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Used CD Player with variable outputs

All:

I am looking to get a used CD Player. I'd prefer a single disc for the simplicity, but a changer would be fine too. The only major requirement is that it have variable analog RCA outputs. I want to be able to hook it directly to an AMP for testing. It does not have to be the highest quality, but I don't want a Coby! I have seen units from the early 90's, but I am guessing that the DAC from that far back would be a bit lacking. So mid-90's or later is good with me. Any suggestions would be great.

Thank you.
waz664

Showing 2 responses by reubent

reubent
6,935 posts
 
The least expensive method I know of getting variable volume control is one of the Oppo DVD/Universal players. Rock bottom price is about $100 for a used Oppo 970. It does offer the benefit of also playing nearly all formats such as CD, DVD, DVD-A, SACD and HDCD. The only negative to the Oppos is that its volume control is in the digital domain, so some bits do get thrown out as volume decreases. You will likely never notice the difference unless you already have a very high resolution system. Lastly, all DVD/Universal players are slower to load the disk as they first have to determine the format, etc. So, if fast loading of the disk is a requirement, get a dedicated CD player.

BTW, what is your budget? Used players with variable volume can be priced from about $100 up to more than $3000.

Also, search the archives. This basic question comes up about once every two weeks.

Enjoy,

TIC
reubent
6,935 posts
 
The only players with variable volume I've ever seen in the <$200 range are the previously mentioned Oppos, a couple of older Marantz models (forgot the model numbers), a Sherwood CD-7080R (not bad, I owned one for a short time) and the low-end Sony ES model from the mid 90's.

I don't see any of them currently listed on AudiogoN.

Enjoy,

TIC
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