[Pirate]

My Ah Njoe with upsampler is dying The Display has dimmed and one channel is playing louder than the other. I  have changed the tubes and  cables but the problem persists Has anybody upgraded from the Ah! player with success?  New or used suggestions would be appreciated. Budget of $1500 to $2000  aa

[pearsall001]

Cambridge Audio 840C. For it's price point & even for a whole lot more $$$ it's really hard to beat. Awesome performance & with the feature of having digital inputs using it's onboard DAC's so you can run an outboard music server if so desired. Hard to beat in ny book.

[Charles Calkins]

Heard the oppo 980 and it sounded very good. $170 or thereabouts.

                                                   Cheers
                                                     Charlie

                       

[Pirate]

pearsall001

Cambridge Audio 840C

I was just looking at this one.      The reviews seem good too. Have you heard the Ah! before?

[pearsall001]

No, I haven't heard the Ah! player. And the 840C reviews are pretty darn accurate, no BS there. And to boot it's even under your stated budget. Check it out for real.

[GerryD]

Have you considered the Jolida JD100?  Coming from a tubed player, this might be a solid replacement for you.

[Pirate]

Heard the oppo 980 and it sounded very good. $170 or thereabouts.

Wow, that would be awesome if this would be an upgrade from the AH! player?

pearsall001

You have both the Oppo and the Cambridge. Are they even close or is the Cambridge that much better?

GerryD

Have you considered the Jolida JD100?  Coming from a tubed player, this might be a solid replacement for you.

If I remember right, it was one of the CD players I compared the Ah! to originally. I "ll have to check this out.

[pearsall001]

The Oppo is strictly for DVD's in HT. The CA 840C is my 2 channel source. Not even close in comparison to CD sound quality. Two different animals meant for two separate applications.

[Toka]

With the given budget...Cambridge or Bryston (used).

[geowak]

I recently tried a Cambridge Audio 640C and a Rega Apollo. I liked the Apollo over the 640C. It has a memory buffer, that acts like a computer HD, and it adjusts to each CD you put in. Plus it has Class A
ouput circuitry and a very nice top loading feature, that I prefer over drawer loading. It is a VERY nice unit if your preference is CD.

Another idea is to get a very budget CD player with an optical out, and invest in a high quality out board DAC, like Benchmark's DAC1USB. You could keep it under $1500, and have a USB connection on the DAC1USB for future digital processing via a Squeeze Box or computer music server as a source.

[bacobits1]

I'm in the market too for a CD.
 
I overlooked the Regas and there have been a lot of them on Audiogon.
They have been problematic especially with the remotes. One guy on AA said he went through 5 machines with all the same problem. Do a search on AA in "Digtal". There was some kind of stick on shielding they came out with to remedy it. But I think I still read there were problems.
 
There have been all kinds of problems on tranports too. Sony, Marantz, Sim, depending how old the macines were.
All on AA do a search.

It's been getting pretty confusing with all the actual hardware configurations. Up sampling, non over-sampling, chips used, how tubes are used.

I don't know what I'm going to purchase. I would also watch machines 3 years or older.

Den 

[laserboi]

I have a couple of Primare CD21's for my source in multiple systems and I am very impressed with what Primare has to offer.  I definitely recommend the Primare CD21.

[sbrtoy]

For that price you may be able to find a used Cary 303/300 depending on how desperate someone is to move it, it is a phenomenal player and the options for changing the upsampling (or turning it off) and running either tubes or SS output allow it to fit a multitude of styles and listening preferences.

And no, I am not selling any used ones...

[James Romeyn]

Get a used Sony DVP-NS900V for $100-$250 tops; send to www.TubeResearchLabs.com for an all-SS upgrade estimate $800 but don't quote me.  Your lust for Red Book upgrades will be over.  Not too handsome but sound is top notch.  Say hi to Brian &/or Paul.  Hope for your sake they still do the mod. 

Alternate is (if still available) Audience-modded universal Denon upgrade, estimated $4k, probably in league w/ above.

Esoteric seems very nice. 

Every Primare piece I've auditioned kicks butt including the CD's, but the CDP will be below the TRL & Audience by various degrees depending on your system quality. 

Personally, from my experience I would NOT get an outboard DAC under any circumstance.

My Sony's been bulletproof w/ moderate use.  A member here has maybe a million or more hours on his Krell transport w/ no problems last I knew a year ago or so.     

[Pirate]

Great suggestions

I came across this review at Absolute Sounds:

The Cambridge 840C CD player delivers the best CD playback I've heard from any player under $5k -- and it costs $1499. Not only is the 840C easily the greatest value in digital sources in my experience, it must be considered one of the greatest bargains in all of high-end audio. Even if your budget for a CD player is considerably more than $1499, I encourage you to audition the Cambridge 840C. In fact, I could easily live with the 840C at the front end of my $100k reference system -- it's that good.

Good reviews all over on the Cambridge unit.

With the given budget...Cambridge or Bryston (used).

Another for the Cambridge?  The Bryston has a great transferable warranty!

I recently tried a Cambridge Audio 640C and a Rega Apollo. I liked the Apollo over the 640C. It has a memory buffer, that acts like a computer HD, and it adjusts to each CD you put in. Plus it has Class A
ouput circuitry and a very nice top loading feature, that I prefer over drawer loading. It is a VERY nice unit if your preference is CD.

Another idea is to get a very budget CD player with an optical out, and invest in a high quality out board DAC, like Benchmark's DAC1USB. You could keep it under $1500, and have a USB connection on the DAC1USB for future digital processing via a Squeeze Box or computer music server as a source.

The Squeeze box is something I definitely want to get into, but not with the computer I have now.

I have a couple of Primare CD21's for my source in multiple systems and I am very impressed with what Primare has to offer.  I definitely recommend the Primare CD21.

I'll check into it. 

For that price you may be able to find a used Cary 303/300 depending on how desperate someone is to move it, it is a phenomenal player and the options for changing the upsampling (or turning it off) and running either tubes or SS output allow it to fit a multitude of styles and listening preferences.

And no, I am not selling any used ones...

  Desperate huh? Your not selling?  Let's get together and talk.

Get a used Sony DVP-NS900V for $100-$250 tops; send to www.TubeResearchLabs.com for an all-SS upgrade estimate $800 but don't quote me.  Your lust for Red Book upgrades will be over.  Not too handsome but sound is top notch.  Say hi to Brian &/or Paul.  Hope for your sake they still do the mod. 

Alternate is (if still available) Audience-modded universal Denon upgrade, estimated $4k, probably in league w/ above.

Esoteric seems very nice. 

Every Primare piece I've auditioned kicks butt including the CD's, but the CDP will be below the TRL & Audience by various degrees depending on your system quality. 

Personally, from my experience I would NOT get an outboard DAC under any circumstance.

My Sony's been bulletproof w/ moderate use.  A member here has maybe a million or more hours on his Krell transport w/ no problems last I knew a year ago or so.     

I went to the site. They can take a new Sony SCD-CE595 5 disk changer and mod it. According to a 6moons review. It trounced the AH!

Damn, you guys are good I have a lot of Homework!

[JLM]

I'd also look at CEC TL51XR, Raysonic CD128, and Shanling 3000 for CDPs in that price range.  Each has balanced outputs.  The CEC does belt drive while the Raysonic and Shanling use tubes.  All are top loaders.  Underwoodwally mods the Raysonic and Shanling.

At this price point I'd also seriously consider going separate transport/DAC to provide more flexibility and smaller investment in what eventually wears out/breaks, especially if your thinking at all about using a computer based music server down the road.  I went from modded Squeeze Box (too many glitches) to Ah! Tjoeb 4000 (blown output board) to slumming with an Oppo (until I get a good DAC).  This will allow me to provide DEQ functions while in the digital realm.

OTOH you could just wait a few months for the new Squeezebox Duet mods.  Add a pair of 500GB hard drives for $300 (one for backup).  The Duet provides the display on the remote and so more importantly allows modders the ability to fully mod the receiver without the constraints of the stock shell/display.  Plus any noise from the display has been removed.

[mark funk]

What about a Van Alstine Ultra DAC ($1599) and I use a Philips 3140 ($41) for a transport, works well for me.

[Geardaddy]

Granite Audio 657 (tube based output stage so no pre-amp required).  Awesome unit (I own this device).  There is one for sale on the Gon currently but it is a little over your budget....

[Pirate]

I'd also look at CEC TL51XR, Raysonic CD128, and Shanling 3000 for CDPs in that price range.  Each has balanced outputs.  The CEC does belt drive while the Raysonic and Shanling use tubes.  All are top loaders.  Underwoodwally mods the Raysonic and Shanling.

At this price point I'd also seriously consider going separate transport/DAC to provide more flexibility and smaller investment in what eventually wears out/breaks, especially if your thinking at all about using a computer based music server down the road.  I went from modded Squeeze Box (too many glitches) to Ah! Tjoeb 4000 (blown output board) to slumming with an Oppo (until I get a good DAC).  This will allow me to provide DEQ functions while in the digital realm.

OTOH you could just wait a few months for the new Squeezebox Duet mods.  Add a pair of 500GB hard drives for $300 (one for backup).  The Duet provides the display on the remote and so more importantly allows modders the ability to fully mod the receiver without the constraints of the stock shell/display.  Plus any noise from the display has been removed.

I was looking at these .  The Raysonic and Shanling definitely are Eye Candy But there seems to be a reliability issue with some of the import units 

What about a Van Alstine Ultra DAC ($1599) and I use a Philips 3140 ($41) for a transport, works well for me.

 I know some of the dacs get great reviews and many of the folks use them here. I guess I just just can't get use to the idea of adding two pieces of equipment. 

Granite Audio 657 (tube based output stage so no pre-amp required).  Awesome unit (I own this device).  There is one for sale on the Gon currently but it is a little over your budget....

This is one hard unit to find information on. What a unique look it has What have you been able to compare it to or better yet, what path did you take to arrive at this particular unit?

[reflex]

You might want to check out a Parasound D3 Universal Player.  They're running special pricing to the dealers right now and you should be able to get a great deal on one.  We sell the Cambridge and Ayre players as well and we all bought D3's.  It's very smooth and detailed...reminding me somewhat of an Esoteric UX-1 I heard recently.  In addition, you get a SACD, DVD-A and DVD player thrown in for free.

One thing I like about it, and an indication that Parasound is striving to maximize Redbook playback, is that you can turn off the video and digital audio sections of the player, independantly of each other.  So, if you're like me and run analog out of the player, both can be turned off...or if you want to run to a dac, you can turn the video section of the unit off only.