CD Player thoughts/opinions

sye73

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Hi everyone
I was hoping someone could shed some light on a shortlist of CD players I'm considering please. I appreciate that there is always an element of personal choice in terms of the sound reproduction provided, but auditioning all of them may not be possible should I go the second-hand route for example. The contenders are currently ;
1. A new MF M3i
2. Used Primare CD31
3. Used Arcam CD37
4. Used MF A3.5 or A5
Are any of these 'stand-out' performers ? Do I need to be cautious of going down the used route on equipment such as CD players - Is new lower-end better than used higher-end ?
Which ever I end up going for,Monitor Audio GS20's will be used, along with a Denon 3805 (until a suitable, dedicated 2ch amp can be decided upon).

Thanks in advance
 
IMO the one issue that may crop up here is that the CDP you go for now with your current AV amp and speakers is that once you get a decent dedicated stereo amp; it'll sound different again

Personally I'd be looking to sort the amp first and then go for the CDP

If you cant do that then all the above CDP's are very good; the MF 3i is a superb player as is the Primare but for me I'd look at the Rega Saturn and Arcam CD192 as well
 
Peritus
Thanks-I hadn't really considered the possibility of a noticeable difference after the amp change.
Guess I was just focusing on the CDP replacement as the shortlist is,well,shorter !
 
Scorpian88
Cheers, I'll take a look. Any particular reason for this player being highly regarded, or is it simply good for the current price ?
 
Scorpian88
Cheers, I'll take a look. Any particular reason for this player being highly regarded, or is it simply good for the current price ?

The HK's good for it's price but there are a lot out there that are hell of a lot better IMO

If you're looking at the lower end of your budget, IMO, you'll not do much better than the Rega Apollo

And yes; going from an AV amp to a dedicated stereo amp with a CDP will make a noticeable difference in sound
 
IMO if you can pick up the HD 980 for £199 instead of the RRP of £299 you have a real bargain. I can personally testify to the Sound Quality plus 'digital display' of this player.

Peritus recommends the Rega Apollo of which it's probably the nearest competitor (amongst others) so would not dissuade you from that. However, for £199 you will do no better than the HK IMO.

Also, totally agree with the comments about conversion from an AV to dedicated Stereo/Hi-Fi Amp.

Hope that Helps.

Cheers

Scorpion
 
Thanks to you both for your thoughts.
I have allocated a budget of about £500/£600 for a new player as,in my mind,this is what I feel I 'need' to spend to find a tangible improvement over my current Denon 1910. I was looking to still retain an AV amp to run everything as the thought of EVEN more cables is unbearable!! That said, if I need to dedicate things I will.
Cheers
 
Rega Saturn all the way for me then with that budget... Superb player and one of the best I've heard just can be hard to find at times...
 
Can you suggest what sort of figure I'd be looking to pay ( new or used ) ? I guess like everything else there's a decent second hand mkt for these players ?
If only I could get the other options out of my mind first as Rega wasn't a brand I'd considered !
Cheers
 

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