PAGS
Super Member
What CD player under $500 isn't made in China??
What CD player would you buy for $500 or less
- Thread starter StereoDNA
- Start date
Audioraven
Well-Known Member
Indeed, built in Malaysia and actually weighs over 10 pounds!
^^^^^^^^^^^bought a used Nakamichi MB-10 from a member here.
PAGS
Super Member
And a fine machine it is, especially for the price!
xero-D-hero
Super Member
For a new CDP (ie: currently available) I chose the Yamaha CD-S300RK for my Adcom rack enclosure system.
From what I recall that Yamaha CDP was made in Malaysia as well.
That Yamaha CDP uses a 192kHz/24bit Burr Brown DAC (PCM1780 IIRC) and has the pure direct mode and front panel USB (Mp3 & WMA) among it's other features.
Got it for well under $500.00.
There were some various Tascam/Marantz/Denon rackmount CDPs in the running too,but this Yamaha rackmount CDP seemed the best in terms of cost vs. quality.
For used,I look for vintage Philips/Magnavox/Marantz CDP's (honestly ANYTHING with the TDA1541/1541A/1543 DACs).
That or I look for the CDPs with the better Burr Brown PCM DACs (Denon,a few Sony's,among others).
FWIW
Bret P,
From what I recall that Yamaha CDP was made in Malaysia as well.
That Yamaha CDP uses a 192kHz/24bit Burr Brown DAC (PCM1780 IIRC) and has the pure direct mode and front panel USB (Mp3 & WMA) among it's other features.
Got it for well under $500.00.
There were some various Tascam/Marantz/Denon rackmount CDPs in the running too,but this Yamaha rackmount CDP seemed the best in terms of cost vs. quality.
For used,I look for vintage Philips/Magnavox/Marantz CDP's (honestly ANYTHING with the TDA1541/1541A/1543 DACs).
That or I look for the CDPs with the better Burr Brown PCM DACs (Denon,a few Sony's,among others).
FWIW
Bret P,
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I'll also vote for the Pioneer DV-79AVi. Less than 10 years old they have a great record for laser life, good build quality and sound great. The entire video circuitry can be shut down when using it in the CD mode. Sounds better than a stack of Sony machines I was collecting, even the older ES models. For 200 bucks or less, they are a bargain.
BillWojo
BillWojo
Jupiter1610
Active Member
Perhaps a high-end CDP from the last 15 or so years, right at the end of the CDs golden era. Peak sales for CDs were in 1997 and 1998. Cassette was long gone by that time and vinyl had not yet made a resurgence. The iPod came out in 2001 and computer based audio would not become a viable audiophile source until the end of the decade. Manufacturers were putting their focus into CD as the main game in town. I see what where previously high-end CDPs going for a fraction of their original prices because lets face it, CDs are out. If you are heavily invested in CDs, this is a great time to buy a player that might have been out of reach not long ago. I transitioned my relatively modest CD collection to my hard drive for convenience purposes. But high end players from Musical Fidelity, Rega, Arcam, Naim and Sony are intriguing prospects.
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I no longer have a CD/SACD player. I went with the Sony HAP-S1 with the internal hard drive. If I have a CD, I rip it to my laptop and it gets transfer automatically. I buy hi-res downloads from HDTracks and Blue Coast.
The Sony only has two analog inputs which I use for a TT and a tuner. The coax input could handle 192/24 data stream but what solid media has that?
I was thinking of a Sony BluRay BDP-S7200 which "What Hi-FI?" raves about but why bother when the local retail outlets don't carry SACDs?
The Sony only has two analog inputs which I use for a TT and a tuner. The coax input could handle 192/24 data stream but what solid media has that?
I was thinking of a Sony BluRay BDP-S7200 which "What Hi-FI?" raves about but why bother when the local retail outlets don't carry SACDs?
PAGS
Super Member
Heck, the local retail outlets don't carry CDs! (other than pop crap)
RUmad
Super Member
I listen to more vinyl and FM radio than CD's. In my bedroom system I've been using a very old Sony CD player, probably for more than ten years, which just recently passed away. Since I didn't want to spend a ton on a new one, I poked around the Internet for a while. Found a boatload of good reviews, and a few not so good, on the Onkyo 7030. It is currently kicking that old Sony's ass. Just put it in about twenty minutes ago, so no long term testimonials yet, but it does sound fantastic.
Oh, edit; picked it up from Amazon, about 160. Hope it lasts!
Oh, edit; picked it up from Amazon, about 160. Hope it lasts!
seb9316
Active Member
I wanted a high end CD changer for years, held off buying one until I could find a decent price on a California Audio Labs CL-10 which had phenomenal reviews. Finally found one on ebay a couple years ago for around $250 and grabbed it. The player sounded outstanding, I had no complaints about the musicality of that player whatsoever. Definitely one of if not the best performing CD player I've ever had in my system.
Unfortunately the player DID NOT HAVE TRACKING BUTTONS ON THE FRONT FACE. You cannot imagine how annoying this was when I would get up walk over to the player to put a disc in and not be able to just use the unit to skip to the track I wanted. Aggravating enough to where I eventually had to sell the player. Great sounding unit but a woefully disastrous shortcoming in the ergonomics dept.
Unfortunately the player DID NOT HAVE TRACKING BUTTONS ON THE FRONT FACE. You cannot imagine how annoying this was when I would get up walk over to the player to put a disc in and not be able to just use the unit to skip to the track I wanted. Aggravating enough to where I eventually had to sell the player. Great sounding unit but a woefully disastrous shortcoming in the ergonomics dept.
rxonmymind
Super Member
Agreed. Not to throw this too far off topic but something similar. I won't buy ANY receiver again that's not independent of the remote. Denon is notorious for this in their flagship receivers. Bust the remote and you have a BRICK.
Yamaha RX-777 DOES operate fine without the remote as does most Yamaha's. What's on the remote is on the receiver. Beautiful, common sense engineering.
Ramseybella
AK Member
As much as I like the old Nakamichi players I have three, they are fussy old farts if you don't keep them playing on a regular basis.
Mainly the mechanical parts give me a hard time.
But then again thrift store finds are a hit and miss but out of all the the good thrifty finds I have bought the Nak's are the goofy ones.
Two Thrifty units I have permanently in my system are my coveted Rotel RCD-990 and for a different sound my Meridian 596 (The Monolith) DVD player both with original remotes and total investment of $45.00 lucky finds.
Parts if they break will be like Hens Teeth to find.
Everyone has a different ear for listening I can't afford to invest in a new unit.
I picked up a NAD single disc unit with papers not to long ago don't remember the model but it was a model that was new within a three to four year period.
It was a $20.00 find like new after reading the reviews and all the raves on it I thought it sounded just OK, sold it the next week for a good price.
Sound is so subjective from one persons taste to anothers.
Mainly the mechanical parts give me a hard time.
But then again thrift store finds are a hit and miss but out of all the the good thrifty finds I have bought the Nak's are the goofy ones.
Two Thrifty units I have permanently in my system are my coveted Rotel RCD-990 and for a different sound my Meridian 596 (The Monolith) DVD player both with original remotes and total investment of $45.00 lucky finds.
Parts if they break will be like Hens Teeth to find.
Everyone has a different ear for listening I can't afford to invest in a new unit.
I picked up a NAD single disc unit with papers not to long ago don't remember the model but it was a model that was new within a three to four year period.
It was a $20.00 find like new after reading the reviews and all the raves on it I thought it sounded just OK, sold it the next week for a good price.
Sound is so subjective from one persons taste to anothers.
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xeizo
Active Member
I mostly use Spotify, my receiver has a built in Spotify-client and it works well with Plex for my own files. I have all CD:s ripped to FLAC, Plex can play them all back. But, sometimes I get nostalgic and wants to handle a CD-case etc so I have a Sony CDP-XB930QS picked up for 50$ for that odd CD. The Sony sounds exemplary and not in any obious way inferior to streaming FLAC. Lots of feelgood with the fixed mechanism and magnetic puck 
But I play more vinyl than CD.
But I play more vinyl than CD.
2channel*
Well-Known Member
I bought my first dedicated CD player last year. A NAD C546BEE. Big improvement over the Sony DVP-NC800C changer that was doing double duty.
Then I saw an Oppo DV-980H on eBay for $65 +S&H and thought I'd see what SACDs were about. I like 'em and now have about 18 SACDs, HDCDs, and DVD-As.
I am looking to upgrade from the 980 and keep it under $500; but every time I find something that old affliction strikes: "what's the next step up?"
My target has moved from an Oppo 83 to 83SE, to 95, to 105 non-D, or Marantz SA 8003 to 8004 to 8005. (I'd have to keep the 980; but sell the NAD)
The Marantz UD 7007 seems to have better audio specs than the SA 8005 in some respects and plays more formats. Has anyone heard one? Could this be a sleeper bargain?
Then I saw an Oppo DV-980H on eBay for $65 +S&H and thought I'd see what SACDs were about. I like 'em and now have about 18 SACDs, HDCDs, and DVD-As.
I am looking to upgrade from the 980 and keep it under $500; but every time I find something that old affliction strikes: "what's the next step up?"
My target has moved from an Oppo 83 to 83SE, to 95, to 105 non-D, or Marantz SA 8003 to 8004 to 8005. (I'd have to keep the 980; but sell the NAD)
The Marantz UD 7007 seems to have better audio specs than the SA 8005 in some respects and plays more formats. Has anyone heard one? Could this be a sleeper bargain?
