Goodwill Shopping

[DSkip]

I've been shopping around at the goodwills in my area for the hope of finding that "long lost audio artifact", but have had no success so far. What I have found so far is about 6 or 7 CD's I always wanted for 2 bucks a piece.

About a month ago I picked up A Boy Named Goo by the Goo Goo Dolls. I love Name, but I'm rather indifferent bout the rest of the tracks. Also picked up Chris Isaac that day and it was well worth the 2 bucks. I also got a Schubert CD that day.

Today we went by after work and I picked up 4 more CD's. There were about 8 I wanted but I settled for these 4:

Incubus - Morning View - had this CD burned, but always wanted the actual CD
Sting - Brand New Day - always enjoyed Desert Rose. Guilty pleasure I guess
Sarah McLaghlan - afterglow - If I don't like it, my mother will :)
Tracy Chapman - New Beginning - REALLY impressed with this album. I havent had a chance to listen to the others b/c I cant stop playing this one. As much as I enjoy it, I'm glad I waited til I got older. Don't think I would've enjoyed it as much in my younger days.

[nooshinjohn]

It takes time and persistence doing the Goodwill stuff, and it does not hurt to walk away sometimes either. I had a shot at a Carver DTL-200 cd player for ten bucks, but I walked away on it due to the cosmetics and the fact it was missing a couple screws.

[comfortablycurt]

You can find some great deals at Goodwill if you're patient. I've gotten some good vinyl and some good CD's at my local Goodwill. I'm yet to find anything to exciting in the way of audio equipment though. I'm hoping a nice tape deck will pop up there sometime soon.

Many times that I've gone there, I've walked away empty handed. I'm always perusing their music and books though...I've found some real gems there too.


I'm just waiting for that magical Pass Labs amp to show up there for $15!!:p

[cnh]

Ok boys....I'm looking for a PS1....finders fee if one of you can locate one at a Goodwill for 10-15 bucks! I am curious about its, so-called, CDP potential!

I'll probably just buy one off ebay if I can't find one at a Goodwill on my return to the U.S. I have tried to locate one in Beijing (as I live in the Silicon Valley of the City) but it's just too 'damned' old tech!

cnh

[audiobliss]

Which Chris Isaak CD did you end up with? I enjoy some of his stuff. I've also just been introduced to Tracy Chapman here very recently, and I'm enjoying a lot of her stuff, as well.

I looked up "Desert Rose" by sting, wondering if it'd be similar at all to Eric Johnson's "Desert Rose". Nope, not at all, haha. Though I do like Sting's. Yet another group I should investigate more.

Congrats on all the good finds!

[comfortablycurt]

Ok boys....I'm looking for a PS1....finders fee if one of you can locate one at a Goodwill for 10-15 bucks! I am curious about its, so-called, CDP potential!

I'll probably just buy one off ebay if I can't find one at a Goodwill on my return to the U.S. I have tried to locate one in Beijing (as I live in the Silicon Valley of the City) but it's just too 'damned' old tech!

cnh

I may be mistaken, but I believe it was only the very earliest PS1's that are supposed to be excellent 2 channel CDP's. Anyone correct me if I'm wrong on that. I believe there are certain serial numbers that it needs to be between.

I've read about this several times, and it's always kind of caught my interest.

It'd be cool to find one and send it around the forum for demo! I'd love to put one to the test.:)

I'm gonna keep my eye out for one. I think I saw one that last time I was at Goodwill actually...

[cnh]

I may be mistaken, but I believe it was only the very earliest PS1's that are supposed to be excellent 2 channel CDP's. Anyone correct me if I'm wrong on that. I believe there are certain serial numbers that it needs to be between.

I've read about this several times, and it's always kind of caught my interest.

It'd be cool to find one and send it around the forum for demo! I'd love to put one to the test.:)

I'm gonna keep my eye out for one. I think I saw one that last time I was at Goodwill actually...

I'm pretty sure you're right Curt...and that's not a bad idea. The player is light and we could easily 'safe' pack it and run it around a bit-for some play and amusement.

cnh

[comfortablycurt]

I'm pretty sure you're right Curt...and that's not a bad idea. The player is light and we could easily 'safe' pack it and run it around a bit-for some play and amusement.

cnh

If what I'm finding around the interweb is correct...it needs a serial number that starts with SCPH-1001, or SCPH-1002.

Could definitely make for a fun little demo. Here's what Stereophile has to say about it...

http://www.stereophile.com/cdplayers/708play/index.html

Pretty positive review from them...but admittedly, there are very few reviews in Stereophile that are anything but glowing.

Reviews elsewhere on the net seem fairly positive too.


edit-Sounds like the serial numbers start with SCPH-1001 for U.S. models, and start with SCPH-1002 for U.K. models. These were the first generation units, and utilized AKM AK4309AVM 16-bit sigma-delta DAC's.

[Toxis]

Instill have an old ps1 with 10 or so games...but would rather not ship over seas due to cost.

[cnh]

I'll be back in Maine in late July...may look for one or two units and maybe we can start a demo thread at that time--ship one around. Toxis is right...Shipping in the U.S. is pretty easy and cheap. Those units don't weigh anything.

cnh

[Fongolio]

If what I'm finding around the interweb is correct...it needs a serial number that starts with SCPH-1001, or SCPH-1002.

You are correct Curt. I have one of the SCPH-1001's which have the RCA outs. There is one other version even better though but not with the RCA outs and that's the SCPH-5001. It uses the AV connector instead of RCA's but has the same DAC chip but improved op-amps and a much improved transport. I also have that one. I don't think either one cost me more than $10.00.

They both sound very decent but in my opinion not as good as my Rotel with by-passed op-amps and true tube output stage. That being said I still think that either unit sounds as good or better than most mainstream "universal" DVD/cd units. If there is enough interest I could start something and get people's opinions.

[cnh]

Overall, this is a pretty poor set of measurements. I wonder, therefore, if the "magic" of the PlayStation 1's sound lies not in its technical excellence but in the fact that it smears over and disguises much of what is wrong with typical CD sound quality, to which it adds a touch of low-level compression from the linearity error. Certainly, when I recently listened to a PS1 as the source in a system comprising an inexpensive Cayin tube integrated amplifier driving Definitive Technology Mythos ST speakers, it sounded relaxed and informative in a manner I would not have expected from this measured performance.—John Atkinson

From Curt's link to the Stereophile review. This is what I find interesting.

I've heard several thousand dollar bookshelves, with higher end cables and interconnects. I've heard 2 or 3000+ dollar CDPs and some with TUBE buffers, first class transports and DAC units! And NONE not ONE rig was devoid of that irritating high end frequency digital 'harshness' known as the CD. I even sat in the same room with other Polkies who thought that stuff sounded 'good' when all I could hear was bright, bright, too bright!

That's why I find this review so fascinating...the measurements are nothing special. In other words the numbers mean very little. And the unit is a cheap CD player/Game machine. It's strength seems to be that it rolls off all that 'nasty' digital sound that you hear on many many MANY units...and that is worth a 'listen' for someone who cringes when a CD is played loudly and the smoothness disappears and the sound almost always becomes edgy!

cnh

[Tony M]

I can honestly say Goodwill got me hooked back on this hobby by having a set of New in the boxs set of Polk Monitor 10's for 24.00. that was over 10 yrs. ago and thousands of $$$ later I still LOVE the thrill of the hunt! I've been lucky BUT I've stoped in their stores ALOT. I've read it on the forum here too, go often as you can. Just today for instance ,I went to one at 1:00 and then later at 8:00 and saw alot of new stuff they had put out this afternoon.

I love buying books there also! 60.00 books for 1.75. Can't beat it. I have a small library from buying books there. I bought 5 more books tonight.;)

Check out the art or print section. Alot of great finds are waiting!

[hearingimpared]

The trick to shopping Goodwill or any thrift store is to go often at least once or twice a week. When I was heavily searching for vinyl or a piece of gear I would miss a week or two to find that I missed out on some good deals so I made it a practice to stop by both Goodwills here twice a week. Now I don't go at all because I don't have the scratch and I leave feeling like there's a hole in my gut.

CNH as far as your post #12, I've was always searching for that special CDP that wouldn't produce that digital glare and sound more open and airy like vinyl. The closest I've heard are the Esoteric SA series, Musical Fidelity kw, and what I currently own, the Raysonic CD 168 with some Jan NOS tubes rolled in. The first two are very expensive and can play redbook and SACD. I was hot-to-trot on the Esoteric because it had CD/SACD/DVD-A playback and it is less expensive than the kw but when I heard the Raysonic in my rig, I had to have it even though I would have to get another unit to play SACDs.

As far as I'm concerned, two out of the three front ends I own are here and won't be going anywhere soon. My weak link is the Denon 2900 I use for SACD playback. I'm going to be getting that modded soon so that may complete my front ends.

[nebborjk]

I donated my old PS1 to Goodwill about two years ago. I never thought try it as a CDP.

[cnh]

The trick to shopping Goodwill or any thrift store is to go often at least once or twice a week. When I was heavily searching for vinyl or a piece of gear I would miss a week or two to find that I missed out on some good deals so I made it a practice to stop by both Goodwills here twice a week. Now I don't go at all because I don't have the scratch and I leave feeling like there's a hole in my gut.

CNH as far as your post #12, I've was always searching for that special CDP that wouldn't produce that digital glare and sound more open and airy like vinyl. The closest I've heard are the Esoteric SA series, Musical Fidelity kw, and what I currently own, the Raysonic CD 168 with some Jan NOS tubes rolled in. The first two are very expensive and can play redbook and SACD. I was hot-to-trot on the Esoteric because it had CD/SACD/DVD-A playback and it is less expensive than the kw but when I heard the Raysonic in my rig, I had to have it even though I would have to get another unit to play SACDs.

As far as I'm concerned, two out of the three front ends I own are here and won't be going anywhere soon. My weak link is the Denon 2900 I use for SACD playback. I'm going to be getting that modded soon so that may complete my front ends.

Thanks, I'll have to get my ears on those and see how they sound. A bit pricey though...but that can't stop me from 'listening'.

cnh

[RuSsMaN]

I've been shopping around at the goodwills in my area for the hope of finding that "long lost audio artifact", but have had no success so far.

You live in my neck of the woods, were you expecting to find something?

[audiobliss]

You live in my neck of the woods, were you expecting to find something?

Hahahahahaha! Good point.

[Huck344]

I donated my old PS1 to Goodwill about two years ago. I never thought try it as a CDP.

When my wife moved into my place (prior to us getting married), she donated my PS1 to Goodwill. Now, I want it back!!! She just sold both my PS2's on ebay. I hope there's nothing magical about them.

[nooshinjohn]

She just sold both my PS2's on ebay. I hope there's nothing magical about them.

Nothing valuable there... wait you had TWO of them? My GOD MAN. They were the key to "Cold Fusion" and could have solved the energy problems of the entire planet!:p

[Huck344]

... wait you had TWO of them? My GOD MAN. They were the key to "Cold Fusion" and could have solved the energy problems of the entire planet!:p

WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?????:D

Yeah, I had two. One was given to me by a friend who's boyfriend had dumped her and had left it at her place. She was so pissed that she was going to bash the thing up. I couldn't let that happen, so I took it and all the games. What a dumbass the guy was. You always make sure you have all your crap back before you break up with a girl!

[billbillw]

I've still got my original PS1 (w/RCA outs) that I bought back in 1995. I haven't played a game on it since about 1998 or so. It was in storage for a long time, and then I decided to use it in the garage for a CD player. This was before all the hype and the Stereophile article. I don't think that its really all that great. Honestly, I wouldn't go out of my way to buy one to use as a CD player.

[KrazyMofo24]

I have been to three of them in the past couple of months, and didn't find anything good for home audio.

[billbillw]

I should have also mentioned that I've never had a single bit of luck finding anything of value (electronics wise) in a Goodwill. I don't have time to go often, so its hit or miss.

However, when I first started to collect vinyl albums, I did manage to find some pretty decent deals. I probably snagged at least 75 decent LPs over the course of a dozen visits. That was a few years ago. The last time I went though, it was utter crap.

[hearingimpared]

I should have also mentioned that I've never had a single bit of luck finding anything of value (electronics wise) in a Goodwill. I don't have time to go often, so its hit or miss.

However, when I first started to collect vinyl albums, I did manage to find some pretty decent deals. I probably snagged at least 75 decent LPs over the course of a dozen visits. That was a few years ago. The last time I went though, it was utter crap.

Yep that was before vinyl's resurrection! It's getting harder and harder to find things other than the likes of Don Ho!:D

[DSkip]

I did find a projector in there one day for $15 bucks. My wife talked me out of it. When it was new, it retailed for around $12k. I'm actually glad I didn't buy it though because I think I would have been disappointed with the picture after all the HD stuff we have now.

[nguyendot]

Ok boys....I'm looking for a PS1....finders fee if one of you can locate one at a Goodwill for 10-15 bucks! I am curious about its, so-called, CDP potential!

I'll probably just buy one off ebay if I can't find one at a Goodwill on my return to the U.S. I have tried to locate one in Beijing (as I live in the Silicon Valley of the City) but it's just too 'damned' old tech!

cnh

I picked one up at Goodwill last month after three months of looking. It's one with the RCA outputs that everyone's looking for. Every goodwill has them but they're always without the RCAs.

What have I found at Goodwill?

1988 Klipsch Forte II's $70
NAD 214 AMP, Preamp, CDP, Tuner $60
Polk RT25s + CS101 + M10s (i think?) $40. Sold the CS101 and M series for $50, so made $10 on the RT25s (which I gave to my dad)
Boston VR12 Center 3-way $40
Klipsch KG4 $10 (use as center)
Crown XTI 1000 $10 (found it yesterday... mint condition)
Netgear 814 N router $10 (flashed with DDWRT)
PSB Alpha + 100C Center $40

And...much...much more (too much to list).

[kcoc321]

Ok boys....I'm looking for a PS1....finders fee if one of you can locate one at a Goodwill for 10-15 bucks! I am curious about its, so-called, CDP potential!

I'll probably just buy one off ebay if I can't find one at a Goodwill on my return to the U.S. I have tried to locate one in Beijing (as I live in the Silicon Valley of the City) but it's just too 'damned' old tech!

cnh

Can you say more about using the PS1 as a CDP?
What makes it a good transport?
I see them from time to time....
What about the PS2? Saw one the other day.

[nguyendot]

There are a lot of articles online about using the PS1 as a CDP. Something about how clean the signal is or that jazz.

http://www.stereophile.com/cdplayers/708play/

Some people even modify it...

[George Grand]

Pilgrims.