Cant comment on thr AR as I have'nt heard it, but I use an old Sonograph SD1 cd player in a second system,and while it is not the last word in detail,it still sounds very good. I think I bought it around 1990?! A cd player that sounded good 20 years ago should still sound good today,assuming it is healthy electronically.
Buying top brands's older CD players: Pros& Con
I recently saw an ad in a magazine audio mark for a Audio Research used/good condition CD-1 CD player; i might be able to negotiate a lower price It was reviewed well in Stereophile in 2005, but in the high end business that is already ancient history. However, has anybody ever heard or owned this machine?? Is the technology of the model and its sound possibly been bypassed by the newer CD players of the last 3 years. The CD-1 first came to market in 1995 which makes me leery of buying; I currently have a Rega Apollo, but want to make a noticeable upgrade in sound, e.g, smoother highs, better bass and imagng Thank you