CD Player Recommendations

Founder_film · 29 Jan 2009 at 10:25

I am looking to get myself a CD player to go with my Gainclone amplifier I have just built. I have quite a small budget, £150 is my absolute max, and I would prefer to spend around £100.

I really like the Cambridge Audio Azur range but new the 340c (in black) is still around £170. The NAD C515BEE is nice too but its at the very top of my budget.

Basically can anyone recommend me an older CD player that can be had for cheaper which will still do the business? The things I am really looking for other that sound quality is speed of operation, I would like it to load discs fast.

Thanks

Grimley · 29 Jan 2009 at 18:49

Any 2nd hand Arcam (if you can get one for that money)
/thread.

Robe$h · 29 Jan 2009 at 22:59

Have a look around for some second hand Marantz stuff like the CD6002. I'm sure you can get some good second hand Cambridge Audio not too far off your budget.

divuk83 · 30 Jan 2009 at 12:26

Marantz CD63 or 67 (KI Sig if pos.) Arcam Alpha 7SE or CD62. Only buy if they are in mint condition, I had a CD62 serviced (transport replaced) last year by Arcam and it cost about 140 squid which is pretty much the value of the player at the time.

I would be tempted to go new and get the NAD which can be had for just under 150 delivered. Google it and it will come up as one of the first results. Will come with a warranty and less potential to cause you problems unlike a second hand player.

Dave

-Ad- · 30 Jan 2009 at 13:14

Marantz CD-63 for ~£40

Soldering iron + £60 for new LM4562 op-amps, superclock 2 and bobs your uncle

Founder_film · 30 Jan 2009 at 13:20

-Ad- said:
Marantz CD-63 for ~£40

Soldering iron + £60 for new LM4562 op-amps, superclock 2 and bobs your uncle

This has me interested. But why £60? The op-amps are around £4 each, how many would I need? Finally whats a superclock 2?

-Ad- · 30 Jan 2009 at 14:31

op-amps are cheap or you canget 2/3 free as samples, meant £60 or maybe a bit more for a new clock. Once op-amps are replaced you can bypass/remove the prohibiting HDAM circuitry, cut out the muting transistors, and remove the caps by the output.

The superclock replaces the old clock in the cd-player and is one of the must have mods that makes the most improvement.

The first part is cheap as chips as you have pointed out, and the superclock from audiocom is pretty damn good. Then you could replace caps in the output, psu, and other areas, and for under £150 have one hell of a cd-player.

Will go grab a pic of mine, about £250 in total inc player and bits, but well worth it for the sound. It may not look as swanky as other players or have fancy settings, display or teh ability to be powered into standby, but boy does it sound good, and they are incredibly easy to work on.

As long as you have some electronics knowledge and can solder, then it's easy. Check out the massssive thread over at diyaudio.com in the digital section.

EDIT: Just been on ebay and the latest superclock 4 is £90, amazing value !