Looking to buy a new cd player (1 Viewer)

[Craig J]

Hi all,

I have been looking at some cd players the few that caught my ears and eyes are the Rega planet, nad and arcam. My local hifi shop (Acoustica) recommends the rega at about £500 the others im going to test include the nad c540 i think it is and havent got a clue what model the arcam is but is again around the £500 mark.

Anyway before i go and have a good listen what do the experts say??

Cheers

CJ

 

[Mike Witt]

There has been some buzz about this player:
http://www.audioreview.com/reviews/C...ct_68441.shtml

 

[KeithH]

Craig, the NAD C 540 is last year's model and has been replaced by the C 541. You ought to look at the C 541, as it is supposed to be better than the C 540. All in all, NAD CD players seem to suffer from reliability problems. What Hi*Fi? and Hi-Fi Choice regularly laud these players, but I have encountered many people who have had problems with them. Apparently, they are sensitive to scratched CDs. I think NAD makes great integrated amps, but I would stay away from their CD players when there are so many other quality options.
The Rega Planet 2000 is the current model and is considered to be better than last year's Planet. The current model is more expensive as well. It's a nice player, but it gets mixed reviews. I see many used Planet 2000s for sale on www.audiogon.com which could be a reflection of people's dissatisfaction with it. On the other hand, the Planet 2000 retails for about $950 USD, which is represents the price-point for entry-level, audiophile-quality players, and the number of used units one sees for sale could simply be explained by audiophiles simply wanting to take the next step (e.g., $2000 USD players). In any event, I have always noted a view towards the Planet players of, you either love them or you hate them. They have a unique sound. The supporters of the Planet players say that they are warmer than a lot of CD players. On the other side of the spectrum, a salesman at my local high-end dealer said to me, "We used to carry Rega but stopped because their equipment is overrated. The Rega Planet is just a more expensive Sony." In the end, give the player a listen and see what you think.
At £500, the Arcam player you are probably looking at is the DiVA CD72. It's garnered excellent reviews from hi-fi magazines. Definitely give it a listen. I would if I were in the market for a player in this price range. Some dealers may have the older Arcam Alpha series players at good prices, but I would look at the DiVA CD72.
I will second Mike's suggestion of the Ah! Njoe Tjoeb 4000. It's an excellent player. I bought one in April and have been very pleased with it. It is a tube player, so you gain the flexibility of tube rolling. It comes with Philips 6922 tubes, which are nothing great. However, for a little more money (say, $60 USD), you can get Siemens 7308 tubes, which are excellent. The Ah! sings with the Siemens tubes. Note that the Ah! player is not sold through retail stores. It is a modified version of the Marantz CD4000, and a company in Holland does the modifications. I got my player through a US distributor. I'm not sure if there is a distributor in the UK or if you would have to get it from Holland. In any event, the Ah! is definitely a player worth considering. I paid $579 USD for it, and it is an exceptional value.
Also, you ought to look at the Cambridge Audio D500SE. It is less expensive than a lot of the other players you are considering (it sells in the US for $400-450 USD), but it is a very well-regarded player.
Finally, have you considered the Sony SCD-XB770UKSE SACD/CD player? It may not fair as well as some of the above-mentioned models as a CD player, but it is well-regarded in that capacity, and it offers SACD. You could also look at the Sony SCD-XA333ES, but it is much more expensive than any of the other players you are considering.
Good luck!

 

[Craig J]

Wow well thats a lot of info and just what i was after, a good listen is all i need now and hopefully a cd player for christmas
Thanks again both of ya

 

[KeithH]

No problem, Craig. Good luck.