Things that make you go, "Hmmmmm...."


the Muse was about $10k new years ago, I paid $650 for it on Audiogon


What CD player can I buy that will hold its value and not be near worthless in anything more than a few years?

New or used.


128x128millercarbon
"Why???  It’s like saying I still have a buggy whip, so I want to keep a horse around to use it.  Seriously.  When you can either load your CDs onto a server and/or, better yet, just subscribe to a good music subscription service (i.e. Qobuz, Tidal, etc.) and get virtually all the music on your CDs plus millions of other songs as well for a few dollars a month without leaving your chair, why would you cling to playing a CD one at a time on a CD player?"

I have thousands of CDs.  Don't have time to load them all onto a server.

I've already bought these CDs.  Don't want to pay dollars per month to hear the same stuff that I've already bought.

Good luck with your streaming.  Hope your internet is robust.
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I’m wary of used players in general because the transport is largely a mechanical device and can wear out or get sloppy. That’s been the weak link that led to the demise of both of my retired players - Adcom and Ah!. I briefly had a Rotel, but returned it for (you guessed it) transport issues. Using an Oppo now, and yes, I often stream ripped versions, but it’s always nice to have a hard copy. I like to read paper books, too.
I’m not sure how playing direct from CD can sound better than streaming the same data, given comparable DACs, but obviously there is strong anecdotal evidence that it is possible. Don’t overlook the attraction of ceremony in playing music as well. I’ve never been able to get past the inherent noise of vinyl, but the inspection and cleaning before playing is enticing. While audio is primarily driven by what we hear, it is often enhanced by the other senses and rituals. I’m going to be sad when my CDs succumb to mold or material fatigue. Eventually, I’ll need to pony up for a robust transport that can go the distance. I hope there’s something nice available when I get around to it. 
Lots of over-the-top responses here, and tortured analogies.

I'm using an Electrocompaniet  EMC-1UP that is ~17 years old, and it still sounds excellent. I paid around $2300 for it used (it had also been modified) around 2006, and I see some advertised now for ~$1200 to 1500 (mostly in Europe). That's a far cry from going "to zero".

Am I missing out on meaningfully better sound through "higher resolution" streaming files? I rather doubt it. Not suggesting that no difference can be heard, at least on some systems, but I have never sought perfection in this hobby, instead building very good, synergistic systems that suit whatever space I happen to be using.

It is, of course, true that CD players all have weaknesses, and that parts will eventually fail. So yes, if one hopes to keep a good player working for a very long period of time, spare parts and those capable of doing repairs can be issues. But I find the implied assumption that streaming services will necessarily survive, or that the costs will remain reasonable, to be potentially naïve.

Some of the objections are just plain silly. Does anyone really need access to "millions" of songs? Is it really such a chore to leave one's chair every 30-40 minutes and replace a CD?

As for this:

"There’s no benefit to playing CDs on a CD player anymore."

it's simply not true. Owning a hard copy of digital media certainly can be an advantage. Although the analogy isn't fully taut, I own many film DVDs, and most have paid for themselves several times over already. Again, I appreciate that it's a different market, but many of the more esoteric films are not available on streaming services, and the DVDs have actually gone up in value over the years. Never forget that, even in the case of music, if you don't own it, you are largely at the mercy of those who do, both in terms of access and cost.