What's your favorite CD player and why?

[johnsonad]

I'm in the market for a new/used CD player.  We have thousands of CD's that I've ripped but oddly, I miss using a CD player.

I've been looking at classics like the Marantz CD95/99SE, something with an old but great sounding DAC to counter my ifi DAC. 

What is your favorite sounding CD player and why?

Thanks!

[Tubegopher]

I use a Cambridge CXC CD transport. This machine only provides the mechanical functions. It does not have the DAC onboard so you can choose the DAC of your choice.
It performs very well and comes with a remote that works from quite a distance.
I don't recall how much it cost, but I think around $350 or so.
I am very pleased with the unit.

[2wo]

I still use my Ah Njoeb Tjobe. Decent Maranz transport pluse a few internal DAC options...John

[Larpy]

I have a SimAudio Moon 260D CD player that's by far the best player I've owned (California Audio Labs DX1, Linn Mimik, Rega Apollo).  That's not a huge list, of course, but the Moon does the neat digital trick of sounding smooth and relaxed without sacrificing resolution.  Those are the sonic attributes I thought I bought the Rega for, but its laser pooped out after a few years and when I brought it back to the dealer to arrange for a repair, I heard the Moon and it was clearly better.  So I "retired" the Apollo (got a trade-in allowance) and came home with the Moon.

[Paul Birkeland]

I liked this one, but someone talked me out of it.

[johnsonad]

Thanks for the replies so far. I've enjoyed researching your players.  PB, did you build that unit?

I've owned a Meridian 508.24.  it was a great sounding player but parts were getting scarce and it was the right time to let it go.  It was replaced by a Oppo 103 and we still use it as our Bluray player.  Since then, nearly eight years ago, I've been ripping CD's and playing them via computer to a DAC.

The old Marantz with Philips CDM-1 transports and Philips TDA1541A chip sets has my interest.  I've not heard one, yet.

Old tech but my TT's are much older and still working.  Hobbies......

[Paul Birkeland]

Yes, I tossed that together with a bunch of parts I can't even remember.  You hit the nail on the head with the Achilles' heel of all these devices: the hardware will wear out and that's the end!

 

[johnsonad]

From what I've read, some of the old Phillips transports are nearly bullet proof thus why I'm looking at those along with the old great chip sets. Marantz had great service manuals with schematics and a competent tech can recap and align the unit (I'm not that good).

I wonder if new units publish similar service manuals?  I feel like I'm chasing something I should really stay away from and just be happy with what I have.

[sl-15]

I have had a Rotel RCD-02 for the last 15years or so. It is still working great and had never any hickups. As far as I know the drawer unit is gear driven so no belt that wears out which was the one thing I was looking for back when I bought it. But I rarely ever use it, I ripped all my CDs to the computer years ago...