Remember when CD players were immaculately built, and used heavy and smoothly operating CD mechanisms?
Modern CD players invariably use standard or lightly modified CD ROM mechanisms. Even the flagships from companies such as Wadia and Meridian have done away with CD-only transports and along with this, most companies have also given up on making their own disc loading systems. It has become common to see a cheap plastic tray on high-end CD players. I don’t know about you, but I miss the old and sturdy, often super-smoothly operating drawers.
This article takes a closer look at some of the most impressive CD players and disk loading mechanisms ever made. There are separate pages for each brand, click the brand to see the models.
ACCUPHASE
DP-90
DP-400
DP-800
DP-900
BURMESTER
069
089
KRELL
KPS-20i
KPS-25S
KPS-25Sc
LINN
Sondek CD12
MERIDIAN
506.24
602
808.3
MARANTZ
CD94
CD12 LE
CD11 LE
MARK LEVINSON
31
31.5
37
39
390S
PIONEER
PD-T09
PD-95
PD-S95
SONY
XA50ES
CDP-R10
SCD1
SCD777ES
TEAC / ESOTERIC
P-0(S)
X-01/UX-1
X-03/UX-3
WADIA
7
861 / 861SE
S7i
971
Hi Christiaan,
as I agree with your opinion that a loading mechanism should be sturdy and smooth I’d like to take into account a few YAMAHA CDX transports.
My CDX-1050 for example, has a solid metal tray with a smooth plastic inlet which kind of embraces the disc. Most of the transport parts are metal. This machine is a real pleasure from the very beginning when you push the OPEN/CLOSE button twice.
Regards,
Heiko
Yeah, the Yamaha top players were really nice, too! In the nineties, that kind of build was normal for a player in that price category.