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CD player reliability

CD player reliability

  • Arcam

    Votes: 3 4.9%

  • Audiolab

    Votes: 1 1.6%

  • Marantz

    Votes: 4 6.6%

  • Nad

    Votes: 2 3.3%

  • Naim

    Votes: 4 6.6%

  • Rega

    Votes: 7 11.5%

  • Rotel

    Votes: 8 13.1%

  • Exposure/Meridian/Quad

    Votes: 4 6.6%

  • Pioneer/Denon/Yamaha/Teac/Onkyo/Sony

    Votes: 19 31.1%

  • Others

    Votes: 9 14.8%
  • Total voters
    61
I have a Marantz that cost £150 circa 1992 thats never skipped a beat. It replaced an Aiwa model at the time which sounded better to my ears but lifespan was a couple of years. That’s not a slight on Aiwa, the 810 tape deck in that system was an incredible thing.
 
Cary 303-300 from 2002 still immaculate, had to replace the remote a while back but the main unit appears bullet-proof. The varnish on the play button is a bit worn, but that just shows how many CDs it's played. And it sounds fantastic.
 
I’ve had Technics,Sony,Arcam, Rega, Moon, Marantz, Meridian, Audiolab, Luxman CD players over the years. The only one that failed was the Audiolab 8200. Had it less than 24 hours before it died. This was a second hand purchase off eBay that had obviously had problems before and had a bodge job repair. All the others were 100% reliable.
 
Have only had 2 x CD players in the past 32 years. The first, an original Arcam Alpha i still going strong after 32 years, that I gave to my son some 13 years ago. The current CD player is a Roksan Caspian M2 and no issues with that in the past a3 years either.
 
Pro-Ject are now using a brand new mech created by the original engineers behind the CDM Pro mechs I believe.
same mech as used in £35k players from streamunlimited blue tiger but 90% cheaper

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Gryphon Ethos
gryphon-ethos-closed.jpg
 
I think it's a lot more complicated than simply asking which machines are the most reliable. For a start, most of the people casting votes will not have wide enough experience to know. Then you've got batch size of the different players, if something was sold in the hundreds of thousands of course some of them will still be working. Why you still see old Ford Focus' running around.

More relevant is repairability, is that a word? Bottom line is that any player may fail, however good its reputation. If it does, can it be fixed and if so is the cost reasonable and proportionate to the value of the player?
 
The ONLY optical disc spinners I have ever bought that lasted and lasted and lasted were both Sony, a CDP990 from 1990, which lasted 10 years of near incessant use, and a last edition PS3 - which is still doing sterling service as a blu ray and GTA machine in our living room.

I have had a LOT of other transports fail after a couple of years.
 
I have a Rotel RCD 965BX discrete (1992 ish?) thats now only just starting to get picky about discs. My 1989 Arcam Delta 170 transport is still going strong. Both Philips transports. Then they likely dont get a massive amount of use these days.
 
Out of the countless players I’ve had, there’s only one make that hasn’t put a foot wrong since 1991. Technics. In this case a SL-PS 700. Other many good reliable makes but this is bullet-proof. Drawer is still as silent as new and reads all discs instantly. Still sounds pretty blooming good, too.
 
Rob Stockman said:
I have a Rotel RCD 965BX discrete (1992 ish?) thats now only just starting to get picky about discs. My 1989 Arcam Delta 170 transport is still going strong. Both Philips transports. Then they likely dont get a massive amount of use these days.
Click to expand...
Son in law still using the 965. But still regret not buying the 955!
 
My Sugden Masterclass AA CD player is still wonderful and also has digital inputs and balanced class A output stage
 
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