"Trevor Wilson" wrote in message
...

**I have no idea if it is well documented. I only speak on behalf of my
own
experiences. The 965BX is noisy. Around 80dB S/N. The noise signal is
supersonic, but unacceptable.

and an acceptable S/N ratio for a CD player would be?

**Nope. The 971 was a significantly better player than the 965 though. I
would expect the newer players to be better again. Whether that betterness
(I wonder what my spellchecker will do with that?) will translate into
superior sound quality, is a whole 'nuther issue. I just wanted to make
the
point that the 965 was flawed.

point taken. The DAC in the 965 is more than a decade old, and I would
expect modern CD players to wipe the floor with the 965.
I have AB'ed the 965 with a Philips DVD 707 player (entry level player about
18 - 24 months old), and while I found the 965 to be better at
CD playback, the difference wasn't night and day (IMHO)


Additionally, the Arcams are very good sounding players. I suggest you
shortlist them.


yes, they are good, but overpriced compared to the Rotels, no thanks to the
freight charges and whatever else
makes its way into the final retail price here.

The Arcam I am watching on Ebay is getting a bit too pricey for a 2nd hand
ex-demo CD player that is 3 years old.