Hi guys looking for a bit of “what would you do” advice.
Current set up
282/ 250DR / CDX2/ XPS DR / HICAP / P6 / Wilson Benesch Arcs.
CDP has given up the ghost and according to both Naim and Class A is unrepairable.
My excellent and helpful Naim dealer has by chance taken in a CDX2 which is a few years newer than mine and which I could have for £650.
Alternatively he suggested waiting for the new Rega Apollo which should be available shortly for around the same price.
Having read other threads I am also considering a Marantz SA 12 , available brand new for £1600.
Options 2&3 would render the XPS DR ( only 2 years old) redundant so I could part exchange/ sell to defray the cost.
I have no interest in streaming or ripping a very large cd collection into a Uniti Core.
Although I have a very large cd collection and need a CDP , increasingly I am playing more and more vinyl so if I cashed in the XPS I could apply the funds to upgrading my TT probably to a P10.
For me……i would go for a brand new cd player, another cdx2 will eventually fail, unfortunately.
So many out their, Accuphase, Marantz, Esoteric, Rega etc.
When my CDS3 was determined to be unrepairable, I was faced with the same problem. Lots of CD’s, but no way to play them. I tried several CDP’s but having been spoiled by the SQ of the CDS3, just didn’t like them… I didn’t think I was interested in streaming either, until my dealer suggested I just “give it a try”. Didn’t take long to convince me, streaming is great! But my CD’s are still king. I run the new Pro-Ject CD transport through the NDX2, and life is good again.
Not sure to be honest as I made the move to ripping and streaming a few years ago. I think it depends on your budget. The new Exposure whilst expensive could be very good. I think Cyrus does a few CD players as do Rega that people report as being good.
Very interesting topic. There are a couple of CDS3s up for auction on ebay at the moment. Could be an option and you can use your XPSDR. It’s also a bit better than CDX2.
Other option is go for Marantz SA12 which is now half price or another CDP.
I have had 4 Naim CD players and I really like them. A CDS3 and 2 CDS2s and my first was CD5Si.
The best were CDS2 and CDS3. If they go wrong there is limited support.
I have gone down streaming route but part of me would still like a CD transport or CD player.
It’s not an easy decision. I would consider Accuphase and Esoteric as well as the Marantz you are looking at.
When my CDS2 dies, I’ll have some similar thoughts. CD players wear out, but then so do cartridges and eventually some bits inside amps and power supplies and maybe tweeters too.
For many with a DAC or a streamer with an input, a simple transport or a Core (or equivalent) will do nicely, but that isn’t you.
Given that longevity is relevant, Rega surely has an advantage, given the quality of their long-term support for their CD players.
£650 isn’t really all that much these days. Chances are you’ll get years of life out of the CDX2. Are you likely to get a higher performing alternative?? Yes there’s a degree of risk but if this unit is in good condition it’s probably a good bet. How much warranty will your dealer offer?
There is of course the option to buy a used Naim replacement. That option is a roll of the dice and the pool of options is getting older and their longevity shorter but you could get lucky and it would last and last.
If I were in your position I would look at what other companies offer. If buying new then this will be a more expensive option if you want to audition something equivalent to a CDX2.
A shortlist for me would be
Marantz
Atoll
Cyrus
If you are going to the Rega route for a TT (a good choice) then a Rega CD player may fit in well too.
I had this dilemma earlier this year (although I wanted a naim, but my current CD wasn’t). I listened to a fair few brands. I couldn’t stretch to a rega Isis, it’s a top loader which doesn’t suit my set up.
I’d still do what I did. When my CDP died a fundamental difference from you is that a couple of years previously I had ripped all my LPs and made CDs out of them, and sold my TT (Not because digital was better: it was on a par, except mt LPs were wearing out and CDs wouldn’t. And I kept the ripped files themselves in case any CD got damaged or deteriorated as I knew CDRs were more susceptible to ageing than pressed CDs.) It was more than 10 years since I had looked at any hifi information about sources, so I started researching to find the best replacement. I had never even heard of streaming, let alone had any interest in it, but in my research I very quickly came to the conclusion that it was the future and CD days may be numbered, so I looked further into it and decided that was the way to go. I could rip my CDs - but in the meantine I had all my LP files so a ready made stock of music to play! The rest is history - I have never looked back, and music now sounds better than ever, as well as much space created in the house and even 2 hour+ albums playable without a break.
So tgat is what I would do (and did). You declared no interest in streaming, but maybe it is worth giving more consideration before dismissing,
I agree with this. I sold my CDX2 4 years ago when the sound no longer agreed with me and I moved to streaming. Aside from realising I needed a more accurate and relaxed sound I also had concerns about how much longer it would last having had it from new the month Naim released them. I sold the CDP to a dealer but by coincidence realised I know who he moved it onto. It’s still going strong at the 22 year mark and has never needed a repair. Buying a straight replacement for a relatively small amount both restores the happiness and buys you time to explore other CDPs or streaming.
If you had a first gen. CDX2 I think it’s unlikely you’ll enjoy the CD5si. That’s a very different beast. Equally, whilst timbre on a CDS3 is far better than the CDX2 it just doesn’t do PRaT like the latter.
No modern CDP comes near what a CDX2/XPS2 could do. They’re more in the CD5si and CDS3 camps. Streaming would give you more of the latter too.