I want to see if it is true that the first cd players were thin, harsh, hard and 'unmusical' like so many people say. First cd player I got was in 1995, a current model Sony (CDP791E) so I've never tried anything that goes this far back.
I want to see if it is true that the first cd players were thin, harsh, hard and 'unmusical' like so many people say. First cd player I got was in 1995, a current model Sony (CDP791E) so I've never tried anything that goes this far back.
Current Lash Up:
TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.
Cool, but I think you'll find the opposite...
I'd expect it to sound smooth ['analogue-like'], but bold and forthright with it, and like Dave says, have good bass. Some of Sony's early models tended to sound as you describe (a little sterile), but not the Marantz.
Let's also not forget that CDPs back then were being compared with T/Ts, such as the LP12, which at that time would've made almost anything sound thin or harsh!
Marco.
Main System
Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.
Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.
Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.
CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.
Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.
Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.
Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.
Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.
Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.
Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!
Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!
Very true. My theory is it was the feted but ultimately not very good flat-earth amps and speakers that were the issue. As you say, good match for the early LP12 or soggy sounding compact cassette, not so good when fed with 'pure, perfect sound forever'. We shall see.
Current Lash Up:
TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.
Get it fired up and listened to then, daftee!
Marco.
Main System
Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.
Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.
Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.
CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.
Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.
Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.
Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.
Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.
Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.
Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!
Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!
Later on. Too early for music yet.
Current Lash Up:
TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.
Right finally got this son of a bitch thing going.
First of all needed to get one of those dumb 2 prong leads, had to rob one off the AV system.
Next up it powers up, draw trundles out, cd in. Won't read. Tried it a few times decided to give up. Switched it off and pulled it forward to disconnect it. Then realised I had left the cd in so switched on again to get it out and what do you know it reads the disc. So press play, music starts, left channel only. Bollocks. Switch off again, fed up now. Then notice when I pulled it forward right channel interconnect had come out. So put that back in, power up again. Reads the disc but now won't play. Bollocks. Cocked about with it, nothing doing. About to give up again and all of a sudden music starts playing, both channels this time!
Think I might need to get my double E to look at it. I've had players muck about like this before after being shipped so maybe it will settle down with some warm up, get the moisture out of it. We'll see.
Anyway listening now and this is a really good player. I thought I'd play something appropriate to the era so put on Dire Staits 'Brothers In Arms', the record that supposedly kick-started cd player sales worldwide. As expected nothing harsh, screechy or hard about it. Lovely instrumental tone, deep soundstage, guitar sounds very 'guitary'.
Female backing singer on 'So Far Away' comes across lovely. Delicate cymbal work at the start of 'Your latest trick' is resolved very well, superbly realistic. A more relaxed listen than my Sony X505ES but it is drawing me in with its beguiling nature. It's certainly better than any of my slew of budget and mid-price players that range from 10-20 years after it. I'll have to try a wider range of albums to see how coloured it is, but I suspect not much, certainly not as much as some other Marantz players.
Current Lash Up:
TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.
Now seems to be working flawlessly, played another couple of albums with zero issues. It's not as good as the Technics SLP1200 but then nothing I have ever heard is as good as that, any format, don't care. But it is good.
Current Lash Up:
TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.