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Better CD Sound: The Search

Went Big into Vinyl last 2 years, then re-discovered my many CD’s, mixing it up plenty now.

I continue to try and find a CD Player with better sound than my existing cheapo Sony Changer that surprisingly keeps on keeping on.

I am hoping recent upgrades to the system will more readily reveal differences:

99.9999 copper speaker wires and interconnects, locking rca connectors, mx110z tube tuner/preamp overhaul by Audio Classics; cayin a88t bias by VAS; 16 ohm L-Pads replacing 8 ohm pots; and finally a I bought a sound meter to balance/refine the speaker’s L-Pads (it ain’t easy) for the best sound ever.
.....................................

CD Quest So Far:

I want dual processors, go used to keep cost down, even consider older vintage.

1. my Onkyo Grand Integra (DX-7500 I think), fixed the damn drawer opening problem several times.

2. This cheapo Sony Changer given to me, eh, use if for parties, why not.
surprisingly sounded as good as the Onkyo to me and friends, gave the annoying Onkyo away.

3. tried used Oppo 83 Video Player for it’s audio

Laser was weak, ’no disc’, found it is a common problem with heavily used lasers. Back it went

4. lightly used Oppo 105. Everything worked, but didn’t sound better than the Sony. Oppo is big, single, expensive, not sellers fault, so I sold it myself rather than return it, lost $205. on that attempt.

5. ’new original stock’ KLH (made by?). played a few discs, then the discs started mis-tracking on discs I know are ok.

found small black bits clinging to the surface in the area of the problems (cds play from the inside out, just guess how far out). Turned out, the belt(s) were dried out, thus when put into motion after years of storage (where?), they shed bits of rubber. Back it went, full refund including return shipping. never compared it to the Sony’s sound

6. Resolved: if vintage, make sure belts are available, get a low price, open it up when it arrives, watch it move ... use, replace belts, return as last choice.

7. Just Bought Two, in transit, One Single; One 6 Disc Changer. (both with oem remotes and power cords, most for sale are missing).

a. Denon DVD-2910 Single Player (big dent on the top. $52. del’d, eBay) (crutchfield keeps old info on their site)
https://www.crutchfield.com/S-6TIPMQKBMUZ/p_033DV2910B/Denon-DVD-2910-Black.html

b. Onkyo Integra CDC-3.4 six disc changer (open box/demo) ($51. delivered) (bserplus.com)
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_164CDC34/Integra-CDC-3-4.html

c. a bag of belts. because I will be keeping something, and I have other old stuff with belts
https://www.ebay.com/itm/334135204014

d. spare rare OEM remote for Integra 3.4, eBay

Keeping My Ears Crossed!

elliottbnewcombjr
elliottbnewcombjr OP
5,211 posts
 
Update:

Denon New Laser shipped, be here next tuesday.
............................................

Integra: Fraud, glad Paypal gave me my money back.

The tracking number and tracking updates show your town and zip code, but not your name or street address.

String of updates: DHL to USPS to .. final update says: delivered 2:29pm front door.

Nothing there, our postman happened to be next door, he doesn’t have it and never saw a package for me at the PO.

The package was delivered to a house 3 minutes away, I knocked on the door, that tracking # was for a small package of socks she ordered from a different company. Met some nice new neighbors, he’s a plumber, I have a project for the spring, hooray.

It seems if a fraudster can scam a tracking number of anything to be delivered in your zip code, then they can claim it was delivered. Normally people could not find out what and where the wrong tracking number was for, thus never be able to prove anything. 

They wrote me saying their system has a problem, please withdraw my action via PayPal. Instead I told them what I knew and asked them where my item is. 
..................................

Found and bought an Integra CDC-3.4 made in May 2019.
clwinbe's avatar
clwinbe
39 posts
 
I still have a Denon DVD 900 that just won’t die. I resolved my issue with a purchase of a new preamp with digital inputs. It has a very high quality DAC. Then added a Node2i. I stream everything now. My CD collection is somewhere in the house. 
denny001
10 posts
 
Contact me if you’d like to trial listen to an Acoustics Research CD1.  Great condition, just thru cleaning and belt change at AR.
elliottbnewcombjr OP
5,211 posts
 
denny,

thanks for the kind offer,

did you mean acoustic research or audio research? Audio Research CD-1 is too big for me.

I'll see if I succeed with replacing the Denon's laser.  New laser for Audio Research CD-1 is available.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/153333336238?hash=item23b36108ae:g:4b8AAOSw7aBVIAb4

I found this site with info about discontinued CD players

http://audiotools.com/en_cd_v_a.html
elliottbnewcombjr OP
5,211 posts
 
I found this funny

" Sony
When it comes to CD players Sony is on a roll, a host of excellent players have been emanating from the company in the last few years especially in the lower reaches of the market, and interestingly the company has decided to have many of their mid range models different from market to market in a bid to make their product more acceptable locally. There has noticeably been a range of players intended for the UK market that have been designed to deliver the dry and flat sound that the English love so much (apparently the breed only listens to chamber music and the Smiths or equivalent)."
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