Portable cd player

[ronnielee54]

Is it possible to find a high quality PCDP these days. Not concerned with anti-shock (will be used for desktop) or FM tuner. Mainly concerned with build quality, AC capable, and SQ out of lineout. Checked ebay and there are some older players, but can't find any info on them. All the new stuff that I have found seems to be nothing but shit.

[jinp6301]

You need to go vintage for the decent stuff. Most of the vintage PCDPs have really good build quality (for the most part). I know Filbert knows a decent about about this, ask him and look around HF (whenever it comes back)

[Dusty Chalk]

Kenwood had some decent PCDP's in recent years...but yeah, good luck with that. I can't even find them on the audiocubes site any more.

[ronnielee54]

Just found a Kenwood on ebay for 20 bucks, shipping included. No model listed, but that ain't much to loose. Probably give it a shot. Thanks

[Dusty Chalk]

Some of the Kenwoods have defeatable compression output, which was like the holy grail of pcdp's there for a while.

[HiGHFLYiN9]

A (relatively) newer PCDP that sounds quite nice is the Sony D-EJ2000. It's currently being used in my bedside rig plugged into a Little Dot II from the line-out. You can expect a crisp and clean sound, without any bloat. I've seen used ones on eBay for ~$70-80. It comes with a little charger stand that you can leave it in indefinitely.

[Filburt]

Get a D-335.

[HiGHFLYiN9]

The real problem is that there aren't many small form factor CD players out there at an appropriate price. If you want a small CD player to sit on an office desk, bedside table etc., you're stuck with one of the following:

1. A high-quality PCDP, most likely used and possibly difficult to come by

2. A craptastic half-wide DVD player mated to a DAC

3. An audiophile grade half-wide CD player in $500 land

I've run a few searches, and half-wide DVD players are generally the brands you'd want to give away but never keep for yourself. I doubt they'd be trustworthy as a transport. Same goes for pretty much all currently-produced PCDPs. Finally, there are only two half-wide cd players that worth giving a damn about, and they are far more than most people will want to spend: The Shanling PCD300A ($500 US) and the Musical fidelity X-Ray, which goes from $500-700 used on Audiogon.

I suppose that now that everyone in the world is listening to their emm-pee-threes, the average consumer has no need for such a device.

[zombieDave]

I'm with Filburt (Hi Filburt!!!) on the D-335 recommendation. I refuse to spend the insane prices the top-of-the-line vintage players are commanding, so I buy the mid-level ones that usually go for ~$100. The D-335 mated w/a maxxed-out Portaphile V2^2 via a hi-end IC is my "reference" transportable rig. It's a great listening session every time I sit down w/it. I think you'll be very surprised at these old players' capabilities. Plus, Filburt really knows what he's talkin' 'bout!

PS - Hello to all my fellow Head-Fiers! If it's not cool to mention another headphone forum here, well, I'm sorry.

[Nanoha]

why wouldn't it be?

It is uncool to mention this headphone forum on other headphone forums however. Unidentified purging results.

[Dusty Chalk]

...the X-Ray V3 is worth the money.

I disagree -- and this coming from someone who's usually a MF fanboy -- I quite liked its form factor and its transport section, but the DAC section just sounded congested to me. It's almost like they dumbed down one of their higher-end CDP's, (or the upgrade DAC that was out at the same time), just so that they wouldn't compete with themselves.

That said, it, with an external DAC (Bel Canto? Audio Alchemy? isn't the ACk dACk!? half-width?) that would also be half-width could be very nice.

There was another one, but I'm not remembering it right now.

[Dusty Chalk]

Meh -- I'd recommend a Rega Planet -- more for less (on the used market, anyway). The only thing that would separate the two is if you didn't have space for the Rega.

But now we are no longer in the realm of "small form factor", and in a completely different ballpark from "portable".

[hYdrociTy]

I'm with Filburt (Hi Filburt!!!) on the D-335 recommendation. I refuse to spend the insane prices the top-of-the-line vintage players are commanding, so I buy the mid-level ones that usually go for ~$100. The D-335 mated w/a maxxed-out Portaphile V2^2 via a hi-end IC is my "reference" transportable rig. It's a great listening session every time I sit down w/it. I think you'll be very surprised at these old players' capabilities. Plus, Filburt really knows what he's talkin' 'bout!

PS - Hello to all my fellow Head-Fiers! If it's not cool to mention another headphone forum here, well, I'm sorry.

HAY ZomgbieDave! we have the best amp ever do you like blackgates? i like blackgates.

filby doesn't like the opamps in this amp because he doesn't think the ad8610 is right for audio I don't love the opamp, but paired with the fattish buf634's they are acceptable whenever I have doubt's though, I would go back and read all the yummy words romanee has to say and then I am satisfied again.

sorry for my bad grammer

[The Monkey]

Are there any currently available PCDPs with optical outs? If not any NOS recommendations?

[hYdrociTy]

Many sony "slim" ones from japan have optical outs. I have a d-ej855, and know 885 and d-ej1000 all do. It is a combo line out/optical out in 1/8 form. There are others too, and all of these come up often and cheap on ebay. They have two gumstick nicd or nimh batteries, and you can add on two aa batteries for obscene battery life with an external tube.

Most of these read cdr and cdrw, and omit mp3(the 885 does play mp3 files on cd tho) and all the other nonsense. Plain audio cd players with great battery life, small size, and great transports. The line out is debatable. Much thinner sounding and one level under the old discmans, but are not bad compared with most mp3 player line/hp outs.

The g protection(antiskip) is modern and almost perfect- you can stash it in your bag along with say a microdac or something and then an amp, and control with the remote clipped to your shirt.

[bhd812]

A (relatively) newer PCDP that sounds quite nice is the Sony D-EJ2000. It's currently being used in my bedside rig plugged into a Little Dot II from the line-out. You can expect a crisp and clean sound, without any bloat. I've seen used ones on eBay for ~$70-80. It comes with a little charger stand that you can leave it in indefinitely.

X2

I never use mine but keep it just in case ipods attack.

[ronnielee54]

Wouldn't really be a deal breaker, but does the D-EJ2000 have an optical out?

[hYdrociTy]

not to sound like a bitch but if you search d-ej2000 on google almost every link you click tells you that it does...

[ronnielee54]

Alright I guess I had that one coming.....bitch.

[Filburt]

Hi dave

[socrates63]

Are there any currently available PCDPs with optical outs? If not any NOS recommendations?

iRiver SlimX PCDPs have optical out. Works great as a transport with the Micro DAC and my MSB Link III. It's been a while since I compared, but when compared to the optical out on the iRiver H140 (ALAC files), I prefer the same songs played on the SlimX. The sound was more dynamic and had better layering.

I haven't tried any other PCDPs.