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My 20 year old Onkyo DX-220 just died, so now I'm looking for a good sounding CD player for a second system. My short list is down to the Marantz 5001, the NAD 321BEE or the 325BEE, and the Cambridge 340 or the 540V2. It will be used with an NAD C320BEE integrated amp and probably a pair of much modified Advents.Opinions please on those 5 models? Or, is there something else in that price range I ought to look at? I'd prefer to buy new as my experience with used CD players has not been good.
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How about an Onix?http://www.av123.com/products_product.php?section=processors&product=48.1
If your last CD player kept you entertained for 20 years, you should treat yourself. At about 2.5x your budget, you should listen to the Rega Apollo to know what you might be missing.Closer to your price point would the Harmon Kardon DVD-31
As you mentioned in an earlier post, you have a Toshiba 3960 that you appreciate. The 3990 takes the sound of that unit closer (and I think beyond) what many of the modifed 3950/3960 units brought to the table...whether it will serve you 20 years is an open questions.
cheers,
PeAK
A used Planet is between $3-400 and is still one of the better budget players around! I know that you prefer to buy new, but digital depreciates so quickly that in my opinion used is the only way to go! Either way good luck!
Why not a NOS DAC, Monica 2 , DAC-AH, what ever, then just get a dvd or similar for transport, The Tosh would be a good bet, warranty, a DVD player for ya, & real music from not very expensive unit , but very good DAC's. done for under 300-400 easy.
You can't do *any* better than the Marantz CD-5001 for about $300.00. In fact, I like it better than the Rega Planet it replaced. Very, very natural sounding. Well built.If you do an archive search...I did a casual review of it in this forum.
see thread below.....
I actually own a Toshiba 3960 that's used strictly as DVD player. It wasn't until after I bought it that I heard all the fuss about it and the 3950.My primary CD player in my "good" system is a Rotel RCD-971 which I really like and have been very happy with. Back when the Onkyo was still working, I did do a comparison between it, the 3960 and my Rotel. The Rotel and the elderly Onkyo were virtually indistinguishable on any of the CD's I had duplicates of, which is why I bought the Rotel in the first place. The 3960 sounded similar, and remarkably good for the price, but the lows lacked a little power and the highs were not as smooth and detailed. I also have a Sony CDP-XE500 and it's about on a par with the 3960, possibly a little better in the highs and imaging. The Sony is OK, but lightly built.
Add a used Musical Fidelity A3 to the list. I picked mine
up used for $400. To this day I have not heard anything
under $1K that I like better. I also own one of the
Denon Dv-2200 uni players. OK for CD, but very decent
for SACD and DVD-A. As mentioned below the 2900 model
is supposedly much better for all formats.good luck,
Any of these players is going to be an improvement on your older Onkyo. The new Cambridge players are especially fine at their respective prices and, if you are willing to stretch a bit, a 640C V. 2 should also be within reach on Audiogon ($450-500). Another possibility would be a used Denon DVD-2900. It sounds very good with CDs and also plays DVDs, and SACDs. Good luck!
You would have been very surprised by that older Onkyo. It has their Opto-Coupling to isolate the digital and analog sections, and multiple power supplies and gives a very smooth top end. When it was acting up back in 2001, I went out looking for a replacement and tried 8 or 10 diferent players, some as high as $1500 trying to find one I liked as well. The winner in 2001 was the Rotel RCD-971 which is in my "good" system. It's virtualy indistinguishable from that old Onkyo. Or at least it was when the Onkyo still worked.I did have a chance to try the next generation Onkyo, without Opto-Coupling and it was noticeably edgier. I got really lucky with the first one.
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