High-end CD player production halted after suppliers stop providing key parts
High-end CD players are still hitting the market, but the optical drives they rely on are becoming harder to source. According to Tom's Hardware , fewer manufacturers still produce the niche component, a problem that has already pushed PS Audio and Naim to stop making some premium models and could make certain expensive players harder to repair over time.
Here's what to know
PS Audio discontinued the PMG Super Audio CD Transport after D&M — Marantz's parent company — stopped selling its optical drives to outside companies.
Even after buying all of D&M's remaining inventory, PS Audio still didn't have enough supply to keep the model in production.
Naim hit a comparable roadblock with the Uniti Star. Once its original optical drive supplier stopped production, the company began assessing another source, but that manufacturer also ended production of the parts the Uniti Star required.
According to Headphonesty, eight new models are in the pipeline: four from Musical Fidelity, two from Marantz, and one each from Arcam and NAD.
New dedicated disc players are still launching, even as the supply of one of their most important internal parts continues to shrink.
More background
Interest in optical media has been picking up again, even as some companies are stepping away from making critical components and new CD players keep arriving.
For Musical Fidelity, Headphonesty said SUOS-HiFi supplies the key parts: three of the new players use SUOS disc mechanisms, while a fourth combines a SUOS-provided servo with a tray-loading mechanism from an unnamed manufacturer.
Headphonesty also said Marantz develops its drives internally, though it remains unclear whether another company handles the actual manufacturing.
An optical drive is not a minor accessory — it is the core mechanism responsible for reading the disc. If only a small number of companies can still produce those assemblies, a single supplier decision can affect repairs and future availability.
What can be done?
Because Marantz designs its drives in-house, it has more flexibility than brands that rely on a single outside supplier for such a specialized part.
PS Audio took a shorter-term approach by purchasing D&M's remaining drive stock after outside orders stopped. That move gave the company some inventory, but it was not enough to keep the PMG Super Audio CD Transport on the market.
Both PS Audio and Naim have also set aside some optical drives for servicing, keeping those remaining parts for repairs and replacements rather than new sales.
Even with demand showing signs of improvement, only a small number of manufacturers appear able to build these niche drives, and PS Audio CEO Paul McGowan said the company is not capable of creating its own optical disc reader.
Where can I learn more?
The CD-player squeeze reflects a broader problem in electronics: When a critical part dries up, products get harder to build and even harder to fix. These articles dig into chip shortages, right-to-repair laws, design standards, and what happens when replacement parts vanish.
• Micron warned RAM shortages will drag into 2028 and push prices much higher.
• In Oregon, the Right to Repair law is strengthening the fix-it movement.
• The EU is putting repairability at the heart of tech design as e-waste rises.
• At Maine's State Capitol, activists staged a funeral for gadgets they said were killed too soon.
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