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What was/is your favourite CD player

I had a CDS2 for about 10 yrs and really enjoyed it. Now I've got a Saturn-R, and I like it even more than the CDS2. The CDS2 had much better control software/interface, but I definitely prefer the Saturn-R for it's rich analogue sound. Naim costs a lot for what you get...
 
linnfomaniac83 said:
Well... I just bought another Ikemi, it was offered and I couldn’t resist it, they really are lovely machines!
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That was the one CDP that stood out for me too.
I remember coming home from the dealers, plugging it in and really noticing how good this thing is from the first note on.
Sold it when streaming came up though, never had a CDP since. Never will anymore.
 
Sony DVP-S9000ES, still not found anything that sounds better for the £50 it cost me (free unit and a new laser).
Only changed recently as I wanted an all-in-one streaming CDP so have a Yamaha CD-NT670D although the big Sony is still here. I prefered the Sony to various other CDPs over the past 8-years including a Rega Apollo 2000, Apollo R, Saturn, Toshiba SD-9500e, Teac VRDS-10SE Philips CD-850 and a few others.


Sony DVP-S9000ES by Robert Seymour, on Flickr
 
Probably my favourite player so far is one that I'm currently using which is a Cambridge Audio CD840C. I bought it because I wanted to try out balanced inputs but its turned out that I'm not using those, but I really like the sound from it anyway.

I've still got a few other CD players in use (and still use CD's a fair amount) which I like:
- Micromega Leader II: I've had this for a long time and always liked the sound from it, although it seems to have been on the verge of packing in for at last 10 years or so.
- Naim CD3.5 + Flatcap: This was my main player for many years, in an all-Naim system, and I still like it
- Musical Fidelity M1CDT & DAC: This is what I use in my main system now and it does sound nice as well as being a nice looking combination
- Audiolab 8000C: This is in use in our living room system and sounds and looks good (the latter being more important in that system from my wife's perspective)!

In the past I've used various Arcam CD players and while a bit more soft sounding they were enjoyable and well made - one of the Alpha 1's is still in use in my sons system
 
topa said:
That was the one CDP that stood out for me too.
I remember coming home from the dealers, plugging it in and really noticing how good this thing is from the first note on.
Sold it when streaming came up though, never had a CDP since. Never will anymore.
Click to expand...
I have both, I enjoy the vast variety of music that streaming offers, and with a Klimax Renew DS, the sound isn’t too shabby either... I still like playing physical media too, both CD and Vinyl, and the Ikemi isn’t shamed by the streamer. I sold the last one with my whole system when I was raising cash for a house move... I’ve been hankering after one since.
 
Hoopsontoast said:
Sony DVP-S9000ES, still not found anything that sounds better for the £50 it cost me (free unit and a new laser).
Only changed recently as I wanted an all-in-one streaming CDP so have a Yamaha CD-NT670D although the big Sony is still here. I prefered the Sony to various other CDPs over the past 8-years including a Rega Apollo 2000, Apollo R, Saturn, Toshiba SD-9500e, Teac VRDS-10SE Philips CD-850 and a few others.


Sony DVP-S9000ES by Robert Seymour, on Flickr
Click to expand...
Nice bit of kit that, I’ve seen and heard that very unit at Scalford!
 
rough edges said:
I had a CDS2 for about 10 yrs and really enjoyed it. Now I've got a Saturn-R, and I like it even more than the CDS2. The CDS2 had much better control software/interface, but I definitely prefer the Saturn-R for it's rich analogue sound. Naim costs a lot for what you get...
Click to expand...

The Saturn-R is one of the players that I would like to try; what problems have you encountered related to 'control software/interface'?

(the musical performance is, of course, my primary concern)
 
Caledon1297 said:
The Saturn-R is one of the players that I would like to try; what problems have you encountered related to 'control software/interface'?

(the musical performance is, of course, my primary concern)
Click to expand...

There is nothing wrong with the interface. It’s just that the display is a bit dated and hard to see at more than 2 metres away. I’m always straining to see what track I’m up to. You can turn the display off though. I’d prefer a simpler remote without a million other buttons for Rega amps. Sound quality is great!
 
Still relying on my Rega Saturn and my LFD Mistral Cd player. The Rega is my daily driver and will probably stay for as long as it keeps functioning (new laser and full check-up last year). The LFD is a bit more particular, soundwise, and gets used on the proper occasions.
 
I’d like to try a Rega Saturn R, in what way would it sound different to my Naim CD5X and Flatcap?
 
Like many I've had a few over the years. 1st one was a, phillips, cd473 in 88, then a Technics SLPG 440a in 94 that finally died in 2016. Hada used Cambridge D500SE for a couple of months then had CXC until late 2018. Of these the CXC was the best sounding but that's not saying much.
As for my favourite/best sounding it's my current one, a Lector CDP7TL mk3, it is a superb sounding unit and about the least digital sounding cdp I've heard.
 
Rega Saturn - I've owned a Yamaha CDX5 and Rega Planet - but the Saturn is my favourite of those I've owned. I've probably heard better ones but very happy with the Rega.
 
An Audiomeca Kreatura SE transport and Elixir dac. I still have the Audiophile Jan 94 issue where Alvin Gold and Malcolm Steward gave very favourable reviews of the Kreatura transport/player.I just loved the looks. I know the Audiomeca Mephisto was popular at the time but I didn't want top loading faff. I wanted a normal loader. This combination is still going strong and just plays music. The 'SE' bit meant it came with a trichord clock fitted.
The only bit that has failed is the remote control but I have an alternative one that does the business. The only idiosyncrasy is with both remotes, neither can open/close the cd drawer. That you have to use the button on the player!
 
My first CD Player was an Arcam Alpha Plus which enabled me to get used to CDs. Next was a Naim CD3 which was better with my other Naim kit. Current player is a Naim CDS3 which I think is excellent in my set up.
 
Just did a bit of Googling and I think my first one was a Philips CD 473 circa 1988.
I remember some CDs sounded like they were recorded in a bathroom.
Around 93/94 I bought a Marantz CD63SE from Richer Sounds at London Bridge. Big improvement and that was replaced by an Arcam 8SE which was a smoother sounding player that handled HDCD, which I wanted to try. I had that for years.
Eventually had the money for better toys and bought a s/h MF NuVista 3D which was very good but temperamental. Sold as I wanted to downsize to wall mount the kit.
I now have an Exposure 2010 used as a transport into a Leema DAC/pre into active speakers.
My fav was the MF NuVista as I think it was very well made and sounded very good into a MF 308A and Proac D15s. It had the ability to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I've not re-created that since.
 
finally remembered I've only ever owned 3...Marantz, Copland and Luxman (the latter 12 yrs old now and never a blip so far). Luxman just sounds natural, which'll do me.
 
Killersteve said:
Naim CD3
Naim CD5
Naim CDX2
Naim CDS3
Rega Isis
Rega Apollo -R
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Forgot to say, the Rega Apollo is working as a Transport in combination with a Teddy Pardo DAC. Really nice and not far away from the Isis. The Apollo is my back-up solution to the Innuos Zenith MK3 I prefer to use with Rip‘s and Tidal Streaming.
 
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