Tell me about your cd player.

Not even a minute, 30 seconds tops. You kids today, so impatient. You stand in front of the microwave, dancing around like it's taking forever. Why, back in my day we ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz.....

 

My first player was the first Sony that hit $300 in 1984. I don't remember the model. It didn't have a remote.

The last 'CD' player that was in my rack was a Pioneer CLD-97 Lasterdisc Player.

 

My first player was a Denon 1500 (or something like that). Still have it but it skips some. Bought it in 1987.

My second player: Oppo BDP-95. Plays everything - as long as it's silver and shiny... or on a flash drive. Love it!

 

I have several cd players around the house, including the garage. Here are a few of them.

 

Hmmm...I was experimenting with analog vs HDMI between my Sony and Oppo...I think I now prefer the Sony via HDMI regardless if its RBCD or SACD. The analog, while a little warmer, now sounds rather congested to me. Maybe the Audyssey adds some clarity, which do not affect the analog path. I initially quit using it since all such room correction software must downsample DSD to PCM, but I think the added clarity overshadows any concerns over bit numbers.

 

Back when CDs came out, we were a young family and I dreamed of getting a CD player, but couldn't justify the expenditure. My wife got a Magnavox FD1000 and a copy of Dark Side of the Moon. I was hooked, never bought another piece of vinyl. That little 14-bitter top loader lasted quite a while. When the motor finally crapped out, I got a California Audio Labs ICON II. A large improvement in sound. When I upgraded my preamp to a Theta Casablanca I used coax SPDIF, and felt bad I wasn't using the DAC and analog section of the CAL anymore, since that is why I chose the CAL. But, the Theta DAC was even better than the CAL's. The motor died on the CAL (mostly due to non-use) and I had it fixed for $125 - I could have gotten a cheap transport for that. I pretty much stopped buying CDs in the mid-90s when I discovered how cheap synthesizers were in my local music shop. I found I liked making my own music rather than searching the works of others to find good music. The CAL is still in the main rack for when I want to spin a disc.

Other CD players in the house are a pair of Philips CD910 players. These were the first sub-$100 players I'd ever run across, a milestone back then, and thought that was unusual. Nowadays, a $50 player seems to be typical. They work, but nothing really outstanding about them.

I've also got a Gemini CD-9500 ProII dual CD player, and a Numark CD-25 dual CD player. Not too much to comment on them, they filled a need.

I also have a Pioneer PD-F907 100-disc player with an optical connection to a Marantz CDR630 recorder. I stored master discs in the Pioneer to be copied on the Marantz. I've burned a bunch of CDs with that combo.

Finally I've got a number of portable players. I've always felt they were more annoying than useful.

 

My first CD player was the technics model pictured above in this thread. I then purchased a Pioneer PLD 97 Laser Disc player that I used for my primary cd player. I then played my CDs on a Discman for a few years before buying a Rotel 951 HDCD/CD player in 2001. I still have it and it does need replacing.

 

I forgot to say: It's my 3rd Naim player. I like their sound.

 

Can you please comment on the differences you hear between the Esoteric and the Oppo? I own the 105 (and a Sony 5400ES), but I am seriously considering buying a K-05.

 

An expensive piece of cr@#$:



And because the physical cd format is dying i have no way to change it.

 

Currently connected to a system:
Denon 5910ci (a 45 lb beast)
Sony NS3100 ES
Sony SCD C2000ES
5910ci pic.

 

I posted before on how I acquired a Sony DVP-S9000ES SACD/CD player at a yard sale and initially preferred its sound on redbook cds compared to my newish TEAC pd-h600 cd player, which retailed for $700. I felt the Sony was much more detailed and had better bass than the TEAC. However, after much back and forth I have realized I prefer the sound of the TEAC. In comparison the Sony sounds bright and detailed but lacks warmth. I think the extra, brighter detail I was hearing made me think it was better at first, but became fatiguing after a while. The TEAC sounds warmer, fuller, and better balanced to me now so that is what I use in my system currently

 

Denon DCD1500ii still going strong!!

 

I love CD Players. Each has its own sound. You can spend a small fortune or you can find the gem that is a steal. What has been learned over the past twenty years in terms of how to isolate noise, jitter and the various improvements in chips has really paid off in improved sound quality. This added to the knowledge that has been learned in the mastering rooms all equates to enjoyable music reproduction. CDs, Turntables and Digital Files all are coming into their own and its amazing that three different mediums all can sound wonderful. My Onix XCD-88 is an example of a gem that was hidden and luckily I discovered it and my Consonance Turnadot is an example of where I decided to spend a few more dollars for a more detailed and textured sound. I recommend both as great deals and worth a listen if you can still find them.

 

My first CD player was a Sony Discman.

My current CD players are two Stax Quattro II, Oppo BDP-95, two Faroudja DV-1000 and an EAD TheaterVision p. One Stax and the Oppo are in the main system, one Faroudja is in the bedroom system (other is a back up), one Stax in the fish room system and the EAD is in the basement system.

 

My main one is a Marantz SA8001 that I had gotten some years back - that replaced a SONY CD changer that I had for many years but I finally retired.

 

Right now....none. Before Katrina took my rig - had a Pioneer B stock unit(not an Elite one) with the inverted transport. Solid as a rock. Eventually, if I got tired things, probably would have bought an external DAC. Before that, believe I had a 2nd generation Sony player.

 

Pioneer Elite DV-58AV for CD, SACD, DVD audio & the occasional DVD.
Onkyo 7030 I just aquired

 

Naim CDX2

 

My history:
First was a Magnavox CDB502 loved it.
Then gave it away and bought Sony CDP90ES 10 disc changer and loved it as well. Really wish I would have bought a single disc ES at the time, I would still have it if I did.

After the Sony I went through lots of DVD players...Panasonic U500, Proceed PMDT, Denon DVD3800, DVD2200. Then blu-Ray Panasonic BDP30 and now Oppo 93.

I really wish I had a fast loading old school well built cd only machine. One of these days I will pick up a mid to early 90s Sony ES single disc player. These were my favorite aesthetically and operationally. If the 707 had a longer lifespan I would invest in one. The xa5400 I have a feeling is a slow sacds style loader. That's a turn off in a dedicated music player if you ask me.

Any modern CD players load up fast?

 

Cambridge 840c. Silky and detailed and smooth (probably not the one if after warmth and boogie-factor), and acts as a stand-alone DAC. Hope it lasts for years.

 

I have 2 Pioneer Dv-563As which I use for CD and SACD playback (both purchased used from a forum member, BTW) and an Audio Analogue Puccini CD player all of which sound good but are a little frustrating at times: the Pioneers will not correct errors on about 3 of my CDs (not a big deal as I have hundreds and have made CD-Rs of the offending discs that play just fine) and sometimes will not recognize the SACD layer of a hybrid unless the disc is reinserted one or more times. The Audio Analogue has a sliding tray issue - I occasionally have to insert a thin metal rod into a tiny hole on the faceplate to get the dang thing to open.

 

I'll tell my story with the help of found pictures

My first CD player was a Sony Diskman D-321. I really liked it. I listened to it in High School drafting, on roadtrips, through my Sanyo Cassette boombox via the aux in in the seat of my truck



I later got a Sony CDP-C725 for home. I liked the fixed and variable outs and being able to name CDs, and when I went to college I liked the headphone out with remote volume control. It wasn't a good transport when I started auditioning DACs and it failed to work around the time I was thinking of getting a transport.



My next "player" was a Theta Data II Universal. It sounded great and I loved it. I haven't listened to it for about 7 years since I went Squeezebox only.



I tried the Sony DVP-NS500V when it came out since I was excited to try SACD, but I never liked the sound of it, so it ended up just being my DVD player.



I bought the Sony SCD-XA5400ES but returned it within 60 days since I didn't like the sound compared to my existing setup.



I still have all of them other than the 5400 and C725.

 

My late father, who was a total technology enthusiast, gave me a Sony D5 as a Christmas present the year they were introduced. I used that baby's line out for several years, then I purchased a JVC 1010, mostly on the recommendation of Absolute Sound. I then purchased a Rega Planet, but in retrospect I never really liked it that much. It sounded rolled off in my system, as if it apologized for being a CD player, haha. It also had a quite noisy top loading transport. Somewhere in there I had a Philips/Magnavox CD player that is probably still working, but I gave it to a co-worker who said her CD player had died.

My favorite go-to machine is still the JVC 1010. It still works and is in my bedroom. It just plays everything and never skips. It has their proprietary K2 circuit built in and was modified with a laser focusing contraption designed by two guys who owned a stereo store in nearby Naperville. I wish I could remember the name of their product, but I had to drop it off and get it back - it was something they had to fit onto the lens, IIRC. Supposedly it improved the sound, which was never less than very good. I have various thrift shop CD players, including two Nakamichi CD2, Sony and Philips machines. I can't help but note that some of my favorites are very early samples with 14bit sound.

I also have three DACs of note: A Rockna RD2 oversampling DAC, an Ack Dack! 2.0 NOS DAC, and a Lampizator 3 and California Labs and C.E.C. transports to feed them.

 

I have an old Sony Walkman, Car-Ready/G-Protection. An old Rega Planet that sounds great!, And an Audio-Research CD3 mkII., and it sounds wonderful. I have it playing through Magnepan MMGs , and Outlaw amps. It sounds as good as most peoples vinyl set ups.