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Looking to buy a CD Player (not made in China)

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sebrof said:
I dunno, guys. The guy says he doesn't want a Chinese-built CD Player. I can understand asking him why not out of curiosity, but why try to change his mind? Is it because you can't think of a CD Player that meets his criteria? He's looking for something very specific.

"The problem is the coolest and best sounding stuff in Rob's budget is going to be made in China."
You mean except for the fact that it's made in China so he doesn't want it.

"i think your best bet would be to get past your hang-up about Chinese-made gear. As far as build quality and performance are concerned, I see no reason to avoid Chinese gear."
You see no reason why because you don't have a hang-up with Chinese gear. The OP thinks his best bet is to find a non-Chinese product.
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I agree, but the problem is his criteria won't be met unless he buys something from China, or ups his budget, or goes used. Also, asking for something not made in China, but priced like it was made in China isn't really fair. I don't think you can have both, to be honest.
 
KrisM said:
I agree, but the problem is his criteria won't be met unless he buys something from China, or ups his budget, or goes used. Also, asking for something not made in China, but priced like it was made in China isn't really fair. I don't think you can have both, to be honest.
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From his original post: "My budget would be less than $300 on the used market."

Still it will be difficult, but if he goes used it is certainly possible.
 
sebrof said:
From his original post: "My budget would be less than $300 on the used market."

Still it will be difficult, but if he goes used it is certainly possible.
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It is, but there are lot of potential deals that he might miss out on if he is stuck on the non-China thing. He's new, and people are pointing out that dismissing Chinese made gear might be a mistake at his price point. Nothing wrong with that, IMO.
Did he actually say why it had to be made anywhere than China? If it is politics, so be it. Without getting into the details, I have plenty of (personal) reason to be anti-China. But it doesn't get in the way of what CD/DVD/Bluray players I buy.
 
I think if he wants a non-Chinese CD player under $300, there's no need to spend more than $30 on a yard-sale unit from Japan.

I say find the best $30 player that look good with the rest of your system.
 
Not that long ago, the OP's stack of Japanese equipment would have been viewed in much the same way as he views Chinese equipment.
 
andy said:
Not that long ago, the OP's stack of Japanese equipment would have been viewed in much the same way as he views Chinese equipment.
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You sure about that ?
Quality has gone down hill in almost every aspect of products, from cars, electronics, to appliances, even though technology has improved.
 
Rob. said:
You sure about that ?
Quality has gone down hill in almost every aspect of products, from cars, electronics, to appliances, even though technology has improved.
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You are making a blanket statement that has no basis in fact. I could give you examples in the electronics category if you are interested. I have various players that play CDs in my house. Some from Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, and China. If I had to dump all but one, the first keeper would be Chinese made, as would the second.
 
Fact is 90% of stuff that comes from China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapre etc is of low quality, and 90% that comes from Western Europe, North America Japan is good quality.
 
Rob. said:
Fact is 90% of stuff that comes from China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapre etc is of low quality, and 90% that comes from Western Europe, North America Japan is good quality.
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So, then don't buy the 90%, buy the 10%.
 
andy said:
Not that long ago, the OP's stack of Japanese equipment would have been viewed in much the same way as he views Chinese equipment.
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Exactly.

A country is an arbitrary border drawn around humans, of which we are all examples of. The Chinese have gone to space, they can certainly make an excellent CD player, as it's not...rocket science.
 
JohnVF said:
Exactly.

A country is an arbitrary border drawn around humans, of which we are all examples of. The Chinese have gone to space, they can certainly make an excellent CD player, as it's not...rocket science.
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I beg to differ.

But, as a reminder to everyone, let's keep the politics out of this one.
 
Rob. said:
Fact is 90% of stuff that comes from China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapre etc is of low quality, and 90% that comes from Western Europe, North America Japan is good quality.
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From an audio perspective 90% of everything is crap IMO.

I have heard some very nice sounding components made in China. Raysonic makes some very nice tube pres, and Oppo does a pretty nice job with SACDs. Jolida also makes some pretty nice sounding tube gear.
 
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My best CD player is a Chinese Player. But if you really want to buy a non-Chinese player just buy a very expensive unit, somewhere well north of $3000. In most cases that will probably be made in Japan or elsewhere.

You have to spend the big bucks if you want to get out of the China Syndrome.

And BTW, KrisM and JohnVF above are right. I spent a year living and teaching in Beijing at a prestigious Chinese Institute of Science where all the students were working on advanced degrees. Yes, the Chinese have made it into space and launch lots of satellites for other countries at this point. Their manufacturing capabilities have made great inroads in infrastructure, satellite mapping, solar cells, advances in computers, materials science, high speed bullet trains, moon exploration, etc. They're pretty much where Japan was when we had to stop making fun of "made in Japan"! Remember that!

Beware of continuing advances there. The students are bright, they're well trained and educated. And very much like that old BIC commercial of years ago (they can make it "cheaper").

More and more manufacturers of Audio are in China every year. And more Higher End equipment is being made there every year. Soon even that 10 percent which is the very best will say "made in China". So be careful not to be so outside the loop as not to see one of the inevitable new forces of our time.

Nothing political intended at all. Just fact. From someone who has lived and seen the "other" side. Don't be naive!

cnh2
 
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cnh2 said:
My best CD player is a Chinese Player. But if you really want to buy a non-Chinese player just buy a very expensive unit, somewhere well north of $3000. In most cases that will probably be made in Japan or elsewhere.

You have to spend the big bucks if you want to get out of the China Syndrome.

And BTW, KrisM and JohnVF above are right. I spent a year living and teaching in Beijing at a prestigious Chinese Institute of Science where all the students were working on advanced degrees. Yes, the Chinese have made it into space and launch lots of satellites for other countries at this point. Their manufacturing capabilities have made great inroads in infrastructure, satellite mapping, solar cells, advances in computers, materials science, high speed bullet trains, moon exploration, etc. They're pretty much where Japan was when we had to stop making fun of "made in Japan"! Remember that!

Beware of continuing advances there. The students are bright, they're well trained and educated. And very much like that old BIC commercial of years ago (they can make it "cheaper").

More and more manufacturers of Audio are in China every year. And more Higher End equipment is being made there every year. Soon even that 10 percent which is the very best will say "made in China". So be careful not to be so outside the loop as not to see one of the inevitable new forces of our time.

Nothing political intended at all. Just fact. From someone who has lived and seen the "other" side. Don't be naive!

cnh2
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Thank you.

cubdog
 
I have a Samsung DVD/CD/SACD player from around 2005 that has a silver aluminum face and blue readout similar to the flouroscan series in color. I'm about a 15 hour flight from home or I'd look up the number. It was OK for sound, not the best, but I used it as my backup player until I got a Cambridge 640, then a few other things that were much better but much much more expensive. The Samsung DVD HD-850 looks similar to it, but that is newer. So...if looks that match the silver/blue are important, it certainly fits the bill. Its most likely made in China or Malaysia, FWIW. As I've stated, the origin of something is of little concern to me. Heck, I'm typing this in Santiago, Chile...they make some GOOD coffee and wine here, I'll say that!

I've seen the Samsung at a thrift store (after buying it new 7 years ago for $300...but I replaced my bad transport with one from the thrift example- easy as pie). You could probably find one for $50. Again- not the same performance of a dedicated player like a Cambridge Audio or that Rotel but a cheaper match aesthetically to your gear.
 
I bought my Marantz CD 5004 from a member here on BT real close to the 300 price point. I consider it to be a great CD player.

Mike
 
IMHO,
The Manufacturers should be required to inform the public where their product is made much more clearly.

Consider the Surgeon General's warning about cigarettes.

WARNING:
Purchasing products not made 100% in USA by US citizens
are known to cause US joblessness and a doomed economy.


They should do that for the voting process, too.

WARNING:
Voting for anyone, you don't even know,
to be your leader and to tell you what you can and cannot say and do
is a sign of utter stupidity.
 
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