Need help choosing a new CD Player


I consider myself new to this hobby although I have dabbled a bit over the past 30 years or so.  Recently purchased a McIntosh MA252 integrated and have a set of B&W Matrix speakers (1985 - 1989 vintage) that sound pretty good .  Looking for a CD player (prefer under $1000) to replace my current Samsung DVD player.   I primarily listen to classic rock and some classical.

For this price range am looking at the following:

Marantz CD6007

Rotel CD11 Tribute or CD 14

Pro-Ject CDBox S2 Chrome

My listening room is a little odd shaped (11x 16, bay window at one end and glass wall at the other end) and I have to listen across the shorter distance due to the room configuration.

Eventually will upgrade the speakers, but for now need a CD player

Would appreciate some advice on a decent quality CD player (at this time, not interested in a CDT and DAC setup).   Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

 

128x128deadhead58

New, a little outside your budget but maybe you can find a used Bluesound Vault 2 then you can stream as well. Is a great streamer with a 2TB drive to rip your CD’s. You can’t throw a CD in and play immediately as it rips the disc first, but after that you can play. Great thing is you can stream and use a streaming service for a small fee and access a library larger than you could imagine and discover new music. The internal DAC is decent, meaning it is pleasant and not harsh but not the most revealing but for the money all around it’s a great buy. From memory it’s as good sound quality wise to the entry Marantz CDP which says a lot.

 

 If you’re hard set on a dedicated CDP, I own and recommend a Cambridge Audio 851C which is now discontinued but if you can find one used it will be within your budget. Built very well, feels and looks like a player that should cost much more than it’s original $1,800 price, later when CDP sales started to drop Cambridge lowered the price to $1,500 I think. Also has digital input which I used to run my Bluesound Vaulit 2 through which was a noticeable improvement. As a player on its own it is a very nice and revealing but not fatiguing but if a recording is horrible it’s not going to fix it. Use quality cables on the 851C and you will be rewarded. I changed out both fuses too which opened things up and sounds a little more organtic.

 

Not sure they pop up often as those who own the 851C know they’ll never replace it without spending a lot more. I’ll never sell mine. Good luck.

deadhead58

 

Consider a McIntosh cd player to match the MA 252 Integrated amp.

 

Happy Listening!

Like You, I do not want a separate DAC, and I do not and never will stream.

My Quest, found two excellent sounding players.

I consider only dual processors, then the results are effected by OEM solutions: over-sampling; over-clock; anti-jitter, proprietary things like Onkyo’s Vector Linear Shaping, ...

I went thru a few Sony’s, 3 Oppo’s, KLH, Denon, finally found two.

DVD/SACD/CD: Yamaha C961 (5 disc changer), 4 burr brown audio DACs

CD Only: Onkyo Integra CDC-3.4 II, 2 wolfson DACs (newer used and currently available new).

Before, or IF you spend thousands, I suggest you try an Onkyo, happy done. Or, order a high priced one and a returnable Onkyo simultaneously, compare, return one.

My Onkyo is for sale here, I describe it’s preferred sound

 

My Quest for a CD Player

 

 

You should add an AudioRefinement Complete CD player to you list. These are the YBA previous generation second line, but the sound is outstanding.