Most reliable CD transport? New or vintage?

I'm wondering if there are any CD transports (or CD players with digital outs) that are known to be extremely reliable and last a long time (decades?)?

 

I've had these for quite a while with no issues: Pioneer DV-49A, Pioneer DV-563A.

 

Look for something that uses the Philips professional transport mechanism, like the kind used in commercial jukeboxes. Very expensive though.

NEW Philips CD Pro 2

Other than that, good luck. A lot of older CDPs will develop problems over time. Been down that road. I did have an '87 H/K that lasted a long time. Matter of fact a friend is still using it as I gave it to him. Not sure what brand drive mechanism it used.

Very few companies actually make the mechanisms used in CD players anymore. It's down to very few options, so even very expensive CD players and "transports" are using the same cheap disc drive mechanisms. Sometimes they will cover it up with a metal cover when you take the lid off, to fool people that don't know better.

 

I'd just get a Blu Ray player.

 

I have a Pioneer deck from around 1989 that is still going strong. A Pioneer PD HS-7--but this was $1,000 back then, so the equivalent of a player today costing about twice that.

 

Oppos have proven to be nearly bullet-proof for the most part. So you might want to consider picking-up an old 83 or 93 and use it as a transport.

 

I'm still using a Wadia 270SE transport that I purchased new in the 90s. (Knock on wood)
Weighs a ton and built like a tank.

 

I have a Musical Fidelity A1 CD Pro deck that is a toploader. It has the Philips cd pro drive. It was around $2500 new.

 

My NAD 5100 from 89 (not original owner, coax out) works flawlessly. While I am a firm believer that transports can make a big difference in sound (used to think the exact opposite until I did testing, boy was I wrong), I have not compared this one to other transports. Im moving, but will more than likely use it as a CD player for its vintage DAC since it was TOTL. One of my few thrift scores, $30, excellent+++++ condition.

 

Does that mean that, in a blind test, you’d guess the correct transport 80% of times, for instance?

 

I have an Audio Note CDT Two Mk1 that’s getting on a bit, a heavyweight top loader with a Philips Pro mechanism. They don’t Seem to come up often though.

I’ve listened to a number of new transports preparing myself for if this is ever unrepairable and it looks like it will take north of £3k to match or better it, which is to be expected I suppose as that’s what it cost new. For now I’m just going to enjoy and hope it lasts another decade or two.

 

Philips CDM-0 or CDM-1. Or Philips CD-PRO or CD-PRO2, the best ever built.

 

Those old swing arms are nice

 

1986 Denon DCD 1500
Flawless. No digital out however.
No need as I love it's analog converter signature + I have a ton of pre-emphasis discs.

 

At one point I had an old 80s Philips with a swing arm mechanism (not a Philips Pro mechanism). If you've ever seen the inside of one of these things there are many, many points of failure including lots of old caps that will go out of spec and cause trouble. I wound up selling it as a parts unit. Not worth messing with IME.

 

Rega's with the top load are the best for me, I have 3 Planets and a Saturn that I have used daily for many years. They all have digital out, all four were bought used.

 

They are quite the work of engineering art so I could see this being a possible issue.. I have one on my old Magnavox, the things playing before it's even closed

 

I'm not sure the problems are really the mechanism itself, but rather the complicated electronics inside. If you look at a CDP from even a year or two later, the board and components are much smaller. My old '87/88 H/K was a thousand times more reliable than the Philips even though it was only like a year newer than the Philips at best. It also used a more advanced 18 bit D-S chip rather than the (IMHO) over-hyped TDA1541.

 

Sony BU-1

Accuphase and Luxman used the BU-1 in some of their own players. My Sony 557ESD is still original (and playing) 32 years later.

 

I compared about 4 or 5 transports (CD players w digi outs, I do not own any "just transports"). One stood out, the others were similar. If it was that transport vs. the others, I could easily pick it out 100% of the time. I always blew off the importance of "transports" just like I do interconnects, power cables, and speaker cables. This experiment was a complete eye opener. Thing is, right now I couldnt tell you what it is. Sad, I know but my memory is not what it used to be I also just like gear, any and all, and have no problem listening to BPC (stuff like my Kyocera A-910, serial #7 has probably not been hooked up in 5+ years). Ive had small rooms for 9 years and have kept things simple. If I can't set up my "full-on" system (which is about to be "new-to-me" except sources) I really don't care that much, I enjoy it all. Plus I got into "just listen to the music play" mode for a nice 3+ years (now Im falling back into "gear" mode, the ebb and flow of things). Nearly all my gear (a ton) has been packed up for a move for about a year now when the builder of house had a stroke. But I will definitely experiment before I set up my main system. When I do (hopefully in <3 months)I will post my results here.

 

Only randomly. I bought my best friend a TEAC CD player for her wedding, that thing is still putting a couple decades later. But older stuff is already way old, newer stuff I think mostly cost reduced so who knows if as reliable. My buddy's new Oppo is built like a tank but that is no guarantee of failproofness. I'd agree open your mind to good DVD and Blu-ray machines, so you can also listen to titles on DVD, Blu, SACD. Except the only universal players left standing are a $248 Sony, no controls on the front, not inspiring OR $1000 machines which may not last longer despite their price tag.

 

I had a Rotel DVD player that I'd been using as a transport, but it died a week or two ago. I was curious to see if there are any transports with sterling reputations.

The older Rega Planet idea is interesting. I've always wanted a top loader...or a Naim swing door CDP.

 

Three main types of common mechanisms available today: slot loader (car stereo type), drawer type (DVD-rom type), and top-loader (CD boombox type).

All these are off the shelf mechanisms available very cheaply to CDP/BRP/whatever manufacturers. None of the mechanisms are built to last and there are very few companies that make mechanisms anymore. The days of manufacturers making their own mechanisms was over a long time ago.

 

If you're wanting something a little more modern that's future proof, have a look at the Rega ISIS CD player (that's a top loader as well)

Rega store a pair of matched (to your player) lasers at their factory in case of failure. Probably outlive you.

 

AND they etch them with little directional arrows so the photons (only the best photons need apply thank you very much) know which way to go. Rega also feature an intensive training program for younger photons...