Yamaha CD-S2100 High-Grade CD Player, Black

2022-10-22T20:00:00

Rafael from Santa Rosa, CA on 10/6/2022 Long time Yamaha loyalist upgraded from the Yamaha CDC-845 changer to this unit on 7/19/22. Wanted an upgrade in keeping with other improvements in my analog system, Primaluna EVO 300 integrated amplifier, GoldenEar Triton Reference speakers, Music Hall MMF 9.3 TT, Ortofon 2M Black cartridge, Vincent PHO 701 phonostage, Blue Jean cables in a completely acoustically treated room by GIK. .Found that this unit wasn't reading the SACDs correctly and wouldn't allow for layer change. I Liked it and wanted to keep it so I sent it off to Yamaha under warranty for diagnosis and repair rather then send it back to Crutchfield before the 60 day return window expired. Unit was returned and needed a new loading mechanism as well as a new control module. Now, working well and sounds wonderful. Would appreciate a longer warranty period. Pros: Build quality, appearance, sound quality, reputation. Cons: initial quality lacking.

Rafael

Originally posted at

2017-02-10T19:00:00

I have owned a number of CD, SACD and DACs over the years including several recent, new McIntosh units. While their performance was stellar, their digital "bugs" became truly annoying. A few years ago, I owned the Yamaha CDS 2000 and remembered what a fine SACD player it was. So I sold my Mac DAC and SACD units and bought the CDS 2100 in black. No question - the DAC is a joy to use. No glitches or issues of any kind. And its performance is second to none. Yamaha engineers really thought this one out and produced a truly fine SACD and DAC. The CDS 2100 is so well executed in every respect that, at least for me, it is heirloom quality.

David M.

Originally posted at

2016-05-22T20:00:00

The unit I purchased is factory refurbished. After opening and setting on the rack I did not notice any signs of a previous use. Unit looked brand new to me. Then hooked it up to my system, inserted CD and pushed Play. Fantastic detailed but not analytical sound with accurate tonal balance and full frequencies extension. No bloated upper bass/lower midrange region that gives impression of a good low end. Bass is firm and extended, gives that woody sound of double bass. Highs are not exaggerated but enough sparkle. But the most important thing - human voices are true to life, no digital glare of any sort. This unit is able to bring us closer to analog sound we cherish so much. As a matter of fact, after listening to few CDs I started screeching my head puzzled which sounds better: my LPs or CDs. And last but not least, CD-S2100 requires good quality ancillary equipment. My is: Aragon 8008ST (still in perfect condition), amp; Primaluna Dialog Premium, preamp, Alpha-Core, cabling; Legacy Classic HD, speakers.

Robert C.

Originally posted at

2015-11-21T19:00:00

I bought this for my two channel stereo system. I have a large collection of SACD discs and I was not happy with my universal player so I sold off a fair amount of gear and took the plunge and ordered a CD-S2100. I have no regrets, and I experienced some differences compared to the previous review so here goes. First, this player needs ancillary gear that is up to the task of complimenting it. It would be silly to spend $3K for a CDP and then use it with mid-if gear, especially interconnects. I am running XLR interconnects into a tubed preamp and I am not getting a softer sound but rather tons of details yet still a very musical presentation. If the recording is good, the Yamaha will give you what is on the recording but it will not lie, as junk will sound like junk. Feed the signal from the Yamaha into good cables and into a good front end and you will be bathed in music that stretches from wall to wall and floor to ceiling. SACD is the best I have yet to hear from any SACD player I have auditioned. A few nits to pick: I would have liked the remote to have commands for "Previous" and "Next" rather than having to enter the track numbers as it would be a little more "expeditious" but the issue is certainly not a deal breaker. Overall, I am very pleased with the performance of Yamaha 2100. As stated, I feel this player needs to be used with gear that is similar in price / sonics so the owner can get the best he/ she deserves, and that the Yamaha is capable of delivering.

El-Tee

Originally posted at

2014-12-14T19:00:00

The first one I bought had a bad CD drive, I got a new one under warranty. Ironic since "high precision CD drive" is such a big selling point. But beyond that this player looks great and sounds fantastic with CD, SACD and hirez files via USB. Tons of detail, huge sound stage and great dynamics. Very neutral sounding, maybe just a shade on the softer, more forgiving side which is right where I want it. I use foobar2000 on a cheap Windows7 netbook for audio files and it plays up to DSD128 native (no conversion to PCM). This is the digital player I've been waiting for.

JB

Originally posted at