Hi-fi Experts!

jsj24uk · February 1, 2009

Hi everyone.

Hope you have all had a good weekend

I'm looking for a bit of advice. I have an amp from Arcam and a pair of Mission speakers which I spent an arm and a leg on a few months ago, all because I bought a cd player from eBay. The CD player is a Philips CD204 which was made back in 1984 and was their first model with the sliding drawer rather than the flip top. My CD player is currently in for repair as it doesn't read the discs and I have been informed that it needs a new laser. Being the best part of 25 years old it seems the repair people are having some trouble finding the parts required to do this so it looks like a new CD player is on the cards. My budget is £300 tops (which rueled out everything from Mark Levinson ) and I would like some advice from people in the know about which model is best in that price range.

Many thanks.

Jim.

aido · February 1, 2009

I've got one of these mate and I've been happy with it since the day I bought it:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...2530e23ffeeef4e

Mike_B · February 1, 2009

Nice piece of kit there Aido, the KI signature stuff is superb.

Jim, I have an Arcam Alpha 7 CD player, you can pick them up for not much money these days and it will go well with the Arcam amp you have. I'm not sure that CD players of today are really all that much better than CD players of 10 years ago - the technology was already well matured by then anyway. With a decent amp and speakers such as you already have, I'd have thought any decent player would sound nice. If you want to buy new, and you really want to be fussy, see if you can get your dealer to loan you a player for a day or two so you can hear it at home, with your own cables, amp and speakers?

jsj24uk · February 1, 2009

Thanks for the advice Aido and Mike.

I'd imagine I will find out next week if my old CD204 can be repaired or not. I would really like an Arcam CD player to match my amp but I also like Marantz as well. I have a hi-hi dealer just up the road from me in Broxbourne so I might pop in there and see if they will lend me a display unit for a couple of days.

Thanks again guys.

Jim.

Kazi · February 1, 2009

I have Sony Disc deck thats not been used for ages, infact, it would be easier to say that its been used about 6 times. Shortly after buying it I bought an iMac and had everything linked up to the Cinema receiver and so never used it after at. That and the Mini Disc deck are nothing more than big paper weights!

Marrantz stuff is pretty good, you can get some of the models that are coming to the end of their span at Richer Sounds. They used to do cracking deals on Hi-Fi separates.

Paradroid · February 1, 2009

If you want a good CD player that is also a very good DVD player, check out this:

http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/mo...Product_ID/3296

Check out that for a saving! I got one before Christmas to replace my DV88 (which was very good but picture wasn't great on LCD TV because no prog scan or upscaling). Very happy with it, especially at that price.

I think the range may be replaced by something else soon, but in my eyes the styling is still great and the quality is very good too.

Steviewevie · February 2, 2009

I've got the predecessor to this. Not flashy but very very good IMHO.

RayKhan · February 2, 2009

I've got one of these and can't complain other than finger prints.

http://www.audioinnovations.co.uk/main.htm

DJ Wozza · February 3, 2009

I'd go for the Marantz CD6002 as recommended by What Hi-Fi magazine, I really like the way it presents the music

(available in Black or Silver to match your other seperates, Richer Sounds have it in Black for just £214.95).

It would be good if you could audition it back to back against maybe the NAD CD player as suggested or the

Arcam DVD player or an Arcam CD player to find the one your ears like best.

Music components are a very subjective thing, and a five star rating on a product doesn't always mean it will suit

your system or your listening taste. From the £100 price point upwards an audition really is a must in a genuine

Hi-Fi listening/demo room with a variety of the types of music you will be playing. Listen to a salesmans advice by

all means, but the most important thing is what your own ears tell you.

Any of those three above should be well worth auditioning. Good luck !!

(don't forget to let us know how you get on :winky:)

jsj24uk · February 3, 2009

Hi DJ Wozza.

Thanks very much for your advice. I'm still waiting to see if my old CD204 can be repaired. It's been over a week now so to me that doesn't sound like they can get the parts. I'm currently using my old Sony SACD and DVD player on my Arcam amp and it sounds very dull and lifeless compared to my Philips CD player. I do like the Marantz unit and would love it in black. I'll wait and see but if I havn't heard anything by thursday, I shall dig the credit card out and do some shopping.

I would like the Arcam DVD player but I am specifically after just a CD player but the Arcam player would match my amp. Decisions, decisions.

I shall keep you posted and thanks again for the advice.

Jim.

Paradroid · February 3, 2009

I would like the Arcam DVD player but I am specifically after just a CD player but the Arcam player would match my amp. Decisions, decisions.

Bear in mind though that the reason the Arcam DVD player is normally around £1000 is because it's very carefully designed to be an excellent CD player. The original model, the DV88 was always said to sound as good as a £400 Arcam CD player. I'm sure the DV135 is the same, mine sounds better than my DV88.

If the DVD playback (very nice upscaled HDMI) is no use to you, then you might be able to get better sound for £300 with a dedicated CD player but it will be close. I'd say the Arcam is still worth an audition if you get chance :)