Upgrading cd player

[cobb1973]

Hi I have a Cambridge audio cd4 special edition cd player. I'm thinking about upgrading could anyone give a suggestion not wanting to go mad. I have a nad c 350 and kef q7se speakers 

 

[tackleberry]

Marantz 52?

 

[tackleberry]

Denon 1520…

 

[Rockchild]

Well in CDP terms today, newer the better and I don’t think your do much better than this for the money unless you go older

https://exceptional-av.co.uk/marantz-cd6007-cd-player-opn.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAzMGNBhCyARIsANpUkzN20qzYchr4AWvQnEQqXpSJdEvtQB6DJ_XiJex-Ke93hP7jhM8M3zMaAsVVEALw_wcB

 

[DomT]

Well in CDP terms today, newer the better and I don’t think your do much better than this for the money unless you go older

https://exceptional-av.co.uk/marantz-cd6007-cd-player-opn.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAzMGNBhCyARIsANpUkzN20qzYchr4AWvQnEQqXpSJdEvtQB6DJ_XiJex-Ke93hP7jhM8M3zMaAsVVEALw_wcB

This. 

 

[hifinutt]

the marantz 6007 cd player is a delight to use . beautiful build and lovely display with a high quality remote . 400 pounds with a warrenty . whats not to like 

 

[plasticpenguin]

Hi I have a Cambridge audio cd4 special edition cd player. I'm thinking about upgrading could anyone give a suggestion not wanting to go mad. I have a nad c 350 and kef q7se speakers 

It's tricky. Usually I would always suggest going new or nearly new with CD players.

Depending on your budget, I'd look at Arcam, Exposure, Marantz...

 

[bigfish786]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294620327497?hash=item4498bd6e49:g:BxEAAOSwteZhsdSB

bid till you run out of money 

 

[StingRay]

the marantz 6007 cd player is a delight to use . beautiful build and lovely display with a high quality remote . 400 pounds with a warrenty . whats not to like 

I would not buy new cd players, they don't seem to last very long, someone on here was saying his 6007, is playing up already, yet my 30 year Marantz 63SE is still working. They are not cheap now either, over £400 for a budget player. You can get decent older CDP for around £100, even if they only last 5 years, they will be far better value than some modern budget players. 

 

[rabski]

I believe the CD4SE has a digital output, so why not just a separate DAC?

 

[hifinutt]

I would not buy new cd players, they don't seem to last very long, someone on here was saying his 6007, is playing up already, yet my 30 year Marantz 63SE is still working. They are not cheap now either, over £400 for a budget player. You can get decent older CDP for around £100, even if they only last 5 years, they will be far better value than some modern budget players. 

maybe . i dont see that many threads on problems. I monitored cambridge transport problems in forums for about a year  , audiolab can be tricky too . the advantage with new is its under a decent warrenty and you send it back . so far not had any trouble with mine . been using a sa8005 for years with no problems 

 

[StingRay]

maybe . i dont see that many threads on problems. I monitored cambridge transport problems in forums for about a year  , audiolab can be tricky too . the advantage with new is its under a decent warrenty and you send it back . so far not had any trouble with mine . been using a sa8005 for years with no problems 

The 8000 series are better quality and probably would be where I would be looking in the Marantz range rather than at the budget end, I did miss out on a Pearl Lite just before they discontinued. Probably don't see so many posts about problems, as less people are buying them now.  I would be inclined to buy used, I'm sure you can get a much more interesting player for under £400. Having said that I don't find huge differences between CD players.

If the Cambridge works ok then as Rab suggests try an external  DAC.

 

[uzzy]

Hi I have a Cambridge audio cd4 special edition cd player. I'm thinking about upgrading could anyone give a suggestion not wanting to go mad. I have a nad c 350 and kef q7se speakers 

My recommendation - if your cd player has a digital out then look for the best sounding DAC you can afford - lasers burn out and  they are usually discontinued by the time you need a replacement (ask Meridian Naim Wadia and others about this problem) 

I had my fingers burned as above so now - it is find a reasonably priced deck or transport with digital out and spend the money on the DAC - 

 

[John (big)]

I believe the CD4SE has a digital output, so why not just a separate DAC?

The 8000 series are better quality and probably would be where I would be looking in the Marantz range rather than at the budget end, I did miss out on a Pearl Lite just before they discontinued. Probably don't see so many posts about problems, as less people are buying them now.  I would be inclined to buy used, I'm sure you can get a much more interesting player for under £400. Having said that I don't find huge differences between CD players.

If the Cambridge works ok then as Rab suggests try an external  DAC.

I have a Cambridge CD4 se  I also have a Philips CD104 with NOS mod which I preferred. In June  I bought new a Beresford Caiman SEG & Dorado 3 , powered by an LPSU.  digital connection  is via the BNC on the rear of the CD4 se using a 1.5 m Webro WF100 to F type connector,  this combination sounds very good I prefer it to either player on their own, Mr Beresford lives just under an hour from me, I took  the Caiman to him for  upgrades last week comprising  super capacitors & clock replacement together with the latest SEG 50 firmware. I think the result is even better still  improving   cost all in £350 including s/h LPSU & upgrades 

There is only one co-ax in on the Caiman so to cope with my DVD player & CD4se I am using F type connectors into an F type 2 way switch box

 

[rabski]

I had my fingers burned as above so now - it is find a reasonably priced deck or transport with digital out and spend the money on the DAC - 

I haven't had my fingers burned, but that's because I haven't bought a costly CD player. I have had a couple of mechanisms stop reading discs, but it didn't hurt, because I just use reasonably low cost players with a digital output. Replacement mechanisms, if they're available at all, are at best fiddly to fit. At worst, some need serious workshop equipment to do so.

As I still have a fair collection of CDs, I won't abandon the medium. What I have done is to accumulate a few reasonable players with a digital output. The most expensive have been a couple of Pioneers with the stable platter mech, though 'expensive' still means less than £150. Mostly, I've bought transports and players for under £50. All in all, I think I've got ten decent ones, which ought to last me until I go deaf.

 

[uzzy]

As I still have a fair collection of CDs, I won't abandon the medium. What I have done is to accumulate a few reasonable players with a digital output. The most expensive have been a couple of Pioneers with the stable platter mech, though 'expensive' still means less than £150. Mostly, I've bought transports and players for under £50. All in all, I think I've got ten decent ones, which ought to last me until I go deaf.

I have a dying Marantz 6004 (bought about 11 years ago to replace dead Meridian 506.  The cost of a new laser mechanism is just under £80 and been quoted £60 to fit it ... am still considering my options.  Fortunately I had a Pioneer PDS505 precision I picked up very cheaply some years back for the conservatory so that is slotted into the system now (and far better sounding than the 6004) and there is something satisfying putting the cd onto a platter ... daughter has moved out now so I have a PDS802 I can slot in if needs be (but this beaut is now approaching 30 years old and I know I will cry when it stops working lol)

One day I am going to have to bite the bullet and rip my cds to a hard drive server and access via the streamer I guess 

 

[hifinutt]

The 8000 series are better quality and probably would be where I would be looking in the Marantz range rather than at the budget end, I did miss out on a Pearl Lite just before they discontinued. Probably don't see so many posts about problems, as less people are buying them now.  I would be inclined to buy used, I'm sure you can get a much more interesting player for under £400. Having said that I don't find huge differences between CD players.

If the Cambridge works ok then as Rab suggests try an external  DAC.

yes i wouldnt mind another sa8005 . but there is very little under 2.5k in marantz range now [ apart from the streamer unit] so far i think for under 400 the 6007 would beat the lot for ergonomics and build . i heard a lovely little tribute 11 from rotel but one had to lift the cd up from underneath. little things like that irritate . nice unit though. both as quiet as a mouse 

after christmas i may get a 6000cdt which of course is just a transport but i do prefer slot loaders   

 

[cobb1973]

I believe the CD4SE has a digital output, so why not just a separate DAC?

I dont really know much about DAC tbh

 

[rabski]

I dont really know much about DAC tbh

Every 'complete' CD player is a transport and a DAC in one box, so it's simply using a player as a transport and adding an external DAC. I would imagine the Cambridge is more than a fair transport, and although there are improvments in transports and they do make a difference, by far and away the biggest differences are in the digital to analogue conversion.

It would be relatively cost effective to pick up a DAC and try one. I'm sure plenty of people will have suggestions, but buying used is painless and DACs are relatively easy to sell on. You'll need a digital cable, but no need to go mad. Designacable do proper digital interconnect cables for about £15 and they work very well. Decent DACs come up regularly in the classifieds. You could always dive in feet first and, depending on where you are, host a bakeoff and ask people to bring DACs to listen to. Or just ask. Most of us don't bite and are always happy to help other people spend their money