Sony CDP-7F - Very early cd player.

mufster

Well-Known Member
Thought i'd document my Sony CDP-7F cd player. It's quite a rare beast and noticed there were no finds on the search in AudioKarma for this model. It's a very early and basic model. No fancy DACS or filters. A simple pure sound is all you get from this unit, and it's absolutely incredible. I have it connected through my Marantz 2226B and Rogers LS2 speakers and the sound is very warm and analogue.

Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Incidently, anyone know what the best grease to use is. you can see some still remaining on the components in the internal shots.
 

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Some more...
 

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And lastly...

The third shot show a scratch on the face. Thinking of trying to treat this but not sure what to use. Idea's?
 

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I put a cassette tape on the unit in one of the shots to give a perspective on the size of this cd player. Looks like it's direct drive as well which is great as there will be no messing about changing worn rubber belts.
 
Hey there, I too have one of these and am looking for more info on it. Any luck?

I like it. It seems to be a good vintage machine that is pretty robust.

Mine is S/N 323614 but I guess built for the North American market. Mine however has a switch right underneath the control s connectors on the back that is 220V/120V mains switchable. Other than that it is identical. Mine is in real nice shape also.
 
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Hey there, I too have one of these and am looking for more info on it. Any luck?

I like it. It seems to be a good vintage machine that is pretty robust.

Mine is S/N 323614 but I guess built for the North American market. Mine however has a switch right underneath the control s connectors on the back that is 220V/120V mains switchable. Other than that it is identical. Mine is in real nice shape also.

Excellent! Found someone else who enjoys owning one of these. Really is a great little unit. Switchable voltage? Well, that's really cool and makes yours more marketable than mine!!! As to the condition. I'm a bit of a sucker for an 'ugly duckling' and although it's nice to own a minter, I always feel sorry for the rougher one's and feel they are unloved a little. I'm the sort who goes to the dogs home and takes home the ugly dog because I feel it needs to be given a chance. Same applies to AV. I've got a few ugly ducklings that work just fine. I'm giving them a good home and a little TLC. I've owned minters that didn't work, so my priorty has often been that as long as it works... You get much better bargains as well.
 
how does it compare to your DP-1100SG? Another great sounding vintage machine...

We didn't see a lot of this midi-sized gear in the 'States. Looks like one heck of a player!
 
how does it compare to your DP-1100SG?

I've done a side by side comparison. Connected to my Optonica and speakers. Two identical cd's playing at the same time same track. One unit connected to tape monitor 1 and the other to tape monitor 2. Flicking the switch between the two.

Obviously the Kenwood is a much better made instrument. It's real 'high end' weighing in at near 12kg. It has shock stablizing feet that can withstand an equivalent floorshake that a 300kg weight would cause. Metal buttons and a transport that is better than the KSS-190A. I've got a Sony CDP-337ESD so I've done the comparison. That's my opinion that the Kenny transport is better than the Sony's. Doesn't mean I'm right but it's smother and more robust in my opinion.

Ok, the comparison. I honestly can't split them. If anything, the Sony is slightly warmer but that's probably because it's not got all the fancy stuff between the digital signal and the outputs that the Kenwood has. The Kenwood could read music off a cd that has been put through a grinder! It plays cd's that the Sony can't handle(see's the CDP-337ESD and CD960 off as well). I've compared the CDP-7F with the CDP-337ESD and again it's a warmer, more pleasant listen. It really is a fantastic little player and scratch or no scratch, I won't part with it. It plays cdr's burned at 40x perfectly and only struggles with damaged/scratched disks, and they have to be quite bad otherwise it copes.

It's not a pretty player and it won't be worth hundreds in a few years, so won't make a good investment. As a cd player though, it shines. No optical which is a shame but even so this is something that often flies under the radar and from what I've read, all the people who own them really love them. Me too!
 
I picked up at CDP-70 a few months back for $10 and I cannot be happier. It s from 1986 and is VERY basic. The transport is as hefty as a first generation CD-ROM drive for a computer. Built like a tank.
 
I picked up at CDP-70 a few months back for $10 and I cannot be happier. It s from 1986 and is VERY basic. The transport is as hefty as a first generation CD-ROM drive for a computer. Built like a tank.

Read your thread about it. http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=234522 Good read and nice to see there are still lots of people 'stuck' having to settle for cd players from the 80's. I also like being stuck in the 80's.

Just picked up a Sony CDP-103 which is very like your cdp-70. All metal transport BU-1C laser unit. No digital out, but I like it's sound as it is. It's a mint one and came with it's original box and manual. It's not a full width seperate but it sure is cute. I'll get some pictures on soon but can't get inside yet as there is a holo sticker across the lid/chassis which if broken invalidates my 30 day warranty.
 
I bought one of those yesterday.
It's a nice sounding and looking player.
I bought it because it's so small and good looking.
SonyCDP-7F.jpg
 
Hi, I just got a SONY CDP 7F like you guys are talking about here, got this cd broken many years ago and I nevr got interst to fix it till now, still giving me some issues since some cds skips, anyway I will keep following the rapirs to keep it in good standing, I will like to say is, I own many cd players, a SONY cdp x339ES, and a DUAL fron loader from 1983, a fisher 1984 cd player, this sony cdp 7f have beat all of them, even I runa maverick DAC with tube outputs, the little 7F beats each one, no wonder why this unit is so good, so warm, no one knows nthing about it, I wonder, the other models from sony on 1983/85/87 will sound same as the cdp7f??, are this the path from sony during that time??, my CDP x339es is not even close to the 7f, sound i s loud and big, the 7f is quiet and warmer with a well balanced sound, any one here can compare with other sony from 1983?......
 
Too bad that needs its corrresponding (minisystem-integrated-amp-with-ribbon-cable ? Im guessing) to power it? Maybe Im missing something. Nice looking and smallish cd player.

HI, no, not at all this works like any other cd player, with normal RCA outputs, to be honest I am shock this sounds superb......
 
The white 4-pin connectors are for Sony's old Control S linking system... not required to make this player work but if you have a matching component you can link them and get remote control of various connected sources that way. The later type uses an 1/8" phono jack but same idea.

John
 
I still have mine and it still has the scratch. Love it and will never part with it. The 337ESD is long gone as is the Philips CD960. Great to see this thread still going and more owners!
 
I love early stuff like this, no one was sure what a CD player should look like, or what the cheapest/best way to configure them was.
 
I also have a cdp-7f - had it for years and it's my fall back player for testing amps and just general semi portable use -
I think they were designed to match the boombox style mini hifi units as the size matches perfectly
I often hook my up to my little Hitachi mini system from the same era as all the Sony units that match have had various issues that were too hard to fix - obviously the cdp was the best built component - it seems almost indestructible and sounds great too
 
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