On the unit/units you are considering - do your research. The internet is a great source of info. for personal reviews regarding the reliability of performance of just about any unit you may be considering.
A few years back I purchased a used Cal. Audio CDP. that had several positive reviews that gave this unit high praise for having great sound. I Purchased the unit for around $500.00 (a good buy considering the original MSRP and great reviews). I was not disappointed in the units sonic performance - in every respect above my other CDPs. After 6 months of enjoyable listening, it stopped reading discs. After researching for repair options, I found only a few that would and that the repairs would be expensive, with no assurance that the problem wouldn’t repeat. Doing a little digging and reading many personal reviews, after the fact, I found that this was a common failure for this unit. I found that there was also high rates of failures in the drive and LASER units of many of the other high dollar CDPs of that era (early to mid 2000s). There are not many, if any, of the CDPs of that vintage, that I would now invest much money in - regardless of how good they might sound.
Do your research first and see if others experienced a high rate of failure and repair issues with the unit you’re considering......Jim
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Hey argee,
"NUTS" is pretty much a given in the hobby, no? :)
This is a bit off topic, however, related and timely. Recent years, I have ripped my top shelf CDs in lossless to my PC hard drive to supplement online streaming, which is rapidly becoming my primary source for listening. Side note: Bless All spinning high end vinyl...it's simply not viable for me. My son's retro vinyl rig provides a "fix," however, from time to time.
My onboard PC CDRom failed a couple years ago after several years of service. In investigating a suitable replacement, I decided to go cheap rather than persue a high-end burner. I ended up with this external $25.00 DVD drive unit:
Amazon.com: External DVD Drive for Laptop, Portable High-Speed USB-C&USB 3.0 CD Burner/DVD Reader Writer for PC Desktops, Compatible with Windows/Mac OSX/Linux (USB C&3.0) : Electronics
Over the last decade, I've accumulated a substantial amount of classical and classical related CDs from thrift shops and yard sales, maybe 250+ titles, coming late to the party to these genres. It's a nice winter project in Maine. In the course of sampling and cherry-picking the collection, I RE-ripped some of my top-shelf CDs, finding the external drive rips were sonically, substantially better than the old rips, a welcome surprise! In discussing this finding with my Tech last night, it was no surprise to him, given the advancements in recent years of even inexpensive burners via USB. The assumption being a well isolated computer and good power.
If I were considering buying a CDP, based upon my experience with an inexpensive modern burner, I would deeply research choices, especially on a limited budget. D/A chip choices, from old R2R to present day alone are boggling. Bon chance, argee! (reminder, laser rulers for speaker and gear placement, Friends!)...Think Positive, Test Negative More Peace - Pin
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OP, why aren't you sharing with everyone which player you're in love with? I'd like to know. I have purchased gear just because I liked how it looked (Carver C4000 for instance). Share brother Share! Joe
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I went thru 9 different players in my quest for a better sounding player without spending several thousand dollars.
The Sony xa5400ES (and a few other highly respected early models) FAR exceeded 'better', it sounds GREAT.
I was essentially LP, ignoring my 4,000 CDs (some SACD), until I decided to try.
Finally, so darn good, I do not hesitate to pick and play CDs with equal expectation of full involvement of well engineered content by favorite artists.
When you consider a great sounding player's cost divided by all your favorite CDs (I've got a lot I don't care about), the cost is low and the gain is beyond measure.
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Like in gambling (as this is I guess), if you can't afford to loose the amount of money in question, it you shouldn't play with it.
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I like to use a CD changer. I saw and old Onkyo at goodwill for $39. I bought but it was skipping a little. I used the CD lens cleaning disc. It really sounds good now. I have it in my second system so if it fails I will probably get another used one. Ebay has a lot of them available too .
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It's just a disposable product like a phone that you can't change the battery. If you are willing to replace it when it dies and the calculated cost per hour used is acceptable, go for it.
If you really like that model more than something new just find a backup model and figure that it really costs more to get you what you really want.
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How stupid is that? I think you answered your question already. Why would they sell a 15 year old CD player? Maybe they are streaming hi-res music instead and they are joining the new century.
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Never anything to lose if the price is right. But when it comes to digital, the happy path to best sound is go latest and greatest that checks your boxes. Need not cost much these days but many options to choose from. Going old school may be easier in that sense. Digital these days can be pretty confusing. But the good news is there are many options and most of them are good, much better than years ago.
For example you could play your CDs on a computer and go digital out via USB to a nice modern good sounding DAC. Or be brave and explore ripping CDs to a library and streaming from there. That’s what I do. I buy CDs still but never play them....I rip to library and stream from there. Free version of Plex can be used for that to start. I would recommend exploring that option at least if you are at least moderately computer savvy. Still maybe not for those who are not.
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I agree with @brubin You can buy a Bluesound Node for $600.00 and have a nearly unlimited library through Tidal.
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Not necessarily, I have a Sony CDP-2700 that has a born on date of January 1996. It was my daily driver until just a few weeks ago when I relegated it to my second system. Nothing wrong with it, I wanted a remote.
All the best.
JD
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I'm guessing it's an early Audio Research? In that case, there are many other possible candidates out there. Don't get me wrong, I'm an ARC fanboy. 😉 But you simply can NOT get lasers for the early ones anymore...
In fact, I'm hoping I can still get an Accuphase DP-90 repaired!
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1. Do you have a very large cd collection?
Yes - find a used cd player or low cost new one
No - buy a streamer/DAC and subscribe to a streaming service for $10 a month.
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I paid a bit for a Conrad-Johnson edition McCormack UDP-1 Deluxe recently and what it revealed musically was worth the risk. Maybe it is a gamble, but aren’t most of your purchases in this hobby? Go for it and enjoy!
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rip all your CDs to FLAC, get a good DAC, and move on! CDs are fragile and so are transports.
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*L* Call me the Dr. Strangelove of the Lone Speaker, Frank N. Stein of the Loveless Transducers....sans the tesla coils and lightning bolts and things that glow in an undesired fashion... ;)
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It's almost a dice game on buying used DNF audio gear, as it seems there's less options on repair sources to be had.
In many ways, it's like cars; if the part(s) are readily available, the problem easily identifiable...no problem, except perhaps the $'s involved. And one has to decide if it's worth the time, trouble, and cost to pull the trigger on the desired item.
When I read about some of the travails some go through getting an item new enough to be on warranty fixed, I pause....
I've had enough issues on some of the tools we have and use.
I've started to bypass 'brushless' items; they tend to have less torque and overall discernable power, whereas a brushed tools' brushes are an easy fix.
The next item that breaks is generally the trigger, an easy swap.
Fixing a brushless tool involves sending it to a repair site, which will advise spending the $'s on an entirely new tool. The repair, with shipping to & back, and tax, seems to be 50% and up towards a new one.
One learns to get picky and fussy about selecting a potential 'down the road' headache, unless said item is irreplaceable in its' functions and applications.
I'll buy used audio with that in mind, opting for new under the same 'parameters'...
For my DIY speaker 'affliction', I've been lucky that the folks that know of it 'gift' me with cast-offs or the orphans that they've acquired in some fashion.
Even if it's just one (prefer pairs)....I've a list of 'what if ?' things to try on those units of no 'pedigree' and no real future except Salvation Army or the dumpster.
And even the latter may lose their magnets, to become nail & screw sweepers.
One gets tired of having tires on the vehicles repaired, the most annoying being the 'sidewall strikes' which can't be plugged....
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If you have one of those magic, green markers, go for it.
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$4.00. You'll be fine if your budget is $4.00. Otherwise, don't do it.
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As an owner of speakers that are no longer manufactured, I can tell you it’s no fun walking on eggshells for an impending disaster. It’s not worth it. If you listen to music constantly in fear of a catastrophic failure, it takes away from the ultimate enjoyment. Plus, there are just too many more advanced and not necessarily expensive DACs that’ll probably eclipse the old unit’s performance. Unless you like living in fear, don’t do it. Just my experience FWIW.
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Consider just adding an outboard DAC o what you have. Lots of progress in 10 years.
OR
get the $1K Sony Blu-ray player. If You don't like it get an outboard dac too.
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+1, dweller
All about evaluating risk/reward.
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I wouldn't. If you really need a CDP and can't wait, go for something new(er) and easily repairable (or disposable) and slowly save your money for a better one down the road.
If I had a crystal ball and could foresee the demise of CD players in the next few years, then I'd say go and buy a new one on credit.
All the best,
Nonoise
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If you are paying $10 for the player, you’re not nuts. If you are paying $1000, you are nuts.
BTW, try to find a Laser replacement on ebay.
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Me too. I buy everything repairable and if it’s not repairable I don’t buy at all.
If 100 years old player repairable and brand new not, than I'll buy 100 years old repairable player.
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yes, if here, nuts!
what's the question?
what model?
I researched, the lasers do get old and weak, or out of alignment. some lasers can be changed by experts. some entire mechanisms (drawer and laser) can be changed by DIY or expert.
I just bought a lightly used Sony xa5400ES made in 2008. I could not be happier. It is a terrific sounding player. IT has available replacement mechanisms and/or lasers, one of the reasons I selected it. Soooo glad I did.
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