Vintage CD players

[yrly]

Glen, then I would speculate the MCS 6801 falls somewhere in the SL-P8's timeframe, if I recall it was made in mid 1984. I mean its obviously a Technics, you can see the circuit boards through the vents in the top, and its cosmetically quite similar. It has more features than the SL-P1 which I also have (actually when I bought this one it had the original instruction book). SLP-1 still works but I don't think it sounds as good as the 6801, also seems to have had more use than the 6801, transport is lightning quick in the MCS, can read even those old blue colored CompUSA CDRs which give trouble to even some new players, even overburned to 80+ minutes, without a hassle. Only the old Magnavox swing arm unit is better at more troublesome CDs. I still take the old Akai CD-A7 over the SL-P1 in that system.

Oddly I found two identical Magnavox swing arm units of a tad later vintage than the Belgium ones, these made in Taiwan, forget the model, but anyone know if these are any good? At $15 each it seems a tad much to spend, the made in Belgium ones are $20 and $29, which considering the most expensive of the others I have cost $9 is kind of expensive in my estimate. Actually as a whole there seem to be a good lot of Magnavox units floating around as of late. Almost as many as Technics (with the amount of Technics stuff I am seeing I hope for the best, I want a darn SA-1000!) I tested all 4 of the above and all read CDs the stores had just fine, gonna pop a CDR out of my changer in my truck the next time I go and try one of those, if that works I might consider. If anyone has tried one of the Taiwan swing arm Magnavox CD players though I would like to know how it worked, the store that has those has bargained with me in the past (they sold my my Marantz SD6000 cassette for $6).

 

[crooner]

I assume that is one you posted in the pic? Fair warning. If I find one for $5 I may just want to double my money on it.

Yes, it's the one on the pic. I would pay extra for the pretty Japanese girl

 

[outlawmws]

Crooner I have a Fisher sdudio std AD-823. Had it since new, early 80's I'd guess. Is that the one? and is it any good? always been a good player, but I have nothing (yet) to compare to.

 

[crooner]

Crooner I have a Fisher sdudio std AD-823. Had it since new, early 80's I'd guess. Is that the one? and is it any good? always been a good player, but I have nothing (yet) to compare to.

Yes, that's the one, with vertical loading door right?
Curiously, the Fisher unit seems to be completely different to the Sanyo DAD-8. Sanyo owns Fisher, but I guess they let them design their own player.

Regards,
crooner

 

[outlawmws]

No vertical door on this one. It's 17-1/4W x 11 D x 3-1/2 H, CD tray comes out siminlar to most PC's trays, but has more mass, and has "linear skate loading system" on the door.

 

[andy]

I bought this Fisher AD-850 on ebay a couple of years ago. It uses a Philips DAC. It reads the disc fine, but has a logic problem that prevents it from ever playing. It seems to get stuck reading the TOC. It will play the whole disc like it was reading the TOC if I let it. I managed to get audio from it only once.

I'd like to fix it, but I'll need the service manual.

I used to have an RCA 'DIMENSIA' branded player from about 1986 which used the same DAC as the CDP-101. It was made by Hitachi. I thought it was odd to see such an early DAC in a not so early player.

 

[crooner]

That Fisher AD-850 is their first generation unit. I gotta remember that model number...Quite rare, specially with the add-on accessory.

It looks completely different to the Sanyo DAD-8. Interestingly, Fisher used a Philips DAC and Sanyo a Sony DAC...

The logic problem your unit has is very similar to a problem I encountered with a first generation NEC CD-803. Very hard to diagnose and repair. The NEC clicked like it had a bad stepper motor for the laser sled, but the motor was fine. Finally gave up, and sold it.

Regards,
crooner

 

[lorne]

Sony ES machines

Once, again, Sony don't get no respect.
The early Sony ES series CDPs were and are great machines. While the op-amps and whatever can be upgraded, their quality construction was second to none. And they sound very good, even by today's standards.

WAS I THE FOOL?
I welcomed this reponse, particularly because I once avoided this brand due to slag offs from the audio community. I bought a c.1988 Sony CDP-222 ES from a junk pile here in Japan. It still cost about $30. It had a glitch in the pickup, but after studying under the hood and listening to a pile of CD's I fell in love with it. At first I went with the usual advice to bin the sucker for the fault I could not DIY repair. But, it sat staring at me for weeks until finally I ran it down to the SONY Corp. repair depot and asked them to survey it and get back to me. It ended up repaired, scoped and ready to go with a new pickup for about $140. I spent some time thinking that I had been I foolhardy, but later I no longer doubted my decision.

HOW ABOUT THE SOUND
It has somethng to add to my 1995 NAD 502. And I prefer it over my 2001 Marantz CD-6000OSE, which is a nice machine for the price and has inspired a galaxy of glowing reviews and reports. So I have compared this Sony ES with modest, more recent CDP's. BUT, how do quality machines of this age and type stack up against the 'real-world' machines of today in terms of subjective performance? I keep reading/hearing some interesting comments, but can some of us comment from experience having actually lived with both early, as well as later generations? I am not satisfied with the old saw that everything has just changed so much so don't bother. What about the SOUND?

Currently, this Sony ES (still stock, but for feet) is not too far behind the performance given by my Micro Seiki DQ-5 TT (Denon MC 301-II), albeit with predictablely different flavor. Not bad for a 16 year old CDP? ... or are we looking towards a review of the orthdox advice?

 

[Yamaha B-2]

If I had not decided to get a CDP with SACD capability (SACD is better IMHO) I would have followed my brother's route and purchased an older Sony ES machine. Their TOTL (XA7ES) still sells on the used market for $1000, which says something for the sonic quality and construction. And the 707 for $500 (my brother got his at a local high-end shop for $100 because they turn up their nose at Sony). I sold my CAL CL-10 CDP 5-disc changer to get the Philips SACD. The CL-10 was excellent and had XRCD chip, but it doesn't sound as good as the -707 (and, I assume, the -7). If we believed everything we read in Stereophile we would not have this interesting thread.

Got to go. Is a day off and the thrift shops await.

 

[Pacopico]

Funny to see this thread...

I was looking for a new CDP a few weeks ago and stumbled across a 1996 Sony C77ES at a yard sale - $20.00.

Took it home, and it plays very well...even CDR's. I like the sound, pretty laid back (but that could be the rest of the system), decent imaging and bass.

The only odd feature is the digital sound processer simulations...you remember - "Hall" "Studio" "Live" modes, etc. It does have a bypass (thank god), but it also has reverb control when it is running in the processor modes, makes for fun experimentation once in a while

 

[Wornears]

I have a Sony 209ES and what I like is the variable line out, and digital output. The volume control on the remote control actuates some kind of servo that physically turns the line out volume knob -- no digital help there, but sort of cool in an analogue sort of way.

Just got a Denon DCD 660 today free. The door would slowly open but it wouldn't read a CD. Upon opening it up found a very robust transport (Sony?) and after lubing the gears/tracks, and cleaning the laser it works fine. It has pitch control, which is a neat function. Looking for a remote for it now. Any idea of a source for a new transport door belt?

Also have an ADC CD 100X, which has another stout transport (Philips, I think), which I bought for $1 dead, and after lubing, cleaning its contact switches, and cleaning its laser got it up and running.

 

[H2s04]

Wow, that NEC is HOT

 

[crooner]

Wow, that NEC is HOT

Yeah, but a real dog unfortunately. NEC overbuilt the thing, and it's even larger in real life.

The design has a lot of issues. To fix it would require extensive modifications. Apparentely, cost was no object to the cosmetic and chassis designers. In the actual circuit they tried to save pennies by using fewer resistors than needed for optimum performance (servo mechanisms). Quite sad because the unit was really expensive ($1300) when sold.

 

[andy]

I just got an e-mail from one of my old high school teachers than he has some audio equipment he wants to give me. Among the stuff is a Mission DAD-7000 CD player. Anyone know anything about it?

http://195.149.157.9/ad_pics_new/59/592107_shl_s.jpg

 

[crooner]

This was the updated model of Mission's first CD player (added remote control).
Model number would be DAD-7000R circa 1985. Based on the Philips CD104, a unit with the 14 bit dual TDA-1540 DAC.
It has historical value, at least, being one of the first "high-end' european players.

I would grab it.

Regards,
crooner

 

[andy]

Does anyone have, or know where I could get a service manual to my Fisher AD-850? I found one place online that lists it, but they don't seem to be answering their e-mail. It also looks like they're selling copies which I'm not crazy about for several reasons. I'd even be interested in borrowing one.

 

[john_w]

More on Pioneer LD/CD, and Sony D-5.

Any Pioneer LD player with digital audio/CD capacity. Those always sounded as good or better than any CD player of the day, IMHO.

And those Pioneer LD mechanisms are about as good as indestructable, too. I've only had ONE that ever DIDN'T work... and that was from a Goodwill, who knows how many times it had been dropped...

Now you tell me!I saw a Pioneer LD player in great working condition for 10 bucks at the thrift the other day.When I came back later,it was gone

I still use one of those -- Pioneer combination LD and 5-disc CD changer. I think it was released around '94 or '95. It's still very reliable, though the logic circuits can get confused when I get a little button-happy, so I have to cycle power on the thing for it to get its head back on straight. Other than that, it's a great unit!

And yes, I also STILL use it for laserdiscs as well as CDs. You may still find huge collections of discs at garage sales, and the last LD rental place around here went out of business only about a year ago, so I struck a deal with them to get some old discs. So, you can't get new releases, but lots of old and not-so-old classics are still out there! Quality competes well with DVD's. Color is not quite as rich, but the lines are sharper and the sound is at least as good. The only disadvantage is that they're far more cumbersome to handle, being larger than LP's and a lot heavier than they look!


I got the impression I payed too much for it when I offered $200 and the seller agreed to it way too quickly.


I also have the first Sony Discman -- the D-5. I bought it new in '86 (Manufactured July '85), played the living #%!@ out of it, and for the most part it still works fine. Discs produced by certain labels such as Atlantic are starting to slip on the spindle, though. I just use it at work now.

A lot of people think Sony is overrated, but IMO, they've produced decent quality stuff that lasts a long time, even with excessive use and abuse.

 

[yrly]

Oddly I picked up an RCA LD player a few weeks ago at the thrift store for $6, with the 5 CD changer. Pretty much the same thing as the Pioneers from around the time offering the same basic stuff. Did not work when I got it. Tray wouldnt load completely, after I relubed all the tracks it now is working almost 100%, was taking 5 or 6 tries to load at first, now it gets it about 90% of the time, a few more cycles should be good as gold. Seems like it was hardly ever used and stored in a rather dusty environment, so the grease got sort of sticky. Also would not read anything, turned out the lens was very dusty and nothing more. Have not really put it through much of workout as far as CDs go, seems to work well for LDs though. After reading this I might go through and test it for audio. Got it hooked up to the main HT rig (Sony STR-DE935, Pyramid PA1800X, Fisher RS-1080) so it should be fairly easy to tell how it actually sounds.

I also have an early Sony portable, the D-50 I believe it is which is essentially identical for the D-5 from what I can tell, if I remember it was made a tad earlier. I was never too fond of it's sound quality but man is it built well! Works great otherwise though. Might evaluate it in comparison to the Electrobrand QCD-1000 (my long standing favorite for best sounding portable) on my Kailin tube amp when time allows.

 

[asynchronousman]

Thoughts on a later old Hitachi?

DA-4000. One is at the SA for $11 and I am trying to put some older components together (A small Realistic receiver with RCA speakers as well as screw terminals, 70s Sony speakers and a CDP) for my 9 year-old niece.

 

[cfoster]

Over the years I have owned 5 CD players and for someone who really doesn't care for Cd's in general I agree with Crooner, My first player was a Sony CDP 101, I still have it and it still works; though the tray sometimes doesn't want to cooperate. Until I purchased a Lynn, the CDP 101 was the best. Far better than any of the newer Sony's I bought and even better than a NAD, which went into the trash after it died.

Clyde