best cd player under $2k

[Anthony A.]

assuming a retail price of up to $2K, what is the best cd player you can get? i am willing to spend up to say $1400 on the used market for a good player, which would equate to probably double the amount for new retail. help me out. thanks.

 

[Nick]

What type of sound to you like?

Upfront and personal? Warm and lush? Cool and clean? etc..

 

[Anthony A.]

well, i really like detailed sound, but definately not upfront. warm and lush is pleasing, but at the same time detail cannot be compromised. i run a full nordost cable setup because they provide very detailed presentation, but definately not forward. to me, they have a perfect balance.

 

[Craig]

Like most audio gear, the apples and oranges analogy applies, but your personal preference is what matters most. A couple of players I recommend looking into are used Classe's such as the CDP.-3. I had one for about a year and thought it performed very well especially on HDCDs. Plenty of detail and quality bass. THey can be found on Audiogon for around $650-$850. They retailed for about $1600. They're an excellent value.

Even better are used Cary CD players. I think the Cary's sound is a good match with electrostats. I currently use a Cary 303/200 and they usually can be found for around $1500 used, retailed for $3000 new. They also make an excellent DAC and have the capability to plug directly into an amp by using the built-in digital volume control. Also the Cary 308T Tube CD is nice player for the money with a smooth/sweet tube sound. These players will likely hold a decent resale value when you decide to upgrade or try something else.

Good luck and go for it.
Craig

 

[garmtz]

Arcam CD-players...

 

[DavidG]

Consider Meridian

If you can, try to listen to a Meridian 506.24 or 508.24. You'll have to buy used now, as these are no longer made.

Alternatively, you may be able to buy a 500 transport with 518 / 566 processor & DAC for this budget. This 3-box solution extracts every last bit of detail from the disk, and still gives a wonderfully smooth presentation.

Cheers,

David

 

[Lomba]

Pioneer Elite DV-59Avi

This is a CD - SACD - DVD-Audio player. I recently purchased one of these for under $1000, and am quite impressed with the sound on CD's. It's very detailed, yet smooth, perhaps slightly warm.

 

[Anthony A.]

given these choices, which would you choose:

ayre cx-7
classe cdp 100, 3
cary 308, 303/200
arcam cd33
wadia 830
i was leaning toward meridian 508 but i recently heard a g9... (upconverting one) and i did not like it at all. way too forward. perhaps the older ones are better?

any other ones?

 

[Nick]

given these choices, which would you choose:

ayre cx-7
classe cdp 100, 3
cary 308, 303/200
arcam cd33
wadia 830
i was leaning toward meridian 508 but i recently heard a g9... (upconverting one) and i did not like it at all. way too forward. perhaps the older ones are better?

any other ones?

I have always loved Wadia CD players. I could very easily live with one.

 

[TomDac]

I'm VERY happy with my McIntosh CD changer. They have several single CD changers that are very nice and under $2K I believe.

 

[Anthony A.]

the meridian was the g08. i have also listened to an exposure 2010 cd player that really surprised me with its warmth and smoothness. i am going to try and audition some cary cd players and see how they do. in order of rank, where would these players i posted be?

 

[velcro22]

For the price, the Denon DVD-2900 is an excellent universal player. Very musical, clean and detailled. On the video side, the image is outstanding (for the price!)

It received great reviews and I truly enjoyed it. Just sold it for a Meridian 800 (not received yet) Definitely worth a listen. MSRP: $999 Used: $475-550

Check out these sites:
http://www.usa.denon.com/catalog/products.asp?l=1&c=4

http://ultimateavmag.com/dvdplayers/157/

http://hometheaterhifi.com/volume_12_1/denon-dvd-3910-dvd-player-1-2005.html

Al

 

[Bonedust]

i have a denon DVD-5900 with some minor mods and its an unbelievable player!

 

[DavidG]

the meridian was the g08. i have also listened to an exposure 2010 cd player that really surprised me with its warmth and smoothness. i am going to try and audition some cary cd players and see how they do. in order of rank, where would these players i posted be?

Ahh - the G08 sounds nothing like the earlier 5xx (500 / 506 / 507 / 508 / 588) players.

Meridian say the new G series players extract more detail. Unfortunately, they also sound far more bright, to the point of being harsh. I've listened to most of the Meridian range at one point or another and can safely say I'll be sticking with my 500 series gear and NOT 'upgrading' to 'G' Series!

Cheers,

David

 

[larryken]

Wadia 830

Owned one for 5 years...has the detail and bass punch you want.

 

[Sky Saw]

Ahh - the G08 sounds nothing like the earlier 5xx (500 / 506 / 507 / 508 / 588) players.

Meridian say the new G series players extract more detail. Unfortunately, they also sound far more bright, to the point of being harsh. I've listened to most of the Meridian range at one point or another and can safely say I'll be sticking with my 500 series gear and NOT 'upgrading' to 'G' Series!

Cheers,

David

I have a Meridian 508.24 (which I love), and a family member has a G08 paired with a G02 (preamp), and in direct comparison through the G02, the G08 is a better sounding player than the 508.24 in every way. At first, I liked the G08 less than the G07, but then noticed that in order to come into its performance potential, the G08 must be used in a balanced setup. Single-ended, the G08 did sound a bit 'thinner' than the G07. Balanced, there was nothing thin or un-musical about the G08. Through Ascents, I am confident that you would not find this system in any way harsh. If you like Meridian players, I encourage you to give the G series players another listen before writing them off. Or perhaps, we have just demonstrated that for every listening experience, there is an equal and opposite listening experience .

 

[DavidG]

Very true!

To be fair to the G08 I heard, it was one of the first and the dealer had only had it for a couple of days so maybe it wasn't fully run in.

But, my current 500 series gear sounds so good that I probably won't chance for quite some time.

Cheers,

David

 

[risabet]

Haven't heard one but the Njoe Tjoeb 4000 has gotten great reviews. It retails for $699.99 with a grip of improvements available including a 24 bit/192kHz upsampling board for $349.00. This is available from <a href=www.upscaleaudio.com/view_category.asp?cat=50>Upscale Audio</a> here in SoCal.

 

[Jeff Zaret]

Take a look at the Rotel CDP 1072. Look at the reviews and then decide. I believe this also retails for $700.00 USD. I have one and I think for the money it is hard to beat.

Jeff

 

[randylm]

Owned one for 5 years...has the detail and bass punch you want.

naim cd5 is an excellent player I love it also just got an arcam dv79 dvd and it has great cd playback also does dvd-audio mp3 as will as being a great dvd player picture is outstanding and it retails around 1800 I picked up a demo for 1550.