i have a old pioneer pd-103 that i won in a draw when i was a kid. ive recently upgraded my system to focal 706v bookshelves going to a luxman lv -105u (awesome amp). i want to get a new cd player but the one right now sounds good. i just don't know with my setup if i will hear a difference if i get a new cd player. and of course if i were to get a cd player what makes a cd player "good"? i dont care if its got lk..100 cd changer or anything like that. cheers!
what makes a good cd player ?
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Old_Tech
Yer-isn't!
Yes give them a listen the Azur line from Cambridge is high tech and very high value for the money. Highly praised in all reviews.
No affiliation but am buying an 840C this week.
Tiver
Enjoy the music
Until you can hear a difference, what is the difference? Cost? Status? Aesthetics? Resale?
Do what you can to audition something in your own environs.
I have several 5 disc carousels Yamaha, NAD and Sony, non of which would receive any accolades in audiophile circles. That said, the Yamaha ($11 at Good Will) to me sounds very nice. The NAD skips if there is so much as a smudge the size of a flea's footprint on the disc. The Sony, well I haven't given it much of a listen yet.
If I play ripped (lossless) CDs through the 3.5mm out with RCA 'Y' into AUX in on one of my computers, there is definitely not the same quality of sound as through the stand alone decks. I guess I would attribute that to the DAC process. So I would then assume that a really good DAC would be an improvement over a basic consumer level CD player.
There is a lot to to said for packaging. A piece of gear that both functions beautifully and is a looker certainly has its value.
I know some audio stores have in home trials. If you can seek this out it might be useful.
Bottom line, if it doesn't improve what you hear and it costs you money, let's hope the eye candy is worth it.
Are you familiar with the hub-bub over the original Sony PS 1
As a footnote:
My comments here are from a state of ignorance to 'higher' level offerings. I have heard the Cambridge, but not at home. It was played though about $12k worth of electronics and speakers. Not really being in the market for an $800 CD player, I did not ask to try it in my home. I do not object in the least bit to the cost of any of it, I just think a reasonable perspective should be in place when evaluating system add ons/ upgrades.
Do what you can to audition something in your own environs.
I have several 5 disc carousels Yamaha, NAD and Sony, non of which would receive any accolades in audiophile circles. That said, the Yamaha ($11 at Good Will) to me sounds very nice. The NAD skips if there is so much as a smudge the size of a flea's footprint on the disc. The Sony, well I haven't given it much of a listen yet.
If I play ripped (lossless) CDs through the 3.5mm out with RCA 'Y' into AUX in on one of my computers, there is definitely not the same quality of sound as through the stand alone decks. I guess I would attribute that to the DAC process. So I would then assume that a really good DAC would be an improvement over a basic consumer level CD player.
There is a lot to to said for packaging. A piece of gear that both functions beautifully and is a looker certainly has its value.
I know some audio stores have in home trials. If you can seek this out it might be useful.
Bottom line, if it doesn't improve what you hear and it costs you money, let's hope the eye candy is worth it.
Are you familiar with the hub-bub over the original Sony PS 1
As a footnote:
My comments here are from a state of ignorance to 'higher' level offerings. I have heard the Cambridge, but not at home. It was played though about $12k worth of electronics and speakers. Not really being in the market for an $800 CD player, I did not ask to try it in my home. I do not object in the least bit to the cost of any of it, I just think a reasonable perspective should be in place when evaluating system add ons/ upgrades.
riverrat
professional camper
Some nice multi-format players are going for cheap these days, as people unload them for Blu-ray. E.g. Denon 3910, 2910, 2930. Similar Pioneers. Some of these players have surprisingly good DACs and audio playback.
Onkyo makes a nice player for around $400. Doesn't play SACDs though, if that is consideration.
What influences sound the most is the DAC and analog output circuit.
Onkyo makes a nice player for around $400. Doesn't play SACDs though, if that is consideration.
What influences sound the most is the DAC and analog output circuit.
Most of the CD changers and jukeboxes I've encountered have been designed to a price point, and they sound like it when compared to a good single-disc player. Engineering features I'd look for in a new CD player would include a multi-bit or hybrid DAC, with a minimum word length of 20 bits, oversampling at 4x or greater; a coaxial digital output, in case you decide to buy a standalone DAC at some future date; and a well-designed reconstruction filter using high slew rate op amps and/or discrete components.
The best advice I can offer is to go listen to players, including some of the better single-disc DVD players on the market. I went through the search process last month, with a small budget complicating the selection process, and ended up buying a Yamaha DVD-S1800 DVD player that sounds very good to me. Yamaha's original price on this unit was $449.99; the price at Amazon.com, where I bought it, was $79.99 including shipping.
The best advice I can offer is to go listen to players, including some of the better single-disc DVD players on the market. I went through the search process last month, with a small budget complicating the selection process, and ended up buying a Yamaha DVD-S1800 DVD player that sounds very good to me. Yamaha's original price on this unit was $449.99; the price at Amazon.com, where I bought it, was $79.99 including shipping.
Tiver
Enjoy the music
That was an interesting thread Dr Tinear, and as a result I decided to purchase the same player. Should be here in a day or two. Your evaluation comparing the analog out v digital out sounded very promising. I also appreciated your comments on the build quality.
For $85+/- delivered and brand new, I thought well worth it.
theprofessor
Well-Known Member
The PS3 is probably a pretty decent CD player if you use an external DAC. Some people find the bundled AV cables limiting and prefer to use their own interconnects. I know I tried using mine as a CD player initially, but I found that using it as one was inconvenient. I picked up a Sony ES CD player a few days ago and I'm much happier with that than I am with my PS3.
AudioPeru
Fan of vintage audio
Congrats!!
Man! Those LUXMANS are the bomb, i have a LV-104u an it sounds incredible!!! an awesome detailed response in mids, clear highs and deep bass.
Congrats!!
Man! Those LUXMANS are the bomb, i have a LV-104u an it sounds incredible!!! an awesome detailed response in mids, clear highs and deep bass.
Congrats!!
zenithfan1
Super Member
Very true. I can recommend a Kyocera, the one I regrettably sold had the sweetest, smoothest sounding DAC I've ever heard. Every CD was like hearing it for the first time again. It even played the scratched discs that "chattered" without chattering at all, or skipping! Mine was a 1987 DA510cx. I miss it dearly.
bluesky
Lunatic Member
What makes a good CD player: Sound quality, quality of internal componets, and pure luck.
Got a new NAD C-515BEE CD player a few months ago. Sound is great, internal componets are satisfactory, and it's sure got some 'good luck' cause it sounds outrageous...so far.
I think it's going to be a wonderful machine. Totally happy.
Got a new NAD C-515BEE CD player a few months ago. Sound is great, internal componets are satisfactory, and it's sure got some 'good luck' cause it sounds outrageous...so far.
I think it's going to be a wonderful machine. Totally happy.
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myu701
Vintage futurist
Yes, a well designed power supply is very nice to have. Discrete circuitry as well. Super smooth motor built to last. Highly dampened transport. Quality DAC.
That Yamaha DVD-S1800 has excellent specs and reviews. I guess there was a glut that needed to be unloaded for a short while... a few AK'ers managed to snap them up ($80 is quite a bargain). Unfortunately the word got to my ears too late... I've been giving the next model up a look-over, the DVD-S2700.
The Rotel RDV line is reputed to be extremely nice and some of their older models have come down quite a bit on the used market.
That Yamaha DVD-S1800 has excellent specs and reviews. I guess there was a glut that needed to be unloaded for a short while... a few AK'ers managed to snap them up ($80 is quite a bargain). Unfortunately the word got to my ears too late... I've been giving the next model up a look-over, the DVD-S2700.
The Rotel RDV line is reputed to be extremely nice and some of their older models have come down quite a bit on the used market.
roughlight
New Member
New here so please excuse naivete....
Well, I'm using a 15 year old $120 Sony Walkman through a small Samson amp and a pair of old Advents and it sounds pretty darn good. All sound - no "features".
I agree with the stable power supply good D/A converter comments - CD players use very little power so almost all will meet this first requirement.
The speakers seem to be the most critical component - until you start adjusting room acoustics. Cost increases exponentially with quality and frankly CD's don't sound all that good anyway. I suppose if I were searching for a high end player I'd be looking at anti-aliasing and error correction algorithms. How many manufacturers specify these?
One search strategy would be to audition CD players with a pair of reference grade headphones (Grado SR250 for example) and pick the one you like.
Well, I'm using a 15 year old $120 Sony Walkman through a small Samson amp and a pair of old Advents and it sounds pretty darn good. All sound - no "features".
I agree with the stable power supply good D/A converter comments - CD players use very little power so almost all will meet this first requirement.
The speakers seem to be the most critical component - until you start adjusting room acoustics. Cost increases exponentially with quality and frankly CD's don't sound all that good anyway. I suppose if I were searching for a high end player I'd be looking at anti-aliasing and error correction algorithms. How many manufacturers specify these?
One search strategy would be to audition CD players with a pair of reference grade headphones (Grado SR250 for example) and pick the one you like.
99.9% of ALL CD players are more than capable of performing beyond the capabilities of the rest of the analog system.
Save your money and use your DVD player as your CD player.
I would suggest an Oppo Digital if going new.
Expensive speacialty names often are rebadged and overpriced players like the Oppo.
If you can hear jitter due to timing issues, you are one of the few.
Save your money and use your DVD player as your CD player.
I would suggest an Oppo Digital if going new.
Expensive speacialty names often are rebadged and overpriced players like the Oppo.
If you can hear jitter due to timing issues, you are one of the few.
guiller
Toscaninichus Australis
DVDs might deliver competent sound, but for many of us they are far away from a very good CDP in terms of sound quality (i.e., the ability to reproduce, for example, an acoustic instrument in a way that can very hardly be distinguishable -and this dependes on the listener- from the real instrument). There are many aspects involved. A good comparison among red book good quality CDPs can be found here http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=308065 , for example. I´ve got a Cambridge Audio 640 C v2, a great CDP (no comparison with any of my DVD or Bluray players) and I´m saving enough money to buy the TOTL 840 or a Naim CDP. Differences are there, and many people are willing to pay for that, even if it involves some non-negligible amount of money.
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I am afraid you are very much misinformed.
Here is a review of an Oppo player that basically makes the Cambridge look silly.
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/dvd-players/289-a-secrets-dvd-player-review.html
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/blu-...dge-azur-650bd-blu-ray-universal-player-.html
Levels of performance well beyond the capabilities of most analog system interfaces.
Digital is digital. You can spend more but it is a waste of cash.