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I don't know of any nice players in the sub $100 range. However, I have been reading some really good things about the Oppo line of players. They are very slightly above your target price, but there certainly seems to be a nice buzz floating around about them.
Here is a link and a little web surfing should scrounge up a review or two.
was mainly looking for advice on older players, surely some of you guys had systems costing in the hundreds rather than thousands at some point??
The Oppo is an excellent suggestion.
While used is often an excellent way to get a great buy, CD players have advanced tremedously - especially in the last five years. I beleive you are better off getting either new or "recently used". The Oppo lists for $149 and is an amazing buy with spectacular sound for the money. If I recall correctly The Absolute Sound just awarded it a budget component of the year award.
I just checked: OPPO Digital's DV-970HD did win. It plays DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, Super Audio CD (SACD), and Audio CD - including HDCD encoded CD's.
Now I want one.
I've been using the Oppo DV-970HD for about a month now and for an inexpensive universal player it does quite well. I'm listening to the Weather Report Heavy Weather SACD right now, WOW! $150 well spent.
"it seems to me that very old cd players had a warm almost vinyl-like quality"
None that I ever heard! To me, the older, cheaper (around $300) CD players were PAINFULLY brittle. I wondered why I didn't listen to music as much in the 90's. I know now it was the fatigue factor from CDs. It's only in the last few years that I've heard $300 CD/DVD players sound close to vinyl. The Marantz DV-6400 ($250) is very good.
My buddy just bought the OPPO, and he agrees with all of the positive reviews. He also says the video output is terrific.
Exactly!
I happened to keep an early Sharp CD player from the 80's. While bulletproof, the sound is pretty bad. It lives in my garage and is rarely used - for good reason. I can't imagine missing the sound of old CD players. (or 1970's vintage "spec wars" receivers for that matter.)
Go with the Oppo!