Onkyo C-7030 Compact Disc Player (Black)

The Onkyo 7030 CD player is well constructed and works very well. The single drawer is quiet and the CD loads quickly. The Wolfson DAC provides very good sound reproduction, the overall CD operation is simple and works very well. I am happy with this purchase and can now enjoy my CD collection once again. The delivery was quick and efficient in-spite of the poor weather conditions.

Eficiente e moderno

Excelente sonido tiene me encanto lo malo fue la paqueteria de fedex el primer día que lo enviaron no dieron con la dirección ni llamaron pésimo servicio hasta que me queje solo asi llego el otro repartidor si hablo y si pudo entregar los que los otros no hicieron

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.

I’ve owned several CD players over the years, including one of the first Sony reference units in the 90s, and a pretty impressive magnavox unit. Needed something to listen our considerable CD collection at home, and didn’t want to just drop cds into our blue ray player. I run two sound systems in my living room. Our TV/Movie system is a Marantz AVR coupled with a BlueRay player, AppleTV, Chromecast, Paradigm Milennium Reference Series front speakers, and a Velodyne sub. My main listening system is an older (early 90s) Harman Kardon receiver as a preamp, coupled with an Emotiva XPR-3 running 2 channels in stereo. That amp feeds a pair of Axiom M60 Series 4 custom built towers. Source for this system is a vintage Technics turntable, AudioEngine D2 system to stream digital content from an iMac, and this wonderful Onkyo CD unit. I’ve been reading incredible reviews of this Onkyo for a couple of years now, as I searched for a player. My search initially led me to a more expensive Marantz, but reading reviews realized this was the better value, and likely better sound. How much better? That’s pretty subjective when it comes to CD. Most earns will never know the difference... My decision was mostly based on quality/reliability and audio quality. Wasn’t about to dish out over $1000 for a comparable Cambridge device and have to deal with the repair issues. It’s also pretty easy to make a decision when there are very few options out there (compared to back in the 90s). I think what finally made me pull the trigger was an afternoon at local record store, Red Cat Records. I was looking for a vinyl copy of a jazz album, but all they had for sample listening was a CD version. It was then that I noticed all their CD listening units were this 7030. That says a lot. I know the owner, and we chatted about this. They hadn’t had any problems with these units, even in a pretty busy store where they sat out for just anyone to play with. I got to listen to the CD through the same AT headphones that I use at home (very neutral), and the sound was fantastic. I went home and placed an order right away. You can’t go wrong with one of these units, if you can get your hands on one. We’ve been rediscovering our CD collection over the holidays with this fantastic unit.