New CDP?

joekapahulu

Active Member
well my 9 year old Cambridge 7004 is acting up again and it seems like it is time to get a new CDP. The unit has already been to the Mainland once for $250 in repairs plus shipping and it seems once again to be the drawer mechanism. SO, looking for suggestion on a new CDP. I have 4000 spinners plus lots of digital ALAC files but I am not about to rip them all. Have heard a Rega Apollo on a recent trip and thought it sounded good. Read good things about the Marantz 6006. Waiting to hear more about the new Marantz 8006. Looking for new in the $500-1500 range that is reliable and durable. I havent been running an outboard DAC though I could go that way. My backup CDP right now is a Sony ES 5400 SACD which I like but which is no longer made. I could also get a CPD for a second office system in that range. Live in Hawaii so limited chance to hear anything. Could probably wait until the next Mainland trip if we go someplace that has B & M stores. Still need options. Any and all feedback appreciated.
 
Lots of options out there, but at this point, I'd be inclined to go with a less expensive CDP with a solid transport and an external DAC. Transport technology has not changed much in the last three decades, but DAC technology is progressing by leaps and bounds, and offers options for other digital sources (other than just CD).

If someone shows up recommending OPPO, just keep in mind that they just recently got out of the business, so I don't know what the status of serviceability will be in the not-too-distant future.
 
I recently purchased a Yamaha CD-D700. It sounds good and seems to be really well built.

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I legitimately don't understand how something supposedly built to a high standard like that would fail twice in ten years... My dad is still using the Sony single disc CD player he bought new in like 1990 in a garage system...
 
I legitimately don't understand how something supposedly built to a high standard like that would fail twice in ten years... My dad is still using the Sony single disc CD player he bought new in like 1990 in a garage system...
I would love for it NOT to be the case but per the CA dealer I spoke to about it in PA, it is a weak link in that model and the one above it. Unfortunately, there is no local dealer or tech so I had to send it to LA to get it fixed. I like the sound of it but I have lost confidence in the build quality. I actually like the DAC which I use on an outboard basis with my Squeezebox Touch. I just figure at 9 years old the technology has probably bypassed it.
 
Lots of options out there, but at this point, I'd be inclined to go with a less expensive CDP with a solid transport and an external DAC. Transport technology has not changed much in the last three decades, but DAC technology is progressing by leaps and bounds, and offers options for other digital sources (other than just CD).

If someone shows up recommending OPPO, just keep in mind that they just recently got out of the business, so I don't know what the status of serviceability will be in the not-too-distant future.
Yeah, I had already thought of OPPO but there was nothing left on the site and I didnt find anything indicating a final production or a list to put my name on. Timing was not with me as it happened after the announcement.
 
My vote is for a separate DAC. The best DAC'S I've heard all utilise a AKM 4497EQ chip. At this very moment I'm enjoying a Shanling EC1B through a Weilang Audio AKM 4497EQ DAC (OPAMPS changed for Burson V6 Vivid's). The DAC is so good that I plan to have it modified with output transformers in place of the OPAMPS. Just spectacular and comes very close indeed to a good vinyl rig.

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Go with an inexpensive CDP and pair it up with a great DAC. I'm using a Tascam CD200 - very rugged and reliable player.
 
I would recommend an Oppo be it a combination player, CD-DVD, or a CD/SACD player while they are still available. Lot of value. We sold Yamaha for many years. I still can't understand how they could built musical instruments and motor cycles and yet couldn't build anything mechanical in the Consumer sound division that would hold up. Kept our shop busy, for sure. Maybe they didn't like a dry dusty climate. Pioneer were better. So were marantz, Dennon and Sony. .Nakamichi made some great units in the past. But Oppo , first, Pioneer 2nd.
 
Go with an inexpensive CDP and pair it up with a great DAC. I'm using a Tascam CD200 - very rugged and reliable player.

I use the CD200 as a transport as well. My Emotiva TA-100 receiver has the same DAC as their ERC-3 CDP. It doesn't make sense to buy a nice DAC twice if you only need one DAC.
 
I legitimately don't understand how something supposedly built to a high standard like that would fail twice in ten years... My dad is still using the Sony single disc CD player he bought new in like 1990 in a garage system...

There was a study done by Consumer Reports that said the average life of a disc spinner is 7 years. So anything above that is arguably gravy. My Cambridge Audio CD 6 which was a heavily used demonstrator - on every day all day and poked and prodded for a year - I bought in 1996 and it still works perfectly! I had 5 different Pioneers none of which lasted more than the 3 years - 3 Sony's that didn't make it more than 3 years. My $1500 Line Magnetic CD player's drive failed in 5 years - now on a new drive.

Your dad and my CD6 are the exception to the rule and probably get that 7 year average up higher than it ought to be. And it's not necessarily about build quality - even some of the very best most rugged players can die faster than a cheap junker - which bemuses me. You can buy a two light bulbs from the same package and maker - one dies out in 6 months and the other lasts 8 years. In fact some people complained about my CD6 having issues - so you just never know.
 
I've said this before, and it bears repeating--basically a drive is a drive is a drive--that's it--a mechanical mechanism to spin a ssdisc with a laser to read it. Drive technology has not changed much in three decades. Of course, like anything else, there are those that are built more "robustly" than others, but it is the DAC and analogue output preamp stage that does the "heavy lifting" in terms of SQ. You can find "drives" for a dime a dozen any day of the week, and as long as it has a digital output, you can pair it with any DAC that you like (even a $5 thrift store/garage sale find) and just pitch the drive if/when it should fail.

Again, I will kind of discourage going with Oppo. Their products still seem to command some pretty hefty prices on the used market, but I have encountered quite a few folks on here and other forums that are having "issues", and the company is no longer supporting their products in terms of parts/service, so you may end up with a fairly expensive "doorstop".

If you are only going to use the drive to play redbook CDs, I'd stay away from "multi-format" drives as well. They tend to be slow to cue up and the displays are not so helpful in terms of the information you may want to see.
 
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