New cd player advice needed.

[Stuart83]

Hi again I'm looking at a new cd player in the midrange for my main hifi.
As the regulars know I've been demoing things and box shifted a few things to get to my happy place with both amp, speakers, Bluetooth streamer and record deck but still haven't found a cd player in happy with.

I love the Marantz cd52 mk2 very much but it's failing and after repairing once it seems age is catching up.
Me being me will be repairing it if course but I'm now thinking maybe getting something in line age wise with the existing set up is a wise move.

I've managed to look up what I think are the best choices the Musical Fidelity M2sCD and the what I'm constantly looking at the Marantz CD 60 but is there anything else I should be looking to demo.

The acram CD5 is out because apparently there's no fast forward nor rewind function which to me is just crazy at that price point regardless of acram saying it will be included in a future update.

I thought it a rumour but it's all over the customer reviews at richer sounds etc.
I'm still hesitant to accept it as surly what hifi wouldn't award a cd player without even the rudemantery function of a fast forward and rewind.

Suffice to say is there anything you think I should be looking at in view of updating from an old friend.

Has anyone got any experience with the Marantz cd 60 or the musical fidelity?

Thanks again

 

[jjbomber]

Audiolab 8300 if you want a mainstream option.
Otherwise, left of field, thinking outside the box solution:

IOTAVX NP3 Netzwerk-CD-Player - HifiPilot, 634,00 €

Der NP3 Netzwerkplayer vereint sämtliche wichtigen Quellgeräte in sich - Streamer, CD-Player, DAB+ & FM-Radio sowie zahlreiche weitere Anschlüsse.

iotavx.com

 

[Oxfordian]

I'll throw in my Audiolab 6000CDT, if you have a DAC you can plug it into this veritable HiFi bargain punches well above what it's price would suggest.

 

[nopiano]

It’s a bit costlier than the Marantz, but this Denon DCD-1700 is on offer under a grand, and can play SACD. Much as I like Marantz, I’d be very tempted.

Denon DCD-1700NE CD/SACD Player - Black

Enjoy accurate audio reproduction that’s faithful to the original recording. Thanks to technologies like Advanced AL32 Processing Plus and an ultra-precision D/A Converter, you’ll hear your favourite songs like never before. The Denon-original drive mechanism with S.V.H lets you play back CDs...

petertyson.co.uk

 

[Al ears]

Might I suggest the Rotel CD11 mk2?
I guess it's pretty much going to depend on what you consider to be "midrange"

 

[Revolutions]

I'll throw in my Audiolab 6000CDT, if you have a DAC you can plug it into this veritable HiFi bargain punches well above what it's price would suggest.

In a toss-up between the Audiolab and the Cambridge CXC v2, I opted for the latter as I got a better 2nd hand deal.

I feel stupid saying this... I genuinely heard a huge improvement in tamed treble with the CXC vs NAD C515 connected via coax. Honest, guv. It doesn't make any sense beyond me hearing better because spent money, but still.

 

[plastic penguin]

Hi again I'm looking at a new cd player in the midrange for my main hifi.
As the regulars know I've been demoing things and box shifted a few things to get to my happy place with both amp, speakers, Bluetooth streamer and record deck but still haven't found a cd player in happy with.

I love the Marantz cd52 mk2 very much but it's failing and after repairing once it seems age is catching up.
Me being me will be repairing it if course but I'm now thinking maybe getting something in line age wise with the existing set up is a wise move.

I've managed to look up what I think are the best choices the Musical Fidelity M2sCD and the what I'm constantly looking at the Marantz CD 60 but is there anything else I should be looking to demo.

The acram CD5 is out because apparently there's no fast forward nor rewind function which to me is just crazy at that price point regardless of acram saying it will be included in a future update.

I thought it a rumour but it's all over the customer reviews at richer sounds etc.
I'm still hesitant to accept it as surly what hifi wouldn't award a cd player without even the rudemantery function of a fast forward and rewind.

Suffice to say is there anything you think I should be looking at in view of updating from an old friend.

Has anyone got any experience with the Marantz cd 60 or the musical fidelity?

Thanks again

Can't go too far wrong with Exposure CD 2010 S2. If my early version is anything to go, beautifully musical.

 

[Al ears]

What amp do you intend attaching this CD player to??

 

[Stuart83]

What amp do you intend attaching this CD player to??
[/QUOTE
It's for an acram sa30.
The Marantz cd52 mk2 sounds nice through it hence I looked at the cd 60.
I'm compiling a shortlist to then take to richer sounds Middlesbrough and perhaps hifi sounds in Stockton if I'm interested enough and they haven't the stock to demo.

 

[Stuart83]

In a toss-up between the Audiolab and the Cambridge CXC v2, I opted for the latter as I got a better 2nd hand deal.

I feel stupid saying this... I genuinely heard a huge improvement in tamed treble with the CXC vs NAD C515 connected via coax. Honest, guv. It doesn't make any sense beyond me hearing better because spent money, but still.

Yes I'm looking into that one and the combination of the existing dac on the acram sa30.

Thankyou 👍

 

[nopiano]

Yes I'm looking into that one and the combination of the existing dac on the acram sa30.

Thankyou 👍

If you have a good DAC in your Arcam amp then I’d go the transport route too. I responded with my suggestion as you asked for a player, not a transport.

 

[Gray]

The acram CD5 is out because apparently there's no fast forward nor rewind function

That's a function I've used - and you obviously want it, but we're probably in the minority.
And it's certainly not something any review would pick up on.

 

[Al ears]

That's a function I've used - and you obviously want it, but we're probably in the minority.
And it's certainly not something any review would pick up on.

To me fast forward was only relevant on cassette players....

 

[Stuart83]

That's a function I've used - and you obviously want it, but we're probably in the minority.
And it's certainly not something any review would pick up on.

I will be honest if reviewing something everything should be reviewed especially functionality.
To me fast forward and rewind is something that's a rudemantery must.
It's obviously not just us in the minority as the reviews on richer sounds picked up on it.

It's mentioned about updates covering it in the future, well my future doesn't include an indefinite wait to fast forward to the good bits when getting ready on a morning when pushed for time 😊

There's a 1000 reasons why someone would want to navigate within a track and that's just one of them relevant to me.

 

[nopiano]

I will be honest if reviewing something everything should be reviewed especially functionality.
To me fast forward and rewind is something that's a rudemantery must.
It's obviously not just us in the minority as the reviews on richer sounds picked up on it.

It's mentioned about updates covering it in the future, well my future doesn't include an indefinite wait to fast forward to the good bits when getting ready on a morning when pushed for time 😊

There's a 1000 reasons why someone would want to navigate within a track and that's just one of them relevant to me.

I’m with you on this, it seems fundamental. But then so does gapless playback, and it didn’t do that when launched, as a huge thread here testified.

I suppose to be fair to Arcam their instructions only refer to skipping forwards a track, or back, so they don’t claim to offer it.

With Harman’s resources you’d have thought they might have finished development before launch.

 

[Gray]

I will be honest if reviewing something everything should be reviewed especially functionality.
To me fast forward and rewind is something that's a rudemantery must.
It's obviously not just us in the minority as the reviews on richer sounds picked up on it.

It's mentioned about updates covering it in the future, well my future doesn't include an indefinite wait to fast forward to the good bits when getting ready on a morning when pushed for time 😊

There's a 1000 reasons why someone would want to navigate within a track and that's just one of them relevant to me.

Couldn't agree more - a proper review would test / everything (although on some products that would take forever).

I've often navigated within a track on CD and have never had a player without the facility.

 

[matthewpianist]

The best CD players I've owned (and I've had many) are the Musical Fidelity M2 SCD and the Denon DCD1600NE. The MF is still available, but the Denon has been replaced by the DCD1700NE which I expect to be not much different.

Also worthy of mention, but now too old, is the Arcam CD73T. I did have a CD17 later on, but it wasn't as good.

If you go for transport only, the Audiolab 6000 CDT or Leak equivalent (pretty much the same thing in a different box) is the way to go.

 

[Oxfordian]

Couldn't agree more - a proper review would test / everything (although on some products that would take forever).

I've often navigated within a track on CD and have never had a player without the facility.

A review should cover the basic functions of the item, you can add comments about some of the 'extras' the item in question has but the basic functions should be covered.

The problem is that the marketing blurb often focuses on the new 'extras' and glosses over the basics, a reviewer could well assume that having fast forward functions or gapless playback are standard items and don't need to be mentioned so doesn't check, instead they wax lyrical about the 'extras'.

 

[Stuart83]

Must admit the Musical Fidelity M2 SCD and Marantz cd 60 were my top two picks and it's definitely worth having all your input especially regarding the musical fidelity which furthers my interest as it looks like it carries the option to use as a transport.

I'd like to confirm with "Mathiewpianist" has the Musical Fidelity M2 SCD have the combined option to use as a cd transport ?
It would be a deal maker giving that I like the player after demo.

I also like the look of the audio lab 600 CDT and Cambridge audio CXC.

Reviews wise the audio lab seems to top the Cambridge audio with the added plus of playing cd rewritables.
I do have a few hanging around.

I'm thinking that a CDP with combined option to use as a transport aswell would be better than either one on its own.

I know some people have there's connected to both digital and analogue to switch between being a transport only and the CDP DAC when they want 🤷
Despite a reported tiny if ever difference despite separate DACs supposedly sounding different it's something I know I'd experiment with 😂.

There's few I like the look of like the advance Paris cd 7 and a few others at hifi sound Stockton.

There's always too many choices and with severe OCD (the diagnosed life changing/ruining type) that comes with the need for a weekly therapist it becomes too much at times, hence asking you guys to help shorten the list.
Despite that I still keep adding more 😊.

 

[matthewpianist]

The Musical Fidelity has both optical and coaxial digital inputs, and can be used as a transport with an external DAC. It's a superb piece of kit.