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Old cd players

S

staf

Active Member
Hey folks

I have an old NAD cd player with the model number: 5325. I picked it up at a secondhand store for like $30. It was even cheaper than a crap one they had there, obviously they had no idea what he had .

The NAD replaced a Panasonic DVD player i was using for cds. It does sound better than the DVD player but my question is that i understand how vintage gear sounds warmer and is made in Japan and all, but what about old cd players? are they generally better than say a new NAD at the same price level?

The NAD cd player sometimes makes a distorted guitar sound grainy and washy, and I listen mostly to distorted guitar music. But that's just my opinion and could very be another problem down the line of my stereo, so im not really sure.

Im thinking a new cd player would have better electronics, design and technology. Or do old cd players sound better? let me know what you guys think.

staf
 
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Well , I was always under the impression that there was not much difference in the sound of CD players . I always preferred CDP that would handle CD-R's and CD-RW's and that always meant the newer players .
 
There are some CD players still floating around the cheap used market that have the highly-regarded Philips TDA1541A chip. They do have a tendency to sound a little warmer than most. I have two of them - a Nakamichi and an Adcom. After the digital-to-analog conversion, CD players are an analog audio component like anything else, so quality in the power supply or even the case and feet can affect the sound quality.

That said, I think modern CD players are the way to go, if you have the budget for it. The CD is apparently on the way out, so it's a little late to buy a good player. But if I was going to buy a good one, I'd plan on a budget of at least $300. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother.
 
Bob_in_OKC said:
The CD is apparently on the way out, so it's a little late to buy a good player.
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Vinyl's been on its way out for 30 years now. Millions of people with millions of CDs are likely to be buying players for a few months more, is my WAG. :yes::D
 
musichal said:
Vinyl's been on its way out for 30 years now. Millions of people with millions of CDs are likely to be buying players for a few months more, is my WAG. :yes::D
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Perhaps, but with CDs, you can just rip them and listen to them on any digital device. Vinyl is more tied to the originally intended player than the CD is. The CD player isn't as essential to the format as the turntable is, IMO, because you really can do with just the files you get off of the disc.
 
Bob_in_OKC said:
There are some CD players still floating around the cheap used market that have the highly-regarded Philips TDA1541A chip. They do have a tendency to sound a little warmer than most. I have two of them - a Nakamichi and an Adcom. After the digital-to-analog conversion, CD players are an analog audio component like anything else, so quality in the power supply or even the case and feet can affect the sound quality.

That said, I think modern CD players are the way to go, if you have the budget for it. The CD is apparently on the way out, so it's a little late to buy a good player. But if I was going to buy a good one, I'd plan on a budget of at least $300. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother.
Click to expand...

With the CD and CD players on the way out, people are dumping them on the thrifts by the truckloads at the moment. Now is a good time to watch the thrifts for TOTL or near TOTL CD players from 10 - 15 years ago when the CD was king of the hill. I am always on the lookout for Sony ES gear for example, as well as the better gear from other well regarded consumer electronics makers, such as Denon, Adcom, NAD, Yamaha, etc. Most CD players are going for less than $10 at the thrifts that I visit, regardless of if they are BOTL, MOTL, or TOTL.
 
Problem with old CD players, is well, old age. Rubber isolation parts tend to harden, and laser assemblies give out. Had this happen with a couple high dollar units, as things just wear out. If getting a used player, wouldn't get an older unit at any price, unless playing it with firm knuckle wraps on tops and sides, for skipping. Some of these older units skip, by barely looking at them.
 
Treker said:
With the CD and CD players on the way out, people are dumping them on the thrifts by the truckloads at the moment. Now is a good time to watch the thrifts for TOTL or near TOTL CD players from 10 - 15 years ago when the CD was king of the hill. I am always on the lookout for Sony ES gear for example, as well as the better gear from other well regarded consumer electronics makers, such as Denon, Adcom, NAD, Yamaha, etc. Most CD players are going for less than $10 at the thrifts that I visit, regardless of if they are BOTL, MOTL, or TOTL.
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This is a good point. The thrifts don't seem to care if it's one of the better players. Or maybe they think their customer doesn't know a good one from the lesser ones. I think the place where I got my Nakamichi had it priced higher than all the others, but it was still only $25.
 
When I got back into the audio game a few years ago, I had bought a 5 cd sony from a big box store, and it never sounded right to me, just kinda harsh. So I went back and bought the original cdp that I had in 1986 a sony cdp-302ES. It sounds so much better than the other, It makes me believe the quality back then vs now does affect it.
 
zebra03 said:
Well , I was always under the impression that there was not much difference in the sound of CD players . I always preferred CDP that would handle CD-R's and CD-RW's and that always meant the newer players .
Click to expand...

Same here. I know others will disagree (and that's groovy) but I think my 1995 era Sony CDP-C365 ($9.99 at GW) sounds just fine. It plays any CD-R I throw at it and that's a big deal for me as I create needledrops.

Older CD players can be a great deal but the real issue with them is once the laser goes, that's pretty much it. So anything I'd buy would be one that be repaired. No sense in owning a potential $500 paperweight. Of course, one can always go the transport / DAC route too.
 
i have picked up two sony es player for ~25 dollars total in the last year. i buy any es gear working or not from the thrifts since someone out there will want it. if not just for parts. the 507esd i snagged last week has the dual philips chips. it has great depth and separation. i just have to clean her out now that she survived the first week trial run.
 
I still prefer the older cd's for sound.... My Denon DCD-1500 still sounds great and plays CD-R's perfectly....
 
Old NADs are better than today's entry level CD players found on Bestbuy and curcuit city, but the newers NADs sound even better, due to better specs.

CD players tend to break down easily, so as others have mentioned, the newer ones are the way to go - they sound better too, but more money...
 
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