Vintage CDP's

I know that DACs are all the rage in these parts so naturally I have to come in like a sore thumb...

I have an odd soft spot in my heart for old 90's CD Players. Today I've got on loan an old Rotel RCD-971 with PCM63P (non-K) + PMD100; there are a number of Blackgate caps in this thing too! Compared to my PCM63P-K D/AC 1600 it sounds close but I do have to give the edge to the dedicated DAC. I also have an old Adcom GCD-750 that I love to death with modded output stage that I've used over the years, PCM1702 + PMD100 + CS8412. Now I have my eye on an RCD-1072 which is not R2R but also a highly regarded player from the late 90's early 00's.

Compared to the modern CDP's I've tried, old CDP's tend to have a haziness and a warmth to them that new players simply don't have. You will find no inky black backgrounds, ultimate detail, or refinement with these relics but these faults are not necessarily dealbreakers to my ears, the sound can be in the realm of very good to even jaw dropping at times.

A consideration that I need to start worrying about as well is the life of the pickup/laser, often replacements are available but of questionable origin and pricing!

What kinds of experiences have you guys had? More importantly for those who are extreme whack jobs... what mods have you tried!

 

Also forgot, a great resource, listing of a lot of the old gear and the internal DAC chips: http://www.dutchaudioclassics.nl/the_complete_d_a_dac_converter_list/

 

i use to own an older 90's sony and pioneer cd player and found them very clear and surprisingly good. even had good drive for headphones. that was over few years ago and don't know how i feel if i sill have them on more resolving speakers i have now though. i have a nad 5000 cd player currently and do not find it warm and bit bright but, clean....could just be me. only thing i know it uses a custom made mitsubushi dac inside...read it is not greatest dac but, tend to sound really good supposedly if there is lot of capacitance behind it....read that from diy fourm so, don't know if i's true or not...i still use it though and find it to be very good cd player.but, prefer listening cd's or digital media on my echo 2 interface most of the time unless i'm being lazy....