Any Users of the NAD C 568 CD Player?

nudge (nudge, wink wink)

And I’ll take any comments at all about NAD CD players, particularly top of the line units from the past, about their sound and build quality and user experiences.

I am considering the C 568 for purchase, but am researching a few other selections in the ~$500 - $1000 range. I already have a very good DAC so might output digital from the player to the DAC. The NAD has circuity built into their SPDIF output to clean up the signal.

I’ve already heard enough about the Cambridge Audio transport and am not sure its SQ is at the highest level that can be achieved within this price range. So no comments needed there. And there is plenty of evidence online about CA’s early failure rates and breakdowns, borne out as well by a friend's CA unit that also failed on him.

@akg_ca Thanks for your feedback. Mine would not be considered a budget system by any means, despite a fairly low amount budgeted for this purchase. I’ll keep my door open to other players in this range.

You say "its audio performance can be matched or bettered (IMO) by cheaper alternatives." Any suggestions?

Thanks again.

Pass Labs amp, custom tube preamp, Auralic Vega DAC, custom (high-end) server, ATC speakers, REL sub, mostly Audience and Audio Sensibility cables.

I am not opposed to using a CD player or transport running into my DAC, in fact this was my plan.

Used is not out of the question, neither is upping the price somewhat. But still at this time I do not want a huge expense.

Thanks again for your time.

Thanks for your detailed response. Very interesting points.

If you don't mind, again, your statement " its audio performance can be matched or bettered (IMO) by cheaper alternatives" piques my curiosity. What are these units you mention.

Great thanks. All those names and brands I'm familiar with. So seems there are no cheaper alternatives that can match or better the NAD.

@akg_ca 
I really appreciate the time you've put into this. So I've got some exploring and researching to do, as well as read up on all these links. I was hoping to get in the door at a lower cost but not so sure now. Thank you.

@jafant

What an asinine and uninformed statement to make.

I spend a lot of time working supply chain in China and sourcing for US companies. There are lots of very good manufacturing companies, equal to and in some cases better than the West. So called "quality" problems are often attributable to a lack of oversight and controls by the buyer. Same thing causes poor quality in the west.