Vintage CD PLAYERS vrs new DACs and CD players including audio stream from ripped cds...

Hello Guys, I have a treat here that turn to a dead end for me, I like and I have collected some of the first generation cd players, and I also own a new DAC for my streaming from the computer and to play by optical, here is my list the first in the list first in the list are the best in sound:

DUAL CD 120 (Many will say this is a Hitachi clone, but I think they are similar, but DUAl is DUAL the unit was made by Hitachi but under DUAL specifications)
FISHER AD 840 this have a very similar performance like the Dual, but looks really nasty.
PS1, yes a playstation 1, this is kind modern player and have a superb tracking of the cd including cdrs of any kind, of course NO Mp3, but it sounds very similar to the old players, but looks nasty too....
FISHER AD 850 front loader, looks superb and tracks really well, sounds nice too it carries the famous TDA1540 x2 inside, it have a really nice performance.
SONY CDP x339ES this is the one I use with optical with the Maverick DAC I own, but this is far to be a good cd, I don't know but it do not please me at all, even using the analog outputs the sound of the player is not nice, it fatigues me after one cd I end up my self running away from the player.
SONY CDP 79ES, a cd changer, perform better than x339, but still kind bad performance, I do also own another sony from the ES series and is under the same path.....


Here is my question, all vintage CD have their sound path (excluding the sonys), the Dual and the fishers and PS1 they have that warmth sound solid, not rushed, with kind low volume output, BUT even I def can tell you that sound is fuzzy and not clear as the modern DAC used in the Maverick tube dac, I have downloaded many albums on 24 bits at 192, they sounds super in the maverick, the maverick sound big, large, rushed and brigth, I can't tell really but I am never satisfied with it in full, tires me, the sound is super clean, bright and I also have added some superb opamps from SPARKOS, they clear more the sound, the Maverick is nice, but it is like when you are eating something too sweet or too salty you turn to get sick of that, you need to have something with less intensive sounds, I really cant tell you what happen to my ears and what I feel, I am confused now, with the old cd players I feel my self and I can play the old cds for hours and cd after cd I don't get fatigued, I like to test my maverick and got surprised with the tones they give but I cant stay for too long using it......

Hole someone here can or may have experiences with vintage cd players (1982-1985) all after that is not the same as the first ones.....

 

There is no shortage of "vintage" CD players stacked on the shelves of nearly any thrift shop, and certainly every pawn shop, but even prices of a few dollars are not enough to entice me.

I owned a Sony CDP-101 back in the day, and even though it appears that people will still spend good dollars to get one, I certainly wouldn't. But maybe it's because I don't always associate "vintage" with good sounding.

Jeff

ps. Now that I know that those Sony's still command a silly amount of money, perhaps I would consider buying the next one I see, on the cheap, and flipping it.

 

I can make a couple of points here.
Many find the same V4 roger.
I bought a Nakamichi cd player 2.
After i repaired the drawer i installed in my main system where it has stayed
Since.
I was staggered to hear BASS and TREBLE
Plus an unfatiguing performance .
An MB8 from the same manufacturer
Provided a most superb.performance in my smaller system both of which are tube based

Now. For £25 or thereabouts a PANASONIC SLS120 will stun you
With a very analogue sound, it outputs
A mere volt as it has no OP AMP
which can add horrendous distortion.
My last point is to attenuate the high output. I use Rothwell 15 db attenuators
As my poweramp is very sensitive.
Thid removes that " in yout face"
Sound which can fatiguing..Bass is also improved.

 

Well I really don't understand and I don't have the way to explain this, but newer cd players have a high performance but they are not comfortable to hear for too long, in fact, you loose the interest of music at all, each time I drive my maverick using iTunes I spend the time passing songs and testing sounds but never listing the songs at all, and when I did I end up feeling tired of music, don't happen with my PS1 or my DUAL or Fishers, you say something about opamps, the PS1 don't have opamps, I pat $14USD for my PS1 and sounds and works superb, let me tell you, I have three turntables, one is a newer Audio Technica with USB ports(never use it), I was ussing with the AT a ortofon concorde cart with high output, the sound was ok, but never fills me at all, I also got a DUAL not remember the model since I have not use it in many months, that TT have a kind sour and neutral sound, just a lovely touch on it, fair bass with fair higs, you hear everything but all well balanced, shame the TT is kind out of control and gives my hum noises etc, but I do love the sound, and my CD120 from DUAL have that similar sound, along with the other vintage cd I own but the dual is the closest to the sound I like.....

Many sellers of cd players, brands and site who sells 24 bit files of album they claim they have high frequency files, like 96 to 192, as far as I know the max human hear can handle is 44.1, BUT I think brain may not hear the higher frequencies but in some kind way the brain can feel those frequencies, in some kind of way, I will keep my vintage at first, but shame I dont think the sony cd players are an option, I blame sony to create the loudness war with the digital media.....

 

My only explaination is thst the designers
WANT THE NEW PLAYERS TO SOUND
THE WAY YOU DESCRIBE
modern cds are compressed to sound loud I have an original "Brothers in Arms"
AND YOU HAVE TO TURN THE volume control up quite a bit but it does sound
More like the LP.

 

Marantz players with the cirrus logic chips sound much superior to those you have listed, imo. to get better it takes $$$.

 

Here's the thing though...

Those old DACs were only resolving around 14 bit.
And the linearity of those players for the msb
were sort of weak (compared with todays machines)

And don't forget

Back in-the-day people complained at the "harshness" of digital...perhaps because of the early players? ( I'm just sayin')

Digital technology has gotten waaaaay better
over the years!
So much that we now see the wirth in those old manufactured cds.
It wasn't the old discs it was the players!

Who knew??

 

My Denon DCD-1500 still sounds good to me.

 

The worst I've ever heard was my Yamaha CD-X2, circa 1984. It was said to be a "warmer" sounding player. I soon discovered it had audible fuzziness on low level signal, most noted on fade outs. It's sound otherwise was dullish and uninspiring... lacking inner detail. Disconcerted about CD's, I actually went back to listening to my records. I sold the CD's, the player was eventually replaced by a Sony.

Among the finest I have heard personally:
Marantz CD-52, purchased at a thrift and refurb'd, replaced the faulty eject gear, (common these go bad) wonderful musical sound
Marantz DV-7000, purchased at a thrift store and resold.. (should have kept this one) Marantz labeled dual converters, high quality caps/ discrete transistor analog section, superb sound.
NAD T-550, purchased at a thrift store and resold, tight bass and resolve comparable to the finest analog sound I've ever heard, smoothness and musicality, inner detail. This NAD lacks convenience, slow track access, this sort of a deal breaker because it is so slow.

My current CD players are my lap top drive (my old tower in storage with Audigy sound card that I liked a lot) and a Philips CDR-800 recorder, nothing to brag about.
(seems I need to update my profile however include equip I have previously owned)

 

Not sure if my 1992 Technics SL-PG340 CD player qualifies as "vintage" but I did find for the first time the differences between that and a early 2000's Onkyo player I picked up at a thrift store. I'ld been pretty much satisfied with the Technics I bought new in '92 but was curious if the newer Onkyo would sound better or the same since I heard in online discussions that digital devices had improved so much by then.

I returned the Onkyo player. Here's why. The Technics playing through my '72 Sansui amp/Norman Lab two way speakers imbued a sort of open airyness and wider stereo image, kind of like a subtle reverb effect to certain minimally produced modern studio music recordings with very little over dubbing and studio tricks. Sam Moore's "Overnight Sensational" album is one of these. I could hear a sort of 3D like separation of individual singers and instrument players that felt like they were in the room with Sam as if it was a live performance. Squirrel Nut Zippers "Hot" album is another one recorded similarly.

The Onkyo created a flat front stereo image placing all the singers in a row left to right. The room disappeared. It was shocking to hear this. I thought all CD players treated the bits the same. Guess not.

 

I'm sure what you're hearing is a good power supply and analogue output stage

 

I think you have say something very true, this is not a DAC quality matter, sound don't depend on that, the amplification and analogue stage is the key, in modern units they try to "create" the sound with digital stage at the end you got fake sound, thats why the TDA1540 is so famous, because that have only 14 bits, maybe that dac was rustic or something, but the analog stage help it to perform well, first gen of cd players where $500 back in 1982, that means $3000 or so of actual dollars, and first gen cd where made to impress, maybe at lost by the manufacturers since they try to put a new format in the market, they will make it the best they could.....

 

That's very true, the first thing a modder such as Modwright will do is improve the power supply and the output stage in a DAC he feels sounds shows promise. Right now he is offering mods to the Musical Paradise mk2 and the Pro-Ject Pre Box S-2.

 

Still haven't heard anything for the money that sounded as good as my mid 80's JVC single disc. Some of the Technics of the day sounded ok too, but that JVC just sounded great.

 

For awhile I used an '87 H/K CD player in my system. Sounded great, had a TI 18 Bit/176 oversampling DAC. I'd ended up passing this one onto a friend that is still using it.

Also had an old Philips with the famous 16 bit R2R TDA1541 DAC, that sounded pretty good too. Had some minor issues that an experienced tech needed to fix, ended up passing it on for that reason.

My newer Onkyo player also sounds good.

In general I haven't heard too many bad sounding CD players. Maybe off-brand portables.

Never heard a 14bit 1st gen CD player.

 

I'm using a Sony DVP-S7700 for CD's and it sounds good to me.

 

I love my Philips CD104. Dual TDA 1540 DACs and 14 bit, perfect for 80s CDs.

 

I'm assuming you were addressing my comment about the differences I heard between the Onkyo vs the Technics CD players. If so, which of the two has the good power supply and analogue output stage?

 

I belive is because these new cds, have 24bit dac!;

Lol any thing whit 24 bit makes me sick.

 

I haven't heard those two players but Technics use to make some good stuff back-in-the-day

 

Mods can really make a difference too

Hell, I modded my oppo 103 player and it sounds
much better than it did stock

And that is not vintage

 

I believe some of those early players had actual glass optics in the laser assembly
Not cheap plastic like many machines today

 

I have a Teac PD-325. Made in Japan. It's probably the most crystal clear sounding CD player I've ever heard. And not a bad deal for $8 at a Goodwill, just the disc tray won't open sometimes. I think I've read somewhere that it upsamples to 20 bit, or does some kind of upsampling or something, but I could be wrong. I can really crank the volume on some CDs. Stick in a good, original US version of an Eagles album, or original Genesis albums, and they can really be turned up and played LOUD. Great sounding CD player. Prominent bass and Crystal clear and smooth highs.

 

Well you say something very true, I have found "some" 24 bit files witch are ok and maybe nice sounding, BUT most of the files outthere are not nice, they too loud, I really dont like them much too, why you dont like them??......

 

From Stereo Review, January 1997: