Budget CD Player Recommendation

[admin_exported]

Hi - I'm looking for CD player recommendations in the 'up to £150-£200' range. Between us my girlfriend and I listen to a fairly wide variety of music so it wouldn't be very useful to go specifying one particular genre.

In terms of equipment I've currently got a pair of Klipsch ksb 1.1 speakers (gift from my old man due to an upgrade) and a Temple Audio Bantam Gold amp. No sources really apart from my Creative Zen mp3 player and a faulty old Sony CD Walkman. So yeah, a full size CD player would be useful!

Any suggestions (new or possible second hand options) welcome. Thanks.

 

[byakuya83]

I would recommend a 2nd hand Meridian 208 CD player

 

[matthewpiano]

Richer Sounds are doing the Marantz CD6003 for £199. You won't find anything as good for anything like that price.

 

[Anonymous]

2nd hand Arcam DiVA CD72 or CD73 via eBay; could also look at the NAD C545BEE if you can find one 2nd hand

All are better than the budget CDP's you can buy in your budget currently; better than the Marant CD6003 I'd say as well although that is still a good CDP

 

[matthewpiano]

For once I disagree. Having owned both the Arcam CD73T and the NAD C545BEE, and having listened extensively to the CD6003 on several occasions, I personally feel the Marantz is better than either.

 

[damonster]

you could pick up a
cambridge audio azur 640c for £ 100 mark on ebay a solid cd player or the marantz 6003 .

 

[emcc_3]

I would suggest the Marantz as well. It is by far and away the best sub £300 CD player on the market today. I know this as I have been auditioning a new CD player recentely. The only reason I did not purchase it is no one offers the thing in silver anymore. For this reason I am awaiting the release of the cd6004 in sept. But for your budget and as long as you dont mind black its great.

 

[plastic penguin]

The latest Marantz incarnations have past me by, I'm afraid. Certainly Arcam CD73T is a cracking player for the money. Even with higher end amps and speakers it doesn't sound like a budget player.

 

[tim92gts]

If you think a multiplayer could be useful the Sony BDP S380 is good and sub £100.

Otherwise i'd agree with many of the previous, go for the Marantz.

i wouldn't bother with second hand, esp if you use it a lot.

 

[tim92gts]

Sorry, sensitive mouse!

 

[the record spot]

I'd echo the above, but wrt the S370 model. I was surprised by who good this player is with music. For the money, it's a bit of a steal. The interface can be slightly clunky (takes a little while to load, no direct track access from the handset), but otherwise it's up there.

 

[Sizzers]

I have the 380 and to my ears it can't do music at all.

It might do against really cheap players but not against the Marantz. If you can find one at that price I'd grab one quick!

 

[the record spot]

Speaking as one who's got the CDP I do and the S370, which bit of "not doing music" doesn't the Sony do? Just so I understand where you're coming from more than anything else. I've compared the two more than once and the S370 isn't a million miles off.

 

[Anonymous]

Personally I would be tempted to get a cheap DVD player (digital out) and invest in a decent DAC.

You can get a Beresford TC 7520 for £130 and spend the rest on the DVD player. It will sound as good if not better than any £200 player and give you more inputs/option to use a computer too.

 

[Sizzers]

Speaking as one who's got the CDP I do and the S370, which bit of "not doing music" doesn't the Sony do? Just so I understand where you're coming from more than anything else. I've compared the two more than once and the S370 isn't a million miles off.

The Sony just doesn't have the same comparable detail or depth, and to my ears the difference is immediately significant.

This is through either my Lektor's or my Focal 706V's which are highly revealing speakers (and probably too much so for a lot of recordings which is why I switched them back), and the differences are even more starkly evident when listening through my phones.

I also have an SA7001 (non-Sig) and I was quite shocked how - to MY ears - the 6003 sounded so much better. Again more detailed, and just held everything together so much better (do you call that timing?)

I can only speak how I hear and perceive but the 6003 is a very good CDP IMO, and if it can be bought at £199 I feel that is an absolute bargain. Only my opinion of course!

 

[Blackdawn]

Agree, go for a new CDP with warranty, not second hand. e.g. 6003.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi, OP here again. Sorry I've been rather slow to get back to my own thread (was a bit busy with work and, er, post-work liquid recreation yesterday) but thanks everyone for your advice so far! I'll investigate the options mentioned and see what I end up with.

 

[the record spot]

The Sony just doesn't have the same comparable detail or depth, and to my ears the difference is immediately significant. This is through either my Lektor's or my Focal 706V's which are highly revealing speakers (and probably too much so for a lot of recordings which is why I switched them back), and the differences are even more starkly evident when listening through my phones. I also have an SA7001 (non-Sig) and I was quite shocked how - to MY ears - the 6003 sounded so much better. Again more detailed, and just held everything together so much better (do you call that timing?) I can only speak how I hear and perceive but the 6003 is a very good CDP IMO, and if it can be bought at £199 I feel that is an absolute bargain. Only my opinion of course!

My system is about as revealing as I'd want it to be without it becoming boringly forensic, the 752s are crystal clear and pretty ruthless at seeing through into a recording and the 7001 CDP is - thankfully - a player that presents the music as a cohesive whole, with ample detail. It's one of the most analogue sounding players you'll find (read: not warm however).

I don't know what you mean by the 6003 sounding "so much better", detail aside. Particularly as the 7001 delivers that. It is more neutral I think, so perhaps that's what you're relating to. It doesn't do massive bass, but what it does give is articulate and fast.

Three years on since I bought it, I wouldn't spend the same amount on a source player again. It will suffice for many years I imagine and any changes will be to offboard DACs than all-in-one transports, unless I opt for a universal player.

 

[robg1976]

go for the marantz or second hand arcam cd 73 on ebay from £100 to £150 cant beat the arcam for detail image and timing.

 

[Sizzers]

The Sony just doesn't have the same comparable detail or depth, and to my ears the difference is immediately significant. This is through either my Lektor's or my Focal 706V's which are highly revealing speakers (and probably too much so for a lot of recordings which is why I switched them back), and the differences are even more starkly evident when listening through my phones. I also have an SA7001 (non-Sig) and I was quite shocked how - to MY ears - the 6003 sounded so much better. Again more detailed, and just held everything together so much better (do you call that timing?) I can only speak how I hear and perceive but the 6003 is a very good CDP IMO, and if it can be bought at £199 I feel that is an absolute bargain. Only my opinion of course!

My system is about as revealing as I'd want it to be without it becoming boringly forensic, the 752s are crystal clear and pretty ruthless at seeing through into a recording and the 7001 CDP is - thankfully - a player that presents the music as a cohesive whole, with ample detail. It's one of the most analogue sounding players you'll find (read: not warm however).

I don't know what you mean by the 6003 sounding "so much better", detail aside. Particularly as the 7001 delivers that. It is more neutral I think, so perhaps that's what you're relating to. It doesn't do massive bass, but what it does give is articulate and fast.

Three years on since I bought it, I wouldn't spend the same amount on a source player again. It will suffice for many years I imagine and any changes will be to offboard DACs than all-in-one transports, unless I opt for a universal player.

I can only say that to my ears the 6003 is more musical and enjoyable than the 7001.

I'm quite sure that if I'd had the 7001 first I'd have been thrilled with it. I'm not knocking the player it's just that I find the 6003 a much more enjoyable listen, and yes, I was disappointed with the 7001. Never heard the KI version so I can't compare it with that, but as long as we're all happy!

I do want to upgrade my source at some point but don't think I'll be looking down the CDP route either. Obvious culprit to listen to is the Rega DAC but a new headphone amp is coming first I think! Anyway, off to work *groan*

 

[the record spot]

I found the 7001 could be a tricky one to partner because of the leaner nature of the sound. Works very well with the Sansui amplifier, HK990 (for some stuff) and Leema Pulse (for other stuff), but can be hard to partner. Sounds great just now though (I'll take that!).

 

[matthewpiano]

RS, what's up with you AU-717?

 

[the record spot]

Slipped into protection mode on and off MP. It's been a bit crackly on power-up for a while, so it needs to go to the repair shop. Or Ebay. The 217 is a good fallback though. And there's a 919 on Ebay closing tonight.... :shifty:

I still use the 717, it works fine after a minute or two, or powering off and on again, so I can live with it to a degree, but it sometimes it's just easier to pop the 217 on. Lovely sounding thing.

 

[Cypher]

I've had both the SA-7001 player and CD-6002 player and my favourite was clearly the 6002. It was way more cohesive sounding and better detail. Now I use a DAC and netbook and it sounds better than both.

 

[Anonymous]

Was just reading over some of the suggestions from earlier in the thread and got back to the one about buying a DAC - specifically, a Beresford TC 7520.

Now the poster suggested just using a DVD player as a transport but I actually have a disc-spinner already - an old Denon UDM-31 micro system. This is the system I'm currently replacing with the Bantam and as-yet-unbought CD player but the only reason I'm upgrading is that the sound from the Denon has been cutting out on the left speaker for a while now. The UDM-31 is an all-in-one type thing but it has an optical digital-out on the back so I assume I could link this to a DAC and get sound from the Denon even if its internal amp is shot?

If this works then I might be tempted to go with this as I like my old Denon and having a DAC would be useful for future upgrades (ie. when I finally get around to re-ripping all my CDs as FLACs).