Best Sub $500 used CD Player

If you increased your budget by $100 you could get a used Rega Planet 2000 with new lid assembly (ie. P3) which would put all of the above players to shame...

thanks for all the advice
i used to have the mmf 25 and the old rega planet.
i have to say i was a big fan of the mmf 25
do others feels than the planet 2000 beats the original planet?
i really like the old one and thought that it had an overall smoother presentation than the 2000.
i am leaning towards the mmf

I think that in this price range the used Planet 2000 reigns supreme. Mind you I have one that I'm perfectly happy with. This is just my opinion. Sidenote, I'd suggest using the Nordost Blue Heaven as in IC with this player. They complement each other very well.

In any case, take your time and give them all a try.

Dp,

I'm in the market, too. I would ask you to goto ebay and look up the Shanling 100. It's 349 usd shipped from China (humm.....seems like a Cd 25...hummmm ;-0) ) I'm looking that way as well....for now, just looking.

marty

Afro18, yes, the Shanling 100 is the same player as the Music Hall CD-25. I'd point out, though, that the one for sale now on ebay is a 220-volt version and would require an external transformer to be used here. The cost of a transformer good enough to not affect the sound, plus the shipping, would bring the cost up to or above what a used CD-25 usually goes for here on Audiogon, not to mention the potential import hassle and duty payments.

I highly recommend the player, though, wherever you get one. I bought a used CD-25 for $350 and it was an absolutely exceptional-sounding piece of gear in stock form.

After reading some stuff about the various modifications, I decided to do the easy ones myself. It's now got extensive sound-dampening applied to the inside of the case and a high-quality power cord.

The best upgrade, though, was replacing the stock opamps with 8066 opamps. the pair cost $54, which is a substantial percentage of the purchase price, but the difference in sound is remarkable, way beyond what you'd regard as a 'tweak,' more like getting a major speaker uprade. The sound is much cleaner, more articulated, and the bass is dramatically more realistic. It's a very simple procedure, as well.