DVD Player of CD Player

[dcarlson]

I'm looking for a new cd player and I was wondering, would it be better to buy a 5 disk DVD or 5 disk CD player?

I want quality audio, don't care so much for the Video side.

Is there a difference? I'll be using it for %90 music.

Thanks in advance,

Derick.

[Aaron]

A dedicated CD player is better. Say you have $300 to spend for player. With a DVD player you have a significant portion of that $300 going into all kinds of hardware in addition to that for CD playback. You all kinds of video hardware and a DD decoder with 5-channel outputs to name a few. Also, with a DVD player you have all that video hardware that can potentially muck up and interfere with your audio signal. If you don't need a DVD player, don't get one for CD playback.

Aaron

[dcarlson]

That's what I thought, I actually bought a Harman Kardon 5 disk CD carousel and started thinking that DVD was the way to go.

My buddy had a good analogy for it. It's like buying 2 in 1 shampoo, it works, but a separate shampoo and separate conditioner works better.

Anyway, you've put my mind at ease.

Thanks,

Derick.

[mantis]

Look at you guys go...I think there on to something.............

[weavercr]

For optimum audio quality you need your sampling rate at a direct (whole)multiplier of the recording sampling rate. Cd are recorded at 44.1k 8x oversampling = 352.8 cool: (4x = 176.4)

Digital fillters work (sound) better on the higher sampling rate.

DVD's use 96 or 192 DACs.

There fore the digital process has to interpolate the difference between the dvd rate and the cd rate.

interpolate sound

[meestercleef]

Although you will not, at least theoretically, have problems with good equipment, there is nonetheless the inconvenience of doing w/out both if one part breaks. If you don't care about video much, then maybe you won't be too upset if the video has problems but the audio is fine. However, about 10 yrs ago I bought my first & only combo tv/vcr & later found out how annoying it was not to have any TV just because my VCR was in the shop. For this reason, I think it's nice to have multiple players, preferably w/headphone jacks. That way, even if my receiver is in the shop, I can at least listen to stuff via headphones. And if CD changer breaks, still able to use the DVD player for CDs. If you have a CD changer, a single-disc DVD player will suffice, if you are not really "into" video. I have a Marantz CC4000, which is fine so far, but I really can't compare it to other CD changers, except some really cheap entry-level players that I used to own. It's better than those, of course, but I don't know how it compares to the good ones. The 3-yr warranty is nice. I don't watch a lot of DVDs, & my TV is not HDTV or progressive scan, so I am satisfied with my entry-level Sony single-disc DVD. Despite its lowly status, it's so much better than VHS that I don't feel the need to upgrade video at this time.

[dcarlson]

That's a really good point, the reason I was questioning getting a DVD changer is: I have a friend who is bent on a DVD Changer. He was told that DVD players have/need a better quality laser and thus produce a better playback.

My thought was that a CD player is doing what it's supposed to do, play music, not video and would do a better job.

I'm almost done building my system. I started with Polk RT1000i and Harman Kardon AVR120. Then got CS400i and R10.

My next step is to make sure I get a quality CD Changer. I picked up a H/K FL8380 with HDCD, but I think I'm going to return it. It sounds great but really quirky. I'm thinking of going with a Denon HDCD instead.

Thanks for all the help.

Derick.