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CD player: Vintage vs. New, your thoughts please

Nightwisher said:
The older Onkyo CD players are built like tanks and work very well. I have a 90's DX-710, which was an entry level model and it has a wonderful build quality. Sounds pretty nice too. Those models would also match your gear.
I also love the late 80's/early 90's JVC CD players, particularly my XL-Z331 that has a digital output. Currently the CD player in my main rig (hooked up to my DAC).
Luxman CD players are nicely built, but the nicer models can get spendy.

All 3 are great at reading CDs, even some of the worst condition ones. I like older players for their thick trays and thick buttons, unlike most new models. The Onkyo and JVCs also have large displays with the track grids, which is nice.

Personally, I'd get one of those models with a digital output then either get a DAC now or add it later.

Anyway, those are the ones I've used that I would recommend.
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Thanks very much for your reply and the specific recommendations, will check them out!
 
xero-D-hero said:
Agree with looking for CDP's using the TDA1541...

But I'm gonna add a >caveat< to that recommendation,one should also be sure said CDP uses the Philips CDM swing-arm transport as well. ;)

The best TDA1541 chip will be useless if it's mated to a FUBAR Sony KSS transport/laser (or any other brand of transport that are obsolete).

The Philips CDM swing-arm transports are among the most reliable and longest living transports EVER made.
They read even the most gnarly discs one typically runs across and they almost never skip all while lasting loooonnnngggg lives.

There are tons of CDP's out there with the Philips TDA1541 and a Sony KSS transport,so be sure to check that as well.
The Sony lasers dont last anywhere near as long as the Philips do,and many of the KSS lasers are obsolete and thus unobtanium.
And the ones that are available are a bit hit-or-miss in many respects.

Just some food for thought.

HTH

Bret P.
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Thanks for this, appreciated!
Tom
 
i'm new here and perplexed as how you can use the words vintage and CD player in the same sentence? Those things are new technology from my perspective.
 
Goofyfoot201 said:
i'm new here and perplexed as how you can use the words vintage and CD player in the same sentence? Those things are new technology from my perspective.
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In an age where people routinely replace smart phones that they bought 18 months ago for $500+, equipment circa 1985-1990 is not often regarded as "new technology" -- unless, perhaps, you were brought up without indoor plumbing and electricity. ;)
 
I'm just waiting for a nostalgic post about loving the ritual of CD playing - cleaning the disc and carefully inserting it into the tray or slot, pushing a button and retiring to the listening chair, perusing the "liner notes" with a magnifying glass, and listening to the entire "side" as an artistic whole because the remote is missing.

Ahhh, the good ol' days!

;)
 
Another classic thread of where conflicting recommendations are given. Which is normal for audio, as people have different preferences.

I find the Philips TDA1541 players to be below average. Have had three over the years, pretty much gave away the last two. Find them to lack body, harmonics, and detail. They are listenable, just not involving.

And then there is the Sony Playstation 1. I sorted through a stack of about 100 of them at a consignment store and found 4 with the "recommended" chipset. Listened to all four in my primary system using my standard demo cuts. In terms of accuracy, they are terrible. Rolled off highs, overly warm midrange, less deep bass detail. I guess some people like this effect. Donated two of them back to Goodwill.

I'm not sure what I would buy as a budget CD player at present. I do like the early 2000s Pioneer Elite DVD players, I own two of their DV-59AVi players. These originally sold for about $1000, can be had for close to $100. DV-79AVi and DV-47Ai good too. These are SACD and DVD-Audio compatible too. For new, I'd look at NAD, Yamaha and Marantz. Yamaha CD-S300, NAD C 516BEE, Marantz 6005 or 6006. The Onkyo C-7030, recommended earlier, does seem to be a good value.

There are probably some decent sounding, inexpensive Blu Ray players out there, for around $50 to $80, as those can have decent DACs. But I don't know which are best.
 
Goofyfoot201 said:
i'm new here and perplexed as how you can use the words vintage and CD player in the same sentence? Those things are new technology from my perspective.
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I get a laugh out of that one too.

At any rate...30-plus-year-old CD players -- yeah, I really miss carriage locks. I think stability is overrated.
 
Goofyfoot201 said:
i'm new here and perplexed as how you can use the words vintage and CD player in the same sentence? Those things are new technology from my perspective.
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If you look at it from the perspective of streaming... you're right. They aren't vintage... they are antique. if you look at it from a "tech years" perspective... they are downright ancient.

The commercial CD debuted in 1982. Here's a computer from 1982:

2368813020_de3feebc8f_o.jpg
 
Evidently a lot of people dont understand the meaning of the word "vintage".

Definition of vintage
1 a (1) :a season's yield of grapes or wine from a vineyard
(2) :wine; especially :a usually superior wine all or most of which comes from a single year
b :a collection of contemporaneous and similar persons or things :crop
2 :the act or time of harvesting grapes or making wine
3 a :a period of origin or manufacture
  • a piano of 1845 vintage
b :length of existence :age

Loot at #3. Vintage just describes the age something is from, not that the item is old or antique. I will say most dont use the word properly and most think of it as an adjective describing something old.
 
Vintage CD players can sound excellent, especially if you upgrade the opamps. Parts are getting hard to find, though. Motors are really hard to find and only one laser pickup is available anymore, the Sony KSS-213. If you want a super nice used player that uses the KSS213, get a Sony CDP-XA1 and upgrade the opamps. And buy a backup KSS-213 from BD Enterprises, the only reliable source I know of.
As for new players, there are NO REPLACEMENT PICKUPS AVAILABLE FOR ANY BRAND. They want to sell you the complete mechanism for $200. So unless you have deep pockets, if you buy a new player, buy the cheapest one that sounds good and maybe buy a spare, because when the laser fails you are going to have a boat anchor.
 
I'm still using my sony 620es from 1986 in my bedroom setup. Built like a tank and still going strong. Just had to replace the belt once. Sometimes I find the cheapo cd players last longer then the overbuilt ones. They just don't sound good but they last. I never had a laser burn out yet. Sigh
 
I've had Onkyo, Denon, Sony CD changers. I'm on my 2nd Yamaha CDC-600, the thing routinely is used for 5+ hours of play per day, have had no problems. I have it with an optical feed into a R2R DAC but I can't hear much difference between the optical feed and just using the Yamaha's analog out ... possibly it's the Burr-Brown chips in there.

Regarding giving up one's "collection" of CDs and ripping them onto a hard drive, I don't believe I could appreciate my collection in nearly the same manner (and "browseability") if I had to peer at the master list on a laptop screen. Also, it's a helluva lot of work to rip 600 CDs AND the cover art AND the liner notes, etc. But everybody's got an opinion that they're entitled to ...
 
I picked up an Arcam Alpha 5 CD player for $20 and it sounds great to me. Also picked up a Sony CDP-203ES that needed a tray drive belt for all of $5 :-)
 
Goofyfoot201 said:
i'm new here and perplexed as how you can use the words vintage and CD player in the same sentence? Those things are new technology from my perspective.
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My existing gear is considered "vintage". Don't necessarily consider CD players vintage candidates, but since some fine older units are now nearing 35-40 years old some folks might consider them as such within the context of audio gear. Probably should have said "older, high-end vs. new entry-level". The only thing I have at this point that is truly 'vintage' I look at in the mirror every morning!
 
MannyE said:
If you look at it from the perspective of streaming... you're right. They aren't vintage... they are antique. if you look at it from a "tech years" perspective... they are downright ancient.

The commercial CD debuted in 1982. Here's a computer from 1982:

2368813020_de3feebc8f_o.jpg
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I had one of those, along with the CP/M and Wordstar to go along with it! Rightly called a 'portable' computer, now erroneously known as a 'vintage laptop'. One would have to have a big darn lap and a heat shield to get cozy with this thing!
 
tiy3 said:
Hi all,
I've got some vintage gear I use for listening to LPs and thought it was about time to add a CD player back into the mix. My current system is:
Onkyo M-504 Amp, Onkyo P-303 Pre, Onkyo T-909 Tuner, Onkyo E-30 EQ, Denon DP-47F turntable, and
DCM Time Window speakers.

I'm on the fence about purchasing something like an older Onkyo DX-C909 (MSRP $700, now $125-150 for one near mint) or something new (like an Onkyo DX-C390) but in the $150-$200 price range. The 500 or so CDs I own haven't changed a bit, but the player technology certainly has since the DX-C909 was introduced a couple of decades ago. I'm not after perfecting the CD listening experience but am wondering if this is a wash between current and old, and what I'm trading for warmth and fit with the existing equipment vs. accuracy and reliability with a new unit.

Would love some feedback. Fire away, and thanks!
Tom
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I say buy a streamer or start saving towards one. CD's have inherent flaws and the streamers are dropping in price.
 
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