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Small CD player

post #1 of 14
10/22/10 at 8:15am
Thread Starter 

I'm curious about tube amps, and I want to get a small headphone tube amp like a Bravo or a Yaqin or Little Dot (or something.)  However, I work in a closed environment - I can't bring in an MP3 player, but I can bring in a CD player as long as it doesn't record anything. 

 

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good CD player that's small, but still has lineout (vice headphones) and digital out?  Something that I can stack up with the amp in the corner of my desk without using up too much space.

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post #2 of 14
10/22/10 at 8:40pm
Thread Starter 

Wrong subforum?

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post #3 of 14
10/23/10 at 2:27am

I don't know your budget but how about the shanling PCD300A?

 

http://diykits.com.hk/shanling.htm

 

It's compact, sounds good and already has a very good headphone out!

It really needs no amp at all.

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post #4 of 14
10/23/10 at 9:32am
Thread Starter 

That's a possibility.  A little more than I was hoping for, but looks like if I just got that, it'd be cheaper than all three components.

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post #5 of 14
10/23/10 at 10:44am

I don't know where you are but you can get it for a good price from several ebay sellers.

(From China)

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post #6 of 14
10/23/10 at 10:48am
Thread Starter 

I'm just really intrigued by the Bravo Tube headphone amp, and tube headphone amps in general, so I want a separate amp.  At home and at my next job I can use it with my iPhone, but for now at work, I'm stuck with Cd players.

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post #7 of 14
10/25/10 at 11:19am

Great subject, and near to my own heart.

 

First suggestion: an Oppo 980H universal player. Not small, but light (and not big either). The stock Oppos sound good to v. good coming out analog, and just improve from there. Plus, it's a universal player.

 

Downside, Oppo discontinued it and now makes a similar, but more expensive blu-ray player - the BDP80 is the low end version, which I use.

 

More in keeping with the spirit of your post, there is this, which I have my eye on as well:

 

http://headphonesamplifier.com/little-dot-cdp_i-cd-digital-transport/

 

Only catch is, you would need some sort of DAC coming out.

 

Let us know what you do.

 

Scott A.

 

edit - Incidentally, I think I'm on the same path you are. I'm slowly experimenting with headphone listening, and bought one of those little Bravo amps. I used it the other night with my Oppo and a set of ATH-AD700s and thoroughly enjoyed it.


Edited by satkinsn - 10/25/10 at 11:22am
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post #8 of 14
10/25/10 at 1:42pm

Finding a cheap and small (but not portable "discman" type) CD player is kind of tough these days. The previously mentioned Shanling models are around $300 and include a good headphone amp already. The Little Dot CD player is supposedly slow and quirky to operate, and keep in mind that it is simply a transport so you need a seperate DAC and amp to go with it.

 

I'd check out the small Teac players, they seem pretty nice and the prices are good. Here are a few:

 

http://www.orangechimp.com/_e/Audio_Receivers/product/MCD85_RECEIVER/Teac_MCD85_Hifi_Mini_CD_TUNER_AMPLIFER_Unit_Only.htm

 

http://www.orangechimp.com/_e/Audio_Receivers_Components/product/DVH350/Teac_DV_H350_CD_DVD_Player_Factory_Recertified.htm

 

http://www.orangechimp.com/_e/Audio_Receivers_Components/product/DV-L800/Teac_DV_L800_Progressive_Scan_DVD_Player.htm

 

http://www.orangechimp.com/_e/CD_Player_and_Recorder/product/PD-H303/Teac_PD_H303_Reference_300_Series_3_CD_Changer.htm

 

http://www.orangechimp.com/_e/Audio_Receivers_Components/product/DV-H550/Teac_Reference_Series_Compact_DVD_CD_Player.htm

 

There's also an Onkyo system with speakers that would do the job:

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-CS-325-CD-Receiver-System/dp/B0016K990K

 

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post #9 of 14
10/25/10 at 4:49pm

I like my Teac PD-H300MKIII. Should cost about $100.

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post #10 of 14
10/25/10 at 6:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by nycbone View Post

I like my Teac PD-H300MKIII. Should cost about $100.


That's a good one as well, unfortunately hard to find these days.

 

I forget to mention the Cambridge Sonata components:

 

http://www.wildwestelectronics.net/cambridge-audio-dv30.html

 

http://www.wildwestelectronics.net/cambridge-audio-cd30.html

 

The CD only player is a bit cheaper than the DVD/CD player for some reason, but they are both nice.
 

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post #11 of 14
10/26/10 at 7:31am
Thread Starter 

Wow! Thanks - there are a lot of choices now!  I've seen reviews for the Teac reference systems on GoodSound before and I was hoping I could find somethign like that.  I'd run its analog outs into a tube headphone amp at first, then get a DAC later.

 

So, is there a newbie forum or thread here?  I'm just starting out - bought my first "good" pair of headphone this summer, only to see them trashed on here (Shure SRH240).  Is there any thread you've seen for those just starting out - recomending the order to get things? Right now often my enjoyment listening is just the Shures plugged into my Macbook and streaming Pandora, but I want to really get into some better quality for the jazz I like to listen to.  Now that space isn't as much of a barrier I rip everything at 320kbps MP3, and would probably rip some stuff to FLAC and Apple Lossless if I really wanted it perfect.

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post #12 of 14
10/26/10 at 8:40pm

My dad has the Teac PD-H303 Reference 300 Series 3-CD Changer that Project86 mentioned, and I've never had a problem with it, and the tiny form factor is pretty cool for a changer.

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post #13 of 14
10/28/10 at 5:53am

Also check out Pro-ject's small components. You can combine them in a dedicated rack in a number of combinations and colours

 

http://box-designs.com/main.php?list=source&cat=source&lang=en

 

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post #14 of 14
10/28/10 at 6:04am

Those look nice, especially that tuner (I'm in the market for a small tuner). The SE CD player has a 'luxurious slot-in mechanism.' I wonder how they sound.

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