good entry level cd players?

hey all, i've come seeking advice. i've got a nad320bee powering 2x cbm170's, and i need to upgrade my cd player. i'm pretty ignorant of what there is to know about cd players and what the price (should) gets me.

any recommendations on what would 'fit' with this setup? my budget is 400-500. at this price point (and adjacent price points) what are the main things i should look out for/know of when attempting to get the best audio quality for the price? by this i mean the specs, design, and features (if applicable).

I'd see if AV123 still has their Shanling S100/Music Hall MMF-CD25 clone at the intro price of $299. At $399 it might still be hard to beat. Shanling(Chinese) may be availible to you at better prices. NAD would be another good choice.

Why do you feel you need to upgrade your CD player? If it is working fine, my guess is that your money is better spent elsewhere.

If you really want to upgrade, you can look at a bump up within the NAD line or take a look at the Cambridge Audio Azur players. I have the player Quinn mentioned, but didn't feel it gave me improved sound quality. You can see my thoughts on the AV123 forum.

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Originally Posted by BradJudy

Why do you feel you need to upgrade your CD player? If it is working fine, my guess is that your money is better spent elsewhere.

If you really want to upgrade, you can look at a bump up within the NAD line or take a look at the Cambridge Audio Azur players. I have the player Quinn mentioned, but didn't feel it gave me improved sound quality. You can see my thoughts on the AV123 forum.

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I've go read that. I was on the list for the XCD-88 but had a used Audio Refinement Complete fall in to my hand for basically the same money.

If you don't mind used, some of the less popular name but quite good players go for 50% or less of retail.

i didn't mention my current cd player (switching between xbox and a cheap sony cdp, can't see a huge difference). they are not working fine - i'm not happy with the performance of either of them. hissing, humming, skipping, malfunctioning, slow response, and i know they're not feeding the 320bee and 170's as well as they should be fed. the 320bee is my integrated amp.

thanks for the suggestions, is there anything other than the DAC's in players which are a real giveaway in audio quality?

that shanling s-100/music hall cd25/onix xcd88 looks like the perfect cd player for me. the only trouble is getting one in australia. the only shanling products i have found here in aus are the high end tube players from shanling. i can get one cheap off fleabay but obviously no warranty :cool:

anyone flying to perth anytime soon ? :)

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Originally Posted by bamputin

anyone flying to perth anytime soon ? :)

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How about this deal. You buy me the plane ticket and I will buy the XCD88 AND deliver to your doorstep. We've got some Australian friends and I always wanted to come and visit them. :D

BTW; I've got the XCD88 and it seems to be a fine player. Nice build quality for it's price.


Randy

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BTW; I've got the XCD88 and it seems to be a fine player. Nice build quality for it's price.

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just rub it in why don't you? :eek:

trouble is, the ONLY place which seems to have cd25/s-100/xcd88 available to them is the states! can't find it in the UK (have contact there), can't find it in aus..

Try the NAD C521BEE. It is well thought of too. Brad's Cambridge Audio Azur suggestion is a good one too. I also found out that Usher also has a clone of the Shanling S100/etc. http://www.usheraudio.com/accessories%20CD-1.html

Any idea what the Usher sells for?

David

quinn nice find if it is indeed the shanling's guts inside that player. that spec page was almost totally useless! i'll see what else i can find on that player - that'd be 3 clones and counting!

the 521bee looks good, but i really liked the idea of having a 1732 burr brown inside, especially at the price it's going for around the traps (unfortunately nowhere near my traps)