Oh so I have been listening to an Ah Tjoeb CDP for over 20 years. In addition to the tube output stage, I have changed out a lot of the caps for Blackgate, Elna Silm II, and Mundorf films. Along with a few regulators, and installing an IEC with also changing out several opamps. It is a Frankenstein CDP for sure but doesn't look very messy inside and sound exactly how I like. The only player I ever heard that I liked BETTER was a Wadia CD 16.
So anyway as of late it won't play a CD, it tries, bless its heart, but it jumps forward, backward, and sometimes won't even start playing a CD. At first, it seemed as though being plugged in with other equipment with SMPS was what was causing the problem, but now it won't play anything, and it is time to move on. Although I will give it some bench time. My suspicion is some power supply caps are not doing their job and it no longer has well-regulated DC causing malfunctions, so I just need to check.
Anyway as a stop-gap I purchased the reference CDP from Emotiva, it has gotten good reviews, and I can return it if I don't like it. Meanwhile, I have an old beat up junky Optimus CDP from Radio Shack that is truly remarkable how good it is for the price(Sony made rebranded, circa 1980s). Its detail and clarity is unmatched, but it isn't as sweet, relaxed, or as laid back as I like, and I get listener fatigue with it just after one song. But boy does it have a high whizz bang factor, I wish I could find another like it, it is my backup and final check with new tube amplifier designs because if anything has warts this CDP will bring them to the surface.
So I like detail, nuance, and a nice treble extension giving plenty of air and splash to cymbals and high hats. But it needs to be sweet, relaxed, effortless in its presentation with that detail, but no so much that the performance sounds like it is in the neighbor's house next door(as the sound stage performers move further away). I would really like to find an AMR 777S CDP for around $2k, or a Wadia, but I think it will be a few months before that can become reality because there just isn't any available online right now. There are several used CDPs online, which I like because I like to upgrade and tinker and don't want to worry about voiding warranties.
So does anyone have any suggestions on perhaps some inexpensive used CDPs that are grossly overlooked that sound the way I like? I have other CDPs like the Pioneer DV-525, and an RCA that is part of the family entertainment system. But I am looking for something that just may not be well known about like this Optimus I have which is so much better than it has any rights to be. When I use a tube buffer with it it can sound exactly the way I like, the cathode follower buffer mellows its harshness and adds a little dynamics, there just isn't enough room inside the CDP to put a buffer.
So anyway as of late it won't play a CD, it tries, bless its heart, but it jumps forward, backward, and sometimes won't even start playing a CD. At first, it seemed as though being plugged in with other equipment with SMPS was what was causing the problem, but now it won't play anything, and it is time to move on. Although I will give it some bench time. My suspicion is some power supply caps are not doing their job and it no longer has well-regulated DC causing malfunctions, so I just need to check.
Anyway as a stop-gap I purchased the reference CDP from Emotiva, it has gotten good reviews, and I can return it if I don't like it. Meanwhile, I have an old beat up junky Optimus CDP from Radio Shack that is truly remarkable how good it is for the price(Sony made rebranded, circa 1980s). Its detail and clarity is unmatched, but it isn't as sweet, relaxed, or as laid back as I like, and I get listener fatigue with it just after one song. But boy does it have a high whizz bang factor, I wish I could find another like it, it is my backup and final check with new tube amplifier designs because if anything has warts this CDP will bring them to the surface.
So I like detail, nuance, and a nice treble extension giving plenty of air and splash to cymbals and high hats. But it needs to be sweet, relaxed, effortless in its presentation with that detail, but no so much that the performance sounds like it is in the neighbor's house next door(as the sound stage performers move further away). I would really like to find an AMR 777S CDP for around $2k, or a Wadia, but I think it will be a few months before that can become reality because there just isn't any available online right now. There are several used CDPs online, which I like because I like to upgrade and tinker and don't want to worry about voiding warranties.
So does anyone have any suggestions on perhaps some inexpensive used CDPs that are grossly overlooked that sound the way I like? I have other CDPs like the Pioneer DV-525, and an RCA that is part of the family entertainment system. But I am looking for something that just may not be well known about like this Optimus I have which is so much better than it has any rights to be. When I use a tube buffer with it it can sound exactly the way I like, the cathode follower buffer mellows its harshness and adds a little dynamics, there just isn't enough room inside the CDP to put a buffer.