What CD Player would you like to see tested?

[NTTY]

Hello everyone,

I’ve been testing CD players for some time now, and I was wondering what’s next in the list.

So far, I tested the below:

Model	Player Type	Filter / DAC	Comments
Accuphase C-280	It's a preamp	NA	An absolute delight from 1982.
Accuphase DP-70	CD	Unknown / Discrete Accuphase proprietary DAC	Sony BU-1C legendary full metal drive. Outstanding build quality.
BARCO-EMT 982	CD	TDA1307 / TDA1547	Rare filter TDA1307. ASRC AD1891JN in the digital path.
Denon DCD-3560	CD	SM5803AP / 4 x PCM58P-K	Best R2R converter with co-linear prototype conversion based on "K" BurrBrown DACs with special MSB trimming pots.
Denon DCD-655	CD	SM5841BS / 2 x PCM1702-L	Selected DAC for Denon (L).
Denon DCD-720AE	CD	PCM5142	AL32 Filtering.
Denon DCD-900NE	CD/USB	??? / ESS9018S	Advanced AL32 Filtering.
Denon DCD-SA1	CD/SACD/DAC	Sharc DSP / 2 x DSD1792	Advanced AL24 Filtering. Digital inputs.
Denon DVD-A1 / DVD-9000	CD/DVD/DAC	DXP7001AF / 4 x PCM1704-J	Advanced AL24 Plus Filtering. Digital inputs.
Denon DVD-3910	CD/DVD	??? / PCM1796	AL24 Plus Filtering.
Fiio Dm13	CD (Portable)	CS43198	Runs on batteries.
JVC-ZXL335	CD	JCE4302A	JVC Filter/DAC.
Marantz CD-73	CD	SAA7030 / 2 x TDA1540D	First Philips 14bits DAC with Oversampling 4x and Noise Shaper.
Marantz CD-63/2	CD	SM5872BS
Marantz CD-80	CD	SAA7220 / TDA1541A-S1	TDA single crown DAC.
Marantz CD5400	CD	CS4392
Marantz CD6007	CD	AK4490
Marantz DR700	CD Recorder	TDA1305T
Moondrop Discdream 2 ULTA	CD (Portable)	2 x CS43131
Myryad Z-210	CD	CS4392
Onkyo C-733	CD	CS4396-KS	Part of a small width combo.
Onkyo C-7030	CD	WM8718
Onkyo DX-7355	CD	WM8716
OPPO BDP-95	Blu-ray/DVD/CD/SACD/USB	ES9018S	Reference CD Player.
OPPO BDP-105	Blu-ray/DVD/CD/SACD/USB	ES9018S	ModWright update not working anymore. Output level mismatch in some circumstance (when PCM SR convert).
Orpheus Zero	CD	WM8740	Review to update with Cosmos measurements and new tests.
Pioneer BDP-LX58	Blu-ray/DVD/CD/SACD/USB	ES9011S	Selected DAC for Pioneer.
Pioneer PD-30	CD/SACD	AK4480EF
Pioneer PD-D9	CD/SACD	Pioneer LEGATO / WM8741	Pioneer home made filtering.
Revox B 126	CD	SAA7220 / TDA1541A	Same as B-226S to the exception of the non-crowned DAC.
Revox B 226-S	CD	SAA7220 / TDA1541A-S1	TDA Single Crown DAC.
SMSL D200	It's a DAC	BD34352EKV	High performances at reasonable price.
SMSL G1	It's a Word Clock	NA	Surprising positive effect on SPDIF input.
SMSL PL100	CD	CS43131
SMSL PL150	CD	CS43198
SMSL PL20	CD	CS43131	Can read DSD or WAV from brunt CDs, and rip CDs direct to USB key.
SMSL PL200	CD/DAC	AK4499EX	Reference CD Player.
SMSL PL200T	CD Transport	NA	Reference Transport with USB DDC and Word Clock input.
SMSL PS200	DAC - Tested from a CD player	ES9039Q2M	It's a DAC.
Sony CDP-337ESD	CD	CXD1144 / 2 x TDA1541A	8x OS Filter with staggered output digital mode to feed 2 stereo DACs.
Sony CDP-557ESD	CD	CXD1144A / 2 x PCM64P	One on the best R2R DAC with parallel input and MSB trimming pots.
Sony CDP-597	CD	CXD2560M / CXD2561AM
Sony CDP-X333ES	CD	CXD1244/ 2 x CXD2552Q-2	Early 1 bit DAC.
Sony CDP-X559ES	CD	CXD2560M / CXD2562Q	Evolution of 1 bit DAC.
Sony DVP-7700S	CD/DVD	CXD8799N
Sony DVP-SR760H	CD/DVD	NA
TASCAM CD-200	CD	AK4384	Best resistance to scratched CDs.
Teac VRDS-20	CD	SM5840 / SAA7350 + 2 x TDA1547	The SAA7350 is used as noise shaper only. Review to update with Cosmos measurements and new tests.
Teac VRDS-25x	CD/DAC	SM5843A / 2 x AD1862N-J	ASRC AD1891JN in the digital path. Digital inputs.
Yamaha CD-S2000	CD/SACD	PCM1792
Yamaha CD-S303	CD/USB	PCM1780
Yamaha CXD-393	CD	MN66271RA	Best resistance to scratched CDs, unique for a KSS-213C laser head, thanks to Panasonic Servo control.

To come at one point:

• Pioneer PDR-04 (measurements done, graphs to create)
• Wadia Digimaster X-64 (measurements done, graphs to create)
• Denon DVD-A11 (measurements ongoing)

With all the above, I basically tested and got to know/measure what I wanted, especially about ancient DACs (in a CD player).

So the question to you is: Which one would you like to see reviewed next?

Of course, I don’t have the budget to satisfy everyone’s needs, but if I can find, at a reasonable price, a CD player of your interest, I’ll go for it.

Thank you and enjoy the WE!

 

[Kr2d2]

Hi Flo, thanks for asking!

TASCAM CD-200! I bought one as 'my last' new CDP a year ago - just to be sure to have at least one non-vintage player beside all my old ones.

I appreciate your reviews a lot ... still being on the hunt for a Onkyo C-733!

Ah, thinking of the C-733 ... I inherited an old Onkyo C-721 from my parents, looking so similar, maybe that's measuring as good as the C-733??

 

[Bleib]

SMSL PL150 once it's out. Should be June

 

[Palmer]

SMSL PL150 once it's out. Should be June

I am seriously considering S.M.S.L PL200T MQA - I've had a couple of CD players fail with the drawer.

SMSL PL200T MQA CD Player

shenzhenaudio.com: professional headphone, earphone, amplifier, dac, decoder, hifi player, cable supermarket. you will find good price here.

shenzhenaudio.com

 

[Bleib]

I am seriously considering S.M.S.L PL200T MQA - I've had a couple of CD players fail with the drawer.

SMSL PL200T MQA CD Player

shenzhenaudio.com: professional headphone, earphone, amplifier, dac, decoder, hifi player, cable supermarket. you will find good price here.

shenzhenaudio.com

But that's just a mere transport right? Only digital out

 

[Palmer]

But that's just a mere transport right? Only digital out

True, still like it , I would add a DAC, should be just fine...

 

[jon_s]

Not a CD player, but I would love to see measurements of the Denon DAP-5500 due to the early design with analog output filter. I use these nostalgically with 48 kHz Apple Music in two systems, and they are delightful to listen to. https://retrohifi.hu/blog/denon-dap-5500/

 

[Chrispy]

I'd rather see comprehensive testing of optical disc players of more capability than a simple cd player.

 

[NTTY]

Not a CD player, but I would love to see measurements of the Denon DAP-5500 due to the early design with analog output filter. I use these nostalgically with 48 kHz Apple Music in two systems, and they are delightful to listen to. https://retrohifi.hu/blog/denon-dap-5500/

The PCM-56K was a SOTA 16bits R2R converter. I don’t recall that the DAP-5500 offered the trimming option of the MSB.
I tested the same DAC in a Yamaha CDX-1110, and it had very good performances for the time. After MSB trimming, the distorsion was at -95dBr.
I’m sure you enjoy this preamp.

 

[Scytales]

With all the above, I basically tested and got to know/measure what I wanted, especially about ancient DACs (in a CD player).

So the question to you is: Which one would you like to see reviewed next?

Of course, I don’t have the budget to satisfy everyone’s needs, but if I can find, at a reasonable price, a CD player of your interest, I’ll go for it.

You should consider to get CD players on loan by interested users, for it would cost you almost nothing or at least much less.

 

[tobyjug]

You would seem to be the man to ask!! So budget dvd player or better cd player? Is there really much difference? Generally speaking. And of all your tests do you have a order of favourites? Thanks.

 

[NTTY]

You should consider to get CD players on loan by interested users, for it would cost you almost nothing or at least much less.

I’m open to that but don’t forget that even if Switzerland is in the middle of Europe, it’s not a member of the European Community, and so tarrifs might apply in and out.
Shipping a CD player is also risky (even if I had no issue so far), some of them need special care before shipping to lock their mechanisms.

 

[NTTY]

You would seem to be the man to ask!! So budget dvd player or better cd player? Is there really much difference? Generally speaking. And of all your tests do you have a order of favourites? Thanks.

DVD players with an HDMI output are likely to use an ASRC before outputting the digital audio, even from an Audio CD and at the SPDIF outputs. That means no bit perfect output, and sometimes really far from that.

That said, I still have a Sony DVP-SR760H, as a true budget dvd player. I could review it in full here. I remember it was not so bad from RCA out but suffered elevated noise floor and painfully slow mechanism. No miracle. EDIT: I just measured it again as I lost my previous data. It's a bad performer because of the high level noise and it processes the digital stream before conversion, obviously. I'll review when I find time but this is not a good investment as a CD player.

 

[NTTY]

I am seriously considering S.M.S.L PL200T MQA - I've had a couple of CD players fail with the drawer.

SMSL PL200T MQA CD Player

shenzhenaudio.com: professional headphone, earphone, amplifier, dac, decoder, hifi player, cable supermarket. you will find good price here.

shenzhenaudio.com

If it’s a Transport, there would not be much to verify other than it doesn’t process the data before outputting it. Looking at their website, they show an FFT of a 1kHz at 24bits, probably with some dither added to it (?) and it looks as it should be, meaning no digital modification of the data.

 

[NTTY]

Hi Flo, thanks for asking!

TASCAM CD-200! I bought one as 'my last' new CDP a year ago - just to be sure to have at least one non-vintage player beside all my old ones.

That one seems to be easy to find and not so expensive, I’ll indeed consider. Thanks!

I appreciate your reviews a lot ... still being on the hunt for a Onkyo C-733!

Good luck!

Ah, thinking of the C-733 ... I inherited an old Onkyo C-721 from my parents, looking so similar, maybe that's measuring as good as the C-733??

It uses a DAC (with integrated filter) from NPC (the SM5872) so it will be different. But since I don’t know this DAC, I’d be interested to test it, if I can find one.

 

[Palmer]

If it’s a Transport, there would not be much to verify other than it doesn’t process the data before outputting it. Looking at their website, they show an FFT of a 1kHz at 24bits, probably with some dither added to it (?) and it looks as it should be, meaning no digital modification of the data.

I agree, still- it would be nice to see it tested before ordering it. As I said - top loader is on the books for me, even my current Yamaha CD-S300 fails to operate the drawer quite often, I have to get the top off and yank the drive to get it working. Other than that I like it, but getting tired and would like to just drop a CD into the top of a player.

 

[Kr2d2]

That one seems to be easy to find and not so expensive, I’ll indeed consider. Thanks!

Good luck!

It uses a DAC (with integrated filter) from NPC (the SM5872) so it will be different. But since I don’t know this DAC, I’d be interested to test it, if I can find one.

I'm getting excited!

TASCAM CD-200: Looks like it has a good reputation when checking the Inet, from Teac's Pro-line (but what does that mean?), and relatively cheap. So if your measurements would confirm that it's a good quality player and transport as well, that would be really valuable news!

Onkyo C-721: I think they're relatively easy available in used condition, currently 4 or 5 on ebay/Kleinanzeigen in Germany - at least way more often than the C-733.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[mns3dhm]

Jay's Audio CDT3-MK3 transport​

 

[tobyjug]

It maybe interesting to test and compare the cheaper Denon DCD 600 NE to the 900 ?

 

[Count Arthur]

There's a couple I think would be interesting:

Shanling CR60:

Introducing Shanling CR60_Shenzhen Shanling Digital Techno

TEAC PD-301DAB-X:

PD-301DAB-X CD Player/DAB+/FM Black | CD-Players | Audio Players | Audio & HiFi | TEAC Audio

eu.teac-audio.com