CD Player Question

[1911]

I am in the market for a CD player to replace a Sony CDP-620 ES II that crapped out on me after 2 weeks of ownership. It played beautifully until I experienced a problem with the tray, when it wouldn't close. I took it to my audio tech and we discovered little pieces of white plastic and what looked like the remnants of super glue inside the chassis, as well as a few missing parts. I returned it for a full refund.

I cannot seem to find another Sony ES unit of any flavor for less than double what I paid for the 620 ES II. The old axiom "you get what you pay for" certainly rings true in this case.

I have been looking for another player that is even close to the build quality of the old Sony ES units, but I'm not having much luck. I'd like to keep my budget at around $400.00, but I'm loathe to spend that much or more on another Sony ES that may fail, and have no hope of finding replacement parts.

One thing I've noticed while looking at used CD players is that a good 75% of them are missing the remotes. I wonder why. I think in all my years of owning audio gear, I have never lost a remote - or even had one that failed. Why do you think that so many of these units are missing the remotes?

Also any recommendations on CD players that are the equivalent of the old Sony ES units would be most welcome.

Thanks -

 

[Trell]

I am in the market for a CD player to replace a Sony CDP-620 ES II that crapped out on me after 2 weeks of ownership …

You can’t return it to the seller?

 

[j_garcia]

Ancient CD players like this one are often for sale because they lost or damaged the remote... I have never lost a remote either.

I owned a number of ES players previously and while they are great, there is a reason ebay is littered with non functional ones. Even though many are built like tanks, the trays and the laser mechanisms still tended to be the problem points.

 

[Verdinut]

If you can't return it for refund, just get a very affordable Sony Blu-ray player which will read any CD as well as DVDs and Blu-ray discs:

Amazon.com

If the equipment you intend to plug it into doesn't have a coaxial or HDMI input, you will likely need a DAC to connect it to. This should work well:

Amazon.com

 

[John Parks]

I am in the market for a CD player to replace a Sony CDP-620 ES II that crapped out on me after 2 weeks of ownership. It played beautifully until I experienced a problem with the tray, when it wouldn't close. I took it to my audio tech and we discovered little pieces of white plastic and what looked like the remnants of super glue inside the chassis, as well as a few missing parts. I returned it for a full refund.

I cannot seem to find another Sony ES unit of any flavor for less than double what I paid for the 620 ES II. The old axiom "you get what you pay for" certainly rings true in this case.

I have been looking for another player that is even close to the build quality of the old Sony ES units, but I'm not having much luck. I'd like to keep my budget at around $400.00, but I'm loathe to spend that much or more on another Sony ES that may fail, and have no hope of finding replacement parts.

One thing I've noticed while looking at used CD players is that a good 75% of them are missing the remotes. I wonder why. I think in all my years of owning audio gear, I have never lost a remote - or even had one that failed. Why do you think that so many of these units are missing the remotes?

Also any recommendations on CD players that are the equivalent of the old Sony ES units would be most welcome.

Thanks -

I had the CDP-XA20ES and loved it. I hated having to sell it as I thought it was a fantastic piece of kit and they sure do not make them like that anymore (well, they do, but are quite costly). Accessories 4 Less has some Yamaha and Denon dedicated CD players in your price range: CD & SACD Players | Accessories4less A4L usually offers factory refurbs, hence the great pricing. I've read good things on the Denon players and if you could stretch your budget by $99, the Marantz CD6007 is a heck of a unit.

 

[isolar8001]

You can’t return it to the seller?

He did get a full refund...stated at the end of the full paragraph. Which was fortunate for having used it for two weeks. A lot of Ebay sellers wouldn't do that.
j_garcia is right. Regardless of how well constructed the chassis, power supply, etc..etc. are, the tray and loading/laser mechanisms always break on just about any cd player. The older it is, the less chance a proper repair becomes.

I always wanted to hear one of those Luxmans that had tubes...if there are any still in existence.
(besides the new hyper expensive ones)

 

[Trell]

He did get a full refund...stated at the end of the full paragraph. Which was fortunate for having used it for two weeks. A lot of Ebay sellers wouldn't do that.
j_garcia is right. Regardless of how well constructed the chassis, power supply, etc..etc. are, the tray and loading/laser mechanisms always break on just about any cd player. The older it is, the less chance a proper repair becomes.

I always wanted to hear one of those Luxmans that had tubes...if there are any still in existence.
(besides the new hyper expensive ones)


View attachment 62564

Oops, I missed that little sentence.

 

[TLS Guy]

I am in the market for a CD player to replace a Sony CDP-620 ES II that crapped out on me after 2 weeks of ownership. It played beautifully until I experienced a problem with the tray, when it wouldn't close. I took it to my audio tech and we discovered little pieces of white plastic and what looked like the remnants of super glue inside the chassis, as well as a few missing parts. I returned it for a full refund.

I cannot seem to find another Sony ES unit of any flavor for less than double what I paid for the 620 ES II. The old axiom "you get what you pay for" certainly rings true in this case.

I have been looking for another player that is even close to the build quality of the old Sony ES units, but I'm not having much luck. I'd like to keep my budget at around $400.00, but I'm loathe to spend that much or more on another Sony ES that may fail, and have no hope of finding replacement parts.

One thing I've noticed while looking at used CD players is that a good 75% of them are missing the remotes. I wonder why. I think in all my years of owning audio gear, I have never lost a remote - or even had one that failed. Why do you think that so many of these units are missing the remotes?

Also any recommendations on CD players that are the equivalent of the old Sony ES units would be most welcome.

Thanks -

First the remote issue. "Back in the Day" remotes were extra on some models. Since the rest of the system did not have remotes back then, people skipped the remote. For instance I never bought the remote for my Revox CD player. The other issue is that early remotes were often useless. The remote that came with my Marantz CD player, never worked. The dealer told me none of them did, so I chucked it away. So I have always used that unit without one and still do.

I see finding a CD player at reasonable cost is now not easy. At the moment there is a dearth of them on eBay, and ones any good seem to be commanding high prices.
New CD players seem obscenely expensive to me.

What are you going to connect this unit to? If you are going to make a digital connection a cheap player will be as good as an expensive one.

The founder of Hyperion, a manufacturer of CDs, the late Ted Perry, used to say the ability of player to play CDs reliably was inversely proportional to the cost. So if a customer had trouble playing his CDs, if they had a high priced audiophool player, he would tell the customer to go out and buy the cheapest player they could get their hands on. That invariably solved the customer's problem.

When I had cause to service my late friend Phil's Mac CD player, I found that the deck inside was the cheapest Sanyo transport they could lay their hands on.

So if you can make a digital connection, then go out an buy the cheapest player you can find.

 

[isolar8001]

I believe he is using the CD player with an older AR preamp (IIRC), so he is looking for an analog hookup.

CD players were always such fun...back around '86 I worked for a nice Car Audio shop (Audio Communications). We were the first ones in Pittsburgh that sold the new car CD players.
We had Alpine and Kenwood...they sold for around 800 bucks...both used a Sony transport.
And....every damn one of them broke in record short time.

Still remember getting screamed at over those things !!

 

[mono-bloc]

Check out the AudioMarts in your part of th world. The american one has a Rotel listed for less then 200

 

[1911]

Yes, I did get a full refund. I imagine the seller knew he was selling me a hastily and poorly repaired unit, b/c the refund was prompt.

@isoler8001: That Luxman looks REAL nice. There's one in New Zealand for $350.00! Alas, none in N.America, though.

@Verdinut: Thanks. I had initially thought to go that route but the consensus seems to be that a dedicated CD player of high quality is the route to take if better audio is desired. This CDP is for a dedicated audio system so I don't need a DVD or Blu-ray. I have a separate "theater" system. Regarding a DAC, I haven't found a need for one yet. The onboard DAC of that Sony 620 ES II was very good.

@John Parks: Thanks for the A4L rec. Looks like they have some good stuff. I'm a bit leery about Denon though - I've had bad luck with them in the past. I considered the Marantz 6007, but I'd think I'd need to see one in the flesh to make certain that the build quality is what I'm looking for - particularly the amount of plastic that is used on that unit.

 

[1911]

@isolar8001: Yep, ARC SP14.

@mono-bloc: Been looking, thanks.

 

[Bobby Bass]

First the remote issue. "Back in the Day" remotes were extra on some models. Since the rest of the system did not have remotes back then, people skipped the remote. For instance I never bought the remote for my Revox CD player. The other issue is that early remotes were often useless. The remote that came with my Marantz CD player, never worked. The dealer told me none of them did, so I chucked it away. So I have always used that unit without one and still do.

I see finding a CD player at reasonable cost is now not easy. At the moment there is a dearth of them on eBay, and ones any good seem to be commanding high prices.
New CD players seem obscenely expensive to me.

What are you going to connect this unit to? If you are going to make a digital connection a cheap player will be as good as an expensive one.

The founder of Hyperion, a manufacturer of CDs, the late Ted Perry, used to say the ability of player to play CDs reliably was inversely proportional to the cost. So if a customer had trouble playing his CDs, if they had a high priced audiophool player, he would tell the customer to go out and buy the cheapest player they could get their hands on. That invariably solved the customer's problem.

When I had cause to service my late friend Phil's Mac CD player, I found that the deck inside was the cheapest Sanyo transport they could lay their hands on.

So if you can make a digital connection, then go out an buy the cheapest player you can find.

That’s been my experience too. Bought a basic Scott single player back in 87 that still works even though it’s out on the porch in the heat and cold. All of the others have broken down except for my Sony 300 CD carousel That’s still working after 17 years. Loved the multiple disc players since you could load 5 or 6 discs and be set for hours but all the tray mechanisms broke eventually. That Rotel at 200 looks like a good deal but you never know with used equipment as you well know. Good luck with your replacement player.

 

[TLS Guy]

Yes, I did get a full refund. I imagine the seller knew he was selling me a hastily and poorly repaired unit, b/c the refund was prompt.

@isoler8001: That Luxman looks REAL nice. There's one in New Zealand for $350.00! Alas, none in N.America, though.

@Verdinut: Thanks. I had initially thought to go that route but the consensus seems to be that a dedicated CD player of high quality is the route to take if better audio is desired. This CDP is for a dedicated audio system so I don't need a DVD or Blu-ray. I have a separate "theater" system. Regarding a DAC, I haven't found a need for one yet. The onboard DAC of that Sony 620 ES II was very good.

@John Parks: Thanks for the A4L rec. Looks like they have some good stuff. I'm a bit leery about Denon though - I've had bad luck with them in the past. I considered the Marantz 6007, but I'd think I'd need to see one in the flesh to make certain that the build quality is what I'm looking for - particularly the amount of plastic that is used on that unit.

There is NO consensus, and what you have heard is WRONG. CD playback from a BD player is every bit as good as play back from the most costly CD only players. What you have heard is nonsense. In my rack I have two BD players, a top end Sony and the top end Panasonic. I also have a CD only Marantz. The sound of all of them playing a CD is absolutely indistinguishable. The only difference is that the CD player does not turn on the TV when I don't need it. If I stop it doing that then eARC audio return does not work. There is nothing wrong with using a BD player as your CD player from and audio standpoint. In my two channel system I use an OPPO BD player as the CD player. There are zero issues to doing this. Your so called consensus is another in a long litany of audiophool nonsense.

 

[Verdinut]

Check out the AudioMarts in your part of th world. The american one has a Rotel listed for less then 200

That's way too expensive for a CD player . You get a brand new BD player for less than that and it will also play DVDs and Blu-ray discs.

 

[1911]

@TLS Guy: Thanks, that make perfect sense and interesting information regarding your late friend's MAC CD player. I would have thought better of McIntosh, especially with their high prices. My connections will be to an ARC SP14.

@Bobby Bass: Thanks. If I decide to go the used route again, provided I cannot find a good Sony ES unit for a decent price, I think I might consider a 1541 DAC unit from Philips or Magnavox. I found a Philips CD-50 with remote for a decent price. Still looking into these units, though - I'd like to know how the build quality compares to the Sony ES units.

I know I keep going back to the quality of the Sony ES, but I must say that I was incredibly impressed with the build quality of these units - from the smoothness of the transport to the all metal tray, to the impressive weight and the most impressive all copper chassis - the outer case on my 620 ES II was even made of copper! In my estimation, these units just ooze quality. Pioneer also has somewhat similar units, but I'm still learning about them. So far, that Philips CD-50 seems to be a good bet.

 

[1911]

@TLS Guy: Duly noted regarding your BD/universal player comments.

 

[lovinthehd]

Is your goal simply 2ch analog output from the optical disc player?

 

[TLS Guy]

@TLS Guy: Thanks, that make perfect sense and interesting information regarding your late friend's MAC CD player. I would have thought better of McIntosh, especially with their high prices. My connections will be to an ARC SP14.

@Bobby Bass: Thanks. If I decide to go the used route again, provided I cannot find a good Sony ES unit for a decent price, I think I might consider a 1541 DAC unit from Philips or Magnavox. I found a Philips CD-50 with remote for a decent price. Still looking into these units, though - I'd like to know how the build quality compares to the Sony ES units.

I know I keep going back to the quality of the Sony ES, but I must say that I was incredibly impressed with the build quality of these units - from the smoothness of the transport to the all metal tray, to the impressive weight and the most impressive all copper chassis - the outer case on my 620 ES II was even made of copper! In my estimation, these units just ooze quality. Pioneer also has somewhat similar units, but I'm still learning about them. So far, that Philips CD-50 seems to be a good bet.

You missed my point. Mac obviously agreed with Ted Perry, that cheapo mass produced CD transports were in fact superior to fancy high priced ones, in terms of being able to play the highest variety of discs without trouble or complaint.

My experience is that BD players actually play CDs more reliably than stand alone CD players on the whole. My high end Marantz does refuse to play the occasional CD in my collection. Where as a BD player will play it. This is because a BD transport has to be built to more exacting standards than a CD transport. So in terms of quality and functionality BD players are actually superior to stand alone CD players. Mind you, I have not used the analog outputs of any disc player for years now. So all the decoding is done my Marantz pre/pros on all my systems. The DACs in the Sony ES players were designed by Roger Lagadec, after Sony spirited him away from Studer/Revox. He was one of the very great early pioneers of digital audio. That is a long time ago now, and the rest of the world has caught up. So now I think any current DAC is pretty much beyond the resolution if even the finest loudspeakers, and the human ear for that matter. So you are over thinking this, and I don't think it actually matters one wit, what you play your CDs on. I have tested a number of CD players on my bench now, and they all perform flawlessly out to 20K Hz, which is the top limit of the CD.

 

[1911]

I hear ya'