I have been through this as well. 95% vinyl listening but have a great collection of CDs not available on vinyl. For a $700 budget I would buy a NEW transport at best deal I could get, and spend the rest on the best USED Schitt DAC I could find. I had a compact Cambridge CD player in another system that I use as a Transport in my main system now. I am satisfied with the sound and, as others upgrade their DACs being into digital much more than I, I can upgrade the DAC if so inclined in the future. My system is posted here on Agon. The inexpensive little DAC has made me enjoy my CD collection more. Good luck in your solution!
Considering getting a CD player (again). Used? New? Criteria?
After years without one, I'm considering getting a CD player. I'm not against streaming, but I have many CD's and would like the simplicity of just playing them from time to time. I probably want to cap my expenditure at $700, or so, because this won't be the only way I play music.
A few questions:
If you've purchased a new CD player, what did you buy? Why?
If you've purchased a used player, how old is too old? What factors helped you choose?
My concern with used is that the transport mechanism of older players will be getting tired, and this won't be knowable just because a unit "checks out" with the site (or individual) testifying to the player's working condition. There's got to be an average point for many machines to give up the ghost, mechanically (varying from machine to machine, of course).
A few questions:
If you've purchased a new CD player, what did you buy? Why?
If you've purchased a used player, how old is too old? What factors helped you choose?
My concern with used is that the transport mechanism of older players will be getting tired, and this won't be knowable just because a unit "checks out" with the site (or individual) testifying to the player's working condition. There's got to be an average point for many machines to give up the ghost, mechanically (varying from machine to machine, of course).