New CD player find... NEC Renaissance Series 730... with nudie pics

[js bach]

Just got this delivered yesterday. It's an NEC CD-730 from their top line Renaissance Series. It's in pretty good shape and comes with 2 x dual TDA1541A dacs....

Listened though the headphones last evening... oh, so nice and sweet sounding. I love these dacs.... and 2 stereo duals (or 4 dacs) really make this sound that much sweeter, smoother and warmer!

I've checked out a lot of players and I've got to say the 1541A's are just so natural sounding to my ears...

Another favorite dac of mine is the BB PCM56... buy there is just something about the tda's...

Anyone have any add'l info on these NECs?

B.

 

[Guest123]

I had an old Sony CD player that looked a lot like that one. Were those companies related?

 

[dr*audio]

Interesting; a Sony laser and chipset and Phillips DACs. Best of both worlds plus you get a laser you can replace for $20 when it fails.

 

[wizargoz]

Impressive!

 

[Hifirob2]

Very nice! I think I was watching that auction.....wondering who would be the lucky winner.

Congrats!

I haven't heard the CD-730, but I sure like my NEC CD-810 a lot.

 

[js bach]

Very nice! I think I was watching that auction.....wondering who would be the lucky winner.

Congrats!

I haven't heard the CD-730, but I sure like my NEC CD-810 a lot.

Actually, I was watching that auction too, but I let it go when I found this one on craigslist... got it for $50.

I do remember when I emailed the guy who was selling the 730 on ebay. He mentioned the 730 sound about 90% the same as the 810, except I believe he said the 810 was about $1,000 back in the day, whereas the 730 was about $500. He said there were some differences in features too, but for the most part, it sounds like the 730 was the sleeper of this line...

 

[Statesolid]

I am going to pull mine out again but last time I had it out it didn't seem to like CD-R's.

 

[avguytx]

Looks like a rebadged Sony or Denon player....nice looking! (or maybe the Sony and Denon are rebadged NEC's! lol)

 

[Hifirob2]

Actually, I was watching that auction too, but I let it go when I found this one on craigslist... got it for $50.

I do remember when I emailed the guy who was selling the 730 on ebay. He mentioned the 730 sound about 90% the same as the 810, except I believe he said the 810 was about $1,000 back in the day, whereas the 730 was about $500. He said there were some differences in features too, but for the most part, it sounds like the 730 was the sleeper of this line...

You got a great deal! The 810 has some killer build quality, audio grade caps (even in the headphone amp), and separate transformers for the analog & digital sections - so I guess I can see why it was so expensive when new.

 

[js bach]

You got a great deal! The 810 has some killer build quality, audio grade caps (even in the headphone amp), and separate transformers for the analog & digital sections - so I guess I can see why it was so expensive when new.

I did some checking your CD-810 has 2 x PCM56P-J (my other favorite chip) according to the Philips DAC site:

http://www.dutchaudioclassics.nl/the_complete_d_a_dac_converter_list/#N

It looks like the CD-10, CD-816 and CD-830 and CD-730 all have 4 x 1541s and with CD-930 having 4 x PCM56P-K.

They made some nice stuff back in the day...

 

[Hifirob2]

Do you have any other NEC pieces? I have quite a few, and only a couple of them - the CD-530 and the T-610 tuner fall short in sound quality, IMO. Yesterday, a CD-420 showed up at my door. After cleaning out the dead roaches and lubing the transport, it's sounding pretty darn good. Both it and the CD-530 look like they use the same laser and transport as your 730, so that would be a cheap source in case your's ever fails.

I wonder if upgrading some of the op-amp chips in these units would make a noticeable improvement in the sound quality? That's on my to do list. :yes:

 

[js bach]

Do you have any other NEC pieces? I have quite a few, and only a couple of them - the CD-530 and the T-610 tuner fall short in sound quality, IMO. Yesterday, a CD-420 showed up at my door. After cleaning out the dead roaches and lubing the transport, it's sounding pretty darn good. Both it and the CD-530 look like they use the same laser and transport as your 730, so that would be a cheap source in case your's ever fails.

I wonder if upgrading some of the op-amp chips in these units would make a noticeable improvement in the sound quality? That's on my to do list. :yes:

I don't have any other NEC pieces... this is my first. I just finished cleaning it up last evening and I am getting ready to hook it up to my stereo and see how she does. I have an old, beat up Technics SL-P770 I have been using as a reference. I recently had (and sold) a Denon DCD-3000. When I did the comparison with the Technics, the Technics sounded better... and the DCD-3000 has 4 x PCM1702-J DACs in it.

It just goes to show... great sound doesn't come from DACs alone.

I'm anxious to compare the NEC to the Technics. Not that the Technics is the "end all" of CD players. It's just my point of reference for comparison purposes. To be honest, the only player thus far that has sounded substantially better and totally buried the Technics is the Nakamichi OMS-7AII. That player is without a doubt, the sweetest sounding, smoothest, most non-digital sounding player I ever heard. And of course I sold it. I think I am beginning to regret that...

Will let you know how it sounds.

B.

 

[mwelna]

JS Bach, congrats on your new CD-730! Someone should start a NEC gear thread. Guess i could. I love their stuff.

I have 2 NEC A-10II integrated amplifiers, 2 NEC CD-730 cdps, a NEC CD-810 cdp, and a T-6E tuner.

I just sold an A-7 integrated after i bought the second A-10.

 

[tube-a-lou]

That's a nice well build player, love those Elna Caps in there, I'm waiting today for a
NAD 512 I got off ebay. Hope it play's good, but for $9.99 I'll give it a go.

Tube

 

[vsaman]

Keep it Keep it Keep it

J S Bach: If the CD-730 is as good as the CD-630, with a couple of very inexpensive mods, you will realize the full hidden potential of the 1541A DACs. Check with George Louis "the Perfect Polarity Pundit" If you follow his advice, you will have a CDP with sound at least ten times the price of the original. And I ain't kiddin'!!!