[thebigcanman]

Hello H-fiers

im looking for a budget CD player- by budget i mean the cheapest of the generally respected hifi brands.

Amplifier is the Cambridge 340A SE and speakers are the Wharfedale Diamond 9.5 floorstanders. Headphones are Sennheiser HD430s which i power from the 340A.

My main headphone rig is portable, so CD will mainly be used with the speakers.

Through auditioning i have come down to a couple of models, any experiences you have had, or recommendations you have would be much appreciated

Cambridge Audio 340C
Marrantz CD5003
Cambridge Audio Topaz CD10
NAD C515BEEG
Denon DCD510AEBK

any others i should be aware of?

ps. im not willing to get a DAC at this point. i have no need for PC audio, just a dedicated cd player

thanks

 

[audiofil]

A used cd-player might be a better choice. There are many great cd-players that sell for a much lower price than new.
Audiogon is a good place to start.

 

[thebigcanman]

i have talked to a lot of local places around, but audiogon seems a little difficult as i am located in Australia.

 

[cswann1]

Keep your eyes open for a used Denon DVD-2900.

I got mine on eBay for $153. They sold new for $999 retail. Yes it's a DVD player but it'll play darn near anything you put in it, short of Blu Ray discs. It will even play .mp3 files burned onto a CD-R.

The audio runs on its own circuitry and it sounds very good. There are folks that can perform upgrades on this model and many say once upgraded, it can compete with just about anything.

Edit: Grawk is selling a ctoole modded DVD-2900 right now I believe.

 

[WirBrauchenBass]

from the players in your list I would probably choose the marantz.
however, if you are really into buying a best-bang-for-the-buck player, I'd rather look at these:

yamaha cdx-397 (same dac as the marantz, but cheaper)
onkyo dx-7355 (wolfson dac - not the 8740, but its little brother 8716)

but in the end I second audiofil's suggestion to look for a decent used player in the same price range - but be sure to pick one that still has spare parts (specifically replacement laser units!) available...

 

[thebigcanman]

i had been leaning toward the marrantz as well, just because my experience with their other components as always been positive.

The cdx-397 seems difficult to find, how does te CD-S300 compare?

i have several other concerns regarding second hand gear.

firstly, as you mentioned, replacement parts in general could be hard to source. i dont want something that is going to be an issue or that i have to constantly be repairing. Just want something that works

Secondly, CDs, being a digital medium makes me think that older players may be dated; how much better can a $1000-2000 player be if it has a 10 year old DAC in it?

thanks

 

[Drag0n]

The marantz has the best transport, if youre thinking about adding an external dac later.
Alot of write ups online about that transport.

 

[jclin4]

I have two older cousins to the models you are considering: NAD C525BEE and Marantz CD5001. Both are good but I give the nod to the Marantz. Its smoother and has larger sound stage, but at the cost of some detail.