Onkyo C-7030 Home Audio CD Player - Black

I ordered this player and a Yamaha CD-S300 at the same time. I expected to use the Yamaha as my primary deck, and either send this one back, or if it was halfway decent, keep it as a backup unit. Things didn't go exactly as planned. It turned out that this Onkyo unit sounded every bit as good as the Yamaha, and perhaps, just a tad better. I played Telarc DDD discs on this for evaluation purposes. This deck, and the Yamaha, were was plugged into an Apt Holman preamp/Apt 1 power amp, and output to Klipsch LaScala speakers. Cabling to the speakers is Vampire Wire (constructed of four 13AWG conductors. Each conductor is made from 277 strands of wire. Each of the four conductors is formed from three bundles of OFHC, and three bundles of silver plated OFHC. The four conductors are joined to make 2 conductors, which are rated at 10AWG. This cable is laid out in a Star Quad configuration, which is a superior method to attenuate EMI (electromagnetic interference). I also used the same type of RCA cables to connect the Onkyo and the Yamaha to the preamp. Essentially, with this test setup, you will hear ANY flaw introduced by a component. Both units were dead silent when the discs were between tracks, or when passages were as quiet as 3 db. Neither unit had the slightest hiss or hum. Bass was tight, midrange was clear, and the highs were bright without being harsh. Remember, the test speakers are fully horn loaded, so if a deck exhibits any harshness, it will be immediately evident. There was none. On some vocals, the Yamaha seemed just the slightest bit "muddy," but not so much that it would be noticed if it wasn't in a head to head, A:B comparison with another deck. The Yamaha is a fine deck, worth every penny. But here's the rub: The Onkyo is HALF the price of the Yamaha, and it is SOLID. It weighs in at about 12 lbs, compared to the Yamaha's roughly 10 lbs. The DACs are the same one used by Bob Carver(Wolfsons), while the Yamaha uses Bur-Browns. Both exhibit high quality. I put both units through their paces, playing a range of music, form classical to jazz to acoustic, and honestly, the differences were hardly worth mentioning. The Yamaha has a remote that is a horror show to use in low light (the labeling of the buttons is nearly invisible), and it has some firmware issues. The Onkyo exhibits neither of these problems. So really, why spend the extra money when the performance isn't any different. One thing that might make a difference to some people: the Onkyo will not accept a jump drive, and the Yamaha will. On the other hand, the Onkyo will play CDs in lossless format. That is more important to me than the USB port sported by the Yamaha. You might have different priorities. I did note one issue with the Onkyo, and I will be calling their customer support to see if it a problem. When I push the >> or the << buttons on the remote, there is a very brief electrical "pop" or static noise. It happens when I first push the button, and again when I release it. No other button on the remote exhibits this quirk. If this is a minor defect (and I expect it is), I will return the unit for an exchange, and buy a second one at the same time. The Yamaha is being returned tomorrow. It's not that it's a bad unit. It's not. I just hate the remote, hate the quirks with the firmware, and can't see spending $255 for a deck that has its performance duplicated by one costing $139. Having 2 units will allow me to queue up a 2nd disc, and it will also serve as a backup. Seriously, folks. I suspect you would be happy with either of these decks, and they both provide a level of performance unexpected in a deck costing under $600 . For me, the lack of a USB port is not an issue, but the ability to play lossless format CDs is important, so the Onkyo is a natural choice. And as I said, I am going to own two of them, so I am putting my money where my review is. Should anything change, I will update this review. Update: I sent my first back to Amazon because Onkyo said that little electrical pop was a defect, and I should return the deck. I purchased a PAIR of them, and they were tested today. Results: 1. BOTH decks have that little static pop when using >> or <<. It wasn't a defective unit, it is a design flaw. 2. Occasionally, just before the music begins to play, there is a soft "click" from the left channel. It is in the exact same spot when I play the disc on the second deck. Almost every disc seems to have one or two of these. And when I play them again, the click is still there 90% of the time, and it doesn't matter which deck I am using. Seriously, Onkyo, you used top shelf components to build a sweet-sounding deck. How about going the last few steps to make sure the design is glitch-free? Do you even test the designs before they go into production? And do you test products coming off the production line? I know you have heard about these issues more than once. How about listening to your customers? We should NOT have to serve as your QA department. I deducted one star from my review because of these ongoing issues. I will keep readers posted if anything changes. Update 11/25/14 I am adding that star back. These decks sound simply wonderful. I now have one in my home theater setup, which is currently configured with a pair of Klipsch LaScala mains, a Belle Klipsch center,NXG 12 500W powered subwoofer, and two Klipsch Heresys for rear speakers, raised 3' off the floor. I plugged in a Yamaha RX765 for a power source for the day, and I spent a few hours today just listening to the subtle detail of which this deck is capable. I bought two in case one catches fire, blows up, etc. I really, really, REALLY love this CD player. The other is going into a pure audio system, with a Thorens turntable, Klipsch K-Horn mains, a Klipsch Cornwall center, and Klipsch Heresys for rear speakers on a digital delay. Apt Holman electronics. Seriously, I cannot say enough good things about this deck.

Well, not really. I couldn't afford to buy Onkyo but I did end up buying TWO C-7030's. And that's after buying a couple of Onkyo's S5VL SACD players. Now, SSD's insanely clever review made me take notice of the C-7030- again, this is after I had already fallen in love with the S5VL Player. I really thought that one would have been my last player-but I have to admit that SSD hit a lot of pertinent technical issues that swayed me into buying this unit, and then buying a back-up. The main issue, of course was sound. Although I did not have the 7030 and the S5VL set up side by side, some of the Classic Rock and Jazz I listen too, I know backwards and forwards, and I've got particular cd editions 'sound' burned into my brain. So when I put into the 7030 the Canadian MCA issue of The Who 'Who's Next', the one mastered by Steve Hoffman, and hit the play button, I knew that at the very Least, the 7030 sounded as good and 'Smooth' as the S5VL. What put this unit permanently into my stereo rack instead of the S5VL, is it's human interfaceity......(Yeah, I just made that one up....but it works!) #1-I absolutely LOVE the electronic power button! After powering on ONCE, and setting the 'auto off' feature (in the set up menu) I never have to touch the power button again! It turns itself off after 30 minutes of no activity-brilliant! When i want to play a cd, I just hit the 'eject' button, the unit turns on and I go to town. AND,,,,,,,AND......IT ACT'S LIKE A CD PLAYER! THE #1 thing that bugged me about the SACD player is that ever present hesitation after pushing a button before it does anything. SSD confirmed for me that it is the familiar characteristic of a DVD transport as opposed to a transport designed just for the compact disc. And I'm sorry, after I hit the 'Skip' button on my player I don't want to wait 1/2 second for the unit to respond......it just plain drives me nuts. Now, I am keeping one of the S5VL's for the future, even though I don't have very many SACD's. But what I will do is start replacing the couple of Good SACD's I have with either Hybrid discs of those titles, or just bag it. Heck, to me the SACD of Stevie Ray's 'Texas Flood' sounds EXACTLY the same (excellent fidelity) as the recent two disc Sony 'Legacy' Redbook edition. And I really mean that. And my Rolling Stones Abkco Hybrids Sacd Layer does NOT sound much different/better than the CD layer. If the SACD layer sounded Much better than I wouldn't be typing this right now. So, again, As SSD said something about how the whole, and how it's been put together, being much better than a 'normal' player in this price range is in my case true. And also, I think the remote is just fine, kind of classy if you ask me.....better, much better than those all too familiar short stubby remotes that look like a squashed canary bird. Oh, and the second player I bought from Amazon...........$151.......One heck of a deal!! My amp: Onkyo M-282 My Pre: Yamaha C-80 My speakers: Mirage OMD-28's (yeah, the big Daddies!!) My TT: Music Hall MMF5.1 w/AT120E Cartridge (what a deal THAT cartridge was at $69!!) Happy Holidays to Everyone!!!!!!! Gerard Masters January 2013 Update: Well, I just bought my 3rd 7030 last night off of WarehouseDeals-$133 and free shipping! How a can a you a beat that? I've also decided to sell the last SV5l SACD player as i'm never going to be able to live with the ergonomics of it. And Now that i've lived with the 7030 for months now, it's an absolute Joy. I'm listening to the Dave Brubeck Quartet right now and the player continues to impress me at it's honest and full bodied (when playing a well recorded and mastered cd) character. Very Smooooth sounding without any, and I really mean ANY hint of Treble/High End Harshness or lack of good solid Bass when it's there in the recording. I actually toyed with the idea this past weekend of buying, for schrins and giggles, the Marantz CD5004, which I could get a refurbed on line for $249 + $13 shipping. But in reading the limited reviews out there two posters in the Steve Hoffman site stated that their 5004 units would not play the Redbook Layer of a HyBrid SACD. In Fact, one of them said that he tried 20 of his discs and the Marantz would not recognize 11 of them! That was the straw, because even if it did sound marginally better than the Onkyo, why would I limit myself to such frustration when the Onkyo literally takes any disc I throw at it and plays it without a whimper? So, now I have a third unit and again, couldn't be happier. Getting something this good sounding with this kind of build quality at a ridiculously low price is making this 54 year old feel like a kid in a candy store all over again. And......my wife didn't argue at all because of the price!! Gerard Masters

Love the look, though you cannot read the teeny labels for the buttons without a flashlight. It was simple to use and sounded great for 12 months, 17 days. Certainly not worth the money I paid. Even the little portable CD players we used before upgrading lasted 5 years or more. For $30-60 each, an amazing bargain compared to this product. What happened? Played a CD as always. Put a new CD in after the first one finished: "Reading............................." It just reads and whirls. Eventually it might go to Track 99. When you hit forward it goes to Track 1. Then nothing. Checked everything, called Onkyo #. People helpful and polite and one is quite chatty about her personal life. Told me how to reset the unit, and it cleared without a problem But....nothing. Still doesn't work. Tried calling the closest warranty service number they gave me (3 hours away) and got a recording to leave a message. Hm. Is it worth pulling it apart, taking it to a non-warranty local repair place, having it gone for awhile???? No. Don't buy this CD player. Try another brand. (We have an Onkyo Receiver that works well and is still working. Keeping my fingers crossed.) UPDATE: The Onkyo woman had told me to appeal to the service guy, see if he would give me a break because warranty just ended(??) The guy with the service company called me back. Diagnosed laser likely needed to be aligned or replaced (ballpark $60 - $120). He didn't understand why Onkyo support didn't give me an EWAN (Ext. Warranty) told me to ask for one. Called Onkyo back (same woman) who didn't know what an EWAN was. Once I defined it for her she told me I needed to call Onkyo Parts & Service to get one of those. Another phone #. Said they would close in an hour so " you need to get on it!" Called them (4th Onkyo call, 2 calls to service company by now) - woman very direct though helpful. Told me they would extend warranty by 45 days "as a courtesy". Huh? It's a courtesy to stand behind the quality of your product??? Notice not one single Onkyo person expressed any regret, apology, etc. Though the first woman did mention "well, that's not good." Had to email serial # and verif of invoice (btw tag on player says it was manufactured in Feb, 17). Sent the EWAN notification to the service company, said the service guy was expecting my unit. Now I only have to either drive it 4 hours north, or pack it well and ship it off. At least it will be repaired under warranty - as a courtesy. Guess I'm supposed to be grateful. Onkyo service is poor. People are nice, but what the company gives them to work with is poor. Every Onkyo person ends their call with "thank you for being an Onkyo customer." Right. So miss our local Radio Shack.

I preface my review by noting that I think this humble Onkyo a great bargain because, as most audiophiles know, one can hardly purchase an interconnect pair or power cable for under $200. I say "humble" because I gather this unit receives very little attention or interest from those in the high-end clique. I admit that I put off buying this player because, while it has received many positive reviews, I just did not like the captive power cord. It not only seems "un-high-end," but I like being able to employ my own power cable. In most cases, there is at least some sonic benefit. This aside, I must say that I am surprised by the features and performance of the C-7030. It is nicely built, and not a lightweight. This is not an eight or nine pound flimsy "empty box" spinner with a fat price tag. The owner's manual indicates 11.7 pounds, and it feels every bit of it. The shipping weight was 16.7 pounds, and so I am sure the unit weighs at least what is cited in the manual (double boxing and all else usually adds 4-5 pounds). One reviewer noted that weight is important to him, and I could not agree more. Both the power supply and chassis should make for a heftier component, and the lightweight units skimp in these areas. Speaking of the power supply, I note that the transformer in this unit is of good size, probably three or four times the size of the one in my Sony DVP-NS3100ES. Like other Onkyo transformers, it is a little noisy. I can hear it running within a few feet of the unit, but, thankfully, not from my listening chair, which is about seven feet from my rig. Otherwise, the unit sports a nice satin finish, solid feet, and attractive, muted lettering (not white, but gray). I also like the large, round, concave power button. It is very ergonomic, and offers a sound, positive feel. The unit does not have gold-plated connectors on the rear, but I tend to think that such a feature does not add much to the overall quality. I will say that the analogue output connectors do not have the golden tone that many audiophiles like, but they look to be of better quality than what I have seen on some pricey players, as they have a nice flanged base. This low-priced marvel even has a build date, with month and year, mine being "September 2012." And finally, perhaps my favorite "little thing" the player has is something that it does not--a goofy USB port that I will never use. The player operates smoothy and the remote is nice and simple, having all I need. It is not a weighty, brick-like block of machined aluminum, but is not cheap, either. Surprisingly, it has a metal front plate--not bad for a sub-$200 component. The display can be dimmed (three levels), and is distinguishable from my listening position, though I have seen clearer displays. The drawer operates smoothly, but it is not a "silent" drawer, like that of the Yamaha CD-S700. The C-7030's drawer seems to produce a slight grumbling sound, and I gather it is probably because it is a gear-driven design. In any case, it seems to work just fine. Now to the most important aspect: the sound. This is a CD player, not a DVD player or blu-ray player, and it seems to let the listener know this right away, as it plays CDs beautifully. I have owned many different players, of all varieties, and I have to say that this Onkyo ranks near or at the top. I will have to listen some more, since I have had the player for only a couple of days. Nonetheless, it is obvious that this player has a natural, transparent, full-bodied sound. It has none of the harshness or brightness associated with less expensive players. Amid a wide soundstage, there is excellent image focus and separation. I have a quality DAC, a Schiit Bifrost, and I have used the C-7030 with the Bifrost, via the coaxial output. I am astounded that, together, my digital front end costs a little over $500 ($532.57, to be exact). Having read good things about the C-7030's DAC section, I may try the analogue outs at some point. When used as a transport, the are some brief, soft clicking sounds produced by the DAC when the track is changed or stopped during playback. I gather it is the DAC re-locking the signal. Some of the players I have used with the Schiit Bifrost DAC will mute this clicking, while others do not (both of which were Onkyos). An audiophile friend of mine, who is very knowledgeable, says that players that do not have the circuitry to mute the clicking perhaps have an advantage in regard to sound quality. In any case, I am glad I got by the stigma of the scrawny captive power cord, and pushed myself to give this little gem a listen. I thank my fellow Amazoners for being kind and helpful in providing commentary on this unit, and I thank Amazon for selling it. At double the price, this Onkyo would still be a great bargain. I think I will end up purchasing a second unit. Bravo, Onkyo! UPDATE (2/1/13): The C-7030 continues to impress--so much that I just purchased a second unit.

I've had my Onkyo C-7030 for almost nine years now and it's still going. Build quality is very good, the disc drive is both quick and quiet, and it just works. Nothing fancy, but it plays CDs well and I believe it still ranks highly among current CD players, especially when you factor in the price. A new Marantz unit is going to set you back $600 or more. I would recommend trying the Onkyo both over analog RCA connectors using the internal DAC, and solely as a transport over optical or coax using your receiver or pre-amp DAC, to see which you like better. I found the internal Wolfson DAC to have a somewhat warm, vintage sound with recessed treble. It's not going to offend, in fact most everyone will find it very listenable, but it also won't wow you with detail. Some people will like and prefer that sound, but I prefer the more neutral, balanced and detailed output from the AD1955 DAC in my Emotiva PT-2. So, definitely try both analog and digital connectors to see which sound you prefer.

I have owned several cd players over the past 25 years(Sony ES carousel,Pioneer,Technics,Kenwood,Emerson, Fisher,even a JVC DVD player).With my Sony, certain instruments and background vocals,the air produced by the instruments,the breath the vocalist would take,crisp plucking of guitar strings were lost,blended,hidden,fuzzed over.Musical and rhythmic hand claps were non distinct; Now, I can tell if there are two or three or more background singers/peformers clapping their hands. The Technics was harsh sounding. The Fisher, overtly bright sounding. The Kenwood,edgy or grainy in sonic characteristic.The Pioneer was the only one that barely impressed me, but NO wow factor as with the Onkyo.The Pioneer pales in comparison to the Onkyo. None of them ever came close to the sonic performance or build quality of the Onkyo C-7030, which I have lived with for the past month...and I must say, life has not only been good,it's been great! It is the first cd player in which I have listened to cd after cd for as long as three to four hours of non-stop, digital audio bliss. Why? I am hearing detail like I have never heard before. I had never purchased a cd player that was near in performance or on target as an audiophile grade component. I also realize that the word "audiophile" gets tossed around a lot when describing cd players or any hi-fi components that do not warrant the title or the dubious honor and distinction of being labeled as such due to less than stellar or just poor audio sound,build quality and reliability. Audio performance, build quality, and visual aesthetics of the C-7030 do warrant the audiophile label. I'll explain why. I have read other reviews with the majority giving it high praise, and a few dissatisfied reviews or "meh" comments about the C-7030. The sound quality to MY ears is impeccable(I've only been utilizing the provided RCA cables and not the optical or coax digital options on the back chassis panel). Again, remember, this is coming from a guy previously never owning a cd player remotely near or rivaling the quality of this Onkyo, but I do KNOW quality when I hear it(vinyl record aficionado for the past several decades,also,here). For the first few days, out of the box, I noticed how balanced the high frequencies sounded; They are not bright,etched,shrill,artificial,harsh or exaggerated. Certainly NOT rolled off,dull,warm,or "smeared". Crystalline is how I can best describe the experience.Piano keys, the tinkling and tickling of the ivories ring pure sweetness. Cymbals sound REAL.Trumpets sound true(I listen to a lot of Latin and jazz, some classical,swing,big band). Heavy electronic,synth laden and New Age music sounds fantastic without the Onkyo adding any digital coldness or harshness that is often the case with lesser players.Any genre of rock and R&B sounds remarkable without distortion and while maintaining the clarity of each instrument's distinct sound(electric guitar,fuzz guitar,synthesizer,drums) . Those genres sound lively and organic.The highs just FLOW.It is an overall happy medium with the highs. Absolutely no mind or ear fatigue as experienced with my previous cd players(made me think that THAT was THE norm for digital audio). Certain audio component manufacturers roll off the highs and call that a "warm analog presentation". It's not. Dull is dull. Others "enhance" the highs and while it may add that wow factor at first, fatigue on the ears and brain begins to set in.The mids are also pleasing to these ears. No upward tipping of the mids for that forcefully pronounced, sonic characteristic that translates to harshness(that can also cause ear fatigue).Female vocals sound very natural, almost live (you are there or they are there with you in the room!). Male vocals could be a tad more convincing, but are still in the very acceptable audio range characteristic for said type of vocals(male vocals are not recessed, yet, could use just a smidge more "oomph").Very noticeable,precise,clean articulation of lyrics and enunciation of words have also amazed me like never before.Now,I have read a couple of other Amazon reviews where the bass was described as unimpressive. Let me tell you, the bass IMPRESSED me. It's clean and taut without being overly tight. The deep bass is there when called upon or needed. There is no loose, bloated, or boxy low end frequencies. Thin or anemic does NOT come to mind. Clean and correct come to mind. As far as sounding like a warm analog component akin to a turntable or vinyl record, first off, a cd will always sound like a cd and a record a record. If I wanted a cd player that sounded exactly like my turntable, then I would just stick with my turntable and vice versa or record my entire vinyl collection to the CD-R format(even then, I can still tell that it's a cd recording of a record and does not convince me that it sounds 100% like the vinyl source it was recorded from). However, if you are talking about the easy-on-the ears analog sound characteristic, yes, the C-7030 is absolutely close(there is a thousands of dollars audiophile cd player that has been described as sounding like the master tape, so it can be done and done right with digital audio)! To me, music is "audio liquid" coming from the Onkyo C-7030 which translates to soothing or easy on the ears. Stereo imaging is the best I have heard (compared to my lower end cd players). Excellent and distinct separation of the left and right channels and VERY solid central imaging; Instruments,vocals,effects are where they are supposed to be. No smearing or leaking or crosstalking artifacts;There should be none. There is also depth with regards where instruments are placed on the sound stage. Even without the lights turned out and me sitting dead center or in the sweet spot, it is evident that this player has an exceptional stereo sound stage and proper imaging! Much,much blacker backgrounds between tracks and in between solo instrumental breaks or pauses. Now, if you DO turn out the lights, close your eyes, no distractions and just the music, it becomes even more apparent why the Onkyo is such a worthy, budget priced, audiophile component. The build quality and aesthetics are exceptional for a cd player in this price range (almost weighs 12 lbs.).The centralized placement of the cd tray is aptly located without mistaking this for a low end generic cd player or low budget dvd player.The controls on the faceplate are well laid out, but could be a little bit bigger with much sharper white screen print above them.The disc tray drawer could open and close more smoothly for near silent operation.The display dimming feature is quite welcomed. The remote's controls could be larger, but it(remote) makes a cool Bang & Olufsen(as one fellow Amazon reviewer already noted) knock off statement without looking tacky or cheap.It's very Euro looking. The total design with brushed aluminum face plate is positively understated(minimalist,clean,sleek,modern) without bordering on dull or the opposite of clutter or busy; This player means business with class. The black C-7030 is the formal dinner tux version, while the silver overseas and European model is the sleek business suit version. Both are ultra-cool looking. There are much more higher end quality cd players with exotic material grade internal components(audiophile circuitry, power supplies, DAC's, transports,clocks,etc.) with an audio performance to die for. We're also talking in the several hundreds and thousands of dollars audio fidelity realm. From what I understand from others who have owned or continue to own such elite or upper echelon cd equipment, is that between the Onkyo C-7030 and said players, the differences in sound quality may be a subtle increment to not-so-subtle to "The C-7030 just cannot compete..." level. Yet, for those of us on a budget or that have not hit the winning lottery jackpot, the Onkyo C-7030 gives a modestly,yet,impressive taste into that audiophile realm.

This CD player gives enough of the basic controls to deliver solid CD in a nice / simple front facing controls that should stack well with most other audio components on your audio system. When turned on, the sole item illuminated is the track display. The remote offers all the essential features albeit without backlighting. Of special note is the Optical Out. A better alternative to using standard RCA cables. For $200 this Onkyo is a solid CD Player. It plays CD-R, MP3 and WMA files. (As of this writing, I have not been able to test the MP3 playback abilities.) I think its entirely possible to get carried away with additional feature sets on more expensive units that drive the prices higher and don't actually deliver any substantial quality in sound output. With that said, the audio playback will only be as good as the system your driving it through. The best way I can put it here is that this player is as baseline as one can get albeit at a good price. Unless you are an absolute audiophile, here's where the system runs neck and neck with much less expensive offerings. How does the sound compare to CD players that cost less? As seen in my 3rd picture. I compared the sound quality to a sub $50 DVD/CD player with HDMI output and a 10 year old CD Player with USB connector. I was not entirely surprised that sound quality was indistinguishable. I used three separate systems with different speaker setups. A 100 Watt Yamaha receiver with Polk Audio OWM3 Wall Bookshelf Speakers and Earthquake Sound FF6.5 6.5-Inch Front Firing Subwoofer A 100 Watt Yamaha receiver with Polk Audio T15 100 Watt Home Theater Bookshelf Speakers and a Polk Audio 100 Watt PSW10 10" Powered Subwoofer connected to a Windows 11 PC. A 110 Watt Yamaha receiver with Polk Audio Signature Series S55 Floor Standing Speakers and a Yamaha 100 watt 10" YST- SW216 subwoofer (full theater sound setup) Polk Signature Elite ES20 Bookshelf Speaker / Polk Audio Signature Series S35 Center Channel Speaker (6 Drivers) Sound quality output (Only) - All three units performed comparably. Keep in mind this is "Sound" and not "Feature" comparisons between the 3 units. The ubiquity of CD players in the 80's through the early 00's has really leveled off dramatically with streaming music so prevalent now. If you have a big collection of CD's there really is no need to blow a big money. This Onkyo player will more than do the trick. If you're short on space, there are plenty of smaller, less expensive solutions that will more than serve that purpose.

I moved last summer after 36+ yr in my old home. "Lost" in the move were two defunct oldies: My AR amplifier (~12/68) and my Philips CD960 (1988-9). The former was awaiting filter caps, while the massive CD was awaiting drive belts. Simple rubber drive belts ended my longtime love affair with the old Philips boat anchor - even their European home denied knowledge of replacement parts for something so old - suggested I 'update'. I did - secured a $29 Apex DVD player from the corner WD grocery store - eventually a Yamaha DVD from the home theater when it was replaced by a Sony BD - then recently replaced it with the very BD player that spelled it's doom - when it was replaced in the HT by a newer/better BD player. Each step revealed the worsening condition of my aging CD collection by skipping more and downright refusing to play some CD's - the BD being the worst. I wanted 'just' a CD player. Happy with my Onkyo 7.1 A/V receiver in the HT, I elected to try another Onkyo product - the C-7030 CD Player. It arrived in two days - and was connected through some after market 3ft German cables to my previous HT receiver, a Yamaha HTR-5640 6.0 A/V, and a pair of Infinity P163's and a Polk 12" powered sub in my 'office'. The first thing I noticed was that it had come with a set of RCA jumpers and a RC jumper - both added to my audio cable junk box. First try - Paul Simon's 'Graceland' album - crystal clear - great bass - then I turned the sub on - then I reconnected the dislodged sub feed - better! Then James Taylor 'Greatest Hits' - 'Fire and Rain' crystal clear - no skipping. Several known 'bad' CDs were tried - most played fine - a few deeply scratched still skipped, as they had years ago on the Philips - whose massive metal drawer had likely damaged them anyway. At least they played - something they hadn't done in a few years. I also tested it's headphone output - it seemed similar to the old Philips in it's output drive capability: plenty for the Sony MDR V6's and 'sufficient' for the Koss Pro4AA's. I've missed that. Turn your amplifier down - using headphones won't mute the line output, so you may have the speakers on, too. I am still very satisfied with my purchase, although I am just over half way through my first 100 hours of 'burn in'. I'll hit 66 next month - and I consider this a bargain. It seems exceedingly well made (Malaysia), weighing just a few pounds less than my old Philips, whose massive metal drawer may have led to it's and many CD's demise (The Onkyo's loading drawer is plastic.). The player is black while it's remote is black with a subdued silver face. I have no MP3/WMA media to play on it - and have yet to try a PC-made CD copy/compilation on it. Thus far, I am quite happy. 6/28/15 Update: It's one year anniversary has passed... and I am still super pleased with it's performance. I replaced my aged repurposed Yamaha A/V receivers with an Onkyo TX-8020 within a few months of getting the 7030 CD player, mainly due to my great opinion earned by the 7030. The pair are stacked on my desk and connected to a pair of NHT SuperOne 2.1's and a JBL Sub 550 powered subwoofer. The result is my office stereo gets a lot of everyday use - mainly playing CDs. I have managed to make the CD playing skip a few times - when closing the desk's filing drawer just beneath it. Certainly, it is the most dependable and best sounding CD player I have used - thumbs up on this purchase! 12/19/16 Update: The original Onkyo C-7030/TX-8020 pair were moved upstairs to my hobby/bonus room, where their remote controls could be better realized, 11/15. That is when a second CDP was needed for my office stereo - another C-7030 was purchased. Both continue to work flawlessly!