Cd PLayer?

[PolkFan1]

I currently use a fairly cheap sony dvd/cd player for music. If I were to get a dedicated multi disk cd player such as a denon or something, woudl that significatly enhance the sound quality?

[98thumpin]

i have no idea but a problem i ran into with the dvd/cd player combo is that i cant record to tape or cd unless i get a dedicated cd player.

[shack]

A good source should make a difference, but it also depends on the rest of the system. One of the Denon changers might be an improvement but probably only a modest one. Here are a few threads that recommend several different single disc and changer CDPs you might want to consider researching.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35737

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50024

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47494

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45107

Of course since you started one of the above mentioned theads...you should already have an idea since you were given several recommendations in that thread.

[Dennis Gardner]

Most single steps up are never significant but add up nicely to something that is............I found that each step up in gear was only limited by the lesser component in the line. Once that was upgraded, I realized a satisfaction with first piece more.

I know this sounds like a never ending quest, but until you are using dedicated/quality pieces at each point along your signal path, you are losing fidelity.

Just my .02...........

[Sherardp]

Check out the new Marantz CC4001,an SACD-grade 192 kHz, 24-bit Cirrus Logic CS4392 D/A converter. It definitely sounds way better over my last sony model. I find it to produce better seperation in the soundstage, also player for the price. Go with some good interconnects, I went with analog two from signalcable, and you cant go wrong.

[engtaz]

OPPO DV-970HD http://www.oppodigital.com/dv970hd/dv970hd.html
OPPO DV-981HD 1080p http://www.oppodigital.com/dv981hd/index.html
These are 2 unit very good single units. I personally don't like multi players because too many moving parts make for better chance of breaking down. Both these players support SACD.

Good Luck
engtaz

[shack]

It was only a matter of time before someone suggested an Oppo. :rolleyes: It may be an very good video player...but you can do better with a quality stand alone CDP for audio.

[steveinaz]

Some of the things I notice with better CDPs are:

1. Highs are not so brittle
2. Bass is better controlled, not so boomy
3. midrange has less digital glare
4. Blacker background
5. Better seperation of instruments/articulation

Having said that, Sony makes the best sounding "budget" CD Player on the planet, IMHO.

[adam2434]

What's the rest of your equipment?

In experimenting with a few inexpensive ($250-350) DACs vs. my Sony CDP, I've found that each has its own sonic character. Some have stronger bass, some have brighter highs, combination of both, etc. I found some have better instrument separation, soundstage width/depth, but at the same time can sound more exaggerated in the high and low frequencies, which was ultimately a turn-off in my system (preferred the Sony CDP to a couple of the DACs).

Bottom line is that different DACs and CDPs can sound significantly different and subjectively better/worse depending on the resolution and characteristics of your system. I've found digital front end to definitely be a synergy thing, and a matter of trade-offs in the price range of the equipment I've played with.

Still, depending on the rest of your equipment and depending on your budget, you can definitely improve your sound with a better CDP or outboard DAC.

[halo]

What is your budget?

[shack]

I currently use a fairly cheap sony dvd/cd player for music. If I were to get a dedicated multi disk cd player such as a denon or something, woudl that significatly enhance the sound quality?

Go to this thread..buy this CDP...and don't look back. I KNOW it is better than your Sony or the Denon and I would bet it blows the Oppo away.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51751

[dane_peterson]

Don't want to hijack, but part of his original question was would having a dedicated CD player be "worthwhile" (so to speak) investment vs having a DVD player double as a CDP. This is something I've been wondering too. Could anybody provide any more insight into that portion? I'm enjoying the list of recommended CDPs though. :)

[GATOR3000]

Awesome player. Two outputs....analog and tube............


http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47524

Gator :) :)

[shack]

Don't want to hijack, but part of his original question was would having a dedicated CD player be "worthwhile" (so to speak) investment vs having a DVD player double as a CDP. This is something I've been wondering too. Could anybody provide any more insight into that portion? I'm enjoying the list of recommended CDPs though. :)

There are some companies that put as much thought and design into the audio section of their DVD players as the video (and maybe more)...NAD and Cambridge Audio come to mind. This is probably the case for some of the high end mfgs. as well. These companies produce a good CDP/audio player that does video. On the other hand a lot of the mass market companies produce a video player first and the audio (and the ability to play all the formats) is a necessary evil (so to speak). A great deal of effort is probably not put into the audio DACs because in the majority of cases the audio portion of a DVD will be fed digitally to a AVR or pre-pro to be processed.

There are those who will say a disc is a disc is a disc and any "good" machine can do them all well. I think most of the folks on this forum that have heard good gear will attest that there is a difference between the entry level CDP and the gear higher up the spectrum. If that is indeed the case, I think it is logical that the more you concentrate on one function of a machine, the better that machine will be at performing that function. The old saying comes to mind...."Jack of all trades....master of none".

It's not that a DVD player can't be a good audio player....It can. But it has to be designed to do it well. My contention is that generally a $500 CDP will be better at playing redbook CDs than a $500 DVD player.

[TroyD]

Shackmaster nails it again.

BDT

[dane_peterson]

Thanks for the thorough response!

[AndyGwis]

I will also be looking for a 2-channel source upgrade in the near future. Probably going to be something in the $300-$500 range, used, paired with my Musical Fidelity integrated and Thiels.

If anyone has thoughts on players in that range, please post 'em. I've added the Original A8 to my list, but haven't seen many/any available. Also have Jolida, MF, Music Hall, Rotel, Rega, Arcam on my list. Wouldn't be opposed to trying tubes, but haven't ventured that way yet.

To answer the original question, yes, a quality source does make a difference. For budget, some of the Sony ES stuff is actually pretty good, and many of them play SACDs as well, which would be a bonus. Plus, they are mod-able, so it would be an easy upgrade path.

I probably should've just kept my SCD-C222ES and had it modded. . . but I was weak and sold it to make some quick cash.

[sucks2beme]

[QUOTE=AndyGwis;618888]I will also be looking for a 2-channel source upgrade in the near future. Probably going to be something in the $300-$500 range, used, paired with my Musical Fidelity integrated and Thiels.

QUOTE]
I'm thinking BADA. $500 new. Hard to beat. There is a Affordable Audio review on this CDP.

[AndyGwis]

Hey Keith,

Looked at Bada, Jolida, Ah, etc. Decided I needed two things they didn't have. A headphone amp (MF doesn't have headphone out), and play SACDs.

So, I ended up getting another Sony SCD ES player that does both (SACD and headphone amp), and to upgrade the CD playback I got a Theta Pro Progecy DAC from Agon (posted by Russ on Audio Deals thread earlier).

So, I'm totally set once the SCD ES gets here and my Thiel tweeter gets rebuilt / returned.