Which CD Player?

I am happy with my Atoll CD100 (first generation) since over 20 years now.

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Primare also make the excellent CD35 which beat the Rega Saturn MK3 and others in a HiFi Choice Group Test, Primare also make a CDT version of the CD35.

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A streaming module can also be added to the CD35.

I think @Jamiewednesday posted a few weeks ago that the CD35 sounded good, after hearing it at Epsom hifi show.

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It does, it’s a good bit of kit. Though I am very much attracted to the deals on Marantz SA-12 and CD50n around just now :thinking:

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I’d stick with Rega, next step is Saturn which is really good and miles better than CD5Si.
Any other Naim CD players is a risk of become doorstop due to reasons.

A cheap option you could add a Rega Dac to your existing Apollo to go one level up, these Dac’s are rather cheap on the second hand market.
Rega support their players, no worries there.

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Hi,
I moved from Apollo-R to CD5i a few years ago and wouldn’t change back. I think it was with the Rega Brio-R originally and the CD5i really blew it away. Then with a Nait 5si it was still better and now with Nait50 a new level again. That said, I’m still tempted by the Saturn mk3…

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Bought an sa-10 on great deal recently. Sounds great-build quality fantastic

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£1600 down from £3000 for the 12SE is a very good deal. :blush:

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It is, I presume it’s being replaced like the 10. However, I have ordered one…

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The best used Naim CD5XS you can find. Then add a Naim dac a few months down the line. Totally satisfying.

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Heard the Marantz, very good sound per pound, lovely and I do mean lovely construction

Plus SACD

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Another vote for the Marantz CD6007; it’s superbly made for the money and a more than capable performer above its price range. Certainly Marantz’s previous iterations of this player more than held its own in my systems.

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The CD5Si is a very underrated performer. Very happy with mine, solidly built and a great combo with my SN3. Strangely unloved (and possibly unheard) by many here though

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CD5si owner - very good if you can leave it switched on - takes a good while to come on song. I demoed it back to back against a Saturn-R. To my ears there was not much in it, the Rega slightly brighter perhaps. Back then the CD5si was £1,100 and the Saturn closer to £2k.

Unless you are having reliability issues with the Apollo I would be tempted to add a good DAC/streaming DAC and see what benefit, if any, it brings

If you want to replace the Apollo but retain the form factor, then Exposure XM or Cyrus appear logical. Shanling do players and transports that size, as do Project.

If you like the sound signature the deals on end of line Marantz Reference series players sound very tempting though.

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I have a Marantz CD-17 KI that I bought in the early/mid 1990’s that I would highly recommend.

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Last Naim spinner I had was a CD5 XS, which I latterly used with external DAC’s over digital coaxial. Even powered it with a HiCap at one point.
I let it go when it had a decent value still and I was all in on streaming. I probably should have kept it with hindsight :smiling_face:
I’d be tempted to get a transport only as either my Atom or NSC 222 have digital inputs anyway, the Audiolab ones seem decent value and with generally positive comments.

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I liked the CD5si but felt it was outclassed by the Nait 50

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Another vote for the Rega Saturn.
If you like the Apollo, the Saturn is quite noticeably better and really musical.

Best regards, BF

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Hi. That’s interesting, seems the 50 is sensitive to source.
I borrowed one for a weekend and didn’t get on with it. Seemed to struggle with mid to high volume levels

I’ve recently acquired a used Cyrus CD6 SE to put into my system for occasional use. It’s a replacement for my very early Naim CDS, as I got fed up with having to unpack/ repack as there is no way I could keep it permanently attached to the rest of my gear. It sounds very good, and being half-width, fits very well into my shelving.