill be going back to digital files.
Another great cd player is the marantz cd6007. I was supposed to get the marantz but decided on the Cambridge as its a specialist product.
I’m torn between getting the Audiolab 6000 or the CXC v2. Do you find the CXC having difficulty reading some of the discs? That’s the only criticism I saw for the transport.
@@danielrd7493 i have tried all kinds of cds. All original albums have no problem playing. Cd-r are also working but if you burn too fast (more than 16x) some wont play. The real problem is playing cd-rw (the rewritable cd). Most of them dont play on the transport.
All in all if your not burning any audio to blank cd-rw’s, you dont have to worry.
Marantz (like Philips is a specialist of Cd since the beginning).Check the number of players they made.Still remarquable !
Had deen debating for a few weeks now about purchasing an Audiolab 6000cdt. I have been mainly streaming but have always loved having something physical and recently picked up 220 cds for a bargain £20. It must have been a year or so since I properly listened to a CD and was surprisesd how good they actually sounded. At the moment I play through an Oppo 105d Blu-ray player connected to a chord Qute HD dac which sounds great but want to keep that for streaming and movie playback. I just hope the 6000cdt will be worth it.
Brilliant. Once again.
Thought provoking video. I'm an avid user and collector of audiophile stuff but also as an engineer, I know my Marantz CD player does not put out a better S/PDIF bitstream than my Sony CDP-201 (still running great) or the no-name Chinese DVD player that i use most often. Likewise, music CDs are just differently encoded CD-ROMs with data structures that music CD players can read. CD-ROM error correction provides even with imperfections or wear in hardware, fingerprints or jazzercise accidents. your flight sim '99 disc reads the same exact 5 billion bits each time, everytime, even likely 2 decades later. Audio CDs are much more forgiving of errors but in most cases, the its the same data no matter how the disc is manufactured or if its a cheap burned CD. The thing that interests me are the attempts to improve on the audio CD format like SACD & DVD-A of which I have probably 40 albums worth.
PDO also had an issue with disc bronzing in the late 80s and early 90s. Many of their discs manufactured at specific U.K. plants had manufacturing errors, causing the discs to become bronze colored, and the discs would develop glitches and stop playing. I had a few World Serpent discs from this era which I had to toss out.
Early PDO and Nimbus CDs also had a tendency to 'disc rot'. The aluminium layer extended to the edge of the disc, and could oxidise. That's why CDs now have a clear area around the edge.
I love that Mott the Hoople album, and the one that came before it.
I recently bought a Leak CDT. I would have liked to have compared it to the Audiolab 6000CDT, but "lockdown" got in the way. All I can say is that it has increased the enjoyment I get from listening to CDs, and WAV files (It has a USB port) recorded from LPs, sound (as far as I can tell) just like the original. Well worth a listen. Used via an Arcam iRDAC II btw.
Hi, may I ask how you’re ripping your LP’s? No idea, but interested in preserving my records, and I imagine it’s a nice way to enjoy them when being a bit lazy.
I record my records from phono stage into my zoom h6n audio recorder... For film work.... Wav files 36bit and then through software to declick slightly. I done sit into tracks so just like record side a b and sometimes if I paused right it is just one 40ish min file (1.8gb though)
Used Arcam DV135 for 120 usd with cheapest DAC for 6 usd in system that costed 500 usd. In future I may update DAC.
I am very happy with my Musical Fidelity M6 CD player.
A very refined sound without too much coloring.
Have had this at home for 6 years now.
The first cd player to really blow me away was the Marantz cd63 mk2 KI Sig. I still have it and enjoy it, although it's now in my second system. :-)
I know this model is far cheaper than any you mentioned at around $150 US, but I've had my Onkyo DX-C390 for a few years now and I'm about as pleased as I could be. It's a six disc changer, has both coaxial and optical digital output as well as RCA and it sounds great. Nice to hear about the new manufacturing standards, too.
This model brand new is ~$850 today. Covid did a number this past 11 months
@@Bliccyriccy03 WTF?!?!?! That's completely insane.
Lyngdorf CD-2 💿
I believe it has their ICC (anti - clipping ) proprietary circuit to deal with the infamous CD “loudness wars”
Properly digitalize a CD and compare the digital file to the CD best within the same unit with a CD player & DAC/Network Streamer unit and the digital version sounds at least as good, very often slighty better. So I have to admit the differences are small and could also be declared as taste rather than quality. And I completely agree that the CD still plays a vital role and can offer great sound.
Denon 110 anniversary. I've got my eye on this one. Any one has one? Currently I'm using an Oppo BDP 105D Bluray player as a CD player, its great sounds good but load is a little slow as it is a Bluray first.
Thanks Paul, that was a greatly informative video. I really do like your lists. I’ve recently purchased a Denon DCD 600 NE. It sells for $300 here in US. It’s nothing special but I don’t have many CDs anymore. I bought it just to complete my system. I have a Schiit Bifrost 2 Dac. I haven’t tried using it for CD players. Do you know if that works well? BTW, I try to keep up with Brit speak because I watch a bunch of Acorn. I hadn’t heard valve v tube before. Never quit learning I guess.
Hi Steve - I do prefer a separate transport and DAC so I'd encourage you down that path, certainly.
It's amazing how prices have changed so quickly, the Denon is now a $430 piece of equipment.
My favourite option is to find an older player from the late 90s, my current player is a Sony cdp-s1 which is as basic as it gets, but it runs as a transport because I run it with an external dac (smsl m100 mk2) so I technically brought a new cd player without buying a new cd player.
Enjoyable video. Cd is an excellent format & I prefer it to vinyl. Btw I like vinyl too but still prefer cd. I use Meridian 507 & Audiolab M Dac + , Turntables are Micro Sieki dqx 500 /2m blue & Restored Lenco L75/Goldring E3 ( Both set up well). Lp does sometimes sound better but it is not as consistent as Cd. Not 100% convinced by streaming . I heard a Dcs player recently which had a disc drawer. When I played the cd of the same music it wiped the floor with it.
Still using my rega apollo from 2013. Never stopped buying cd’s. Still love the format since my first cd in 1988.
question for all...instead of burning cd's from downloaded material from my computer, I've been loading the music onto usb 2.0 flash drives which my Panasonic blu ray player has a plug for that supports flac, etc. Sound is awesome...cd quality to my untrained ears. Am I the only one doing this? Am I missing something? thanks.
Just bought a NAD C538 and I love it!
Nobody wants CDs anymore, there's a massive wave of people getting rid of theirs, all the focus is on vinyl and therefore Cds are priced dirt cheap.
There's never been a better time to buy em up and grow your collection!
I only recently came upon your channel, and I found your remarks interesting and informative, particularly your remarks about the manufacture of raw CD discs. I have a Hegel Mohican that comes in at $5000 USD. I like that it doesn't do anything but play CD's. Although I could use it as a transport, the DAC is of high quality and I use the balanced output going into my integrated amp to achieve highly satisfactory sound .
Agreed on the simplicity thing - I also much prefer my hifi tools to do a single job.
Hi Paul need to replace my old Denon DVD 2900 SACD player.I would highly appreciate yours expert advice on the Quad Artera play+ cd player.Is it an audiophile cd player better than the DVD2900?anticipated thanks
I am waiting for a Audiolab Mdac+ to arrive so I can connect my Marantz CD63 kI Signature via a Tellurium Q blue Coax. The plan is to then move on to a Audiolab 6000 CDT as soon as I can. The Marantz had a new laser assemble fitted some four months back so its getting there.
Thanks Paul, totally agree, streaming at least for me doesn’t match CD standalone. I’ve tried USB into my Pro-ject Stream Box S2 Ultra as well as NAS and DAS. Now looking to upgrade my Marantz 6006 CD player used as a transport with my Chord Mojo. Your recommendations were very helpful. The Audiolab 6000 CDT transport is an excellent machine but unfortunately something in the electrics conflicts with my home supply. Was considering the Rega Apollo to go with my Brio but might not be a good enough upgrade from my Marantz 6006. How does the Apollo perform as a CD transport? As good as the Audiolab 6000 CDT transport?
Many thanks Alan - the issue is that no integrated CD player performs in quite the same way as a dedicated transport. It's the same thing when you use an integrated amp instead of a dedicated pre-amp. I always recommend using the right tools for the job.
I've a Naim CDS3 unit top loader with an isolation chassis. Coupled with an external power supply that separates digital power from the drive power etc. Its a detailed well informed CD, which can still be serviced and second hand units can be purchased at around £2.5K for the CD player. My only concern is that it does not have a digital output to add an external DAC. That said its great natural CD with no frills approach.😎👍🎵
The Marantz ND8006 i ordered 2 weeks ago came yesterday. It will make an awesome new companion to my Raysonic CD238 that it sits next to. Two very different CD players with two very unique sounds.
I have a NAD c546BEE. It’s a great cd player! Recently i connected the NAD to with a toslink from Audioquest to a Metrum Acoustics DAC.. the sound is even better now! On higher volumes it is so noticable!!!
Emotiva erc4 - how does that compare to others in that price range?
Herman Van der Donegan had an idea to purchase a top brand CD player chassis and add his own mods. It is a Marantz 4000 modified to Herman's AH! Njoe Tjoeb 4000 specifications. A small triode Super Tube clock provides clock accuracy with almost no square wave tilt. Jitter is dramatically reduced. A 24 bit 192mhz upsampler handles D to A conversion and toroidal power supply reduce EMI. Separate power supply for vacuum tube buffers and filaments. Break-in of the quad DAC required 100hrs and was seamless thereafter. This is quite the machine. The platform is no longer made until it is applied to the Prima Luna brand CD player where all the advanced features reside. My power and preamp are also Prima Luna Dialogue Premium HP driving refreshed JBL 4425 studio monitors. This system is like being in the venue. Sorry, I got carried away.
I have a Marantz DV7600 CD/SACD/DVD player, I'm happy. I noticed that if you isolate vibration just like you would a TT, you'll get a smoother, punchier sound as the laser reads better picking up more 1's than 0's. Back in the 80's/90's, I remember 8x oversampling was the new improvement in CD players.
I was listening to my CDs on my Luxman D-03X paired with it's brother the 509x and I was hearing many more things that I didn't hear before when I used my Sony XA5400ES. I actually listened to 4 cds in a row with no track skipping, which never happens.
The D-03X DAC while streaming and using it's internal DAC is very composed. Vocals and strings are crisper with more sustain, it's dynamic and smooth like its CD player! No fatigue at all! I've been listening for 6 hrs straight and have ordered more discs for as little as $5. 👍
I went out today in search of a new entry to mid-level CD player since my inherited Sony CDP-C345 began to fail. I suppose I was mildly surprised to find that not a single shop carried one. Walmart, BestBuy, PC Richards, Microcenter, Target, etc. They carried vinyl supplies. Recievers and speakers were plenty too. But no CD compatible devices. I should have just ordered online and left it at that!
The Onkyo C-7030...now discontinued...was a fabulous player that performed high above its price point
A great overview, Paul. I have to make one correction though: Leema is indeed based in Wales, but in Welshpool, a long way north (about 100km as the crow flies) of the Valleys.
Thanks Hedd and I knew really :) just my poor attempt at being humorous.