I'm quite tempted

[Gray]

Blimey, some of you guys have gone way off topic.

....but you got the message 👍
Ain't nobody here gonna pay no 600 quid for no SH CDP 😉

 

[nopiano]

The Tascam CD-200 that @nopiano has bought.
As good as any transport, with coax and optical out....via a decent low cost DAC (contrary to some thinking, decent DACs don't start at £1000).
For under £400 all in, you might be surprised at how good it could be.

And, if you ever do decide to rip CDs, the DAC would work well for FLAC playback too.

I so nearly suggested it myself, but didn’t want to sound like a, er, broken record!

Probably best for PP to keep his eBay Alert switched on for Exposure CD Player, and maybe chance upon a late 3010s2 one of these days.

 

[plastic penguin]

....but you got the message 👍
Ain't nobody here gonna pay no 600 quid for no SH CDP 😉

I did pay £600 for the Electrocompaniet, but that was from a recognised dealer (Hi-fi Emporium from their Essex branch).

I'm not desperate to replace the 2010 as it does so many things so well.

But I seem to make a habit of buying stuff no one else likes. Do I care? Not a jot. I just laugh and say 'your loss.'

😋😁

 

[plastic penguin]

I so nearly suggested it myself, but didn’t want to sound like a, er, broken record!

Probably best for PP to keep his eBay Alert switched on for Exposure CD Player, and maybe chance upon a late 3010s2 one of these days.

Happy with my simple yet hugely effective set-up.

I'll keep browsing every now and then. One thing I will get soon. A cheap Dac to connect the TV streaming service to the amp. Now the Denon tuner has been put out to grass, I have a spare RCA cable and input.

 

[plastic penguin]

I so nearly suggested it myself, but didn’t want to sound like a, er, broken record!

Probably best for PP to keep his eBay Alert switched on for Exposure CD Player, and maybe chance upon a late 3010s2 one of these days.

Off-topic, what's happened to your ATCs? Just seen your signature and there's no mention of them, you've listed Sonus Fabers instead.

 

[nopiano]

Off-topic, what's happened to your ATCs? Just seen your signature and there's no mention of them, you've listed Sonus Fabers instead.

Still have them. Over a year ago I chanced upon a pair of mint Guarneri bought by a rich builder who had them because his mate said he should have a nice Hifi. Never got used except when said mate came over. Had sat in ‘music’ room for a decade.

Then I sold my Nord amp and bought Pass Labs to scratch a class A itch.

https://imgur.com/7bxkggb

View: https://i.imgur.com/7bxkggb.jpg

 

[plastic penguin]

No, I've never heard this CD player, but I do know what goes into a CD player and these days, the parts, construction, packaging, shipping and profit, make a decent CD player cost between £250 and £350 at most.

I would love to know what goes into a CD player, that would make it cost a grand. Case, PSU, optics, servo, transport, DAC, a few resistors, cabling, a display, a remote etc. I'm not convinced any CD player needs to cost £1000 from any company.

At least this comes with a 30 day return, which is OK. I bet it's built OK and sounds really good, but how good can a CD player sound and wouldn't a new £350 Marantz give the same quality?

I'm thinking about buying a Leema Quasar and I don't think it's worth £3125 but I could be getting a decent sized trade in deal, which will help. This thing will have a 5 year warranty and should last.

I don't think I would pay a lot for a 2nd hand one, unless I had the chance of a lengthy listen and test. Having 30 days might be enough.

A couple of points.

First you mention: "I do know what goes into a CD player and these days, the parts, construction, packaging, shipping and profit..."

The next paragraph: "Would love to know what goes into a CD player, that would make it cost a grand."

The Marantz CD6007 is not as good as my wrinkly old CD 2010. RS had one connected to the Leema when I demoed different speakers last year.

 

[plastic penguin]

Still have them. Over a year ago I chanced upon a pair of mint Guarneri bought by a rich builder who had them because his mate said he should have a nice Hifi. Never got used except when said mate came over. Had sat in ‘music’ room for a decade.

Then I sold my Nord amp and bought Pass Labs to scratch a class A itch.

https://imgur.com/7bxkggb

View: https://i.imgur.com/7bxkggb.jpg

No doubt the SFs look gorgeous, that sassy Italian design. Have they made a ugly speaker? If they have I haven't seen one.

Nice one.

 

[plastic penguin]

I think I'll see this particular one out, the reason is two-fold: firstly, the price is a little steep and secondly I can't find any written evidence the 3010 will be a significant enough upgrade. The 2010 certainly punches above its price tag.

Aesthetically, they are identical. This pic I took shortly after I purchased it in 2020

 

[podknocker]

Some here don't understand that some of us want a CD player because.... we want a bloody CD player. And streaming does not beat the sound of a good CD player IMHO, the humble CD has a vitality and solidity about it that the equivalent stream just lacks.

Having said that, does the Exposure have service support if things go wrong?

I love CDs and I have done since 1985 but technology moves on and If the information on a CD (at 1411kbps) can be copied perfectly, bit for bit, using a streaming platform and app, then there should be no difference to the sound, if the file is presented to the same DAC as the one used within the CD player. Taking any possible mechanical failure out of the equation and also the cost of a large physical unit, which can be a fortune, must be the preferred option these days, surely? Streaming amps/DACs do sound as good as CDs now, so why bother with a physical format?

 

[nopiano]

I think I'll see this particular one out, the reason is two-fold: firstly, the price is a little steep and secondly I can't find any written evidence the 3010 will be a significant enough upgrade. The 2010View attachment 4616 certainly punches above its price tag.

Aesthetically, they are identical. This pic I took shortly after I purchased it in 2020

It seems to be a better DAC in the 3010, and two of them, at least according to this list, which is the best I’ve found. It’s quite salutary to see which devices share what transports and DACs, as then you get an idea how much you’re paying for the box.

I believe in many amps and CD machines, the chassis, fascia and controls are often the most expensive parts.

CD-Player-DAC-Transport List

vasiltech.narod.ru

 

[podknocker]

I bought a Philips CD473 CD player in 1988 and it sounded superb. The Philips used the TDA1541 DAC and I bet this would give modern versions a good run for their money. ASR disagrees, but it would be interesting, digging a 1988 CD player out and doing some blind listening tests. I don't think DACs have offered a much better sound in recent years and remember, it's the ancillary circuitry that also makes a difference.

Hifi Forum TDA-1541A DAC Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the "Finished Philips hifi forum tenth anniversary TDA1541 DAC Coaxial input L17-53." It was purchased on ebay by a member for $388. Owner swapped out the fake TDA-1541A for a real one. This was a DAC design created for the tenth anniversary of...

www.audiosciencereview.com

This great DAC was used in so many good quality players:

Philips TDA1541 - A Monolithic Dual 16-Bit D/A Converter - DutchAudioClassics.nl

On March 8, 1979 Philips publicly demonstrated a prototype of an optical digital audio disc at a press conference called Philips Introduce Compact Disc in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

dutchaudioclassics.nl

There are some reviews, where these decades older CD players are cleaned and recapped and they sound much better. I think many new CD players are overpriced and money for old rope. CD is now over 40 years old and reached a technological dead end, many years ago. This format really can't be improved and go any further.

 

[matthewpianist]

It seems to be a better DAC in the 3010, and two of them, at least according to this list, which is the best I’ve found. It’s quite salutary to see which devices share what transports and DACs, as then you get an idea how much you’re paying for the box.

I believe in many amps and CD machines, the chassis, fascia and controls are often the most expensive parts.

CD-Player-DAC-Transport List

vasiltech.narod.ru

View attachment 4617

Those KSS transports in the Exposure players are Sony.

 

[podknocker]

Those KSS transports in the Exposure players are Sony.

That should be reliable and it's great to see this company went for a higher quality component. I know Sony still make transports, because up until recently, I owned a fantastic Sony 4k Blu Ray player. Do they still make Red Book only CD transports? I've not looked at the Sony website for a while, but I don't think they make a CD player now.

 

[matthewpianist]

That should be reliable and it's great to see this company went for a higher quality component. I know Sony still make transports, because up until recently, I owned a fantastic Sony 4k Blu Ray player. Do they still make Red Book only CD transports? I've not looked at the Sony website for a while, but I don't think they make a CD player now.

I'm not sure whether they still make Red Book only transports. They certainly don't make CD players or any hi-fi separates any longer. It's a shame because they made some great kit.

I recall Arcam have also used Sony transports as well. Rega have used Sanyo mechs.

 

[podknocker]

I know a Cary CD player, many years ago, used a Sanyo transport and they cost £7 (seven) retail. Cary must have paid less, for a bulk order. If it was reliable, then you can't knock it, but what made the Cary cost several thousands of pounds? Hmm.

 

[nopiano]

Those KSS transports in the Exposure players are Sony.

Yes, elsewhere in the whole document I linked they include the word Sony. They’re pretty prolific, even appearing in two Luxman models.

 

[podknocker]

Sony invented the CD format, with Philips, in the late 70s and they certainly cared about quality and reliability back then. The market has changed hugely, but I do wonder why some transports are inferior and fail. Is it complexity, or part quality? Are the washers and wheels just made from poor quality materials? Is it the optics, or something else? They do vary and some are very poor.

 

[matthewpianist]

It isn't just down to the transport these days, there's more dependence on firmware, which can cause operational problems in some cases.

 

[podknocker]

I think I'll see this particular one out, the reason is two-fold: firstly, the price is a little steep and secondly I can't find any written evidence the 3010 will be a significant enough upgrade. The 2010View attachment 4616 certainly punches above its price tag.

Aesthetically, they are identical. This pic I took shortly after I purchased it in 2020

Beautiful looking CD player and superb build quality, but I would only consider paying £500 for this unit, if it was just released as a new model. The reliability will come down to the £20 Sony transport, so where does the £1000 go? I'm sure a CD player at a 3rd of the cost, would give you 95% of the sound quality. People buy with their eyes and I've certainly done that, but a CD player uses 40 year old technology and improvements in sound quality cannot be found in fancy casework and aesthetics.

 

[manicm]

I love CDs and I have done since 1985 but technology moves on and If the information on a CD (at 1411kbps) can be copied perfectly, bit for bit, using a streaming platform and app, then there should be no difference to the sound, if the file is presented to the same DAC as the one used within the CD player. Taking any possible mechanical failure out of the equation and also the cost of a large physical unit, which can be a fortune, must be the preferred option these days, surely? Streaming amps/DACs do sound as good as CDs now, so why bother with a physical format?

Why bother with a physical format? Why bother with vinyl then?

To my ears CDs just sound different and sometimes more appealing than streaming. I also like the physical aspect.

 

[podknocker]

Why bother with a physical format? Why bother with vinyl then?

Exactly!

 

[richwhite08]

Why bother with a physical format? Why bother with vinyl then?

To my ears CDs just sound different and sometimes more appealing than streaming. I also like the physical aspect.

Indeed. This is why I don't use vinyl.

The best way to truly know if one sounds better to your ears is for you to leave the room while someone else puts the music on. Let them play half a dozen songs and see how often you guess correctly.

 

[Noddy]

Beautiful looking CD player and superb build quality, but I would only consider paying £500 for this unit, if it was just released as a new model. The reliability will come down to the £20 Sony transport, so where does the £1000 go? I'm sure a CD player at a 3rd of the cost, would give you 95% of the sound quality. People buy with their eyes and I've certainly done that, but a CD player uses 40 year old technology and improvements in sound quality cannot be found in fancy casework and aesthetics.

I would not be surprised if it gave 100% of the sound quality, unless the unit has been voiced of course. The sound quality would have to be double blind tested of course, otherwise, well you can guess.

I could not tell the difference between my £400 Chord Mojo and the £10 Apple DAC dongle, using £300+ headphones and CD quality files. I wondered why the reviews gushed over it. I recently found measurements that are consistent with my experience, suggesting that the issue does not lie with Mr Clothears. So much of audio is marketing, expectation and self deception.

 

[Friesiansam]

I would not be surprised if it gave 100% of the sound quality, unless the unit has been voiced of course. The sound quality would have to be double blind tested of course, otherwise, well you can guess.

I could not tell the difference between my £400 Chord Mojo and the £10 Apple DAC dongle, using £300+ headphones and CD quality files. I wondered why the reviews gushed over it. I recently found measurements that are consistent with my experience, suggesting that the issue does not lie with Mr Clothears. So much of audio is marketing, expectation and self deception.

I have to say my Mojo, has never quite lived-up to the reviews.