DENON DCD-1500 Compct Disc Player (1986)

here is my copy of DENON's third generation CDP from 1986, the DCD-1500. the very first DENON CDP to high quality digital filters in lieu of the analog "Brick Wall" filters employed on the earliest generations of CDPs. this is my third example of this CDP, about as minty as one could hope to find. this was the very first high-end CD player i ever owned, a less than mint, but fully functional example found at a SALVATION ARMY for $12.00. http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/s...D-1500john4.jpg a truly indestructable, workhorse of a CDP, i did not go through three generations of this player because of technical faults, but only because i loved this component so much that i wanted a minty example with the rosewood panels originally sold as an optional accessory included. that was exactly what i found, thanks to a fellow on the CINCINATTI Craig's List that sold me his, complete with remote, for $80.00. while my PIONEER PD-91 clearly outclasses this beauty, i will always have this wonderful CDP as the perfect example of the first quality CD player this young man ever owned. if anyone happens to have an original copy of the DCD-1500 instruction manual and or the promo pamphlet that they can spare, i would be most grateful as it would complete my otherwise complete with service manual example!!













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you might have noticed that this 1500 differs substantally from the average. it does indeed, in fact; a set of DENON isolators from a 1990 model have been screwed directly into the center of each of the felt-pad recesses on each of the moulded stub feet. a MAJOR improvement, in looks, at least. plus, a set of thick pads culled from the isolators of the 1990 SONY SLV-R5UC S-VHS VCR have been added. and then there's the more invasive modification: the stock power cord has been disposed, in favor of a heavy-gage, multi-shielded, grounded ex-IEC power cable. the ground lead has been retained, running to earth upon a sandwich of wide washers screwed into the center of a cable guide post mounted near the rear panel. (you can see it as the green lead running along the rear wall in the nude shot above) all this, IMO, has amounted to the very best DCD-1500 example in existence, to the best of my knowledge...

This post has been edited by MacGyver on December 13, 2008 08:51 am

I remember how much I liked my DCD-1500 when I bought it in 1986. It replaced the DCD-1800 which was extremely troublesome, that had replaced an early Onkyo unit (don't remember the model #) that was Onkyo's first CD player and retailed for a whopping $1,000.

The 1500 was a wonderful piece of equipment, and did indeed sound better than its predecessor. It also worked with little trouble for many years. I replaced it around 2003 with an Adcom GCD-600 changer and GDA-600 outboard DAC.

Only a few years ago, I thought the Adcom combo wasn't working properly (it turned out to be a faulty disc), and reconnected the Denon unit. Boy, did it sound awful!

I now use a Marantz SA-8001 that wipes the floor with the Adcom combo, and especially the 1500. Still, I have fond memories of it.

The DCD-1500 is a classic.

Denon is one of my favorite manufacturers of CD players. My first Denon CD player was a DCD-1650AR. Traded it to a friend as part of a deal to get a pair of speakers.

Awful? Really?

I owned the DCD 1500 II and the Adcom GDA-600. I'd not call the Denon awful, but agree the GDA-600 is a fine piece of kit.

Perhaps it was the combination of the GCD-600 and the GDA-600 DAC that made them sound so much better. I'm serious about what I said: the Denon did sound horrible by comparison. I once thought it was terrific, but then again, that was in 1986 and there were quite a few advances in CD players since then.

As of now, my Marantz SA-8001 blows the Adcom combo completely out of the water. I never realized that CD players had become that good, and how much better SACD's sound too.

I run a Pioneer Elite PD-65 CDP and what a build on that model! Nice sound with the Legato Link processing, too.

But my modern Cambridge Audio 640c bested it in sound, no mistake.


While I feel the older players, in general, typically offer better build quality, making them ideal transports, the digital to analogue conversion has come a long way and cdps like the Rotel 1072 and Cambridge Audio 640c sound fantastic, and usually better than many of the older CDPs.

updated shot of my 1500. replaced the insulators with a set off of the 1989 DCD-910. these are hollow, allowing them to slip nicely over the 1500's molded stub feet. the pads are from the original isolators from the JVC HR-S8000U S-VHS. the DENON isolators that were once on this 1500, the ones with the extra-thick pads culled from a SONY SLV-R5UC S-VHS, are now on my HR-S8000U. they work better for that VCR, as they are not hollow like the ones now on the 1500 are. as as such, they caused the 1500 to stand much too tall...






This post has been edited by MacGyver on June 13, 2009 08:55 am

As far as CD players go. Onkyo is a sleeper. I have owned and sold a few. They have a very good sound. I even put a tube buffer on one and could here no difference in sound.