What CD Player/Changer To Get!? (1 Viewer)

[Joe Lauderdale]

Howdy!

I am in the process of upgrading my system...

I am currently using:
*Diva 6.1/C3/R3 Speakers
*HSU VTF-3 Sub
*Sony Progressive Scan DVD player for both CD music listening and DVD watching
*Dinky Yamaha Receiver (about to be replaced with a Rotel RMB-1095 and RSP-1066)

I was using a 200 CD canger by Yamaha untill it crapped out on me.... Out with the old, in with the new!

I'd like something that is:
Not your standard black box. I was thinking of going with Rotel's CD player for the fact that the silver face would match the rest of my components... but heard that their players aren't top notch for the price... are there other elegant looking players that function well for the price?

HDCD compadible and Multi-CD Units are not required but would be nice. I am REALLY looking for something that sounds nice and will shine with my current system in both looks and sound! I would also like a unit that can play CDR/CDRW CDs! And also, are there CD Players who can display CD Text Info similar to the car stereos out there where it displayes the CD/Song text that is encoded on the actual CD's (no need to manually program the unit)? I'd REALLY like that feature too!!!

I would prefer something sub 1k.... The cheaper the better as long as it aint Crap! :p)

Hope someone can help!

Regards,
elDiablo

 

[Mike_Ch]

Joe,
Where did you hear that the Rotel players are not good value? I would beg to differ, having heard their previous generation RCD971 and 991, I think they are quite good value. Rotel's RCD-02 (the one which you are referring to?) actually got a "recommended" award from hi-fi choice recently. Other sub 1k options that are good lookers and good performers include:
- Rega Planet 2000 (in silver)
- Creek CD43 (in silver)
- Arcam CD72T
I am pretty Brit-made biased as you can probably tell :b
But also consider (and which KeithH champions ) the Sony SCD-C555ES 5-disc carousel player.
If you want to spend a bit more on a dedicated player, also consider Musical Fidelity A3.2 (upsampling cdp) and Marantz CD 17II.
Cheers,
Mike

 

[KeithH]

Mike,
Here I am with the 'C555ES recommendation!
Joe,
Although it is a black component, consider the Sony SCD-C555ES SACD/CD changer for around $600 from mail-order dealers like Oade Bros., OneCall, or J&R Music World (all authorized dealers). The 'C555ES is an excellent CD player, and SACD is thrown in for free. Build quality is top notch, as the unit weighs a bit over 24 lbs. Also, it comes with a five-year warranty. All things considered, the 'C555ES is a steal! Search this forum and you will see that this player has been discussed quite a bit, and not just by me!
Another player you might consider is the forthcoming Philips DVD-963SA DVD/SACD player. The '963SA looks like a giant killer at $500 retail ($400 pre-order price from J&R). It will be a progressive-scan player that supposedly will not show the chroma bug. Plus, it will do SACD, supposedly with full bass management, meaning that it will offer adjustable crossover frequencies. In addition, it will upsample CDs to 24/192. Build quality also looks to be very good for the price. Obviously it remains to be seen whether the '963SA will deliver at its low price point, but give it some thought. This player has been discussed here, so do a search for more info.