YIKES! I just realized my CD Player was made in 1990 !

[SixCats!]

Hi all,

Wow! Just wow! I can't believe the HK (Harman Kardon) HD 7300 Single Player CD Player I've been using for some fifteen years or so (that I purchased USED from a "Yard Sale" for ten dollars) is still up and running! The other night however, I did hear a bit of noise from the drive system. I'm playing this unit as I type this listening to Sonny Rollins Saxophone Colossus and to my old'ish Ears, still sounds pretty good!
Of course I can't help but wonder what/how much music I'm missing using a nearly thirty year old
Player. I've spent damn near the entire day on the Computer researching NEW/BUDGET CD Players.
As much as I like to buy the likes of a Cyrus DCi (or like) I don't think I can justified spending that kind of
money for a CD Player. Of course I've looked at all the usual suspect Budget Players and it would be a difficult choice to choose one over the other. I've mostly have looked at/researched the likes of NAD, Marantz,Yamaha and Onkyo. Suddenly, as I was typing this thread (like a bolt of Lightning) it hit me! I completely forgot that several years ago, I had purchase a new SONY NS 500V Multi format player and for whatever reason (I think I grew impatient with it's slow start up) and put aside the unit as part of a seldom used Basement System. Sooooo, I just now retrieved the SONY and hooked it up to my modest system (NAD C326BEE and POLK 10 Monitors) and started playing the same Sonny Rollins CD......HUGH difference! A lot brighter/sharper/alive/crisp sounding! Good Bass as well. Well, I wonder if I should still purchase another BUDGET CD Player (per the above list) ? Then again, I may be fine with this SONY unit for the time being. Ummmm, I can't but help wonder if any of the above listed BUDGET CD Players would be an improvement over this SONY NS 500V ? I'd love to hear you thoughts ? I mean, this unit is only eighteen years old lol.


https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/sony/dvp-ns500v.shtml

Regards,
SixCats!

 

[Robint]

Don't worry I have 5 cd player, all built prior to1988, either Magnavox, Philips or Sylvania. All have the Philips TDA1541 or TDA1541A chip and all run perfectly. One has the lcd display partially out but I prefer the sound over the DVD player or the Laser Disc player. Amazing is it not, that they are still chugging along after 30 years. Apart from lubing the drawer or replacing the belt and gear they have had no other maintenance. They hold their own with the turntables, Technics SL-7 with an ADC PSX-40 and Technics SL-L3 with an ADC PSX-30, the Nakamichi CR-3 and CR-1a cassette decks. Three of the decks are out of rotation at this time but the other two get a lot of use. Love these old cd players.

 

[Gazdatronik]

Some of those CD players from those days were in it for the long haul. My JVC was late 80's, and had a reputation for never breaking. I gave it to a co-worker a few years ago and I belive he still uses it.

 

[SixCats!]

Hi Robint,

Fantastic! That is awesome you have all those CD Players still up and running. Funny, I have NEVER had to do any maintenance whatsoever on the HK HD 7300.
It's still running and still sounds pretty darn good however, I must admit, the SONY DVD player (NS 500V) does appear to sound better with more "Air/Space". It's kind
of hard to put into words but, it's sort of as if a "veil" has been removed from the overall sound, i.e. a more revealing sound if you will. As I mentioned, I can't help but wonder
if a NEW CD Player would even sound better than this (well reviewed by The Absolute Sound back in the day) Sony NS 500V ?

SixCats!

 

[Robint]

Hi SixCats, The Philips swinging arm lasers are almost unbreakable and perfect for cd's. The switch away from them was because not fast enough for dvd's. The 16 bit TDA 1541 dac has a cult following. I suppose that makes me a cultie. The Bitstream 1 bit dac was much cheaper to produce. I understand a number of high end producers are building ladder dacs.

 

[Dswankey]

I have and use a Denon DCD-1500 w/remote circa 1986 and it works flawlessly.

 

[TheWolverine]

I'm still using an old Onkyo I purchased new in the early 90's. Lotta play time on it too.

 

[Dudeman7]

I had a Denon DCD-1800r from '87 or '88. It was built like a tank and sounded amazing. It struggled with CDRs and discs with heavy labels on them though. Still worked beautifully with silver pressed, factory discs when I got rid of it.

Moved on to an Onkyo DX-C340 changer that was built in 1998. It still works great too. I just bought a new Integra CDC-3.4 to replace it at home but the Onkyo will move to my office system.

Older CD players used to be surprisingly long-lived in my case. In fact, the Integra is the only one I ever bought new. The others all were either given to me or purchased second hand.