I finally broke down and bought a new digital front end. I had a CEC TL 5100z and I loved it so much I didn’t want to change. The CEC was from 1996 so I got some great use out of it. It sounded wonderful and for want of a better adjective very “analog.” But it started getting a little finicky recognizing discs. When the price of vinyl went sky high and CDs started to be dumped I invested more money into CDs. I was in the market for an SACD and CD player that could play both formats without compromise. My listening priorities are stereo reproduction and engaging sound with wide soundstage and good imaging. I do not care about Bluetooth Or streaming capability. I want an accurate sound but not fatiguing. I was a little worried about buying a mass market Disc player but the build quality and components looked first rate. I also think it represents an excellent value at its current price. I decided to take the risk. I read the reviews and none really trashed the player, some dammed it with faint praise. When I first opened the box the build quality was superb, and a little retro with wood capped sides. When I first hooked it up I was disappointed. The sound was bright and too forward in the upper midrange for my ears. I spun a few discs and it started to improve, so I put in the XLO Burn In Disc and let it repeat for 48 hours. Then I listened again. It has functioned flawlessly the drive mechanism is whisper and it has played previously unplayable discs without a glitch. One disc did create the chatter I have read about in some reviews. I looked in the manual and it said that was an indication that the disc is warped. I shifted the disc slightly clockwise in the drawer and it played the disc with its usual whisper quiet performance. It was much better after burn in and I started listening in earnest. I am happy with what I am hearing. The presentation is different from my CEC, more immediate with greater inner detail. Both CDs and SACDs are opened up and played with a deeper soundstage and rhythmic drive. The deep bass is present and tightly reproduced. It is tuneful not a one note thud. The upper end has plenty of air and inner detail, with no harshness or edge. The all important midrange is uncongested and the musical timbres are accurate and distinct. I find my toes tapping when I listen. The music is reproduced with micro and macro dynamics intact. One slight downside is I sometimes end up listening at high levels without realizing it. Perhaps the most important thing is I find myself listening for hours on end, and one disc leads naturally to another with no sense of listener fatigue or ear burn. It gets me involved in the music just like my old CEC or like good analog. That’s what I wanted. So far after three weeks I only have praise for this player and it keeps getting better. It has me listening to music not the gear.
Congratulations on your new CD player! I've never heard Yamaha but I've heard CEC and know how good those belt drives sound if you like it as well it must sound great.
Thanks for the review. I find comfort in hearing that there are still quality CD players being made. Yamaha makes quality gear.
Yes, I also bought now, because I see the market for CD and SACD players drying up. Especially designs that put all the money and emphasis on two channel hard-wired components. It doesn’t have the balanced outputs that the top of the line Yamaha SACD player has but my preamp can’t accommodate them anyway. The DAC on my player is different from the top model, but my player has Burr Brown chips and I’ve always liked their sound. My last player was sweet sounding and it had Burr Brown DAC chips too albeit a different version. Most of the newer players put an emphasis on streaming technology and Bluetooth. For me I would rather buy a separate server/streaming component. It goes back to me coming of age in the tradition of separates in sound systems. This design is a few years old and I suspect they will phase it out soon. It is a device that was designed for my style of listening. I think Yamaha knows what live music sounds like, they make some wonderful musical instruments.
Yamaha’s cheaper gear is good, but the higher end stuff really is top quality. Sounds like you’ve got a keeper. I hope you get many years of listening out of it.
Ordered one off Accessories4Less the other day and should take delivery of it tomorrow (Monday). Can’t wait to take it for a spin. Already have 2 SACDs waiting to be played (Rumours and Death Cab for Cutie’s “Transatlanticism” which is a top 5 album for me and I know it like the back of my hand) and a 3rd incoming (MoFi “Abraxas”)
Great let me know how you like it. The Redbook play back is excellent too. Mine just needed a little burn in to bloom.
I’m very happy that the red book playback is good too. I’m swapping out my Integra CDC-3.4 changer for this beast. Will probably sell that on here soon enough.
So first thoughts on the deck with only a couple hours of audio played, this thing is quality! I don’t think I’ve had a piece of equipment this heavy in a long time. Can’t even remember the last one. But anyway into my opinion. It sounds pretty good. Source dependent though. The MoFi Abraxas sounds amazing, the Rumours disc was kinda disappointing. Some songs sounded great but some sounded very compressed and nasty to my ears. The biggest disappointment was the Death Cab for Cutie disc. I had the red book CD of this album in high school and listened to it tons. Lately I’ve been spinning the vinyl pressing and to my ears, that’s the best sounding version of the album. Funny considering I’ve heard Kevin Gray used the DSD files from the SACD to cut the vinyl. It just didn’t sound any better than the CD or streaming from what I remember. The analog tapes were used too, and according to the DR database it’s supposed to be a tad bit more opened up but I didn’t get that. TL;DR: I’m digging this player and what it can do. I think I’ll just stick to discs from MoFi and likely AP in the future.
Sometimes a CD we love and are very familiar with sounds odd when we hear a different presentation. The sonic signature of this player is very different from my old CEC. As for SACDs some are great and some are just meh. I don’t think the SACD layer of my Sam Cooke collection sounds any better than the Redbook. That Abraxas SACD is one of my “demo discs” when people ask to hear my system. It’s great. I hope you enjoy it and have fun listening. I found mine keeps sounding better for these first few weeks. I bet it sounds quite a bit different from your old player.
In this case, your player does a great job when the SACD layer doesn’t sound any better than CD Because this SACD was mastered by G Marino using an old 20 bit Pcm A/D that does not sound good! So your player only deliver what’s on the disc, and that is as it should be, isn’t it? I have this Yamaha CD-S1000 player. Bought mine in 2011 and been very happy since. I replaced the optical laser after 7 years, the player has been in heavy use, so that’s ok. But I have modified it a bit, typical me I have placed Music Rails on all voltages on both the digital and analogue boards. Also Terra Firma bit clock added, and a few parts replaced on the analogue board. A very good player now sounds on pair with absolute high end SACD players. Enjoy!
Really interesting review. Good to know these things. I have to admit it is a very tidy looking unit - but of course it is how it performs that matters. Thank you for sharing and I wish you many, many hours of listening pleasure.
Thanks. I’m not ready for mods yet. But I might be when the laser goes out. Nice to hear yours is still delivering tunes after many years of heavy use.
Thanks for sharing this, Pete! Are you still happy with your CD-S1000? And can I ask what amp/speakers you are using it with?
I am still happy but I’ve been spending a little too much on SACDs. I have a Krell KST-100 amp and PS Audio preamp driving Legacy Signature III speakers. This player has me thinking about upgrading my preamp. Most of my gear is like me, vintage. I have been listening to many CDs all the way through, which is a sign of how involving the player is. I put on an album and after I hear one tune I just want to keep listening. It has led me to stay up too late quite a few evenings. Listening until 1:00 or 2:00 am is fun but the next day is tough. I believe the player continues to sound better even though I’ve already had it a few months.
Thanks again, Pete. One more question, do CDs and SACDs sound great? I have read that the CD performance on this unit is less than great.
I find the CD performance excellent. My last CD player was a CEC and it changed my mind about digital. This player betters the CEC in air and inner detail. To use a common cliche of audio reviews my last player had a mid-hall perspective and this player has moved me up closer to the.front row. My speakers have a slightly warm sweet sonic signature similar to Vandersteen's. I don’t know if this player would pair well with brighter speakers like Thiel. I must confess that I am not sure about the pre-emphasis question. The player comes other an old fashioned printed paper manual, which I love, and it doesn’t mention pre-emphasis. There is no light or other indicator that a disc is being “de-emphasized.”
I see that you have B&W speakers and have been listening to a Denon player. I used to own a Denon player and based on that I think you might like the Yamaha. The majority of my listening has been CDs not SACDs. I am a fan of B&W products and have never found them to be harsh or aggressive on the top end, although the 801s can be brutally honest. Of course the proof is on the pudding. Maybe you can get a loaner or buy from Crutchfield they have a generous return policy.
No problem, let me know if you decide to make the purchase. I’m not a wealthy man and I am always cautious about laying down my hard earned cash. Nothing is worse than buying something and finding out that you don’t like how it sounds.
I think you need about 20 inches with enough room behind for the cables to not be pinched. It takes up approximately 18x20. It is a beast and built like a tank. Very minimalist design aesthetic, which I like. The other player that was on my radar was the Denon DCD 1600 NE. I like the Marantz gear but I heard too many complaints about reliability. I like the Sony players but they are terrible with customer support and not making parts. Nobody wants a $1k to $2k paperweight. Obviously there are many great brands that cater to the audiophile niche. But I thought at the lower price, this was the best bang for the buck.
