Classic CD Players

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Rick4001
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Re: Classic CD Players

Unread post by Rick4001 »

Rick4001 wrote: Fri Apr 26, 2019 5:53 pm After some rummaging around I uncovered my very first CDP, JVC XL-E44. Been stored in a box for at least 25 years. Plugged it in and on came the lights, the drawer opened and the disc played perfectly, doesn't sound bad either.[imgImage][/img]
I should add that the JVC is so old it has a little door on the back to shovel the coal in :grin:
My stuff; Toshiba SR-370/Mission 774 /Ortofon Quintet Black, Cambridge CXC CD transport/modified Musical Fidelity X DAC/modified Musical Fidelity X10v3 tube buffer, Nakamichi CA5E preamp, Passive RVC, Proton AA-1150 DMC power amp ,Mordaunt Short Signifer on original factory stands, NVA LS5, Cambridge NP30 network player, Mogami with Neutrik RCA, Sennheiser HD650, 600, Koss Pro4 AA.

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Re: Classic CD Players

Unread post by Fretless »

I liked the yellow lights on JVC players back then.

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Re: Classic CD Players

Unread post by Fretless »

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Perhaps the oddest - and certainly most expensive CDP I've ever experienced was a model from Mark Levinson (a 37S I think) that was part of an entire ML installation I had on permanent loan for several years (long story - another time). This device had a drawer made from a single thin sheet of metal that would regularly stick and not go in or out at all. Track acquisition was painfully slow and tracking not great. The sound was cold and clinical - a surgical precision that lacked life and involvement.

Perhaps now I would be able to do more with a device like this but at the time I was too in awe of it and hardly dared to use it, even though the whole system had been neglected and mistreated before it came to me.

Ridiculously heavy as well.

Upstairs:
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NVA: P50sa - Cube2 - SSP - LS6+ Sabaj A10a (x2)
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Re: Classic CD Players

Unread post by Jeff Ferguson »

I still have my Denon DCD-1500 that I bought in 1985.
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Re: Classic CD Players

Unread post by Fretless »

That's nice Jeff - certainly a classic. :dance:

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Re: Classic CD Players

Unread post by Fretless »

Somewhat unsatisfied by the NAD player (and not daring to use the Levinson which was very much somebody else's property) eventually I had some cash set aside for a 'quality' CDP, something that would keep the internal audiophile happy for a while.

Trotting down my my local hifi specialist I asked him what he had for a budget of around 500 euro. He came up with another NAD (forget which) and a Cambridge 640c. The NAD was okay and the 640c a little better, but neither really gave me goosebumps. Then he came in with an Arcam CD62T, old model - reduced price from about 750 euro.

Plugging this player in finally brought a smile to my face and got the toes wiggling with the beat. Oh yeah, this was the one.

Image

The CD62T (T stands for 'text' for the display of title info) is a slightly simplified version of the highly-regarded CD72 player which used the same transport mechanism.

A great CD player with a punchy, authoritative performance that can be sweet and subtle when required. This Arcam certainly did keep the internal audiophile very happy (for a time). :grin:

Upstairs:
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NVA: P50sa - Cube2 - SSP - LS6+ Sabaj A10a (x2)
Downstairs:
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Logic DM101 + Syrinx LE1 + Grado Sig MCX
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Re: Classic CD Players

Unread post by slinger »

I had an Arcam Alpha 9 CD player that I liked a lot when I had it paired with an Alpha 8/8p amp combo, and the best sounding NAD I owned was the C541i. They were both totally different beasts too. The Arcam had quite a "precise" sound, whereas the NAD was just the right side of "creamy" to still be detailed.
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Re: Classic CD Players

Unread post by Fretless »

I think that Arcam produced both the 'Alpha' and 'Diva' series at the same time, all those players used the same high-quality Sony CD drive so it is quite likely that the CD62 and the Alpha 9 will sound pretty similar.

Image

I see that the 9 has HDCD decoding too, nice! (mine doesn't) :dance:

Upstairs:
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Pro-Ject 1.2 + Grado Sig Jr + Cambridge Alva Duo
DigiVolumio PC + Kiss DP-500 + Sabaj A20d
NVA: P50sa - Cube2 - SSP - LS6+ Sabaj A10a (x2)
Downstairs:
Vinyl
Logic DM101 + Syrinx LE1 + Grado Sig MCX
DigiDenafrips Ares II + Volumio PC + Cambridge CXC
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HP: HifiBerry Digi+ PRO + Sabaj A10d
Office:
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Re: Classic CD Players

Unread post by _D_S_J_R_ »

The 9 had a 'Ring' DAC chipset and could sound slightly vague on occasion.

Our £500 - £600 favourites were the Alpha 8SE and original Rega Planet with Couple interconnect (bought as a set). The Diva range did seem to offer improvements across the board and I remember liking the 72 and 82, but it was a long time ago and I was part time by then.

My Micro Seiki CD-M2 still sounds the business and weighs a ton and mechanically, the almost as massive Denon 1520 is a lovely thing to use. The Sony CDP-S1 is so good though despite the humble innards I'm looking at finding a decent used S1 tuner (not sure about the one on eBay).
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Re: Classic CD Players

Unread post by Fretless »

Coming up the the present day. At a certain point I started investigating file-based audio and external DAC's (idea for a follow-up thread) and my CD playing turned into ripping the discs onto hard-disks. So the CDP's began to become unused or just implemented as transports into a DAC.

This lead me to hearing that the CDP's I could use as transports didn't really match up to the SQ I was getting from increasingly better Pi-based streaming units and finally I thought it was time to go all-out for a dedicated CD transport that just did one thing - get the most, stable data off a Compact Disc and pass it in the best possible way through to a DAC. The search was on.

Standalone CD transports are generally found in the realm of esoteric equipment and the prices reflect that. I tried a unit from Pro-ject that claimed to have a special CD mechanism, but it was faulty and I couldn't get it running properly, returning it to the shop I explained my dilemma to the dealer and he pointed behind me "That's new." he said, "Might be just what you need." (okay - he was talking in Dutch but that is the general gist of it).

The device in question was a Cambridge CXC, my friendly dealer boxed it up straightaway, he's good like that and occasionally lets me take things for a home trial (Arnold from Sowell Hifi in Gorinchem, for those who are interested). Anyhow the CXC has proved itself to be (for me and for now) the finishing-point in my personal search for CD perfection.

Image

There is a nice, solid feel to the unit and the CD drawer. Discs load fairly quickly and track access is fast. Cambridge use a big transformer, a good drive and their own special 'S3' servo-control unit to ensure that the CXC can retrieve the maximum amount of digits from the disc and pass those on to the DAC with the least possible loss or jitter. There is no analogue output here, just coax and Toslink so the PSU and systems are devoted entirely to digital accuracy.

Only slight niggle is that it occasionally has trouble locking in to the Hybrid data layer on SACD's - but I can live with that.

This results in an awesome sound-field; wide, solid, stable, detailed with air and space for delicacy and weight and punch for those powerful moments. It is easily the best unit I have had in my system and I feel absolutely no need or desire to change it at all.

CD-buying is still my passion in this streaming, download era. Reckon I'll still be enjoying those shiny discs for a long, long time.
:banana-rock: :grin: :guiness; :dance: :banana-guitar:

Upstairs:
Vinyl
Pro-Ject 1.2 + Grado Sig Jr + Cambridge Alva Duo
DigiVolumio PC + Kiss DP-500 + Sabaj A20d
NVA: P50sa - Cube2 - SSP - LS6+ Sabaj A10a (x2)
Downstairs:
Vinyl
Logic DM101 + Syrinx LE1 + Grado Sig MCX
DigiDenafrips Ares II + Volumio PC + Cambridge CXC
NVA: P50 - BMU+ Aiyima A07 MAX (x2) + Arcam One
HP: HifiBerry Digi+ PRO + Sabaj A10d
Office:
Allo DigiOne SIG + SMSL M300se + Douk G4 (x2)
Mission 760 + Monolith THX AAA 887
Headphones: German Maestro, Monolith & AQ

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