What CD Player would you like to see tested?

[NTTY]

Here are a couple of fun ones I came across recently;

Dunu Concept R CD-player

• 24-bit R-2R ladder DAC
• 2.08" Monochrome OLED Display
• $750

Shanling EC Zero T

• R2R DAC + Tubes
• Dual JAN6418 Tube Output & TPA6120 Headphone Amplifier
• Transistor / Tube Mode Output Switching
• $590

Both are chunky boys but honestly, I think both would look great as part of a system as well. Especially that Dunu.

If someone wants to send those to me for testing, I’ll happily review. But "R2R" and "Tubes", together with high price tag, seem to target a different community than the one of ASR.

 

[Count Arthur]

If someone wants to send those to me for testing, I’ll happily review. But "R2R" and "Tubes", together with high price tag, seem to target a different community than the one of ASR.

Tubes in CD players is something of a red flag for me, they are unlikely to be doing anything positive.

 

[NTTY]

I'd also like to add the Sony DVP-NS900V to the list.

The Sony DVP-NS900V was considered an exceptional player when it was released, both for SACD and CD formats. According to many, its sound was far above its price. A German hi-fi magazine even created a new device class specifically to avoid having to compare it as a CD player with other devices. This would have caused problems for some of their advertisers with much more expensive devices.

The same was said about the Sony DVP-S7700. In the end, it performs indeed very well as a CD player, even if not flawless.

Magazines were really inventive at the time to make us believe there was something more to hear than what was recorded on the silver disc. Let’s trust Sony they avoided that.

 

[Fleuch]

Yamaha CD-S2100 is a substantial example of mechanical engineering, almost requiring a "two-man lift". The review by David Rowe and the subsequent comment thread shows the varying perceptions of the CD/SACD player, as all the contributions are subjective. The CD-S2100 incorporates an ESS DAC, which is an elderly ES9014, and can be configured as a stand alone DAC.

A measurement-based, technical review would provide all the information required to back up the user reviews.

 

[Mart68]

Technics SLP1200



I've had three of them over the years but they all died eventually. Got to be one of the coolest CD players ever though.

 

[JaccoW]

If someone wants to send those to me for testing, I’ll happily review. But "R2R" and "Tubes", together with high price tag, seem to target a different community than the one of ASR.

Shanling already has several other options and seem to be expanding their range of CD players rapidly the past couple of years. So apparently it's profitable enough to also deliver something like this. Probably a request from the internal Chinese market. Keep in mind that a lot of younger audiophiles are into high-end headphones and desktop headphone amps instead of full size hifi systems.

Here is their current line-up;

• Vertical EC Smart ($150)
  • This thing is funny
• CR60 transport + ripper ($260)
• EC Mini ($350)
  • Portable
• CD80 transport ($350)
• CA80 player + amp ($540)
• EC3 toploader ($600)
• CD-S100 IV Player + DAC ($590)
• EC Zero T ($590)
• MCD1.3 Player + streamer ($1100)
• SCD1.3 SACD player ($1300)

But there are also several report here on ASR of users having issues with their more expensive models and lack of support that I think it's a bit of a mixed bag.

 

[JaccoW]

Technics SLP1200



I've had three of them over the years but they all died eventually. Got to be one of the coolest CD players ever though.

I remember Techmoan's video about this one!

 

[Mart68]

I remember Techmoan's video about this one!

Just watched that, thanks!

Makes me miss having one. One of them I had was the 'BBC' version with the XLR outs and the long display window in place of the 'Class AA' diagram.

 

[RebelMan]

Would like to see a Marantz CD 60 tested.

 

[Kr2d2]

I prioritized the review of the TASCAM for you since you were the first to talk about it

Thanks @NTTY, I am happy!

I updated the review of the TASCAM and @Kr2d2, you’ll be happy to know it’s the best drive I tested so far when it comes to extract data from a CD!

I'm happy because before I was thinking that the CD-200 is a good player and transport, but now I know that it's a good player and an even better transport!! - Exactly the reason I bought it for before knowing!

As you can see here I have the TASCAM since about 2 years as a transport in my (Stax-) Earspeaker system, feeding the RME DAC via digital optical input,...

... while the Onkyo DX-7355, that I have recently bought cheap (as an occasion after your anouncement that you'll test it!), is connected via digital optical into a WiiM streamer (for the easy(*) PEQ) and from there via digital coax into the RME DAC.

So now I am waiting curiously for your review of the DX-7355, still hoping(!) to know soon that it's a good transport as well!

(*) still struggeling a bit with PEQ on the RME. The device interface is complicated and unfortunatelly I don't have a PC/laptop that is capable of running the RME app.

 

[NTTY]

Funny, look:

Everything is ready for the Onkyo review, but I need to find time to write it.



The digital output is perfect too:

And its clock has a better precision than the one of the Teac (8.5ppm vs 32.5ppm)

 

[NTTY]

Hi everyone, I found time to publish the review of the Onkyo DX-7355. It is a very good player for little money, I think, and a perfect transport with a fast Sony KSS head. Enjoy!

I have 4 more players in the pipe, but all low level entry from the past. I'm interested to know how they performed, especially the Sony ones, wondering if Sony ever managed to release anything else than a very good CD player.

 

[Westsounds]

NAIM CD555

 

[NTTY]

Hello Everyone,

I recently published the review of the Marantz CD-80, with the famous Philips TDA1541A-S1. Very nice built for this CD Player, and very good analog stage, with superb drive performances, only let down by the lack of linearity from the Philips DAC, as usual. Perfect transport, though, to bypass the weaknesses of the internal DAC.

Other CD players that I did not plan to test will come, such as the good surprise from the Denon DCD-655, with the Co-Linear R2R conversion from BurrBrown (PCM-1702), in a low cost package.

And there will also be the review of the "empty CD player", which is funny:

Cheers

 

[audio_tony]

The 'empty' CD player looks like a Sony.

My first CD player that I bought in 1990 was a Sony CDP-190 - it was just like that inside - the entire player electronics were on the front panel!

 

[Roland68]

Hello Everyone,

I recently published the review of the Marantz CD-80, with the famous Philips TDA1541A-S1. Very nice built for this CD Player, and very good analog stage, with superb drive performances, only let down by the lack of linearity from the Philips DAC, as usual. Perfect transport, though, to bypass the weaknesses of the internal DAC.

Other CD players that I did not plan to test will come, such as the good surprise from the Denon DCD-655, with the Co-Linear R2R conversion from BurrBrown (PCM-1702), in a low cost package.

And there will also be the review of the "empty CD player", which is funny:

View attachment 463852

Cheers

The 'empty' CD player looks like a Sony.

My first CD player that I bought in 1990 was a Sony CDP-190 - it was just like that inside - the entire player electronics were on the front panel!

There are also various CD players where the electronics, except for the display controls, are located entirely beneath the drive.

If a CD player is so empty, does it also sound hollow?

 

[NTTY]

The 'empty' CD player looks like a Sony.

My first CD player that I bought in 1990 was a Sony CDP-190 - it was just like that inside - the entire player electronics were on the front panel!

It's a Sony CDP-315, and indeed the D/A board is on the front panel:

 

[Count Arthur]

It's a Sony CDP-315, and indeed the D/A board is on the front panel:

View attachment 463958

View attachment 463959

I hope all that fresh air came free.

 

[NTTY]

There are also various CD players where the electronics, except for the display controls, are located entirely beneath the drive.

If a CD player is so empty, does it also sound hollow?

Well... what I can say is that it lost 2bits in the process:

This is the left channel, the right one does a little better.

It still is a "perfect" transport though:

 

[Mart68]

There are also various CD players where the electronics, except for the display controls, are located entirely beneath the drive.

If a CD player is so empty, does it also sound hollow?

No, the sound has lots of 'air and space'.