[kelly]

So I'm re-thinking the idea of a "totable" system. Really I don't need to carry this stuff with me everywhere, I just need it at work. The problem is that my current job doesn't have offices or locking overhead bins. Instead, I have one two-drawer locking file cabinet and that's it.

Lucky for me, I don't really need to store anything in this cabinet, so I could devote it to audio stuff. I've already got an ART DI/O and could be easily enough persuaded to pick up another one if I could make this work.

What I need is a CD player that has a smaller footprint than a normal stereo component so it could fit in the drawer. It doesn't need to be light, it doesn't need battery life--in fact, heavy and dampened is preferred. Ideally, I'm looking for one with a coax output.

I know this may seem silly, but throwing a portable cd player, amp, cables, etc. into a backpack every day seems silly too and I'd rather just have something I could leave at work. Any suggestions or reviews of small players appreciated.

 

[MacDEF]

How much are you willing to spend, Kelly? You could get a killer player in a used Musical Fidelity X-RAY

 

[RVD]

There is also a Marantz cd player called the cd110 its about $300 and its size is 8x3x12. I've seen a couple of reviews that say its pretty good so it also might be a comsideration.
Specifications
CD Player
CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP-3 Playback
Program Play, 30
Auto Music Scan Playback
CD Text (Play Back/Scrolling)
Double Speed Play Back (Sync Rec Only)
Random Play (All/Track)
Repeat Play (All/Track)
Synchronized Auto Start (Disc & Track)
Standbye Mode
Automatic door (Open)
Peak Search
CD
Analogue Out x 1
Digital Out x 4, Optical x 2, Coaxial x 2
D-Bus Remote Switch: Internal/External
D-Bus: In/OutCD Player
Frequency Response : 20Hz - 20kHz (+/-1dB)
S/N : 84dB
Channel Separation : 84dB
THD : < 0.04%
Dynamic Range : 87dB
DA Conversion : Bitstream
CD Player
Color : Silver
System Remote Control : RC110SR (33-Key)
Power : 12V/60Hz
Power Consumption Standbye: < 4W
Dimensions Inch (W x D x H) : 8 4/16 x 3 x 12 6/16
Dimensions mm: 210mm x 76mm x 315mm
Weight : 6.4 lbs.


Hope this helps.

 

[lini]

Maybe the Teac VRDS-9?

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[Audio-Me]

Stand alone CD transports are extremely expensive.
Rack mount players are too big (usually around 20x4x12)

I'd say your options are:

•External USB CD-ROM or CD-RW drive with coaxial s/pdif output. Look into Tascam (TEAC company).
•Portable DVD player also have coaxial out.

If you want more help, I'll look into it and do some research for ya.

 

[MooGoesTheCow]

Maybe a CAL Delta Transport?

California Audio Labs

 

[Dusty Chalk]

How about skinny?

Sony CDP-D11

It buffers its output, so it should be fairly consistent, but because it's a professional device, it's pretty expensive, like > US$500, IIRC (remember the MDR-V6?).

 

[jluetzen]

the cd-players from mission/cyrus are both audiophile
and small. just look for mission cyrus dadx - where x is
a number from 1 to 7 - on ebay. their newest model
can be found here:
http://www.cyrus.co.uk/cd_players.htm

i also remember a really expensive toploader from a
company called "thorens" which was all black and gold.

 

[jluetzen]

oops, i nearly forget my favourite company: sugden !

http://www.hifibitz.co.uk/warehouse/...ID=SUGCDMASTER

strangely enough the page of the bijou-line is down
at the moment. don't know why.

 

[kelly]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I should have mentioned that the unit probably has to be a top loader. The Cryus is the perfect size for my drawer except that it's drawer wouldn't have room to open.

The idea here is to leave all of the components in the drawer and be less conspiquous and not have to do my setup routine every morning. The Corda HA-1 and ART DI/O would fit in the drawer without issue but finding a CD player is whole different story. So far the smallest I've seen that are top loading, supposed to be any good and have coax out are the ones made for DJs, and they have all of the extra features that I don't really care for.

 

[Audio-Me]

This is what you're looking for:
Superscope (Marantz Professional) PSD220.
Width: 10"
Height: 2"
Length: 7"
http://www.superscope-marantzpro.com/Superscope/PSD.htm

$300 @ B&H Photo Video
http://www01.bhphotovideo.com/defaul...specifications

There's also Gemini CDJ-20, but that's for DJs...

http://www.geminidj.com/cgi-bin/prod...&affiliate_id=

 

[kelly]

Quote:

Originally posted by Audio&Me This is what you're looking for: Superscope (Marantz Professional) PSD220. Width: 10" Height: 2" Length: 7" http://www.superscope-marantzpro.com/Superscope/PSD.htm $300 @ B&H Photo Video http://www01.bhphotovideo.com/defaul...specifications There's also Gemini CDJ-20, but that's for DJs... http://www.geminidj.com/cgi-bin/prod...&affiliate_id=

The Superscope got poor reviews in the places I saw on the net. Have you heard it? (Then again, if only the DAC is poor and the transport is great, that's all I care about.)

The Gemini is one of the ones I'd found--looks like you pay for features rather than quality on that one.

 

[jluetzen]

i found the thorens cd-player i've been talking about:

it's very hard too find any information but at last i found
2 pages:

http://www.thorens.ch/Prod_engl/TCD2000_engl.htm

http://www.hifichoice.co.uk/archive/...rintreview.htm


the price is supposed to be around $1000

 

[Audio-Me]

You can't expect a non compromising DAC in a portable. Transport is reading digital data and sending that data to a DAC. How the hell could companies botch this process up? All you need is good optics and clean efficient jitter-free data path.

No, I have not heard the Marantz portable. I saw it in B&H catalog. I usually stay away from professional equipment as they're meant for producers, not consumers (listeners/audiophiles).

 

[kelly]

Quote:

Originally posted by Audio&Me Transport is reading digital data and sending that data to a DAC. How the hell could companies botch this process up? All you need is good optics and clean efficient jitter-free data path.

I've talked to you enough to know you're not really naive enough to believe that cheap transports are as good as expensive dampened ones. Are you doing that thing where you try to convince yourself that problems that are expensive to solve are psychosomatic?

Transport matters a lot. If it didn't matter at all, there'd be no point in me swaying from my original idea of getting the EJ01.