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Thread: Is there a GREAT CD player under $500? |
    
New member Username: Hamwig
Post Number: 1
Registered: Aug-05
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| Posted on Friday, August 05, 2005 - 07:18 am: |
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Current amp - NAD C352; speakers - KEF Q1's. Looking for good CD player, possibly dvd/cd combo which will compliment my components. Don't mind paying up for a CD player, assuming I will be able to hear the difference. |
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Gold Member Username: Artk
Albany,
Oregon
USA
Post Number: 1412
Registered: Feb-05
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| Posted on Friday, August 05, 2005 - 09:25 am: |
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NAD C542 |
Silver Member Username: Stu_pitt
NYC,
NY
Post Number: 374
Registered: May-05
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| Posted on Friday, August 05, 2005 - 09:44 am: |
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You can find the 542 (and others) refurbished at dmc-electronics.com and northamptonaudio.com They generally run about $350. Both are factory authorized and carry warantee. |
Silver Member Username: T_bomb25
Dayton,
Ohio
United States
Post Number: 539
Registered: Jun-05
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| Posted on Friday, August 05, 2005 - 07:11 pm: |
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Nad 542 or the Onix X88c it is a rebadged Music Hall CD 25 for an introduction price of $299 hey you cant beat that. |
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| Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 05:17 am: |
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Cambridge Audio Azur 640C. A Stereophile recommended component. $499 @ Audio Advisor. |
Bronze Member Username: Somphon
Post Number: 11
Registered: Jul-05
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| Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 10:17 am: |
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How about a best CD player under $1,500 to go with my Rotel amp and B&W speakers?
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Gold Member Username: Edster922
Abubala,
Ababala
The Occupation
Post Number: 1451
Registered: Mar-05
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| Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 07:49 pm: |
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Tawaun, I'd like to hear more about this Onix x88c...who sells it? And when you say it's a "rebadged" Music Hall CD25, do you mean it's made by the same factory just with a different nameplate or do you mean it's been REFURBISHED?
I have never heard a Music Hall CD25 myself, but have always read great things about it. I'm afraid to ask this, but about how much does it usually go for? |
Gold Member Username: Edster922
Abubala,
Ababala
The Occupation
Post Number: 1452
Registered: Mar-05
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| Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 07:53 pm: |
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oops never mind Tawaun, I just found the Onix at the av123.com website.
So how do you know it's a "rebadged" CD25?
I'm assuming you've listened to both the X88c and the c542? How would you describe the differences between these two players? |
Gold Member Username: Artk
Albany,
Oregon
USA
Post Number: 1431
Registered: Feb-05
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| Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 08:28 pm: |
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Somphon please start another thread with that question and we'll be glad to answer. I would say help but I'm not sure how much help we are.
Music Hall disc players have a whole bunch of QC issues. Way more than NAD's AVR's.
I've heard the Music Hall and indeed it is fairly good. Much better after some mods. But the C542 has a great deal more midrange detail and definition around bass notes. The C542 can be modified to great effect fairly inexpensively. I'm considering a Legend Mod from Northwest Audio Labs on my C542 for $100. |
Gold Member Username: Edster922
Abubala,
Ababala
The Occupation
Post Number: 1454
Registered: Mar-05
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| Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 09:23 pm: |
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What are the QC issues of the Music Halls? Skipping? Rejecting CDs?
Just curious Art, what is that $100 supposed to get you in terms of additional sound quality?
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Gold Member Username: Artk
Albany,
Oregon
USA
Post Number: 1439
Registered: Feb-05
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| Posted on Sunday, August 07, 2005 - 10:08 am: |
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Hi Eddie,
An example of the Music Hall QC issues: My friend who owns the Music HAll dealer in Eugene bought the Maverick SACD player and it had such a noisy mechanism that he could hear it way above the sound of his music from his listening position. Long story short it took him several months and players to get one that works right most of the time. Remember he owns the shop...what if that were you or I and the dealer wasn't as good as he is.
The $100 mod buys you a whole lot of warmth in the midrange without losing detail. As Steve says it gets this rig (the C542) as close to analog as I've heard. I'm still not sure if I will do it as those mods tend to play hell with resale value. |
Gold Member Username: Edster922
Abubala,
Ababala
The Occupation
Post Number: 1458
Registered: Mar-05
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| Posted on Sunday, August 07, 2005 - 11:16 pm: |
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Art,
I got some interesting replies to this question on another forum. I was wondering what you thought about their comments about DAC technology:
http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/showthread.php?p=11369#post11369
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Silver Member Username: T_bomb25
Dayton,
Ohio
United States
Post Number: 563
Registered: Jun-05
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| Posted on Monday, August 08, 2005 - 12:14 am: |
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Yeah,Art the Maverick is a unreliable piece of crap,but the CD25 is very solid and reliable,between that and the 542 its really close.I agree with your statements about the differences between the 2,except the cd 25 has a better smoother more extended top end,and a larger more stable soundstage.The CD25 is easilly the easiest and best player to modify in $1000 CD Players and AV123 under the Onix badge has the best deal going for CD Players,Im alittle supprised but I would buy it instead of the 542 and Im a Nad owner. |
Gold Member Username: Edster922
Abubala,
Ababala
The Occupation
Post Number: 1460
Registered: Mar-05
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| Posted on Monday, August 08, 2005 - 12:39 am: |
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Tawaun,
So if I read you guys correctly, this appears to be the tradeoffs:
Art on the NAD 542: more midrange detail and better defined bass
Tawaun on the CD25/Onix 88: smoother more extended top end, larger more stable soundstage
Right now they have the Onix 88 for $250 b-stock and I am sorely tempted...
Do you really think either of these players will make a dramatic improvement over my Sony ES player? And would you say the 88 is noticeably better than the NAD 521?
Please click on that link to the Ascend forum and tell me what you think about some of the comments about DAC technology. |
Silver Member Username: T_bomb25
Dayton,
Ohio
United States
Post Number: 565
Registered: Jun-05
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| Posted on Monday, August 08, 2005 - 12:47 am: |
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In your case its a huge step from your Sony and yes it will mop the floor with 521 and I like it better than the 542,but its toss between the 2.But the price its a no brainer. |
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| Posted on Monday, August 08, 2005 - 01:29 am: |
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try the link below:
http://www.tweakaudio.com/EVS-2/Panasonic_DVD_Player_mods.html |
Gold Member Username: Edster922
Abubala,
Ababala
The Occupation
Post Number: 1463
Registered: Mar-05
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| Posted on Monday, August 08, 2005 - 04:10 pm: |
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Well guys I've just borrowed Quinn's Pioneer 563, will see if there's a difference with my Sony ES, the Pio is supposed to have great bass management.
Was also looking at the Outlaw ICBM for bass management.
I'm curious Art, how do you personally handle bass management for your 2-channel uses, if at all? I remember you seem to prefer to use the "large" setting for the fronts and just use the L/R pre-outs for the sub. |
Gold Member Username: Edster922
Abubala,
Ababala
The Occupation
Post Number: 1466
Registered: Mar-05
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| Posted on Monday, August 08, 2005 - 04:48 pm: |
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BTW you guys should really check out that Ascend forum thread on this subject that I posted the link to...it's developing pretty fast. |
