The Compact Disc revolution: Part 1: 20 iconic CD players

In the mid 1970's the engineers at Philips came up with the concept of a 'compact disc' that would replace vinyl because it was; of 'superior' quality, smaller, quieter (no clicks or crackles), indestructible, portable and just 'better'. By 1982 their idea became a reality. In 1983/84 over 400,000 CD Players were sold in the US alone! This is the story of how the CD came about, the technology behind it, and the rapid development that ensued. I nominate 20 iconic CD players from across the decades.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction & history
07:17 The 20 iconic CD players
Interesting links:
Dutch Audio Classics:
dutchaudioclassics.nl (lots of very interesting information on the development of the CD, digital music and all Philips & Marantz CD players)
Vintage Knob (online vintage audio):
www.thevintageknob.org (an online museum & forum for HiFi equipment).
Information on CD/DVD optics challenges: ir.nctu.edu.tw/bitstream/1153...
CD sales statistics:
www.statista.com/statistics/7...
As always, if you would like to find out more about Pearl Acoustics and our Sibelius loudspeakers, please visit our website at:
www.pearlacoustics.com
or email us with your questions:
[e-mail]
Social media links:
/ pearlacoustics
/ pearl.acoustics

[@ericjensen9091]

I was 29 years old in 1995 when my parents were thoughtful enough to buy me my first CD player! I was buying mostly cassettes at the time. I never purchased another cassette again. I still buy an occasional record, but I still buy about 25 to 30 CDs every year. I think it's a truly great invention. Physical music media forever.

[@scottchegg1209]

I buy that amount monthly!

[@rockmusicvideoreviewer896]

@@scottchegg1209 Big deal. I buy that many every week!!

[@ericjensen9091]

I wasn't implying that I spend tons of money...

[@rockmusicvideoreviewer896]

@@ericjensen9091 I wasn't implying that either

[@ericjensen9091]

@@rockmusicvideoreviewer896 ok

[@graemeknowles1431]

CDs rule. Being buying them since 1988. And will always be my choice of music format.

[@tcpnetworks]

Yep. Buying them since 1985 - Have about 4000 now. Mind you - All of them get ripped to my USB HDD for playing.

[@ENGLISHISBEST]

I only had about 500 & even though vinyl is my favourite I still purchase a regular supply of cd's from magpie today while they are very cheap at £2 each. I am currently in process of ordering another 100 for £180 with bulk buying. I am lucky I am old enough to be around when vinyl was way before cd's so plenty of both formats. Most converted to flac albums too for streaming. More music than I get time to play now. I was born into vinyl & no doubt still die listening to it in my armchair.

[@Andersljungberg]

However, there are those who believe that music masters today that are published on vinyl or hires have better dynamics. due to the fact that they probably do different Masters. The CD today unfortunately does not have the same status as it did 20 years ago. Unfortunately, the record companies probably think that those who buy music on vinyl or hires demand more and may also have more expensive stereos

[@Andersljungberg]

Note that there are those who only use the vinyl record to charge extra. The same album on vinyl can be significantly more expensive than a CD has ever cost. who would have thought In the 80s or 90s when someone in the record industry thought that vinyl records were too cheap

[@modofatak]

‘91, but same

[@jolebole-yt]

Thanks for making this video. CDs and CD players were a galaxy leap forward from cassette tapes and when you buy the CD you own it and the quality will never degrade if you take care of them. In my college days i used to walk around with a Sony Discman strapped on me everywhere. I even own one today. Its a great piece of history.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks! Thanks too for your little back story. Enjoy the discman!

[@quantumleap359]

Good informative video. I've always liked CDs for three main reasons. No contact playback, small size versus playing time and virtually NO noise, no wow, no flutter on playback. I've had a Technics player since 1990, no repairs, gets played at least 15 hours each week, still sounds great to my old ears.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks, much appreciated. Thanks for your comment too.

[@Andersljungberg]

At the beginning of the 1990s, there could be big sound improvements in just two years. A Denon 1992 sounded significantly better than a Denon from 1990 and then we are talking in the budget class Type corresponding today to 200 to 250 €. note at the time Denon won CD tests. The fight was well between Pioneer and Denon

[@nickolaymiltenov]

Though i am a fan and have DENONs from that golden era of the hifi industry i must confess that the fight for the leadership was not only between Pioneer and DENON. Sony, Marantz , Yamaha and some other companies also had excellent models.

[@snarkyremarksbyginger3161]

But noise and flutter are good things and is gave Analog the warm and imperfect sound.

[@cv507]

rega ear 1 sounds very? decent to me büt thöse p€$keyy nön ´cööl devveiß? plückce v v rega cdp knobs look designey büt hal to oper8 a device ? sonys are so pretty and i love when you can do everything on the device instead öf an art piece that isnt even (Föölleyy) 5kD?? in some rentat holiday flat i think was a tv with such tiny buttons ´rc´ -.- ´GiF blööD?? whats nice except the rega cdp enterpri$€ ´Löök??? burmester ör ecöm-nör are light ahäeD vv szellF view närmöhR€D jaja germs nö XxD

[@kevinfestner6126]

One of my instructors in grad school James Russell was the inventor of the triple interweave process used on CDs for its error correction system. SONY is correct. They wanted to make sure that the CD could fit Beethoven's 9th without having to change CDs. That's where the capacity of a CD came from, Beethoven.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for your comment. Agreed. However, I believe it was the Philips team that determined the capacity of the CD itself. This was back in the mid 1970’s.

[@kevinfestner6126]

@@PearlAcoustics this is where I will repectfully disagree. It was sony, as the 9th is something of an obsession with the Japanese. This per my professor.

[@PearlAcoustics]

@@kevinfestner6126 Hi Kevin. I am sure he’s correct. However, Philips invented the CD (including its specifications) before Sony ever heard of it. But it’s not an issue - the important thing is that Beethoven 9 fits on it! 😉 Enjoy the music

[@petercook7502]

Maybe sort of... "The original target storage capacity for a CD was one hour of audio content, and a disc diameter of 115 mm was sufficient. However, according to Philips, Sony vice-president Norio Ohga suggested extending the capacity to 74 minutes to accommodate a complete performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony on a single disc , however Kees Immink of Philips denies this. The extra playing time subsequently required the change to a 12 cm disc. According to a Sunday Tribune interview the story is slightly more involved. At that time (1979) Philips owned Polygram, one of the world’s largest distributors of music. Polygram had set up a large experimental CD disc plant in Hanover, Germany, which could produce huge amounts of CDs having, of course, a diameter of 11.5cm. Sony did not yet have such a facility. If Sony had agreed on the 11.5cm disc, Philips would have had a significant competitive edge in the market. Sony was aware of that, did not like it, and something had to be done. The long-playing time of Beethoven's Ninth imposed by Ohga was used to push Philips to accept 12cm, so that Philips’ Polygram lost its edge on disc fabrication." So maybe just an excuse on Sony's part if the above is true

[@kevinfestner6126]

@@petercook7502 James Russel, who taught one of my grad school courses stated that when Sony was designing the Walkman, one VP came in with a block of wood, and said, this is the size it will be, no larger, no smaller. When Russel worked with Sony on the error correction of the cd, the parameter was, it must fit Beethoven's 9th. Russel stated this is how sony designed, based on one goal parameter. Probably why the L cassette failed. Sony had some major flops, as well, like Beta vs VHS. Lon Neuman, an engineer for Sony who was responsible for some of the early use of Sony digital equipment in the entertainment business, esp at Warner Bros, confirms the cd we have today was from Sony's development and not Phillips. In fact Sony built for Warners in Burbank a complete sound studio. In it's day, it was the state if the art. I was in it many times, and it was wowing. I did note that one of the mix down speakers were not JBL, but locally made RSL 3800s. I was in a Sony built cd disc mastering studio in Pasadena used for demonstration purposes. Sony wanted to be the go to standard. They used a digital beta machine as part of the process. I took humor in that. In the early days of digital, Sony was very aggressive in getting its foot in the door in the entertainment industry. It had it's own office of engineers in an office building in Burbank, at the time, in the same area where Warners, Universal, Disney, NBC, ABC, and the famous Burbank Studios are. Sony, no baloney 😂 . When I think back to those days, L.A. was a dynamo. Now look at it. This is why I'm in Las Vegas, where we're trying to build an entertainment biz here, and we've made some progress.

[@Laz_Arus]

Great video. I'm fortunate to still have my Sony CDP-X7ESD that I bought new just after they were released here in Australia. I hadn't used it for years until about a year ago when I thought I would unbox it and see if it was still operable. The two drive belts were stretched and defective and thus the transport was intermittent, but some new belts solved that issue, and it now sounds as good as the day I bought it. Fabulous engineering that Sony did on that model. Truly a work of passion by the engineers of the time.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks Laz! Great to hear your Sony is back in action.

[@tcpnetworks]

Still have a CDP-101 Still (kinda) works. Sounds like shit compared to my CDP-X-303ES though.

[@TheCharlesAtoz]

I think it is important to have physical media, for two reasons, one: to be able to hold and read along to what the artist is projecting(and for the art), and two: if we have back-up power, we will need music to make it through the coming apocalypse. This is a GREAT experiment! I wish I'd thought of it.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks

[@bikdav]

@TheCharlesAtoz: My problem is my “dumbness” at streaming. In many cases, 💿 CDs is much easier for me than streaming reliably.

[@trevorbartram5473]

I have no more room for CDs, so I've gone over to the dark side, uncompressed streaming. I use Amazon Music Unlimited, Echo Link player & a Fire tablet (for control) & have enjoyed hundreds of 'new' albums in the last few months. I have filled in the 'holes' in my classical & jazz back catalogs. I use YT channels for new release influences. I do miss liner notes but something had to give.

[@r423sdex]

I use roon with qobuz into a blue sound node 3 into an external dac, sounds fantastic. I use a cd transport and also a turntable. The streaming absolutely wins hands down.

[@anbujava3552]

Extremely gud information about CD players kudos to u from India 🇮🇳

[@cpg8000]

Delightful video! I love your delivery, and chosen topics. Can’t wait for the next parts. Best regards.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks

[@purcellrcaviationchannel]

I bought my Rega Planet in '97. It has been faultless to this day, everything functions like it did on day one, and it still sounds fantastic. I have absolutely no plans to 'upgrade'... ever.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks, that’s good to hear.

[@RUfromthe40s]

the brand offers upgrades to it´s 90´s cd players for free

[@JohnDoe-np3zk]

​@@RUfromthe40srega has zero support for the planet 2000 at least in the us. Laser bad? Your unit worth zip.

[@RUfromthe40s]

@@JohnDoe-np3zk i only heard it in a blog when discussed the late 90´s Rega cd players, i haven´t a Rega, i have Pioneer , Revox, Philips, Teac,Technics, Sony DVD/CD player (the one that as better frequencie response than most of others cd players)also a CEC belt drive,it seems to be very good ,but i felt very bad when paying to change the belts, my father bought a better one and gave me this when he was still 89 years old, once i saw in what hi-fi ,the magazine "the most analog cd player of the world "and i think i read words like"... the best in the whole world..." but if my father bought a better one it seems it isn´t, but he passed away last year so i didn´t had time to open all boxes of hi-fi components that belonged to him so i only refer to the ones i have now at home, the philips also won a prize in the 90´s but with a box saying Marantz Dual DAC ,etc.,etc.,

[@aualdrich]

What an amazing journey down memory lane! I loved how you spanned the entire history and went into the design as well as sound quality. Great job!

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you so much!

[@archiemacdonald553]

so loved this amazing video on cd players past and present .I fell in love with this format in 1984 marantz cd 73 ..looking forward to part 2 and 3 .many thanks for all the wonderful discussions .Best channel ever .😊

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you. So glad you enjoyed it

[@steffenjensen9350]

In ‘ 84 i bought a Marantz CD 73 as i didn’t like the Philips toploader, it was expensive and in golden finish. It was replaced by a Denon DCD 1700 when it was released in ‘88 ? Still own it today as well as my Denon DCD S10 and a couple of DVD Denon’s is my “museum” . Today CD’s are played on my Denon DCD S10 mk 2 which performs superb, and is expected to last me out ;)

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for sharing

[@steffenjensen9350]

forgot to mention,,, I only use the DCD S10 mk2 as a transport even though it has a high quality DAC ,,,while it's very heavy and solid build,, and my integrated amp Devialet Expert 200 just sounds better , which means it has nothing added ,,, it's "a straight wire" ,,,the most neutral amp I have ever tried.

[@genehammond7239]

Great video Harley , looking forward to part 2 !!!

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks 👍

[@agx502]

The Linn CD12 contains a lot of unique engineering by Linn themselves. It was and still is very expensive and sought after.

[@MAB_Audio_Nut]

That was my thought right away . The Linn CD12 is by a large margin the best sounding CD player I have ever heard.

[@hughkleinsc8949]

Nothing comes close to a Linn cd 12 , still the best of all time

[@ericjensen9091]

I enjoy your informative and entertaining videos. Keep them coming!

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you Eric

[@mikequinlan9585]

This is so interesting, I’m looking forward to parts 2 and 3!

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks!

[@frankfedde5149]

It is so nice how much effort you put into your videos! Greetings from Halifax, Canada!

[@johnny1980ns]

Also from Halifax!

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks Frank. I must say that this one took a lot of effort! 😉

[@DonHamlin]

This is fantastic, cannot wait for part 2. I’ve loved cd’s ever since my first player in 1990. You have the best audio channel on KZbin.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks!

[@scottchegg1209]

Get a grip don

[@nuznikas]

If you bit technological it would be best chanell

[@murraysampson2501]

I have loved CD’s since my first in 1987 as an 11 year old. This was an interesting list. I like that you included some very affordable models to compare. Looking forward to watching the next part!

[@PearlAcoustics]

Glad you enjoyed it Murray!

[@DKBoerner]

That was nice entertainment on Good Friday. Very interesting with a lot of insights I didn't have before. Thank you!

[@PearlAcoustics]

You’re very welcome!

[@ak47henke]

Great video and topic!! Still playing some CDs on my Pioneer PD-77. Great player and fantastic craftmanship!!

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks!

[@edelweisskoenig]

Very interesting topic, wonderful list. Great to have an educated look back in time. I'm very excited about the comparison to come.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks Jürgen

[@Techrewinds]

Amazing video! I love your delivery, and topics. Can’t wait for the rest !!!

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you so much!! You will find that I have basically two play lists ‘Great Recordings’ where I talk about famous recordings or pieces of music, and also HiFi Equipment and general topics…. Enjoy!

[@chuakoh1497]

Great and informative review. A nostalgic journey for me as well.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks Chua!

[@markdecker2112]

nice walk down memory lane. Look forward to the next 2 shows. My first CD player was a Pioneer purchased around 1986 (possibly the PD-7030). I would later purchase the interesting PD-65 (you play the disc upside down on a platter that rotates). SACD moved me into Denon gear after that.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks Mark

[@brynybach7741]

I bought the first Sony as a package system as soon as it first came out and it still plays as good as the day I first had it. The touch buttons on the front needed to be modified when I had it serviced two years ago. The CD drawer seized but now is as good as new. It still produces a great sound. Built like a tank. The drawer glides out with no shudder like cheaper brands.

[@jonathandavis9507]

Looking forward to part 2 💿

[@user-qn7eg2pj3w]

The knowledge others have and share is the greatest gift. I am so thankful for people like you and your willingness to share and i hope you realize how much we appreciate what you do. Then you head to the comments to see people share their own experiences and it makes you enjoy and appreciate all the beauty that is in the world

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for your lovely comment. It is much appreciated

[@rogervd666gamer]

What an interesting video. Can't wait for part two. I'm from the Netherlands and a vintage Philips audio lover. In the 80's and 90's they made their best audio products in collaboration with Marantz en Grundig.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks

[@markmiwurdz202]

@rogervd666gamer. Greetings from the U.K. I still have my Philips CD650 which I bought new in 1986. As a vintage Philips audio lover, you will know all of the technical innovations and features of this CD player. Last year, I took the player out of storage and sent it to a specialist in Israel who completely overhauled and updated the machine ( including the addition of a FEMTO clock system). It sounds absolutely fantastic and I measure the sound performance of all other CD players against my Philips CD650. Is there a comparable Marantz CD player from that time? You and yours stay safe and well.

[@rogervd666gamer]

@@markmiwurdz202 Oh, that's also a nice vintage Philips CD Player. At the moment I use the Philips fa890 amplifier, cd850 cd player and the fb821 speakers. I like that u use this old Philips CD Player, the most people throw them away. If you give the player sometimes some love it will play almost forever, the old Philips magnetic swing arm drives are not fancy but they last many many years.

[@rogervd666gamer]

@@artisans8521 oh, that's a shame. Do you already know what's wrong with it. Most of the time it's a bad elco or cold solder joints. This can be fixed for almost nothing.

[@rizer5795]

Great video, thank you. Would like to see a similar one on history SACDs and their players.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks Rizer. SACD now that’s a topic indeed…

[@nickwallette6201]

Were there 20 models to choose from? ;-D I kid, of course.

[@hjs5686]

great video, thanks! honorary mention for the Wadia 860, Mark Levinson 390s and the extraordinary Krell KPS 20i...

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks! All honorary mentions very welcome!

[@manjuicedolly7521]

Superb video # superb details + information + cd player history # very very rare video # thank you sir 🙏🙏🎶🎶🎶🎶🙏🙏

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks you’re most welcome

[@RobinCapper]

I remember the launch and first CD players arriving in New Zealand. My first player was a Sony D50 (like you pictured) and although long retired to very occasional use it still runs perfectly well today! When new the build quality was astonishing, but didn't think it would last 39 years!

[@PearlAcoustics]

That turned out to be a good investment…

[@nickwallette6201]

I was relieved to see the D-5/D-50 in the list. That had to blow some minds in 1984. The D-J50 and D-88 also show how absolutely mad those lads were. I know they might not be the pinnacle of high fidelity, but they are marvels of engineering nonetheless.

[@crimsonghost6454]

This was good and I look forward to the other parts. I have had many players but I have settled on a few older models. I have two Yamaha from mid to late 90s and they sound great. My main player is an Ah! Njoe Tjoeb CD4000. It is actually a modified Marantz with a tube output. I still play cds regularly and now that they are super cheap used,my collection is still growing.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@frankgeeraerts6243]

Try to find a ECC188 from Siemens ( nos )...............and if you're lucky a.........CCA.....

[@SuperMcgenius]

Love the list and the concept of the test. 👏

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks!

[@ser55len]

Thanks a lot for Your fascinating narration and enthusiasm. I will be happy to watch the next issues. And, although I'm fond of vinyl, I have a lot of CDs and vintage Sony CDP R3 with great sounding. Waiting for Part two!

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you. You’re very kind

[@net_news]

wow great series!! 🙌

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks

[@tonyhodgkinson4586]

My first CD player was a Philips player, can’t remember the model except it was a front loader and had battleship build, even the CD draw was all metal construction. Be about 1986 or 1987.

[@scotthanson4710]

I also purchased a Philips model around 1987. The big attraction for me was the remote control and variable outs that I used to go directly to a Kenwood power amp. Heaven!

[@harrisfogel6992]

Yep! $100 at Adray's for the Magnavox badged version, built by Phillips in the Netherlands. About 20+ lbs, all metal. Still have two of them!

[@gkmaia38]

Excellent research and presentation!

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you. Very much appreciated

[@rixvspinner]

Great job on the video, very informative and somehow, interesting.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks Rick.

[@jbponzi1]

I worked an audio store in the early 80’s. Missed the very beginning. The Technics SL-P7 was now out and quite nice and popular. The CDP101, even though still available when I started, the CDP30 was the successor we sold the most.

[@PearlAcoustics]

🙏 for your comment

[@nancy4don]

The SL-P7 was my first CD player. It was a price breakthrough, being $499.99 in 1984. I didn't see any CD changers in here. My old Sony claimed a 45-bit (!?) D/A converter. Still sounds terrific.

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

THANKS HARLEY…FOR THE HISTORY OF CD’s 🤗💚💚💚

[@PearlAcoustics]

You’re very welcome. Glad you enjoyed it

[@stereo8893]

What an interesting idea! I can't wait.

[@sparky60ful]

Nice video! To play and work Pinkeltje needed 3 or 4 big suitcases full of electronics when these Philips people arrived in Japan. Later this all got in to a few chips. Great work and amazing!

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for your appreciation and also for the very interesting comment!

[@radkokosoTT]

Hi. Excellent video on an interesting topic. I basically agree with all the devices mentioned in the video, but I think the Naim Audio CD2 (1995) would definitely be worth mentioning too. This model was one of the best sounding CD players of its time and also featured iconic “hinged” front loading mechanism for the first time.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks! Very kind. Indeed the Naim is a worthy contender

[@marcostefanoboietti6013]

Infact I have from 2006 a Naim CD5 X but the pick up and It begin to jump but the pick up Is finished in Italy so I 'll have to buy another one but not Naim any more.

[@auggysimcity]

@@PearlAcoustics yet not mentioned. lol

[@PearlAcoustics]

@@auggysimcity 😀

[@andrewbrazier9664]

@@marcostefanoboietti6013 The Naim 💿 has served you well though for 17 years !!!

[@stephenv7706]

My first cd player bought in the early 80’s was a Hitachi DA-1000 and I can still remember the sales man telling me that only 100 classical music disc’s were available at that time nothing else, sadly long gone along with my early cd’s which had deteriorated so no longer played, so much for ever lasting held up to a bright light they looked like the night sky 🫣

[@willykluppels2493]

Great video, I still remember some of the CD players. My best CD player I ever had was a Luxman D 105u, hibryde along with the LV 105u amp and B&W matrix 802 speakers) Greets from Belgium (near Leuven & Tienen) Keep up the good work 👍

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks Willy. Very kind and nice addition to the topic. (We are almost neighbours then)!

[@danriley3064]

Fantastic video. Looking forward to part 2.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks Dan!

[@karlisdizbite6432]

I have Nakamichi CDP-2E with Philips chip. And it sounds beautiful.

[@xiaobaozha]

Was quite surprised to see that Naim missed out on a place in the list 😕

[@jlaurson]

I'm only 7 minutes into this -- and what a bloody charming talk! I'm all ears. Love it.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks!

[@johnmarchington3146]

Thanks, Harley, for another fascinating video. I have to confess I was hoping you'd include the Marantz CD-7 but never mind, Only 750 were ever made and I remember Martin Colloms' review in "Hi-Fi News" when he summed up, in his final paragraph "What a machine!"

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for sharing!

[@peterrichardson9248]

Hi Harvey. I’m surprised you didn’t mention Ken Ishiwata and the Marantz signature series. I have an early CD94 and it really is first class considering its age and stands up well against most modern machines such as the Marantz SA10.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Good point Peter

[@auggysimcity]

@@PearlAcoustics stick to making speakers please.

[@195516Z]

Thoroughly enjoyed your reviews.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you. So pleased

[@roberthesse5990]

I’m looking forward to additional parts. I remember my first experience with the CD 100. I put on a London recording of the Messiah and the words “ Comfort ye my people “ stunned me. I could not afford the player but fairly soon the price dropped and after checking with 😂Jack Renner of Telarc ( the only one I knew who had heard both performance and the players) I purchased one rather than the Sony. BTW that is why I enjoy your channel so much: you have heard and mastered the live music, the gold standard. Your observations have meaning.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you Robert. You’re very kind. Thanks for your interesting comment

[@marcostefanoboietti6013]

What CD player did you buy Robert please?

[@davidperkins3621]

Slightly surprised that Nakamichi didn’t make it onto your list, their CD players were long lusted after as they were very expensive for the time and never within my price range

[@PearlAcoustics]

Indeed. They were not in mine either! 😉

[@jeffmountjoy5212]

My Nakamichi CDP2A is still my pride and joy :)

[@faludabutt8253]

I think their cassette decks were more popular

[@abbersj2935]

@@jeffmountjoy5212 Had one myself. That's the magic of the Philips TDA1541A for you.

[@saltywalt57]

The Marantz CD 63 that you refer to, was Ken Ishiwatas 1st product at Marantz. Yes, it's a Philips in disguise. Later that year, Marantz released CD73 which had Ken's improved DAC design.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for your contribution to the discussion.

[@arnolddill]

On the inside the CD-73 was essentially the same the the Philips CD-300. Exactly the same signal processing. Same TDA1540D ceramic DAC’s and identical analogue buffering output stage. CD-73 and CD-300 were both made on the same production lines in Belgium. The MARANTZ Bus Remote system was incorporated in the 73, and of course the styling, and physical structure is different on the MARANTZ. But the core player is identical, with identical components, and identical sonic performance.

[@volpedo2000]

Harvey, what a trip down memory lane. My dad bought our first CD player, a Sony, in the late in the mid-80s. I remember reading in stereo magazines about most of models you mentioned. Makes me feel old. 😊 Pity no CD12.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Sorry about the lack of CD12, to be honest, I didn’t really know it and it didn’t pop up on my research. I am very curious to hear one now!

[@laika25]

I love these 3-part stories... Off to get a cup of tea

[@PearlAcoustics]

😀👍

[@thomaskuhn6541]

The Sony D-5, the first discman that you show at 40:23 was my first CD player. Not much selection in the way of CDs back then, my first two were Michael Jackson Off the Wall and David Sanborn Voyageur. I got many years of service out of the D-5, but it did have a pretty aggressive sharp sound, definitely not "vinyl".

[@frankgeeraerts6243]

Indeed , the very best come (only) close to analog .....

[@stephens2r338]

So you forgot dCS. The first to come with dedicated DSD back in 1998. They were physically large and came in four boxes but they still sound as good if not better than many high priced modern players

[@olavdeleeuw7532]

What a nice topic and great to get this beautiful medium back in the spotlight. I loved my first CD player, the Philips CD104. I remember being moved by the sound of the Dire Straits Brothers in Arms CD. I still have the Brothers in Arms CD and it has been playing exactly the same for over 38 years. Awesome! Unfortunately I gave away my CD104 player in early 2000 😞

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for sharing!

[@jimfarrell4635]

Great video. I kept expecting the Arcam Alpha 7 to come up, or so something from Musical Fidelity but we all have our favourites. I've had a bunch of different machines but I think my favourite, even over big heavy two box MF players, is my Oppo BDP-83 universal disc player. A great sounding well built understated machine. I still use it plugged into my Denafrips DAC using a little Chinese I2S adapter.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Hi Jim, thanks for your very kind comment. An old machine of high quality, with a digital output does wonders. Enjoy

[@michorg]

Excellent survey! Of course you couldn’t cover every brand, but at least here in the USA, the Oppo brand had (and has) a reputation for astonishingly good sound at reasonable prices. They’re really kind of legendary now, and it’s a shame that they ceased production of these machines a few years back.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks David. Sadly I did not know Oppo, there were so many good brands that never got the international reputation they deserved

[@Roscoeverdin5469]

I completely agree. It is a crying shame an Oppo product isn't in the review. I have had four models total and each one got better than the last. The review is almost not worth watching without an Oppo in the mix.

[@francoisdallaire127]

Oppo has nothing in common with this kind of cd players, it's a Chinese company founded in 2004 that only made DVD and Blu-ray universal players, they are not related to the audio world of the 80's and 90's.

[@Roscoeverdin5469]

@@francoisdallaire127 Ah, so there is a cut off for review based on country of origin? Do I sense a bit of snobbery? And are you saying CD players prior to 2004 weren't reviewed? BTW, the OPPOs played SACD, DVDs, CDs and Blu-ray. The review goes into the 2020s. The last Oppo, the BDP-205, may very well have run circles around those reviewed. It now sells for 2-2.5x it's last list price. For Chinese junk no less..............

[@gil3green]

Very interesting, yes I enjoyed video. I still own a Rega Planet, shown in your second image (the original model). Yes it still works.

[@kenlyon8285]

My "clamshell" Planet has also seen 27 yrs of service without a hitch

[@gil3green]

@@kenlyon8285 mine is semi retired, but can play some disc my current one can’t

[@kenlyon8285]

@@gil3green mine has a few weak LED segments but functions perfectly in my workshop system and still bops merrily along with that signature Rega rhythmic sound. I think it holds up pretty well musically, if not in refinement

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for sharing!

[@blastfromtheeast]

Great video. Some KZbinrs have made some comparison between blu-ray/dvd players and dedicated cd players. I am waiting for parts 2 & 3. Thought multi disc players (aside from the B&O) deserved to be mentioned.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks

[@championknife]

In the USSR, the first 120mm optical disc player was produced in 1979 (Luch-001). Three years before Philips. But in the USSR, for various reasons, it was not mass-produced, but only in small batches.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Interesting… I never knew that

[@jacksonsystemslimited]

My Top 4 players would be: Technics SL-P990, Technics SL-PJ38A (Identical to Phillips), Any of the Pioneer Stable Platter series and the Sony CDP-XA7ES. Actually added bonus, Rotel RCD-965BX.

[@james9789]

Do you rate the Rotel RCD-965BX? I've Just bought one.

[@jacksonsystemslimited]

@@james9789 oh yes! The 965BX is a top player! And quite rare these days! You’ve made a good purchase for sure!

[@james9789]

@@jacksonsystemslimited great to hear thanks I'm waiting on some interconnects so I'm having to be patient.

[@jacksonsystemslimited]

@@james9789 if you need it servicing have drop Mend It Mark a message see what his availability is.

[@ewoutbuhler5217]

The Philips was actually called Pinkeltje, after a famous Dutch little childrensbook character the size of your pinky finger. Love your presentation! Other story: the CD used to be 10cm, around 60 minutes but it was said Sony demanded it to be 12cm/74minutes. Next to the change from 14 to 16 bit, this too supposedly was a move to set back Philips as the infrastructure for 10cm discs production was just being put in place in Europe. People say 74minutes is the length determined by the longest played version of Beethoven's 9th symphony.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for your very kind words and interesting addition to the story. From my research I think we can be very sure that Philips determined the size and length of the CD, as there are photos of it taken, before Sony even saw it. It is certainly true that Sony switched to 16bits at the last minute. I think it is also a case of the Sony engineers wanting to have some input in the total design. Philips was also a major record label at this time, with a massive reputation in classical music, whereas Sony Music, as a recording company did not begin until the early 1990’s, when the American division of Sony took over CBS. I guess there must be a definitive work on this topic somewhere?

[@arthurgordon6072]

Also, the fact that the CD reads from the centre out, allows for different sizes of disc.

[@ewoutbuhler5217]

@@arthurgordon6072 certainly, this is why the 8cm cd-single was possible. But there are some mechanical challenges, when the cd-single in 8cm version was released, many players at that time were not able to play them. The CD-tray did not have an indent and it was a risk that the small CD would miss-align and even could get the complete CD mechanism stuck. This is why they also has the 8 to 12cm adaptor, you can click around 8cm disks..

[@nickwallette6201]

@@arthurgordon6072 Oh there are ways to work around that. Vinyl being one obvious case study, but consider a Laser Disc player as well. Not only are CDs and LDs significantly different in overall diameter, but their innermost track isn't the same either.

[@henkbangma3015]

Dit wilde ik ook vertellen, maar ik vermoedde al dat iemand mij voor zou zijn. 🥺

[@hamidrezahabibi8111]

Magnificent piece of video 😊 I wish for the part 2 and 3 to have higher audio level. Thanks 🙏🏼 You forgot to mention Accuphase and NEC.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you. Hi Hamid, when you ask for a ‘higher audio level’ what exactly do you mean? Best wishes

[@hamidrezahabibi8111]

Hi Maestro. What I meant was to increase the recording level of your voice while recording the video. Some words are hard to hear. Your fan from Tehran Iran ❤️🤍💚

[@ulif.7593]

What a greatful journey into the history of CD-Players! Thank you so much! My first CD-Player was a Hitachi DA-1000 from 1984. My last a Marantz CD-10 from 1993 which I use today. It is a very good „analogue“ sounding Player, brilliant.

[@PearlAcoustics]

My pleasure, thanks for your very kind message

[@miguelcontreras3953]

Great presentation. My 1st CD was a Denon DCD-1520, bought in 1987 and lasted until 2019 after the Sony laser died. After that I moved to Rega Apollo that I friend gave it to me and fixed myself replacing the transport. My last acquisition is a Marantz ND 8006 CD/Streamer Combo.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks Miguel

[@crtgamer2355]

Might be nonsense, but apparently the first run of Sony Playstations had audiophile grade cd sound. I myself had a Sega Saturn console which also used cd's and it also sounded fantastic.

[@jacksonsystemslimited]

Nope not nonsense, however it wasnt all of them it was only the ones with the Red/White Phono connections ont he back.. which not all of them had. But yes they where audiophile grade indeed.

[@AdiMaco]

This is one of the most interesting YT videos and series about audio gear. It was a pleasure to listen to and to see! Great series indeed! Among other many CD players, I have also owned a SONY Discman and I regret selling it. Also, one of the most interesting CD players that I have tested, not owned, was the first CD player from YBA. I have owned a lot of crappy cd-players from Sony, Phillips, Marantz, Denon, Arcam, and some interesting DVD players. The CD player that allowed me to listen to classical music was Marants CD63 OSE LE and that YBA.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you very much for your interesting comment and contribution to the topic.

[@conkelleher8454]

Thank you for your wonderful and informative videos , I'm hoping with this series on cd players that you can possibly cover the influence external dacs have ,basically if there is much of a difference between using a basic cd/dvd player and a high end one that goes through a decent external dac.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Hi Con, thanks for your comment. Indeed, I will be covering this point in part 2. Coming out in a few weeks

[@conkelleher8454]

@@PearlAcoustics Thank You so much.

[@mwalker2496]

Surely the Esoteric/Teac VRDS transport engineering dynasty deserved a bit more of a mention? Those VRDS transports were/are also bought by other manufacturers such as Wadia and dCS for 20 years etc because they were considered the pinnacle of transport engineering (and unfortunately had a price to match). I know you mentioned the Teac P1/D1 but it was the underlying vastly different approach to the transport that continues in those players today. And in terms of the future of the physical CD/SACD medium - Esoteric (and Denon?) continue to invest in development of both transports and the new discrete, non chip DACs. Perhaps supported solely by the continued popularity/resurgence of SACD in Japan?

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for your comment

[@stimpy1226]

I am wondering why you did not include Wadia in your top 20.

[@jacksonsystemslimited]

Wadia... IIRC (I dont know much about them) used Pioneers Stable Platter at one point in time.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Hi, I guess because they were not known in the countries I grew up in? I only came across them when doing my research

[@jacksonsystemslimited]

@@PearlAcoustics I think back in the day anyway Wadia where very specialist!

[@bottomburp]

The first CD Player I owned when I started getting into " HiFI Separate Systems", was the Pioneer PDS 703 that had a "Stable Platter Mechanism" and you loaded cd's playing side up, it was an amazing sounding player. The only CD Player I wish I hadn't sold was my Marantz CD63 K I Signature, I loved it but the laser packed up, so I sold it as non working, but even to this day I wish I'd sent to Marantz to get repaired, but instead I bought a Arcam Alpha 9 which I still have now, but when it was new I had to send it back to Arcam and have a modified Wolfson DAC put in it because it wouldn't play my Ozzy Osbourne "No More Tears" CD which is really bizarre because the same disc would work on any other player with no problems at all, and any other CD in my collection would work ok in the Alpha 9 player. I have a letter from Arcam stating that my player is unique now because they had never come across this problem before.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for sharing

[@jimmyhopkins1]

Cd will always be my format of choice great video once again :)

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks Jimmy!

[@danielbrown2715]

Looking forward to part 2 however, you've managed to pick a collection of machines which do not feature the legendary Phillips TDA 1541A dac where many a giant killer was born not least the Rotel RCD855 £3000 sound for £300 back in 1990 even today i still find myself removing a cd from my Roksan Caspian and placing it in the Rotel.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Dear Daniel, the Philips CD880, I feature has the TDA 1541A Dac chip that you mention. I have just checked the photos I took of its interior, and it’s their plain to see. I hope you enjoy part 3!

[@HARTYNMUGHES]

What differences do you hear between the two?

[@xcvbxcvb2179]

Missing MicroMega milestone.

[@dexterts1]

Amazing work Harley,i really enjoy your informative videos. Is there any way to apply to be in the listening sesion for part 2?

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks! Very kind. For part 2, I am inviting industry professionals and enthusiasts to blind audition 7 different CD players. The sessions start today. If you can get to Belgium in the next week, then maybe we can sort something out 😉

[@spinynorman8217]

Fantastic talk, thank you!

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it

[@inputerase]

For me the Sony CDP-X777ES is the best CD player. It's almost the same player as the CDP X7ES, but the CDP X777ES has a better and double DAC. But I must say.., the sound quality is not that much better than the CDP X7ES. The CDP X7ES, CDP X77ES and the CDP X777ES are using the same mechanism, built like a tank!

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for your input

[@adriantinocoherrero3716]

Where's the sony playstation 1?

[@PearlAcoustics]

Indeed, I didn’t mention it and chose the Sony discman portable instead! Indeed, perhaps that was an oversight

[@Iam-mad]

Thank You for this very nice time travel through the Era of CD. 😊 I personally believe, that the fact of 14 vs 16 bit is not relevant, much more interesting is, that the Philips TDA1541 was a D/A conversion chip (in the first models it was TDA 1540) that had a unique musical sound, that still rules today. It was so good, that even Sony used it in its models (CDP 227/337/555ESD), and many High End manufacturers used it as well, like Creek, Musical Fidelity, Arcam, Naim, Revox, Sugden, Cambridge Audio and even Audio Note. There is a still growing fanbase of TDA1541 and 1540 people, who build DACs with adapted I/O units for actual bit rates of modern streaming. Best Regards from Austria! 😉

[@PearlAcoustics]

You’re very welcome! Thanks too, for sharing your interesting insights on the Philips chips.

[@Iam-mad]

@@PearlAcoustics Thank You for Your reply! 😊

[@canuckkhan]

Thank you so much for a very informative and educational video. I really enjoyed watching every minute of it. I was a bit disappointed that ACCUPHASE was left out from the list, for the reason only you can explain. And yes I do have a vintage Accuphase transport and dac digital set up and I would never change for anything else.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks very much for your appreciation and kind comment. I don’t think that I left the Accuphase out as such, it’s just that I ran out of machines… I had to stop at 20! Indeed a really great piece of engineering. Enjoy.

[@keithbertschin1213]

Wonderful, this gentleman is so interesting

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks Keith. You’re very kind

[@jeremiahchamberlin4499]

Great tour of some grand (and not so grand) machines.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks!

[@roberthesse5990]

I’m glad I listened until the end. You nailed it again. Maybe a bit of short shrift to the Discman but natural given an emphasis on sound quality. The buffering and error correction were a massive early development and were instrumental in putting CD’s in cars. I’d be curious as to whether this technology has been incorporated into home transports ( I’d suspect it in DVD players); it would be much kinder to back and wallet than piling on mass.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Hi Robert, very interesting comment. We are aligned

[@adamwilson2203]

Hi Harley, a friend sent me your videos as he knew I would have a keen interest. You see I actually own the Denon DP-S1 and DA-S1 that are #9 on your list. Rumored to be one of about 55 ever made by Denon, I bought it from an audiophile about a month ago and I'm listening to it as I type this. In my late 40's now, I am indulging in my lust of top tier 1990s audio equipment that I lusted after in high school. I even bought the 1994 Stereophile magazine with the Denon pair on the front cover! Yes they are extremely heavy tanks in real life.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Hi Adam. Thanks for you wonderful comment. You have a rare museum piece there. Great stuff. I hope they sound good too? Personally, I would resist the temptation to. ‘Modify’ them, and only replace components, if they are ever needed.

[@tablameister]

My first CD player was a Phillips/Magnavox demo model (no remote) that I bought for a $100. I still use my second CD player, the highly regarded Rotel RCD855.

[@clarkejones8090]

Excellent. And I enjoyed it very much. Cheers.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@davidbailey6350]

Love this video, can’t wait for part 2&3… I still have my Luxman CD-404…. Needs a belt I believe….

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks David

[@martinda7446]

A wonderful look back. I love your choices. I was working at KJ in those days. We sold soooo many Meridians.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks! Meridians - they were very respected machines

[@carmenandthedevil2804]

The original 206 was a 16 bit, 4 times oversampling machine and sounded way better then the Bitstream player.

[@martinda7446]

@@carmenandthedevil2804 You know, I've forgotten... I remember Delta Sigma written on the display of some 206, 208... whatever... I was never that interested in CD, but I played about a lot with and owned the original Philips CD100/101, the Meridian MCD and Pro and all the rest went through my hands. For whatever reason those 14 bit/16 bit Philips chips TD 1541A were utterly, without exception, amazing. I'll have to investigate this thing, because there sure will be a story behind it. The original Cambridge CD1 two box CD used them to great effect having SIX of em to get 120db dynamic range! I know Philips at launch didn't have 16 bit chips available so had to be clever with the 14 bit and oversampling and so on. The Philips machine simply blew the Sony 101 away, and I've never seen that in print, everyone says the Sony was wonderful. I just never heard it, it was just very boring next to the Philips. The Philips was a pain in the arse to use, every one else went straight to the standard compact cassette style buttons ( when they themselves invented the compact cassette) ...

[@PetraKann]

Excellent video. Brought back memories of my first Sony Discman which I bought for about $400 AU in the late 1980s. It needed 2 AA batteries which surprisingly lasted for a reasonable length of time. The motor must have been very efficient. I believe the unit had 2 or 3 seconds of playback buffer which was used to minimise vibration and movement effects on the laser reader. Also had an external power supply and output jack. A Gryphon Ethos for $39,000 is very tempting but I may pay off some of my home loan instead. Gryphon Ethos - what a name!

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks Petra. Lovely contribution

[@wt4495]

Thank you for such a wonderful video, taking us back to the history of CDs, a sweet memory lane (alongside, not forgetting, vinyl records, of course)! I am just wondering why you did not include any CD Player from dCS ?

[@PearlAcoustics]

Glad you enjoyed it. Sorry about the dcs omission, but I have never experienced one! Hopefully, one day! Thanks for pointing out the omission.

[@wt4495]

@@PearlAcoustics 🙏🙏

[@attrktmarketing4582]

Wonderful…thank you Harley

[@PearlAcoustics]

🙏

[@andersulrich2501]

Thank you for the video, looking forward to the second part. Would have love to see the Amr cd-777 and the Hegel Mohican in the comparaison.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Noted!

[@limp6986]

+1 for the AMR 777. Deserves to be in this list, above many others mentioned here.

[@cengeb]

Philips CD drives where used in the majority of players around the world. Philips got royaltys for every Cd disc, and player made around the world...since Philips held the majority of all CD patents...

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for your contribution to the topic