What is the best new CD player you can buy today for under $1,000.00?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Steve Hoffman, Oct 3, 2013.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. bhazen

    bhazen I Am The Walrus

    Location:
    Deepest suburbia
    CD-S300
     
  2. LouReed9

    LouReed9 Village Idiot

    Location:
    Philly Burbs
    Ah! OK, thanks. Lists for $349 so it threw me.
     
  3. bhazen

    bhazen I Am The Walrus

    Location:
    Deepest suburbia
    Oh, sorry ... I think I saw it on Amazon for $299.
     
    Jim in Houston likes this.
  4. LouReed9

    LouReed9 Village Idiot

    Location:
    Philly Burbs
    You did. :thumbsup:
     
  5. 2trackmind

    2trackmind Forum Resident

    Location:
    MA
    The problem with the Marantz CD6004 is that it does not decode HDCD, and I am sure Steve would want that feature. I believe all (or nearly all) OPPO players support HDCD.
     
  6. Erik Tracy

    Erik Tracy Meet me at the Green Dragon for an ale

    Location:
    San Diego, CA, USA
    HDCD...is that like Beta?:D
     
  7. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    As a complete novice to surround sound, I am now giving the Sony SCD-XA5400ES a fresh look, as I feel I should get into surround sound since I have a few hundred titles of surround SACD's - all classical music, which I can never fully enjoy on my two-channel Yamaha universal player. I have the following questions.

    1. It appears that I have to use the HDMI connection on the back of the 5400 if I want to listen to surround sound. The RCA connections will only give me the usual stereo sound.
    2. The multichannel preamp I am interested in does not have an HDMI port. It has instead the RCA connections for front, back and center channels. This preamp is known to produce superb stereo sound.

    It looks like I am out of luck with this 5400 unless I switch to another multichannel preamp with an HDMI port. Can someone help to confirm this? Perhaps Oppo may have the answer? Many thanks in advance.
     
  8. Thermionic Dude

    Thermionic Dude Forum Resident

    I don't know how you could go wrong with the Yamaha CDS700. Discrete op amp outputs, excllent power supply, and very high quality mechanical parts/build in loader and transport. The CDS1000 is even better (and does SACD), but is about $1200 I think.
     
  9. Spitfire

    Spitfire Senior Member

    Location:
    Pacific Northwest
    True. The only way to do multi-channel with the 5400Es is with HDMI. The Oppos have 7.1 analog outputs so you could go that way.
     
  10. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Correct. There are also XLR connections for stereo if you want to use the balanced outputs.
     
  11. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Thanks for all the responses so far. I still like the nice stereo sound but would also like to have that surround experience. How is the build quality of Oppo? I believe the player is Hong Kong made, is that right? Does Marantz make any multichannel SACD player with analog outputs?
     
  12. sgb

    sgb Senior Member

    Location:
    Baton Rouge
    I have two friends who have Oppos, but one of them uses it in Stereo only while the other uses it exclusively in three channel mode to playback the Mercury and RCA SACDs in 3 channel. He uses the Oppo directly into the Marantz Model 9s which are feeding three KLH 9 electrostats.

    Personally, I prefer the sound of the Marantz SA8400 which is stereo only. Sound is typically described as warm which, after six months, I would say is terribly inaccurate. Perhaps the Marantz just mates well with vintage tube gear. I have no idea what other current Marantz players sound like, but my SA8400 replaced an SA-14 that I bought in 2001.
     
  13. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    I have heard all Marantz SACD players are two-channel only but I could be wrong.
     
  14. sgb

    sgb Senior Member

    Location:
    Baton Rouge
    I think you are right.
     
  15. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member

    I was surprised to see Onkyo still offers a full spectrum of single-disc dedicated CD players. Check Crutchfield for photos, specs, reviews: http://www.crutchfield.com/shopsearch/onkyo_cd_players.html

    I'll admit I'm biased to Onkyo products, because we used to run a CD player in my store 12 hours or more a day, seven days a week, and Onkyo players were the only models that survived this Real World durability test. Everything else (IIRC: Sony, Magnavox, Technics) crapped out after a few months but the two Onkyos were almost indestructible. The last one we donated when we moved to an iPod-based system.
     
    Six String likes this.
  16. inperson

    inperson Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio

    I have an old Sony CDP-333 esp which I love. I want to buy another used one as a spare. Have you ever listened to it?
     
  17. RobHolt

    RobHolt Forum Resident

    Location:
    London UK
    The Rega Apollo is a very lovely thing, though I admit to buying one because of the star trek lid and red display :) - Oh and because it's small and cute.
    Sounds much like any other half decent CD player though (i.e. most of them).
     
  18. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Actually, I think Marantz does offer a multichannel SACD player in its Reference line, though I will be reluctant to spend over $6K on one. After some search on the internet last night, it appears a splitter box is available to split up the HDMI digital signals into 5.1 or 7.1 analog signals, i.e. for the input RCA jacks found on the back of the preamp/processor that does not have any HDMI ports.
     
  19. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    I still have the Rega Planet 2000, which is an excellent redbook CDP. Now that I have found a way around the HDMI issue, I will not bother with the Oppo.
     
  20. 56GoldTop

    56GoldTop Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nowhere, Ok
    The Teac PD-501HR is comfortably under a grand.

    It plays CD-DA (can be used as a CD transport) and raw files on data dvds up to 24/192 and 5.6MHz

    Personally, it doesn't make sense for to me to go backwards. So, it'll either be this or (for a lot more money) the PWT. The PWT makes even more sense, to me, considering the internals.
     
  21. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    But this Teac PD-501HR is just a redbook CDP with an updated DAC, is that right? I have quite a number of excellent redbook CDP's, Anthem CD1, Rega Planet 2000 and NAD S500i (made in Denmark) and I expect to buy outboard DAC's for them.
     
  22. 56GoldTop

    56GoldTop Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nowhere, Ok
    Well, no, not really. It seems to me, the Teac PD-501HR is really a hi-res, optical disc, playback device that is redbook (backward) compatible. The would be selling point for me is not that it plays CDs (although that's a great plus considering the number of redbook cds I own), it is that it plays data DVDs/CDs with up to 24/192 wav files and/or up to 5.6MHz .dsf / .dsdiff files. So, while enjoying the benefits of high res audio (say HRx discs or homebrew LP/tape to high res transfers), I can also still pop in any number of my CDs and even pump out the digits to an outboard DAC, if I so choose. I look at it like a turntable that can play 33s, 45s and maybe 78s. I only have one hybrid CD/SACD; so, not being able to play SACDs is not an issue for me, especially since resolutions higher than that of SACD are possible on the 501. Even with a fantastic DAC, a dedicated redbook CD player/transport will not play raw audio files of any resolution from CD-R(W)s and/or DVD+/-R(W)s. You will be limited to CD-DA, only. If that is all one has and/or is interested in, than I suppose it doesn't matter.

    Likewise, the Oppo BDP-105 can play high res .wav (as previously stated) as well as the PS Audio PerfectWave transport/DAC, although now we're beyond the 1K price mark, way past in the case of the PS Audio gear.
     
    Last edited: Oct 28, 2013
  23. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    I am quite happy to find the HDMI splitter solution, as I refuse to go beyond 5.1, which is all my classical SA
    I am quite happy to find the HDMI splitter solution, as I refuse to go beyond 5.1, the format all my classical SACD titles were recorded. There is no point for me to go for the 7.1, 9.2 or 11.2 insanity since I am a pragmatist.
     
  24. 56GoldTop

    56GoldTop Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nowhere, Ok
    Forgive me. I don't think I'm following you very well. I was just talking about 2 channel "digital" audio. The 501 is a two channel machine, just high res capable. The Oppo is BD; so, of course, has more features.
     
    Six String likes this.
  25. brimuchmuze

    brimuchmuze Forum Resident

    With the likes of Oppo and Marantz seemingly making great sounding players for around the $1000 ballpark, one wonders why some standalone DACs are relatively so expensive?
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine