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Need opinions for sub $100 CD player.......

Fletch said:
I know, I'm poor. Oh well. I see others dropping $300 to 2K and there is no way the Mrs will let that fly. So...........sad as it may seem, my budget is sub $100 and the cheaper the better. I'm looking for something better then my Sony PS1 SCPH-1001's - they sound great. More importantly, I have heard what a good CD player should sound like. So far I have found these as possible players:
Oppo DVD player - model #'s???
Sony ES Series - model #'s???
Denon DCD-1420 - any others?
Rotel 950

Slim list so far. Seems like I cannot find ANY audiophile CD players locally on the used market so that auction site may be my only option. Single player CD players is prefered - anything else does not matter besides the sound.

As always - thank you for any ideas and or opinions. Let me know if I should stear clear of any of those.
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I adore my Sony CDP-650ES II. Picked it up on the 'bay for $61 plus shipping. Beautiful sound, butter smooth transport and it's has the fastest laser I've ever seen in action..... reads a disc in what seems like an instant. Built like a tank, too.

I also bought a Denon DCD-1100 for just over $20 that competes with it very well, so you might give some thought to checking out the model numbers below the 1420. I tried some CDPs over the last several months that I didn't care for for this or that reason... lots will disagree with me but from what I've experienced so far, the older units sound warmer to me.

And I agree with checking out the pawn shops! In your area there should be some decent pawns worth looking into!
 
I'd pick up a Toshiba DVD player. They sound very good and can be found for under $50. Single disk version, I have the SD3990 and SD4000 models, current production model is SD4100. I have a Yamaha SACD player that cost alot more as a recent purchase and the Toshiba's sound just as good, I think a little better on redbook.
 
I've got a Sony C85ES on the way. Hopefully it lives up to its reputation. But I guess I won't really know for sure until I get my 9090 fixed up.
 
Buy an Onkyo DX-1800 and upgrade the opamps. It will sound as good as far more expensive players. It uses a Sony laser, so when it goes bad you can buy a new one for around $20.
 
Gibsonian said:
I'd pick up a Toshiba DVD player. They sound very good and can be found for under $50. Single disk version, I have the SD3990 and SD4000 models, current production model is SD4100. I have a Yamaha SACD player that cost alot more as a recent purchase and the Toshiba's sound just as good, I think a little better on redbook.
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I have 2 people I know who have had the 3990 fail on them with very little use. One just flat out died, no power whatsoever and the other unit stopped ready discs. I took a look at it and it appeared to be the laser but I do not know for sure. Kind of gave me a bad taste for toshiba products but maybe it was a fluke. Any others report on reliability issues?
 
qboneus said:
Go to local pawnshops and look around.
'round here they kinda take a group approach to most things that are really common, like CDP's and Subs.
CDP's are 'typically' within the $80-100 range for 'most' here and occasionally a gem will still float through with a low price tag.
IF i was looking for a good cdp on the cheap, this is where I would look.
tal
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I frequent pawnshops a great deal and never see anything worthwhile. If it can't hold 200 discs or doesn;t say Bose on it they pass, I don;t know. The only luck I have to date is a Pioneer TX-610 in MINT condition for $10 but it had an incident that I would rather not talk about........no longer minty :tears:
 
Troubleshoot said:
I adore my Sony CDP-650ES II. Picked it up on the 'bay for $61 plus shipping. Beautiful sound, butter smooth transport and it's has the fastest laser I've ever seen in action..... reads a disc in what seems like an instant. Built like a tank, too.

I also bought a Denon DCD-1100 for just over $20 that competes with it very well, so you might give some thought to checking out the model numbers below the 1420. I tried some CDPs over the last several months that I didn't care for for this or that reason... lots will disagree with me but from what I've experienced so far, the older units sound warmer to me.

And I agree with checking out the pawn shops! In your area there should be some decent pawns worth looking into!
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Sorry about all fo the posts but you guys are giving me a wealth of info

DCD-800 or DCD-600 included in that or just the models dcd-1100 ro dcd-1420?
 
Fletch said:
Sorry about all fo the posts but you guys are giving me a wealth of info

DCD-800 or DCD-600 included in that or just the models dcd-1100 ro dcd-1420?
Click to expand...

I honestly cant make a call on the models lower than mine because I've never heard them! I don't want to steer you wrong but I've done some archive reading here and there are others with lower Denon numbers that have written good things about them.
 
I would go to thrift shops, flea markets and garage sales looking for gear. Bring some disks and some headphones for listening. I bought a Denon DCM 360 CD changer for $25 and it plays wonderfully, even CD-R's. You might also look into Laser Disk players that play CD's. Those machines are solidly built. I own a Pioneer CLD-5201 and it plays CD great.

Nice Avatar, by the way! :thmbsp:
 
Fletch:

My daughter has a Denon DCD815 CD player.
Sounds good.....and even has a headphone jack with adjustable volume control.
Nice unit IMO.

Steve
 
Much of what I have to add has already been said; my Sony ES changer has always sounded very good to me, much better than the Harmon Kardon and JVC I also own. Right now, I mean at this moment, I am listening to a Denon DCM560 that I picked up on the auction site for $44 and I am blown away at how good this thing sounds (I think it listed for about $600 new in 1995). And as stated earlier "you can't beat a changer for convienence" there are some models that sound fantastic!
 
Have you considered upgrading the opamps in your PS1? Small bucks can reap significant gains in SQ. Check DrAudio's posts on the subject for some good info if interested.
 
If you don't mind single CD playback, look into a Sony DVP-S7700 CD/DVD player. IMO one of the best kept secret in redbook CD playback/price ratio today. It's literally a CD player and DVD player in one unit, dual laser, 24/96 DA converters, ect. Sorry all to let the cat out of the bag... ;)
 
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