Single Disc CD Player?

[erudolph]

Hi all... our 20 year old Harmon Kardon CD player has been cranky for years, in that sometimes it would close the tray before you had gotten the CD all the way into it. Today it's begun opening and closing the door all by itself, as long as the power's on, and won't play any discs.

I'd like to find a new single CD player, not a changer, for maybe $200. Does anyone have any thoughts? Most single disc players seem to be audiophile reference models and they can be quite expensive, as in "We have four, starting at $4500."

[SavantStrike]

If you're just looking for a single disk player and don't want an audiophile setup, might I recommend you get a single disk DVD player? Seriously it's probably your best bet, and would easily fit in the under 100 dollar bracket and give you some change left over to spend on shaving equipment.

[erudolph]

If you're just looking for a single disk player and don't want an audiophile setup, might I recommend you get a single disk DVD player? Seriously it's probably your best bet, and would easily fit in the under 100 dollar bracket and give you some change left over to spend on shaving equipment.

That's a good idea, Savant - I may end up doing that. One thing I do like about a dedicated CD player is its ability to navigate a disc easily from the front panel, without the use of a remote.

I think that there are some decent single disc CD models made for the radio and TV broadcast industry, but they're a bit more than I want to spend.

[_JP_]

I put single disk CD player into a search engine and came up with of name brand results, many for under $500. Teac, Marantz, Onkyo, Pioneer... they are out there.

[erudolph]

I put single disk CD player into a search engine and came up with of name brand results, many for under $500. Teac, Marantz, Onkyo, Pioneer... they are out there.

Thanks JP, I'll try with a disK instead of a disC...

[ouch]

A CD player is really two components- a "transport" and a DAC, or digital/analog converter. The transport carries the disc, reads the encoded material, and delivers it to the DAC for decoding.

At the risk of infuriating the new members from Stereophile, there isn't a discernable difference between any two competently designed transports, although there will be significant differences in appearance, ruggedness, and longevity. For the sake of argument, "competent" will be defined as consistently delivering 100% of the information to the DAC. If it succeeds at that, it's as good as any other.

The magic occurs at the DAC level, and any audible differences will occur here. If your CD player has a "digital out" jack, you can always upgrade by connecting to a better DAC.

They're are many good inexpensive players these days, Rotel being just one example.

[erudolph]

Thanks Ouch!

[jazzman]

They're are many good inexpensive players these days, Rotel being just one example.

Absolutely. My old Rotel is hooked up to a relatively new Musical Fidelity DAC with a tubed pre-ampy kind of thing, and the sound is dramatically better than what I was getting from the same CD player and an older DAC.

[ouch]

Absolutely. My old Rotel is hooked up to a relatively new Musical Fidelity DAC with a tubed pre-ampy kind of thing, and the sound is dramatically better than what I was getting from the same CD player and an older DAC.

Now that's what I'm talking about- an elegant solution using simple, quality devices.

[Mr. Clean]

Absolutely. My old Rotel is hooked up to a relatively new Musical Fidelity DAC with a tubed pre-ampy kind of thing, and the sound is dramatically better than what I was getting from the same CD player and an older DAC.

Hush yo mouth! My Theta DS Pro Prime has to be greater than a decade old now (my how time flies). The thing is tank-like and I will likely pass before it does.

[strat1117]

There is a company called Oppo that puts out reasonably priced, well-reviewed cd players. I haven't experienced one personally, so my recommendation is based purely on the reviews I have read in Stereophile and/or the absolute sound.

Good luck!

[erudolph]

There is a company called Oppo that puts out reasonably priced, well-reviewed cd players. I haven't experienced one personally, so my recommendation is based purely on the reviews I have read in Stereophile and/or the absolute sound.

Good luck!

Thanks Strat... I tried to check out the Oppo line and all I found were DVD players (plus some mp4 players and a cellphone).

[Hando]

sorry to jump in on this one but as i've just got myself a new stereo system and i had to be guided by a friend who REALLY knows his stuff, apparantly i don't know s**t from clay.

the one thing he did tell me was that the most important part of the system is the CD player.
i have a CD player (built in DAC ) then an integrated amp then speakers
i had a budget and i was told to spend the best part of it on the CD player, the guys i talked to all said the same thing - source is everything.

but the best thing i did was to go and have some demo's with the music i listen to, i took a broad range of stuff from The Who to Joe Bonnamassa and Led Zep, and your ears will tell you what sounds right - mine did and i listened to Meridian, Lynn, Arkam to name a few before settling on mine

[strat1117]

Thanks Strat... I tried to check out the Oppo line and all I found were DVD players (plus some mp4 players and a cellphone).

The model recommended in Stereophile is the DV-980H. It says it is a universal player, which means it will play any disc -- CD, DVD, SACD. At the price ($169 list), I don't see how you could go wrong.

Good luck!

[erudolph]

Thanks again, Strat, I'll check it out. By the way, I saw that photo of you playing with the GDads...

[SRock]

Why not a disk changer? Just curious.

[erudolph]

Why not a disk changer? Just curious.

I find them kind of clunky and, more importantly for me, totally unnecessary. Also, I said in an earlier post, although the DVD player might be a good audio option, I haven't seen one that has front panel navigation controls equal to that of a good CD player - with a DVD player you need the remote more. Sigh...

[chainfire]

the one thing he did tell me was that the most important part of the system is the CD player...i was told to spend the best part of it on the CD player, the guys i talked to all said the same thing - source is everything.

It's funny how everyone's mileage varies. I could care less about the CD player (there were very few chip sets and the quality of their decoding never mattered to me). I picked up a cheap Cal Audio and put my major $$$ into the processor and custom built speakers. I picked up some cheap solid state amps and in my small space I was happy as anything.

I've sworn off high-end audio as it was too expensive, but every now and then I still love stopping to listen to the music.

[Hando]

the wisdom behind my mate's thinking is

crap in - crap out
can't polish a turd

but when you get to that stage you find that some of your favourite music that sounded good in the car and on that old hi-fi sounds rubbish on a good sound system because they did a bad job recording it in the first place
i.e. The Stone Roses

[SRock]

I find them kind of clunky and, more importantly for me, totally unnecessary. Also, I said in an earlier post, although the DVD player might be a good audio option, I haven't seen one that has front panel navigation controls equal to that of a good CD player - with a DVD player you need the remote more. Sigh...

I see. I have a 200 disk JVC and it is every bit as quiet as a single CD player and the LOTH and I love the convenience. The one big draw back in my opinion is the size of a multi-disc. They are very long (too long to fit in many entertainment centers, cabinets etc.)

Good luck with your hunt!