What was/is your favourite CD player
- Thread starter snaphappybob
- Start date
Goldenmouse
pfm Member
Wadia 861.
Tim Jones
pfm Member
Sorry, just reading through the thread and saw this. I ran a 715E a few years ago and it was a cracker. I now I have it's rarer big brother, the 915E in a second system, which is outstanding. I think Sony only made the 715 and 915 for about a year because the chipset became too expensive.
However, the best CDP I've ever owned has to be a CDS2/555PS, which pisses all over any digital source I've ever heard.
John_73
pfm Member
It’s an astonishing player, even now. I’ve got mine plugged into the pre-amp of my Quad Artera Play+ and am really rather floored at how good it is. It was used in budget systems in the past so I evidently never heard what it was capable of. One of those rare bits of kit where music just blossoms out of the speakers making your system sound far bigger than it is (I’m using stand mount speakers!). I’m really quite shocked how good it is to be honest...
Funnily enough I’m looking for a Naim CDX2.2 as well - evidently similar tastes!
flatpopely
Prog Rock/Moderator
Get a Sony CDP 338 ESD.
‘Nuff said.
‘Nuff said.
Colin L
High-tech low-life
Started out with a Pioneer stable platter jobbie many, many moons ago, then CDi, CDS2, CDS3 and eventually CD555. Been CD playerless for about 5 years but currently have in residence a dCS Rossini player (waiting for my Rossini DAC to be born) which piddles over everything else before it. Tellingly the SQ is basically identical as a network player. Very tiny differences but I couldn’t say which is “better”
the caretaker
pfm Member
Hi, most interesting..I have had a mooch about and all i can see are rotel rcd 965 bx ( is that the same model? )It’s an astonishing player, even now. I’ve got mine plugged into the pre-amp of my Quad Artera Play+ and am really rather floored at how good it is. It was used in budget systems in the past so I evidently never heard what it was capable of. One of those rare bits of kit where music just blossoms out of the speakers making your system sound far bigger than it is (I’m using stand mount speakers!). I’m really quite shocked how good it is to be honest...
Funnily enough I’m looking for a Naim CDX2.2 as well - evidently similar tastes!
the caretaker
pfm Member
I have one too...most useful cd player ever! If I use mine straight into quad 909 it sounds pretty good
Del monaco
Del Monaco
Mine’s the Rotel 695BX as well. Cracking player for the money.
justpassing
pfm Member
Had a few players in the past but present line up is:
Naim CDS2/XPS. Brilliant machine and easily outclassed the CDi it replaced. XPS was eventually modded by Avondale and that lifted it a lot further. CDS2 currently unwell, probably laser problem - must get it serviced.
Rega Isis valve. Great machine, different to but clearly better than CDS2. Warmer and more analogue sound, and works best connected to Osiris.
Lyngdorf CD2. Impressive - fraction of the price of the Isis and gives nothing away to that machine. Connected via spdif link to Lyngdorf 3400 (so bypassing its own Dac) the sound is just astonishing. Probably needs to be operated that way to give its best.
I know that it's all personal and we all hear differently, but I really can't agree that CD is unable to match the sound quality of streaming, in fact quite the reverse (although I do listen mostly via streaming for the convenience and choice!)
Naim CDS2/XPS. Brilliant machine and easily outclassed the CDi it replaced. XPS was eventually modded by Avondale and that lifted it a lot further. CDS2 currently unwell, probably laser problem - must get it serviced.
Rega Isis valve. Great machine, different to but clearly better than CDS2. Warmer and more analogue sound, and works best connected to Osiris.
Lyngdorf CD2. Impressive - fraction of the price of the Isis and gives nothing away to that machine. Connected via spdif link to Lyngdorf 3400 (so bypassing its own Dac) the sound is just astonishing. Probably needs to be operated that way to give its best.
I know that it's all personal and we all hear differently, but I really can't agree that CD is unable to match the sound quality of streaming, in fact quite the reverse (although I do listen mostly via streaming for the convenience and choice!)
pocketkitchen
Registered User
Favourite in terms of owning one: Arcam Alpha +. Favourite in terms of best I ever heard: Linn CD12, absolutely streets ahead of anything else I've heard.
Fretbuzz
pfm Member
Couple of Cambridge CDPs then went separate transport/DAC route with AN and Rega DACs, then Quad Artera Play CD/Pre/DAC, and now Chord 2Qute fed by the first CDP I bought (Cambridge 350c). It's the best digital I've had. The Quad was a better sounding transport but seemed wasted for what it worth.
The best ever CD replay I've heard was a top AN CDP as part of a demo system - can't recall which. Mind-blowingly good.
Demoed a Rega Saturn R too once and was really impressed. Used with my own amp, in store, and speakers I ended up owning. Actually made a stronger overall impression than the Rega DAC I eventually owned (still nice). Would be interesting to compare the Saturn/DAC directly.
The best ever CD replay I've heard was a top AN CDP as part of a demo system - can't recall which. Mind-blowingly good.
Demoed a Rega Saturn R too once and was really impressed. Used with my own amp, in store, and speakers I ended up owning. Actually made a stronger overall impression than the Rega DAC I eventually owned (still nice). Would be interesting to compare the Saturn/DAC directly.
andvinylly
hit that long lunar note
The only CD players that seem to linger around here are Meridian,just because they have been so reliable, and go on for years, presently using an 800 v 2,but I think the best value for money would probably be the 508.24,great sounding player, and a timeless look
John_73
pfm Member
Yes that’s the one. There was a Limited Edition Discrete (RCD-965BX LE) model too, though generally people seemed to prefer the more exciting sound of the original.