CD Players: Reviews

Updated January 2012

While CD players for the audiophile-crowd (for which price is no object) are readily available, good-quality and affordable dedicated CD players are getting rare. Still, lots of good choices remain, and ConsumerSearch digs through the opinions of experts and owners to find the very best ones. High-performing but moderately priced single-disc CD players and multidisc players that can be the life of the party are analyzed, and the best choices are named.

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Best CD player

Emotiva ERC-2

*Est. $450 Learn More

It isn't cheap, but if you're a CD devotee, the Emotiva ERC-2 single-disc CD player is earning raves for delivering sound quality that outshines other models at or near its price point -- and some say it holds its own… expandagainst players costing much more. The slot-loading mechanism looks like those in automotive and portable CD players but is designed to handle discs with care. Reviewers say build quality is solid, and the player is backed by a five-year warranty. Disc-format compatibility is limited, however, to CD audio, HDCD, CD-R and CR-RW. This boutique-brand CD player is only available directly from the manufacturer. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

CNET: Guttenberg puts the Emotiva ERC-2 to the test with high-volume rock and live chamber music, and he is impressed by the depth of the player's sound.

Stereophile: Stephen Mejias says he is astounded at how much emotion and detail the Emotiva ERC-2 brings out in well-recorded music, but he is not charmed by the machine's loading mechanism, which he says takes some getting used to, or its bulk.

Favorite-Classical-Composers.com: This is a short review, lacking in detail, but it's from a reviewer with knowledge of a wide range of players.

AudioCircle.com: This is certainly not the most active discussion thread on AudioCircle.com, but it does contain helpful opinions on the Emotiva ERC-2.

Emotiva Lounge: This discussion forum focuses on Emotiva products.

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Five-disc CD changer

Yamaha CDC-697

*Est. $250 Compare Prices

Although it's not the least expensive five-disc changer available, the Yamaha CDC-697 is among the most capable. Its important features include the ability to swap out discs while one is playing. CD Text is supported, and… expandyou can program the CD-697 to play up to 40 tracks in any order. An RS-232 port allows for control by a PC. One shortcoming is that there's no support for MP3 or WMA files, though recordable CDs with CD audio files play just fine. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerGuide.com: ConsumerGuide.com puts the Yamaha CDC-697 CD changer through its paces and gives it a more impressive recommendation than the site's rating would suggest.

Crutchfield.com: Crutchfield.com labels the Yamaha CDC-697 five-disc CD changer a "customer favorite," based on the number of reviews the player has received and its high overall rating.

Amazon.com: Customer ratings here are as high as at Crutchfield.com, and there are nearly twice as many reviews, including some that are long and detailed.

RateItAll.com: There are only a handful of reviews of the Yamaha CDC-697 at this independent user-review site, but it receives perfect scores across the board.

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Best universal disc player

Oppo BDP-95

*Est. $1,000 Compare Prices

For those who are as serious about video as they are about sound, the Oppo BDP-95 is a game-changer. Video support is similar to the less expensive Oppo BDP-93 (*Est. $500), which is a well-regarded DVD/CD player. But the… expandOppo BDP-95's audio performance is boosted by audio processing circuitry that would be more at home in audiophile- or even professional-grade gear costing much more. That leads the most demanding audio experts and aficionados to call the BDP-95 a relative bargain despite its steep price -- one that might make the BDP-95 overkill for casual listeners. A true universal disc player, the BDP-95 can play back almost any 5-inch audio or video disc you can throw at it, including Blu-ray. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

EnjoyTheMusic.com: Instead of technical bench testing, this reviewer gathers a panel of film- and music-lovers to conduct rigorous listening sessions, including comparisons with pricier equipment.

Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity: This highly technical review offers comprehensive bench-testing of the Oppo BDP-95 and two versions of the Oppo BDP-93, with evaluation of their performance with a variety of disc and music file formats, including CD-A, DVD and SACD. The BDP-95's audio performance is deemed "nothing short of superb." The BDP-95 receives the site's Best Universal Player of 2011 award.

HomeTheaterReview.com: This review offers a clear technical explanation of the player's digital-to-analog technology, but it is most valuable for its lengthy listening evaluation.

AVForum.com: In addition to a balanced narrative report, this British site handily scores the Oppo BDP-95EU -- the nearly identical version of the BDP-95 that is sold in Europe -- according to specific criteria.

The Perfect Vision: The Perfect Vision, hosted at AVGuide.com, gives the Oppo BDP-95 its Recommended award.

CNET: This review tests the Oppo BDP-95 using a variety of music formats, including SACD and high-resolution digital files burned to DVDs.

What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision: This review compares the European edition of the Oppo BDP-95 with the Cambridge Audio Azur 751BD, noting technical similarities but highlighting sonic differences.

Audioholics.com: This is a fairly technical review that compares the sound quality of the Oppo BDP-95 with the cheaper Oppo BDP-93 and finds both disc players to be excellent.

AVSForum.com: This forum is perhaps the most active online discussion area for Oppo BDP-95 owners.

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