Yamaha CD-S300 and CD-S700

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by George P, Feb 2, 2018.

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  1. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Agreed, my CD-S300 is still going strong. And I love my AS-801 amplifier.

    Very good question! I have read the players even higher than the 700 are unreliable. Hopefully they will come out with something new. Or at least, I hope they keep making the CD-S300.
     
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  2. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    To be honest, I am far less pissed off than I'd be if this had happened after I could return it for a full refund. Also, if I had kept the 700, I would have to cut back on a lot of things for a few months to pay it off on my credit card. So not having that expense is a relief.

    And honestly, while the 700 is a clear step up from the 300, it is not a huge step up. I am listening to the Police Synchronicity (early DADC) on my CD-S300 right now and it sounds wonderful. Warm, natural and nice thick, tight bass.

    So, I'm good. But my Yamaha avatar will be going bye-bye.
     
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  3. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    Let's say I buy a 300 tomorrow am I guaranteed it will be the same mechanism found in yours?
    Wonder if that's what happened with the 700. Newer production model using other parts that can't be sourced anymore.
    I can't even recommend the Onkyo 7030 anymore as it has a different DAC.
     
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  4. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Good question. I bought mine three years ago. I would assume a new one would have the same parts, but I guess the only way to know would be to buy one and try it.

    Maybe. Mine has a sticker saying it was made in March 2018.
     
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  5. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    By the way, I tried to write a review on my CD-S700 today and my AS-801 last week. Both times the website would not accept my review. After I spent time writing everything out.

    C'mon, Yamaha, get your act together!
     
  6. lonelysea

    lonelysea Ban Leaf Blowers

    Location:
    The Cascades
    I’ve detailed my experiences with Yamaha CD/SACD players on this board, most recently in this thread.
    The sound quality and symbiosis of the higher end matching players/integrateds is truly amazing, but the player’s dependability has been a disappointment to me.
    My replacement unit described in that link (an A-S2100) has had a strange quirk right out of the box: the first disc played after turning the unit on will have a brief drop out followed by a second of sound and then another brief drop out about ten minutes into playback. Same exact “double skip” every time! After that it will play perfectly for hours - until I turn it off and then on again.
    Once again, the sound quality is amazing, and this little glitch isn’t enough to warrant sending this second unit back for them to monkey around with. Still, it’s disappointing.
     
  7. bruce2

    bruce2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut, USA
    Very disappointing. I would be tempted to send it back for fear of the problem getting worse.
     
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  8. lonelysea

    lonelysea Ban Leaf Blowers

    Location:
    The Cascades
    Nah, done going down that road. At least it’s been consistent; hasn’t gotten better of worse in the three months I’ve had it!

    (also- the unit mentioned is the CD-S2100, the amp is the A-S2100)
     
  9. bruce2

    bruce2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut, USA
    Well if it only happens when the unit is first turned on I would just leave it on all the time and go from there. A lot of people leave their disc players turned on for years without problems it seems. Feel bad for you though, that is a nice expensive piece!
     
  10. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    I spoke to a salesman last month who said he compared one of the higher end Yamaha players to a Macintosh CD player and it was no contest - he preferred the sound of the Yamaha!

    They make great sounding CD players, they just need to make them more reliable.
     
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  11. lonelysea

    lonelysea Ban Leaf Blowers

    Location:
    The Cascades
    Yes, but the unit automatically goes into standby if not used for a little while. No way to shut that “feature” off and the same thing happens when it’s pressed back into service.
     
  12. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Returned the CD-S700 this morning. Forgot to bring my receipt, but they gave me a full refund anyway. They didn't even ask for an ID.

    After, I spoke to the salesman about the two defective 700s and asked when the Yamaha reps come to the store (they come regularly, as the store is a certified Yamaha dealer.) He took my number and said he'd call me later today.

    I'll report back if I am able to find out anything.
     
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  13. Bill Mac

    Bill Mac Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    George,

    That's too bad that you've had issues with two S700s. I'm not up on current Yamaha components but one thing I've read consistently over the years is how dependable Yamaha components are. The fact that Yamaha players get such high reviews for overall SQ makes the situation worse. Affordable players that sound great are becoming rare and I hope Yamaha gets their dependability issues resolved.
     
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  14. rill

    rill Well-Known Member

    Location:
    PA
    Hi new guy here...
    Unlike the Amps that have a switch on the back, on the CD S2100 you can shut off the feature in the function menu. I believe it's page 14 in the manual.
     
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  15. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Thanks, Bill.

    I wonder if it is model-specific, for my CD-S300 (and the two Yamaha CD changers I owned before it) sure is dependable.
     
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  16. lonelysea

    lonelysea Ban Leaf Blowers

    Location:
    The Cascades
    Stellar! I found it! And you are right - I looked for a switch (as on my amp) and couldn’t find one. Guessed it wasn’t an option.
    I’ll do that. Won’t fix my problem but will at least make things more tolerable . Thanks so much!
     
  17. rill

    rill Well-Known Member

    Location:
    PA
    I must say, this thread is pretty disappointing. Even though I mostly listen to Tidal hifi these days, I have been considering getting one of these players as a transport for the times I would rather spin a disc. Certain discs sound better than the Tidal. I initially considered the 1000 and the 2100, but given the transport only usage, I started looking at the 700. I had read a couple of very positive reviews of this player. In fact,the only negative thing I had heard about any of the players was the slow initial read speed. There were coments about the somewhat fussy placement of the discs in the trays, but the trays themselves sound like they are really nice- smooth and quiet. The trays on my Oppo players on the other hand are quite cheap sounding. I own both the A S2100 and the A S3000 amps, both of which I bought from Accessories4Less as refurbs out of Florida. Both have been perfect. Perhaps a refurb player would have a better chance of being reliable... Given my occasional use situation, the 700 seems to be the smarter buy. It's quite a bit smaller and certainly less expensive. I have to admit, I am a little gun shy. I guess I'll have to dig a little deeper to see how prevalent the issues are with the CD s700.

    Hopefully more people will respond to this thread with their experiences with the 700.
     
  18. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    In the case of CD-S700, yes indeed. On the other hand, the CD-S300 is an excellent, incredibly reliable entry level player.

    I am very happy with the A-S801 amp. I previously owned the AX-497.

    I might try another CD-S700. My local shop told me they are getting in 10 more units in a few weeks. To be honest, though, I am leery about trying a third time.

    In the meantime, I am trying out a Denon DCD-1600NE. Will post more in the thread we have for the DCD-1600ne.
     
  19. rill

    rill Well-Known Member

    Location:
    PA
    I also own the 801... it was the first amp I bought when I got back into the audio deal. It's a great amp! Being an old school guy I wanted a traditional 2 ch integrated with no extra stuff... (dacs etc.) in my main system. My 801 powers a really nice 2.1 tv system in a different room. From a nostalgic sense, I really wish they would have put meters on the 801!
     
    George P likes this.
  20. The Pinhead

    The Pinhead KING OF BOOM AND SIZZLE IN HELL

    Don't delete your review; put it up on Amazon.
     
  21. bruce2

    bruce2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut, USA
    Can't wait to hear what you think of the Demon!
     
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  22. Mike from NYC

    Mike from NYC Senior Member

    Location:
    Surprise, AZ
    I have the Cambridge and I think it's a great CD player for the money and it can be used as a DAC too. It has DACMagic Plus inside. You can't defeat the upsampling on the CD player but you can vary it using it as a DAC. Upsamples to 384. Well built and handsome.
     
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  23. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    I'm hoping my demons are behind me.

    ;)
     
  24. bruce2

    bruce2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut, USA
    Damn auto-correct! Your cd player demons seem real, however!
     
  25. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    All too real, yes. :cry:
     
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