Best CD player under £100 used?

[Fulci]

Hello!

I'm looking for a cdp for my wife. I use airplay with a dac but the wife can't get along it so I'm looking for the best cdp you can get for up to £100 on ebay. No problem with age as long as it's parts are easily replaceable. Sony ES, Arcam, Marantz, Denon, etc

Thank you!

[Beechwoods]

You should check out the Pioneer stable platter CD players - eg...

Pioneer PD-S703
Pioneer PD-S904

You'll pick them up at under £100, and they're highly regarded at the price, especially when used as a transport into a DAC.

[nat8808]

Hello!

I'm looking for a cdp for my wife. I use airplay with a dac but the wife can't get along it so I'm looking for the best cdp you can get for up to £100 on ebay. No problem with age as long as it's parts are easily replaceable. Sony ES, Arcam, Marantz, Denon, etc

Thank you!

Don't worry about the parts being replaceable bit.. a) they most likely won't go wrong b) the parts that do go wrong are not normally the laser, more usually bad capacitors in laser circuits etc (caps are always available) c) that would essentially mean something relatively new and so not much good stuff around for £100 and d) once you'd found spares and got someone to repair it, you might as well have bought something else for £100 as replacement instead of the repair!

How about:

Arcam Alpha 7 ( 7SE or 8 perhaps)

Heavily built older Technics like P770 or P990 with the jog wheel thing.

90's Technics with Mash, PS900 for example

For cheap, you could get a philips CD740/CD751/CD753 or Marantz CD5000 - supposed to be good with the TDA1549 chip inside.

Should be able to get a Cambridge Audio Azur 640 for under £100 too.

[AlfaGTV]

Micromega Stage 1-6 is my definite recommendation!
I bought my Stage 1 in mint cond for about €50 and i have never heard a player that equals it for under €200.

Br Micke

[Tarzan]

Some of the old SONY players are quite superb, plenty on that well known auuction site.

[Macca]

For exciting with deep bass - Sony CDP761E

For smooth & sophisticated - Sony CDP-XB930E

Both should be under £80 for a good example.

[technobear]

For smooth & sophisticated - Sony CDP-XB930E
.

Also CDP-XE900, CDP-XE920, CDP-XE930, etc.

Phillips CD850

Pioneer PD-9700

[ursus262]

The earlier Marantz bitstream players are excellent, and built like battleships!

[Yomanze]

Second hand Beresford DAC & a cheap DVD player as a transport at this price, it just stomps over vintage players unless you put some love into the older players. I used loads of vintage Marantz, Rotel etc. players & the B*DAC just provided much more clarity & pace.

[Fulci]

Hi Neil, I already have a modded BDAC with with I am very pleased. I have a Samsung BD but is not even close to the Airport Express. I need at least a good transport for its simplicity of use. Or even better, a good cdp so I can have fun modding it.

I don't mind a little modding if with it. Not lampization style, just Op-Amp rolling and capacitor replacement...

[Yomanze]

Hi Neil, I already have a modded BDAC with with I am very pleased. I have a Samsung BD but is not even close to the Airport Express. I need at least a good transport for its simplicity of use. Or even better, a good cdp so I can have fun modding it.

I don't mind a little modding if with it. Not lampization style, just Op-Amp rolling and capacitor replacement...

Hi, I'd recommend this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pioneer-PD-S505-Precision-CD-Player-/130676143337

Blinding transport with a dedicated SPDIF output buffer PCB with it's own power supply, which shows it was built for it! Reads everything, great 'authority' & tried and tested with the Beresford. Stomps over my DVD player, even my HagUSB.

[Mika K]

In many players of the golden era as previously mentioned Sony and Pioneer models the main design criteria seemed to be build quality and not necessarily the sound. They're good but still in my ears e.g. the Philips CD850 or the mkII model offer just more natural presentation.

Earlier Marantz model might also be worth looking at..

[Fulci]

Many thanks! I will look out for Pioneers. Those PD-S703 are sold under €30, and seem to be a bloody great transport. When I get to my laptop I will look into them better. Answering through phone here...

How do they sound and what DAC do they have? Also, how old are they?

Also, I keep forgetting about the Cambridge Players... Have to look out for them too.

[Yomanze]

Many thanks! I will look out for Pioneers. Those PD-S703 are sold under €30, and seem to be a bloody great transport. When I get to my laptop I will look into them better. Answering through phone here...

How do they sound and what DAC do they have? Also, how old are they?

Also, I keep forgetting about the Cambridge Players... Have to look out for them too.

The PD-S703 is not as good as the S505, S705 etc. As a transport they have great dynamics, bass slam & 'analogue' sound with the top end opening up in comparison to others I've tried. My DVD player just sounded grainy and digital when comparing to the Pioneer & vintage Philips / Marantz players were softer & more veiled (still nice though) in comparison. As a CDP it's too smooth for my liking & the Beresford soundly beats them. Apparently fitting a new clock solves this. They are mid to late 90s players.

EDIT: I am using mine with a Theta Progeny DAC & it sounds more natural & better without the 'jitter buster' device that the DAC came with. I suspect this is because the Pioneer already has a buffered, transformer coupled output.

[nat8808]

Micromega Stage 1-6 is my definite recommendation!
I bought my Stage 1 in mint cond for about €50 and i have never heard a player that equals it for under €200.

Br Micke

You could get up to a Stage 2 I think under £100.

I've always heard though that they can often go wrong..

[peelaaa]

Micromega Stage 1-6 is my definite recommendation!
I bought my Stage 1 in mint cond for about €50 and i have never heard a player that equals it for under €200.

Br Micke

Agree, get hold of one and put in better op-amps, transforms sound.
Replaced 7 of them in mine as well as most capacitors.

[hoopsontoast]

Philips CD-850, I picked up mine for £50, its only skipped once and replaced a Teac VRDS10SE.

[Fulci]

Thank you for all your replies. I will be looking into getting a Pioneer PD-S505 and use it as a transport with the Caiman DAC, try to mod it a little, the usual CD player recommended mods, specially the casing ones. Specially if available under €50 with postage to my place! :)

I think I will try to get a better PSU for the Caiman DAC later and replace the regulators with the MuRata ones.

[chelsea]

Micromega.

[Griffy]

My much loved Marantz CD53 :)

[Wakefield Turntables]

Marantz cd63 se/ki or 67se/ki both excellent players and they allow you great flexibility to tweek if you so wish.

[walpurgis]

The NAD 524 was a good sounding little CD player, it lacked the coarseness that afflicted many and the sound was transparent and detailed. It punched well above it's weight at around £200 new about ten years ago and received many excellent reviews. Good, clean, used ones appear eBay and £40 to £50 should be about the right price. I had a new one working alongside my Meridian player and it was definitely a good little unit. Geoff.

[Dominic Harper]

I have a Cambridge Audio DV99 boxed up for grabs?
Upscales cd's and will play most formats.

http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/summary.php?PID=293

[wee tam]

You should check out the Pioneer stable platter CD players - eg...

Pioneer PD-S703
Pioneer PD-S904

You'll pick them up at under £100, and they're highly regarded at the price, especially when used as a transport into a DAC.

been using a PDS 703 for a year now , it ousted an arcam CDP7 searies , has chris (techobear) sold his yet ? a fine buy for the price he's looking for it

[walpurgis]

been using a PDS 703 for a year now , it ousted an arcam CDP7 searies , has chris (techobear) sold his yet ? a fine buy for the price he's looking for it

As the stable platter Pioneers are being touted, I should mention the PD-S505 Precision that has design upgrades by Tom Evans. I have a couple of these and they are incredibly musical and also make a great transport. They're not so common these days and clean examples seem to sell for around £200, but that is money well spent. Geoff.