DENON DCD-1500 CD Player (1985/1987)

Brought an Old Friend back... DENON DCD-1500, 1985/1987. My First Serious CD Player, found at a SALVATION ARMY in 2006.
My Grandma (R.I.P.) used her Senior Discount to get it for me for around $12.00 IIRC.

i wiped my Original copy out long ago; getting all cocky and over-adventurous in the Vintage CD Player Modding that i was fancying myself as something of a gifted amateur at back then.

Right at the tail-end of 2024 i came across the perfect excuse to finally get it back; a little-used single-owner nearly-minty example, - complete with Manual and Remote - And You'd Better Believe That I Bit~

Man oh MAN; Clearly the System i had twenty years ago just didn't even come close to what i have today,
because BOY does it ever display just how SMOOTH and WARM and Utterly Listenable this CDP actually is.

i thought i was Happy to get this thing back before... but now, i am Ecstatic. it is SUPREMELY LISTENABLE~


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Comments

  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,323
    I've owned many of the older Denon disk spinners. That one is easy on the eyes for sure. Glad you are enjoying it!
  • honestaquarian
    honestaquarian Posts: 3,260
    Well known classic good sounding player!
    Just out of curiosity how does it sound compared to the Legato Link D/A Converter in the Pioneer I see in that pic?
  • BlueBirdMusic
    BlueBirdMusic Posts: 2,735
    Yep, fits into this list that wsjoe on eBay told me to look for a few years ago. He has parts and works on the old Denons

    DCD-1520 and DCD-1560 around $200
    DCD-2560 around $250-300
    DCD-3520 around 300-350
    DCD-3560 around 450-600
    "Sometimes you have to look to the past to understand where you are going in the future"
    Harry / Marietta GA
  • dolsey01
    dolsey01 Posts: 16
    Rare to see any early Denons with the wood side panels. Especially almost 40 years later!
  • Tasuke
    Tasuke Posts: 15
    edited January 9
    Well known classic good sounding player!
    Just out of curiosity how does it sound compared to the Legato Link D/A Converter in the Pioneer I see in that pic?

    That's the 1988 REFERENCE/ELITE Series PD-91;
    an 18-Bit Oversampling design from well before PIONEER's 1990's LEGATO LINK Days.

    It's a Tough Call; Both have their Charms. the PD-91 is overall "Clearer/Cleaner" more Accurate, i'd imagine...
    while the DCD-1500 is much more "Analog" with a Darker Sound Character that is Surprisingly Pleasant and, overall; - REMARKABLY LISTENABLE -
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 13,078
    Thank you for sharing Your Thoughts.
  • honestaquarian
    honestaquarian Posts: 3,260
    Yeah
    What he ^^ said!
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 13,078
    What's with all the furniture mover pads stuck randomly inside the chassis?
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 26,916
    Noise reduction is my guess. I would have use dynamat like sheeting material.
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 51,659
    Those pads will over time shed fibers and fiber dust, which will get into the transport and optical pickup. Not good!!!
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • gyosa
    gyosa Posts: 769
    I still have the Mk II version that I bought in the late 80’s…
    Still works great , although it’s been sitting in a closet for a number of years.

    Bk
    PS Audio S300 , WiiM Ultra , Yamaha wxc-50 , Salk SuperCharged Songtowers , Kimber Kable 4TC, Sony 48” - BEDROOM

    B&K EX-442 ( it will go in my casket when I die ... ) , PS Audio 4.6 preamp ( old school , but it still jams on ... ) , Eversolo DMP-A6 , Boston Acoustic voyager 7’s - POOL

    Parasound A21, Eversolo DMP-A8 , Kimber Kable 4vs , Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Towers , Sony XBR-A8F 65” OLED - DEN , MAIN system

    Onkyo TX-nr609 , Polk atrium 7 , Boston acoustic sound ware (4) , Boston acoustic sub , B&W center , Sony 65” TV - PATIO
  • Tasuke
    Tasuke Posts: 15
    F1nut wrote: »
    Those pads will over time shed fibers and fiber dust, which will get into the transport and optical pickup. Not good!!!

    I'll Bear that in Mind, Thank You!!!
  • gyosa
    gyosa Posts: 769
    Yeah , what is the purpose of the pads ?

    Bk
    PS Audio S300 , WiiM Ultra , Yamaha wxc-50 , Salk SuperCharged Songtowers , Kimber Kable 4TC, Sony 48” - BEDROOM

    B&K EX-442 ( it will go in my casket when I die ... ) , PS Audio 4.6 preamp ( old school , but it still jams on ... ) , Eversolo DMP-A6 , Boston Acoustic voyager 7’s - POOL

    Parasound A21, Eversolo DMP-A8 , Kimber Kable 4vs , Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Towers , Sony XBR-A8F 65” OLED - DEN , MAIN system

    Onkyo TX-nr609 , Polk atrium 7 , Boston acoustic sound ware (4) , Boston acoustic sub , B&W center , Sony 65” TV - PATIO
  • skipshot12
    skipshot12 Posts: 1,772
    F1nut wrote: »
    Those pads will over time shed fibers and fiber dust, which will get into the transport and optical pickup. Not good!!!

    Was that a serious comment or is there injected humor there I'm detecting?

    Skip
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 13,078
    It was a serious comment.
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 51,659
    Serious
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • PSOVLSK
    PSOVLSK Posts: 5,371
    skipshot12 wrote: »
    F1nut wrote: »
    Those pads will over time shed fibers and fiber dust, which will get into the transport and optical pickup. Not good!!!

    Was that a serious comment or is there injected humor there I'm detecting?

    Skip
    Clipdat wrote: »
    It was a serious comment.
    F1nut wrote: »
    Serious

    At this moment Skip is taking the furniture movers out of all of his equipment.🤣🤣🤣
    Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden
  • skipshot12
    skipshot12 Posts: 1,772
    edited February 4
    Jesse wasn’t kidding about those things…

    v3rut4bs2cqr.png
    My Krell pre/pro.
  • Tasuke
    Tasuke Posts: 15
    edited February 22