[xp9433]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RockCity I've been tracing the Sony D-211 on e-bay, and I'm dissapointed at the prices. The seller who has 20 units stock begun selling a month/2 months ago. That bid ended at $70. Now, he's selling at $110-120.

Not sure how you establish you value base. This unit has a reputation as one of the best sounding portable "headphone out" CD players ever made.
Its new!
Compare it to any of the new CD Portable discmans currently available and tell me what you would rather spend $110 on?

I think it is a steal at $110 - and happily paid my money! So it has my thumbs up.

Frank

 

[insomniac]

Hmm, I'm surprised to hear that the D211 hit the $200 plateau at one time. I've been seeing them go for $50-$90 for as long as I've been tracking them (before this guy started selling his NOS batch). They are a bit rare though, even on eBay.

It's certainly a great sounding unit, but the build quality is one thing that isn't quite up to par here. While some find the sound comparable to or better than the D-311, D-25, etc, the build quality of the D-211 is nowhere near those of the other sought after units. It's made of cheapish plastic.

 

[Kirosia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xp9433 Not sure how you establish you value base. This unit has a reputation as one of the best sounding portable "headphone out" CD players ever made. Its new! Compare it to any of the new CD Portable discmans currently available and tell me what you would rather spend $110 on? I think it is a steal at $110 - and happily paid my money! So it has my thumbs up. Frank

I agree, the h. out is friggin' incredible. But the d211 is no true portable. Skips very easily, and you need to have rechargeables if you don't wanna go broke. A full charge lass only a few hours. It's more of a desktop/work replacement. ANd I would personally get the d211 over other cd players, since I already have a mediocre dap for true portable use.

 

[warubozu]

I was incorrect in stating earlier that the DCP-100 could be powered by normal 4 AA batteries. The DCP-100 can only accept two rechargeable batteries (BP-EX2). The DCP-100 that I own can accept 4 AA batteries because the previous owner had performed a battery mod to allow it to do so. The link below is to a earlier thread on the DCP-100 battery mod which will allow it to be powered on 4 AA batteries instead of the rechargeable ones. The DCP-100 in first pic of that thread with the completed battery mods is the one I currently own:

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...cp-100+battery

 

[RockCity]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xp9433 Compare it to any of the new CD Portable discmans currently available and tell me what you would rather spend $110 on? I think it is a steal at $110 - and happily paid my money! So it has my thumbs up. Frank

I'm just saying time has changed. In an age of DAP, vintage cd players are not practical anymore. I'm not saying that vintage PCDPs are obsolete. I'm just saying that the average consumer finds it hard to justify the prices of these units mainly because most of these prices are inflated by their reputations. For example, you bought the D-211 only because other people said it was going to sound great, regardless of the cost. I just think that kind of mentality is not for me. I'm sorry if I didn't say this earlier, but I am happy that you are happy about your purchase.

 

[doussia1]

Hi there.
Sorry to interrupt you guys, just wanted to give you MY reasons for spending $154 (shipping incl) on a d-211.

I have a vintage nothing-special D-171 and a today's top-notch D-NE20 (which cost me almost the same). While the modern PCDP is superior in all aspects - build quality, portability, battery life, looks, flexibility, multi-format, bundle, etc., it is considerably inferior to the old player in terms of sound. I tested them both with Sennheiser HD580 and Fostex T50RP, and they cant be compared. So, basically, it really depends on what you are looking for - all those modern feature or quality sound.

In my case I am basically using the D-NE20 for all sorts of portable needs, with easily-driven phones, and the D-171 (and the upcoming D-211) powers the two difficult-to-drive phones I listed above, for home listening when everybody is asleep. And, basically, if people buy these units at these prices, then they are probably worth it, right? And all the reviews on this site should be worth something, don't you think? So the key here is whether you are WILLING to afford this player, considering its shortcomings, or not.

A.

 

[xp9433]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RockCity I'm just saying time has changed. In an age of DAP, vintage cd players are not practical anymore. I'm not saying that vintage PCDPs are obsolete. I'm just saying that the average consumer finds it hard to justify the prices of these units mainly because most of these prices are inflated by their reputations. For example, you bought the D-211 only because other people said it was going to sound great, regardless of the cost.

I bought all the 6 other portable CD players: Panasonic Models 480,580,780, and Sony Models D121, Pro 150, D9 over the last few years without listening to them. The D9 happens to sound the best (although there is a slight channel balance problem) and I am expecting an improvement with the D211.

I paid $70 for Panasonic 780 second hand and I know it won't compare sonically with the D211. So overall $110 is a small price to get more enjoyment from my CDs without disturbing anybody else at home.

I am happy to be guided by others who have had the opportunity to listen to many older Sony CD players, most on this forum, and I haven't found their descriptions disappointing so far. Very few - none - of the top vintage units ever appear for sale in NZ. So where else am I going to get guidance except from a forum like this?

Frank

 

[saint.panda]

What's wrong with the American prices on the D211? On Ebay Germany, they're usually like 20 Euros, never beyond the 30 Euro mark. I would suggest checking the German ebay site from time to time and perhaps asking the sellers if they are willing to ship internationally. Over the last few months I have advised several friends to buy these little gems but only because they were rather inexpensive. You can also see the D311 go for less than 70 Euros on Ebay Germany ocassionally. There was even a "buy it now" for a pristine Philips AZ6829 (or 6819, I can't remember) for 50 Euros (missed that one). It's a good place for deals, most likely because it's not corrupted by Headfiers yet

My only complaint about the D211 is that it doesn't have an anti-shock so it's not very suitable for portable use. Great for long train rides, flights or as a transportable player for the office. However, battery life is not one of the D211's strengths. Other than that, I didn't think the D311 was a lot better than the D211. Without doubt, one of the best-sounding pcdps I've ever had, much better than the likes of a D25, D777, D321, ... Only the D303's line out was noticeable better than the D211's but that thing is not portable in the slightest.

The reason for going vintage used to be sound quality but with compromises in the portability departement (anti-shock, size). However, I believe that the arrival of portable amps with integrated DACs marks marks the dawn for vintage pcdps. The Flute and Ouverture are just the beginning as I just read about a Porta Corda MKIII with an integrated DAC in another thread and Dr. Xin is supposedly working on a similar project as well.
One might argue that an additional amp is an added hassle in terms of portability (extra unit, extra batteries), which is true, but a vintage player without anti-shock compromises the portability even more. Both the D465 and D777 strike a balance between sound quality and portablity due to their limited anti-shock. However, both these players are already several steps under the D211 sonic-wise and leaves me wishing for an amp to improve the sound quality. Fortunately, the D465 has an optical out so adding an external dac is possible.

Nevertheless, vintage pcdps will probably always remain special if not for the sole reason of being special per definition.

 

[markmaxx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by doussia1 Hi there. Sorry to interrupt you guys, just wanted to give you MY reasons for spending $154 (shipping incl) on a d-211. I have a vintage nothing-special D-171 and a today's top-notch D-NE20 (which cost me almost the same). While the modern PCDP is superior in all aspects - build quality, portability, battery life, looks, flexibility, multi-format, bundle, etc., it is considerably inferior to the old player in terms of sound. I tested them both with Sennheiser HD580 and Fostex T50RP, and they cant be compared. So, basically, it really depends on what you are looking for - all those modern feature or quality sound. In my case I am basically using the D-NE20 for all sorts of portable needs, with easily-driven phones, and the D-171 (and the upcoming D-211) powers the two difficult-to-drive phones I listed above, for home listening when everybody is asleep. And, basically, if people buy these units at these prices, then they are probably worth it, right? And all the reviews on this site should be worth something, don't you think? So the key here is whether you are WILLING to afford this player, considering its shortcomings, or not. A.

E-Bay D25s $177.50

 

[doussia1]

Hi!
Got MY d-211 today. It IS a superb player. Really. Firstly, it EASILY drives my 300Ohm Sennheiser HD580, and plays them louder than the D-171. Secondly, it is SO MUCH BETTER than the contemporary D-NE20, the latter sounds like a cheap tape walkman bought in an "All for a dollar" shop - synthetic and unnatural and annoying. The 211 is also substantially better than the D-171 (probably, as much as the D-171 is better than the D-NE20).

My conclusion: I really do not know how the HDD MP3 - all those fancy ipods - players may sound (and my orthodox view of this thing is that they simply CAN NOT sound good - MP3 never does), the industry has just degraded sound-wise so much it probably is at its worst...

Good it is still possible to get these players. Thanks to Chris for digging these up AND for being a headphone-educated gentleman . I mourn the $160 I spent on the D-NE20 - next to the 211 it is just a fancy gadget, not a device that plays music...

Will give you more detail when I compare it to the MF X-Cans.

Cheers,
Andrei

 

[jimbobuk]

doussia1, where do you live and when did you auction/purchase happen!? Just curious, i'm still waiting but expecting them any day now.. i'm in the UK.. Cheers

 

[doussia1]

jimbobuk,
I live in Moscow, Russia. My unit was sent from the US by USPS Global Express on the 10th and I got it today, i.e the 15th.

If you also purchased the D-211, my congratulations. It is an incredibly well sounding PCDP.

Andrei

 

[jimbobuk]

thanks Andrei..

mine shipped on around the 8th i think and its still not here.. ohh well.. here's hoping it to be soon

 

[dthiep]

Few weeks ago someone outbitted me and got an used 211 for $41 shipped

 

[doussia1]

Nah, mine is NEW That's the joy of it

A.