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Cambridge Audio CD Player Has Died

I have a Cambridge Audio Azur 840C CD player that is roughly 15 years old. A year ago the left channel went dead & was subsequently repaired. However, yesterday the audio output completely died (no sound whatsoever). Although the unit has served me well, I am reluctant to continue to put more money into repairs of an older unit.

That being said, I have a question for those of you who have more expertise than I. Is there a discernible difference in sound quality between high-end CD players & those more moderately priced? Although I do have a high-quality audio system, I would prefer not to spend a lot of money on a new CD player unnecessarily.
Thank you so much.
Kit
kitjv
kitjv OP
69 posts
 
Yes, CA offered me the same when I had some repair work done last year. That will certainly be an option. Thank you.
tomcarr
1,468 posts
 
Tascam discontinued their 200iL model but it's still available at pro gear retailers. It got an excellent review and is owned by at least two reviewers at Stereophile. A used Oppo 103 would be a great choice too, as would used models from Marantz and Rega. I wouldn't spend any more money on a 15- year old CDP.
kitjv OP
69 posts
 
tomcarr: Thank you for the info. For no explainable reason, for the past 10 days the CD player has worked flawlessly. However, I will keep your suggestions on hand in the event the problem resurfaces.
tomcarr
1,468 posts
 
You are very welcome. Happy listening!
kitjv OP
69 posts
 
Well, seems like the issue of periodically "going dead" is still plaguing my CD player. So it looks like a replacement is inevitable. If I opt to buy a DAC to see if that resolves the problem, how would I connect it to my Cambridge Audio CD player? Would doing so bypass the internal DAC in the CD player? Sorry if this sounds remedial; but this is new territory for me. Thank you.
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