Tascam CD-6010

I have been looking for a CD player, but for the very specific task of spinning/playing the discs only, as I have a high quality DAC already. This arrangement offers greater flexibility for up-grades. What attracted me to the Tascam after research was its pedigree, being based on the CD-9010 which is aimed at professional broadcast use. The CD-6010 offers a more conventional design to fit into a hi-fi system, but inherits from the CD-9010 the disc playing mechanism (CD-5010),electronics and power supply. A considerable cost saving is achieved with the Tascam compared to some very costly CD transport solutions, for example the Moon 260D. The Tascam offers the same AES/EBU outputs for example. It also has a high quality DAC section from Asahi Kasei on par with the ESS family of DACs .The Tascam case is somewhat resonant (the area where costs have been saved) but this can be improved upon by damping materials. I was after a cost effective CD transport only solution and found it I believe in the Tascam CD-6010.

I bought a pair of these to use as CD Transports using the AES-EBU digital out only.

I have used them daily for the past 4 years and they have proved to be reliable with no problems reading Redbook CDs. Using a Grace m905 monitor controller as a pre-amp the sound quality is subjectivity excellent with plenty of texture and accuracy available on tap. Poorly mastered CDs sound poor, as they should.

Using the track selection knob it is easy to select any track as it goes clockwise and anti-clockwise, i.e. you can select the first or last track instantly.

There quite a few functions I have no interest in including the quick play option which is very noisy in operation (see below).

The negative things are all to do with the layout and mechanics - it is loud in operation, listening to tracks at low volume the noise is audible, especially if using the pause function.

Presumably in a broadcast environment this would not be audible but it is rather annoying in a domestic setting.

The CD tray is a flimsy plastic affair and I worry that one of these days I will snap it off while half concentrating on loading a CD.

The biggest problem I have though is with the display: it is very difficult to read apart from up close and in line. Very poor compared to other professional TASCAM CD players.

Again I suspect in a broadcast environment they would be used with the optional wired control panels so the display on the machine was considered less important.

So overall, a reliable and accurate CD transport when using AES-EBU output with some reservations on ergonomic quality.