CD player reliability.... good and bad.

My issue with CD players is a bit different.  My first player was a Sony something or other about 37 years ago (+/-).  It was about the deadest sounding music I had ever heard although being free of cleaning vinyl and the associated clicks and pops was wonderful.  A few years later that was followed by a Philips CD80, which a year or so later was modded by Wavetrace Technologies out of Tampa. The Dual 1219 and Shure V15 Type III cartridge were now toast as was the rest of the album collection as I moved to all CDs.... and added a PS Audio Ultralink, then an Ultralink II.  That was eventually replaced by some $4K Marantz player that couldn't keep up with my 45 year old Sansui TU-9900 modded by Radio X including a Burr Brown chip set.  The Marantz went and was replaced by a Sony XA 5400 ES CD/SACD which is still here for the very few CDs I can't get on Tidal. I stream from a Cambridge CXN (V2) to a Benchmark DAC3 b and find that very satisfying.  If the Sony blows up I don't think there is much reason to replace it other than with another transport feeding the benchmark.

When I bought the Luxman DZ 122, circa early 1990s, the shop told me that Sony or Philips made just about all the mechanisms, lasers,  and chips for CD players on the market at that time, including a lot of  the pricier esoteric players. 

I believe my Denon and Luxman both had Sony internals, or at least a lot of the internals were Sony. 

the shop told me that Sony or Philips made just about all the mechanisms, lasers,

Correct there were a couple of Panasonic as well.
Later on Sanyo started doing them too, all reliable as well.

Here is a major list of just about all cd player and cd transports and dacs.
 showing dac chips and laser mechs and lasers
http://vasiltech.narod.ru/CD-Player-DAC-Transport.htm

Cheers George

Ayre👍👍

Maybe a year ago or a little more, I popped for a McCormack UDP PLAYER. 

 INTErnals are of Pioneer.  I know, when I use remote to power on, the pioneer elite dv-48av turns on also. :(

 She is a long in the tooth player, she does sound pretty good, display still nice and bright, but from the couch, hard to read.

I let most all CDs play through anyway,as with my albums, nice the needle drops, the entire LP yes’s through both sides. 
  Plus, I’m too lazy to get off the couch to swap CDs. 
The past 2 years....
 Bought a tascam CD player with the iPod dock, sounded um...... no bass, guitar was not crunchy as It should have been, treble was. Ok returned it, had some skips only after a month. 
Then a Denon professional unit, features galore, thought being a Denon, it would be awesome.sounded great, but the tray arrived and it must have been off track on the inside, I could hear rubbing and it woooullld not Close completely. ReTurned her. 
Then a Integra cd 5 carousel, mechhanically great, nice unit, skipping on 2 out of the 5 CDs loaded.  Liked this player, as ha a a vvi5 CDs at once was great. - side note, still have my Sherwood 5 cd carousel as a present from my old friend(RIP MY BROHER)
only play once in a while. But the close button must stick, as when I gently press “close” it does close, then immediately opens up again, must repeat this process 2-3 times to keep tray closed. :(
Then the Yamaha cd s300- the best of the bunch, and best CD player I’ve heard in a long time. A very nice open airy sound, loved this uni, and the looks were cool too. The strange “only opening about 3/4 of the way” and having to slowly load the CDs by tilting it towards the cd tray and ,.....pain in the butt, 
sfter a few weeks of warming up, loved this player. But the strange way it went through tracks, it would interrupt the music and go to next track, like an 8 track switching from 1, 2, 3, & 4. Then some skipping started. Honestly, I’m not sure if it’s just the luck of the Irish, as John Lennon has said. 


Then onto the McCormack UDP player........as mentioned, she is an old unit, but plays flawlessly. 
 Must be my luck!  
 Will keep using this one til it starts to skip. Hopefully get a couple years out of her!,

two best I had was Onkyo dx-7500 and the Acurus ACD-11.   Both failed also after a couple years. Acurus lasted maybe 3-4 years. Onkyo was demo unit. 

My experience with cd players varies. Some have lasted some have not and some sound excellent some sound terrible. I currently have Onkyo that cost $700 with a metal loading tray and twin Wolfsen Dacs and a Naim cd player that  my ears enjoy it very much. Since I haven't heard the super high end players I'll reserve judgment. I've spent a ton of money components and sometimes the lower end stuff sounds better that the higher end stuff. At least to my ears. 

Also Arcam, had one for 15 years and never a peep out of it!

I've bean listening to CDs since 1982. Most of the mas market units failed at one point or an other. The last CD player I bought  was a Meitner CD3 that I had to send out for adjustments. It did not ship well and I had to return the unit two times. At that point, they offered me one with a different transport for no extra charge, to witch I agreed. It still playing today. The less the moving parts, the more reliable it will be. Try getting one that you place the CD with a top loading CD player like Krell, Meitner, Rega, Micromega, MHZS, Sony CDP,CDC ext. 

Just...got my simaudio 5.3 back from them after this thing sitting in the closet for at least 6+ years...I had some communication issues with them and was’nt pleased about it so it was replaced by an oppo 105d bought back in 2015 and has been in service faith fully since monday...few minor glitches but never sent back...The sim was sent back because of drawer issue and was replaced (at my cost) and i have to say i dont remember it sounding as good back in 2008-2015 <>...They did a really great job.Clean no damage shipping or otherwise (kudos simaudio,thx)...and yes my oppo 105d is retired as of monday and really have alot of admiration for the product.Sooo good to have the sim back in the fold.

I've had bad luck with a couple of NAD CD players which broke after less than five years.  Have had a Sony ES and two Marantz players that have lasted for several years.   The Sony DVP-NS 999ES has a really cheap and fragile tray that occasionally swallows a CD.  I had to remove the entire metal case to rescue the CD.  Otherwise, the Sony and the Two Marantz players play fine and sound excellent.    

Shanling Tube output Player died after 2 years, Marantz 6005 has lasted and still going 4 years on. BUT has started to be fussy on which CDs it will play. I take care of my CD's as I do my LP's, but frequently played CD's often wont play on the Marantz but will play on the old Pioneer on the car.So I will say that the quality of CD's  themselves is a contributing factor, and I have well payed LP's 50 years old that play perfectly, but not CD's.

I'll say it again, in case anyone missed my first post.

Never leave them powered up with a cd in them, this actives the laser and chews up it’s life expectancy very quickly.

Cheers George

I feel like I am one of the unlucky ones here and SACD/CD players are garbage the more you spend.  It seems the more I spend on a player, the quicker it dies.

Sony CDP-CE215 ($300 bucks back in 1995?) still works, my first CD player, I still own it
Panasonic portable CD player from the 90's....  Still works
Sony BDPS.....  It doesn't matter its still working and was cheap.

Pioneer DV45A ($500 lasted a couple years.)

Yamaha DVDS-2500 ($800, lasted a year)

Yamaha Adventage BD-A1060 ($500) lasted 18 months

Denon DVD-5910 ($5,000) DOA

McIntosh MCD-550 ($6,000) DOA

Seriously?  What gives?

articdeth

Rock On!

arcticdeth : corrected.

I’ve never had a bad CD player in 38 years.  And I’ve had quite a few.

Re Denon

Ive had their 4 head tape deck for almost 40 years now and it still works like it was new.

Interesting topic. Lots of old cheap Sony Cd players (<$250), that are 20 plus years old, and still working great. I have one. Lol