Update gear or not?

[j.postema]

Hi, recently my Quad 66 cd player started skipping. I disassemble / reassembled / cleaned the device, checked its bearings etc. and everything seems ok at the moment. But as this second hand device has been serviced before by the seller (display replacement, soldering), I'm not sure how long this device will last as it is an old device. I like the fact that the cd tray opens 100% (my much newer Marantz opens just 80% by design which I find unpractical as I can't insert cd's vertically) and the Marantz player automatically closes the tray after a (too small) timeout. And I prefer the Quad 66 esthetically, also because it fits my Quad 606 MKII power amp + Quad 66 pre-amp.

After disassembling my cd player I came up with the idea of looking for a second hand replacement Quad cd player. But I'm too afraid I will run in problems again as cd players feel too technically complicated / fagile. So I started looking for a new player. I checked the Quad Artera series, but I don't like the looks. After a while I discovered a cd player by the French Atoll company which seems to have a similar width as the Quad MKII power amplifier:

https://www.atoll-electronique.com/en/products/mini-line/mini-cd-player-md100/

I guess this player would make an esthetically good mach to the Quad set. If I'm correct, Atoll is a respected company? And if I'm correct, sound quality differences between DAC's / well designed players are negligible? (at least to my ears)

Another much more expensive option would be to sell the complete Quad set and replace it with a new set, for instance a Atoll cd player with an integrated amplifier:

https://www.atoll-electronique.com/en/products/integrated/integrated-in200sig/

I'm wondering what would be the benefit: newer gear that would last longer? I quess there won't be much differenfce sonically. How would the Atoll amplifier compare to the Quad 606 MK2? Would it be as stable to drive big electrostatic panels? Or should I stick with the Quad 606MK2's?

[hifinutt]

a lot of questions there Johan

Atoll is not that well known in UK but one or two reviews in mags recently and a thread here

https://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/atoll.237268/#post-3916295

I would say focus on the cd player for now , there are massive differences in dacs and cd players . If you buy the atoll new you will get a warrenty .

when all that is settled you may like to look at amps ,

have you seen this marantz player ?

https://www.hifix.co.uk/marantz-hd-cd1-cd-player?gclid=Cj0KCQjwjcfzBRCHARIsAO-1_OqSMJnVrhGFyXRcJ6sqk7xKq8UsdIakHXEj_M1nUnVkhn_52 nFetPoaApE0EALw_wcB

[walpurgis]

And if I'm correct, sound quality differences between DAC's / well designed players are negligible? (at least to my ears)

Not in my experience. Every model of CD player I've used has sounded different, as has each stand alone DAC. Very much so.

[Made in 1968]

Not in my experience. Every model of CD player I've used has sounded different, as has each stand alone DAC. Very much so.

Would they sound different is you bypasses each internal DAC with an outboard DAC?

[walpurgis]

Would they sound different is you bypasses each internal DAC with an outboard DAC?

Which is what I generally do, running the players into a separate DAC. Although I occasionally use the onboard DACs for ease of setup.

[Made in 1968]

CD players are only the same as Pre amps in the respect you can get the best out of them by changing DAC or Phono stage. So i guess his mention of Aesthetic match is more important if using a DAC of choice..

Kinda what i was going thru with the mention of my new amp not sounding as good as the other because of the new amps Phono stage letting the side down, However i was stuck as i did not want separate box in addition, hence switched back to the old amp ..

[Pharos]

I've given up on the 'Chadwell' "Quite a nice set isn't it" aspect with my equipment, and choose on longevity and SQ.

What are you trying to do, have a nice presentation to show people, or pursue good sound?

[j.postema]

Thanks for your suggestions. I will test my current Quad cd player and sell it if it stays ok. Thanks for the Marantz suggestion, looks good.


a lot of questions there Johan

Atoll is not that well known in UK but one or two reviews in mags recently and a thread here

https://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/atoll.237268/#post-3916295

I would say focus on the cd player for now , there are massive differences in dacs and cd players . If you buy the atoll new you will get a warrenty .

when all that is settled you may like to look at amps ,

have you seen this marantz player ?

https://www.hifix.co.uk/marantz-hd-cd1-cd-player?gclid=Cj0KCQjwjcfzBRCHARIsAO-1_OqSMJnVrhGFyXRcJ6sqk7xKq8UsdIakHXEj_M1nUnVkhn_52 nFetPoaApE0EALw_wcB

[j.postema]

Thanks for your reply. Longevity and soundquality are more important to me than esthetics. That's why I find it hard to choose what option would be good: at least I think I should replace my cd player in near future because it is old and had skipping problems. But I prefer the new player to match esthetically with the pre / power aplifier. At the same time, I have no idea how a different amplifier would interact with my big electrostatic loudspeakers - they are not the most common / easiest type of load (capacative). As far as I'm aware the Quad 606 MKII is very stable and has no problems to drive difficult loads like my big panels. So I think I would either keep my Quad amplifier and replace the cd player, or replace the complete system. I'm still a bit afraid of future problems (service) for the Quad power and pre-amp - just because of it's age. (around 30 years) I'm not sure if this is an acutal problem.


I've given up on the 'Chadwell' "Quite a nice set isn't it" aspect with my equipment, and choose on longevity and SQ.

What are you trying to do, have a nice presentation to show people, or pursue good sound?

[Macca]

You can get the QUAD amplifiers fixed by any number of people so I wouldn't worry about that.

[j.postema]

Thanks for your reply. In that case I would opt for keeping the Quad MKII and add a new cd-player. Unless there would be a significant sonic / technical improvement when replacing the amplifier. But as far as I can tell based on limited experience and reading there would be no significant improvements.

[Macca]

Depends how much money you want to spend on an amplifier. I think there is better out there but not cheap. And if you are happy with it why change?

CD players are pot luck really. I have about a dozen and they are all different, although I would not say massively so. Getting that synergy with the rest of the kit is what matters and that's trial and error.

[Pharos]

Thanks for your reply. Longevity and soundquality are more important to me than esthetics. That's why I find it hard to choose what option would be good: at least I think I should replace my cd player in near future because it is old and had skipping problems. But I prefer the new player to match esthetically with the pre / power aplifier. At the same time, I have no idea how a different amplifier would interact with my big electrostatic loudspeakers - they are not the most common / easiest type of load (capacative). As far as I'm aware the Quad 606 MKII is very stable and has no problems to drive difficult loads like my big panels. So I think I would either keep my Quad amplifier and replace the cd player, or replace the complete system. I'm still a bit afraid of future problems (service) for the Quad power and pre-amp - just because of it's age. (around 30 years) I'm not sure if this is an acutal problem.

Quad have been for a long time, and still as far as I know, very good at servicing, and even on very old stuff. Alan Shaw of Harbeth has recently praised Quad for this.

It seems to me that the match between your power amp and speakers will almost certainly be very good.

IMO you should treat the power amp as a server for the speakers, and the pre as a server for the power amp.

Signal sources are another matter, and I regard them as a very separate issue to be considered entirely on their own, although matching can be aesthetically pleasant.

[Made in 1968]

Depends how much money you want to spend on an amplifier. I think there is better out there but not cheap. And if you are happy with it why change?

CD players are pot luck really. I have about a dozen and they are all different, although I would not say massively so. Getting that synergy with the rest of the kit is what matters and that's trial and error.

I dunno why you are not a Fan of the Sony 'XB-930' machine, if its the inbuilt DAC or the filter settings just add another DAC. but its a pleasure using it, i could never to back to a standard drawer now after using a fixed lazer mech.. It very reliable too. I bought it new when it came out which is over 10 years ago & believe me it gets long sessions on a regular basis. Ive been told the standard model sounds better than this UK Special Edition, that i don't know.

[Macca]

I dunno why you are not a Fan of the Sony 'XB-930' machine, if its the inbuilt DAC or the filter settings just add another DAC. but its a pleasure using it, i could never to back to a standard drawer now after using a fixed lazer mech.. It very reliable too. I bought it new when it came out which is over 10 years ago & believe me it gets long sessions on a regular basis. Ive been told the standard model sounds better than this UK Special Edition, that i don't know.

I could never get on with the XB930 in any of the dozen or so systems I went through during the time I had it. It always sounded a bit stodgy to me. It was the UK edition though, maybe the normal one is different. Although the bloke I sold it to said it gave pretty much nothing away to his £3K whatever. He bought it for his daughter's system IIRC but couldn't resist trying it in his own set up first. . It obviously really suited his system for some reason I cannot grasp.

Now the SCD-XB790 is a different matter, always sounded a bit bland and too smooth (like a lot of SACD-capable players) until I got the Krell-DCB1 set up and then it came into its own, Quite amazing sound quality, up there with the best digital I've heard anywhere. And I only put it in to test that everything was working before I went upstairs to get a 'high-end' player but when I heard what it was doing I just left it in.

That's what I mean about it being pot-luck to an extent

[Made in 1968]

Strange innit. Its the longest surviving CDP ive had, Just think it sounds good to me, I did use a vintage '502' for a bit but it had to go over issues but i still had no desire to sell the '930'.. I think the standard also has an headphone output. Thus UK spec doesnt..

[Macca]

I agree about the XB930 being a joy to use though. Fantastic build quality.

[Barry]

I have an XB930 which replaced an XB720. I now keep it as a second spare CDP, but when it was in use I was quite satisfied with the SQ. Playing around with the filter settings was inconclusive due to the short period of silence when switching between settings - in the end I just left it to setting "1".

[Lawrence001]

I dunno why you are not a Fan of the Sony 'XB-930' machine, if its the inbuilt DAC or the filter settings just add another DAC. but its a pleasure using it, i could never to back to a standard drawer now after using a fixed lazer mech.. It very reliable too. I bought it new when it came out which is over 10 years ago & believe me it gets long sessions on a regular basis. Ive been told the standard model sounds better than this UK Special Edition, that i don't know.

I had one for a couple of years but I much preferred the SCD-940, the only thing was it overheated and started playing up, I had 2 that did the same. And it didn't play my CDRs but it sounded so good I didn't care.