What is the oldest CD Player worth getting?

[The Shocker]

I'd really love to get an old CD player from the early 1980s. Something with an R2R DAC in it and only RCA outs.

Not sure what models I should be looking at.

Last year I bought a Sony CDP-690 with "dual 16-bit DACs" at Goodwill for $7.30. Needed a new belt, and it was up and running. Researching that model, I found out that I got the older model which has 2 multibit DACs, once for each channel. Newer models had one delta-sigma DAC.

But for nostalgia's sake, I would like to find something older. Looking for recommendations on well built models that won't require expensive service to get up and running.

 

[FileFixer]

Buy Pioneer DV-300/DV-310/DV-320 or any similar DVD player with Mediatek MT1389FE decoder chip, do minor modifications and enjoy in Hi-End digital audio reproduction with Low-End price. You also can to buy some CD Players with TDA1541 DAC inside like Sony CDP-555ESD, Sony CDP-227ESD and CDP-337ESD/CDP-333ESD and do some modifications on these CD players and enjoy with perfect digital sound as you can imagine. Also go to Lampizator web page and look what he says about CD players. These Sony players are on him ZERO category, best of the best.

Personaly I have a Technics SL-PS770D CD player and Pioneer DV-300 DVD player and on this DVD player I do some modifications what Lampizator say to do and sound is awesome on that DVD player. Sound from Technics is nice and pleasure but this Pioneer is ten step up in sound reproduction unlike the Technics CD player.

 

[The Shocker]

What kind of mods for the Sony CD players?

 

[The Shocker]

I have read on numerous forums that the ESD line from Sony is prone to laser failure. And that part is no longer made by Sony.

 

[for_p1]

I'd really love to get an old CD player from the early 1980s. Something with an R2R DAC in it and only RCA outs.

Not sure what models I should be looking at.

Last year I bought a Sony CDP-690 with "dual 16-bit DACs" at Goodwill for $7.30. Needed a new belt, and it was up and running. Researching that model, I found out that I got the older model which has 2 multibit DACs, once for each channel. Newer models had one delta-sigma DAC.

But for nostalgia's sake, I would like to find something older. Looking for recommendations on well built models that won't require expensive service to get up and running.

Most early 1980s players are already dead due to laser failure.

Disk players are thing of the past. If you still want one - get Oppo 105 or 205. They will play everything you through into them. 205 will serve as excellent DAC for your streamer too. R2R DAC have their place, but players from the past all have problems with optical pickup head or mechanical components and thus not worth considering. If you still want R2R DAC, get one from here http://www.audio-gd.com/Products-EN.htm and use with any transport you can find.

 

[hugo454]

 

[The Shocker]

Audio-GD and Oppo stuff is far too expensive, and , in my opinion, not worth the price tag. There are plenty of 80s CD players working just fine. The non ESD Sony line supposedly have a very low failure rate. There's even a thread on here that talks about CD failure and how it's rarely ever the laser.

 

[Robint]

Get a Philips/Magnavox/Sylvania cd player, built in Belgium, from the late 80's with the TDA1541 or TDA1541A chip. I have 3 all built around 1988, so 40 year old. The swing arm lasers are still going strong and the mechanism seems bullet proof.

 

[Harvestor]

My DP-850 Kenwood is still like new from 1986....

But it does not have the anti resonance technology or memory chips that will Abate skipping when the music is too loud from the bass.
Ever since day one with the Cerwin Vegas pumping if the bass was too loud you would get a skip so I tried everything in the book to dampen the resonances.

That's what's nice about these cheaper Blu-ray players they don't skip for nothing with the memory chips in them you can slam the suckers down and they won't skip at least the ones I have from Sony

 

[maxhifi]

I have a Philips CD-101 from 1982, and I would say if you come across one for a reasonable price, buy it. It sounds very good. My opinion is Philips players from that era sound better than Sony or other Japanese brands.

 

[The Shocker]

I bought a Technics SL-P300 from 1986 last night off of Craiglist for $50.00. Working great. Just missing the remote.

 

[jcamero]

I agree with the vintage, (1st Gen. Magnavox line), with the TDA1541(A) chip. Not pretty, but sound very good.

Get a Philips/Magnavox/Sylvania cd player, built in Belgium, from the late 80's with the TDA1541 or TDA1541A chip. I have 3 all built around 1988, so 40 year old. The swing arm lasers are still going strong and the mechanism seems bullet proof.

 

[Sam Cogley]

I can also attest to the high quality sound of the old TDA1541 chip. I have one of those Magnavoxes from somewhere around 1986. It's an excellent source.

 

[MaxxVolume]

My first CD player was a Magnavox 650. It was great until the laser died after about 4 years. Replaced it with a Harmon Kardon HD-7600 (one of the first bitstream players on the market), that one was great, still works ! Maybe a year later, someone I know was selling his nearly-new Denon DCD-1500 at a price I couldn`t refuse, so I bought that one too. Also a very good unit, no complaints. Probably considered to be ancient technology by today`s standards, but still function and sound quite good to me....

 

[Markoneswift]

I'm currently running a Rotel RCD-855 with the 1541 DAC and it sounds great. I'm also using an Arcam Alpha 5 with same chip; but Arcam built it onto its own board inside the player and that board can be extensively modified.

I recently bought a very pretty champagne gold vintage Marantz unit which, although very nice sounding and well built, didn't really fit with my other gear.

 

[petehall347]

I have a Philips CD-101 from 1982, and I would say if you come across one for a reasonable price, buy it. It sounds very good. My opinion is Philips players from that era sound better than Sony or other Japanese brands.

do you have one of those ? if so what has been done if anything to keep it working ? i have one needs sorting to be reliable .also never found a remote ..

 

[steerpike2]

I have a Philips CD-101 from 1982, and I would say if you come across one for a reasonable price, buy it. It sounds very good. My opinion is Philips players from that era sound better than Sony or other Japanese brands.

Agreed , the Philips with TDA1540 DAC are still very good, but need electrolytic capacitors changed , or they skip and fail to read reliably. The early Sonys were made affordable by sharing one DAC between channels, so these have a phase shift between L and R . Also with no over sampling, the Sonys had to have very steep recovery filters ,that did not sound as good as Philips solution .

 

[MannyE]

Sony PS-1. I'm not kidding.

 

[maxhifi]

do you have one of those ? if so what has been done if anything to keep it working ? i have one needs sorting to be reliable .also never found a remote ..

There is no remote for this player. I changed two electrolytic capacitors, aside from that it's been entirely reliable. I've had it 25 years. The failed capacitors were coupling capacitors in the analog audio stage, the read mechanism has been entirely reliable on mine. I suspect it would benefit from a recap though.

 

[Stillhouse]

I have a Sony CDP-670(1989) and a Technics SL-P117(86 or 7) that came from GW with single digit price tags and both work with no problems. Sony sounds better to my ears, plus is IR remote so gets the most use.