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What CD Player would you like to see tested?

I test all CD Players as transports as well.
If you’re into a Transport, I’d recommend the Tascam CD-200 as it’s cheap, and the first one to have passed all physical tests that I run. And it has a "perfect" digital output too, of course.

It would be a challenge for the Audiolab to be as good. Only the clock precision can be improved in the Tascam, but at 35ppm, it’s already beyond what we can hear, so…

Maybe I should update my initial post with some clues about how each player performs. I guess it would facilitate searching for specific performances.
 
NTTY said:
Unfortunately, I gave it to my brother 2 years ago, who… lost it… Can you believe that? I don’t :facepalm:
Click to expand...
I gave my Sony cdp x333es to a nephew years ago and I sent him your review last week.... he found it interesting but he get rid of the Sony and his cd collection after he moved: "nobody uses CD anymore, do they?..." :facepalm:
 
Scytales said:
In some ways, the behavior of the digital filter as measured with periodic white noise reminds me of your measurements of DENON CD players using the Alpha (latter AL24, then AL32 Processing).
Click to expand...
At the end of the day, what kind of filter the Denon alpha 24 or 32 use when playing music ? A slow one? Did Denon believe it is audibly better? Open question...
 
As far as cdp of interest are concerned, i would be interested in the Sony scd 555es. As a cd player, it was equipped with the very last itération of the 100% Sony filtering/1 bit D/A conversion architecture (including the VC 24 with 5 different filters). Sony next moved to BB 1738 ic (scd xa777, 9000es).

Last but not least : the inexpensive and very common Yamaha CD S300 (BB 1780).
 
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NTTY said:
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
Click to expand...
Nice machine the Philips chip is usually a good one for audiophiles, pleasent pleasing sound for the subjectivist. Measurements wise might not be the best but haven't seen the review yet. But we do listen with our ears so still a nice player to own I'm sure.
 
Mart68 said:
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.
Click to expand...
Yeah if you like things styled on a cash register :D

They're not bad in a fairness. From the era of the 1210, which was a hifi deck BTW not a DJ deck, it was just adopted by them because it turned out to be the best DJ deck unintentionally invented.

Remember these CDPs though, they did have some greatness about them in a funny way. I'd give it a cool tag. But Technics were pretty cool things to own CDPs, amps, tape decks, TTs the lot really.

Spent many an hour lusting over their brochures in my youth
:D
 
audio_tony said:
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!
Click to expand...
It was crazy how many of these machines were actually biscuit tins full of fresh air when you think about it. They could have made then wafer thin really, but things were chunky at the time, thin wouldn't have been cool :)
 
SigmaR1 said:
At the end of the day, what kind of filter the Denon alpha 24 or 32 use when playing music ? A slow one? Did Denon believe it is audibly better? Open question...
Click to expand...
It uses the slow filter when playing music as illustrated by the test from periodic white noise.
By the way, this is the overlay between the Denon DCD-SA1 and the Wadia Digimaster X-64:

1753108502930.png


Some similarities... but the filter of the Denon is much sharper, even if it is indeed a slow one. Zoomed view of the same:

1753108639852.png


The Wadia starts rolling off before 10kHz, and is near the -3.92dB at 20kHz that is theoretical attenuation from sin(x)/x envelope (that means no filtering). The Denon actually filters (-1.57dB @20kHz), obviously very slowly.

And allow me to add the same from the Sony CDP-X333ES, for fun:

1753109248477.png


Much sharper filter from the Sony, flat above 20kHz.

And wider view, so you don't have to ask :)

1753109493499.png


Cheers
 
Westsounds said:
Remember these CDPs though, they did have some greatness about them in a funny way. I'd give it a cool tag. But Technics were pretty cool things to own CDPs, amps, tape decks, TTs the lot really.

Spent many an hour lusting over their brochures in my youth
:D
Click to expand...
Me too. That's why I bought those SLP1200s - and a couple of SL1200s and an SL6 in later life. I've got an SLP770 stashed away too. :)
 
I'd like to see the Meridian 588 and California Audio Labs Icon Mk2 tested only because I used to own them and wonder how they would stack up.
 
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Mart68 said:
Me too. That's why I bought those SLP1200s - and a couple of SL1200s and an SL6 in later life. I've got an SLP770 stashed away too. :)
Click to expand...
oh nice an SL6, getting rare now. SPL770 is a cool CDP as well. I've a 1210 stashed away myself, nothing cooler than those babies !!
 
NTTY said:
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:

And to come soon:
  • Accuphase DP-70
  • Denon DCD-655
  • Kenwood DPF-1010
  • Sony CDP-450 (DOA)
  • Sony CDP-597
  • Yamaha CDX-530E (DOA)
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!
Click to expand...

I miss Philips CD650 (Identical construction Marantz CD65) in this list
I own it, modified it, some electrolytic caps replaces with Nichicon KZ, Panasonic FC, sockets for IC, other ICs instead NE5532N (6306 & 6307) - OPA2134, OP275, now National Semiconductor LM4562.
Some bypassed with WIMA caps.
Removed the silent switch parts (transistors, resistors) on the output.

Philips CD650 - DutchAudioClassics.nl

DutchAudioClassics.nl - Photos and information of classic Marantz & Philips cd-players
www.dutchaudioclassics.nl www.dutchaudioclassics.nl
 
audiofromaustria said:
I miss Philips CD650 (Identical construction Marantz CD65) in this list
I own it, modified it, some electrolytic caps replaces with Nichicon KZ, Panasonic FC, sockets for IC, other ICs instead NE5532N (6306 & 6307) - OPA2134, OP275, now National Semiconductor LM4562.
Some bypassed with WIMA caps.
Removed the silent switch parts (transistors, resistors) on the output.

Philips CD650 - DutchAudioClassics.nl

DutchAudioClassics.nl - Photos and information of classic Marantz & Philips cd-players
www.dutchaudioclassics.nl www.dutchaudioclassics.nl
Click to expand...
I have measured, but not posted results for, an unrestored Magnavox CDB-650, which is the same player as the Philips CD650. The measurements are very close to those of my restored CDB-460, which I posted here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...nd-review-cd-player.58110/page-2#post-2136510

460-650 R 999hz -6dbfs.png
 
This player uses the first 14bits DAC from Philips, which was associated to a 4x oversampling filter with noise shaping, to compensate for the 2 missing bits.
The limitations are therefore due to the low level noise from the noise shaper, distortion from the DAC and lack of linearity. Analog circuitry had no issue to do better than that at the time, and could not compensate for these issues.
Have a look at the Marantz CD-73 review for more details, as it uses the same filter and DAC. I might have to update it, as I think I was rough on my comments. The performances are actually quite good for the tech. I also forgot to mention that the one I reviewed was fully serviced.
 
I received a Sony CDP-597 today, kindly sent to me by a forum member, and I liked what I measured from a reasonably priced 32 years old CD player.

The below is a view of THD vs Frequency @-12dBFS that I like to run, together with two legendary players of the time:

1753291761346.png


The little Sony CDP-597 nearly equals the impressive Sony CDP-X333ES (which has the same performance as the Denon DCD-900NE using an ESS 9018S DAC, by the way).

The Marantz CD-80, with the no-less legendary crowned Philips TDA1541A-S1, is light years behind (20db more distortion at 1kHz).

Full review soon!
 
This is a truly busy summer for me.

Tomorrow, I go get a new toy, an old Accuphase CD Player with a discrete DAC. I’m like a kid :p but it will be a 500 miles trip :eek:

I hope it will measure well, and anyways you’ll get to know everything about it!
 
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