Blu-Ray as CD Player?

J

jeffreynoah

Audiophyte
What is the audible gain or loss from using a Blu-Ray player as a CD player in an audio system?
jeffreynoah
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
That entirely depends on what player you are talking about and how it is connected. For all intents and purposes, there won't be any gain or loss compared to a comparable CD player.
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
A BD player playing a CD will sound exactly like a CD player.
 
jliedeka

jliedeka

Audioholic General
A BD player playing a CD will sound exactly like a CD player.
+1

If you are using a digital connection to a receiver, the BD player is just acting as a transport. While some transports are better than others, the difference is academic where sound quality is concerned.

If you are using the analog outputs, a low end BD player might skimp on some of that circuitry just like a low end CD player. Again, the differences are pretty academic unless the manufacturer did a horrible job. That's pretty unlikely.

Jim
 
J

jeffreynoah

Audiophyte
Blu-Ray vs CD Player? 10Q

Thank you, gentlemen, for your astute advice.
I will soon buy a well-reviewed Blu-Ray DVD player.
Then I will give my 1990 Sony CDP690 and my 1991 Sony CDP 990, a respectful send-off to the used audio equipment store.

JeffreyNoah
 
3db

3db

Audioholic Slumlord
+1

If you are using a digital connection to a receiver, the BD player is just acting as a transport. While some transports are better than others, the difference is academic where sound quality is concerned.

If you are using the analog outputs, a low end BD player might skimp on some of that circuitry just like a low end CD player. Again, the differences are pretty academic unless the manufacturer did a horrible job. That's pretty unlikely.

Jim
I have a Sony BDP S360 Bluray player, their bottom line player and I notice no difference in analog out verses HDMI out in my particular example. :)
 
Pyrrho

Pyrrho

Audioholic Ninja
Thank you, gentlemen, for your astute advice.
I will soon buy a well-reviewed Blu-Ray DVD player.
Then I will give my 1990 Sony CDP690 and my 1991 Sony CDP 990, a respectful send-off to the used audio equipment store.

JeffreyNoah
Before you do that, make sure you like the features on your BD player for playing CDs. I personally like having a CD player for CDs, because I like the features, and the fact that it just starts playing when I hit play, instead of having to wait for the player to figure out what kind of disc is in it.
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
Before you do that, make sure you like the features on your BD player for playing CDs. I personally like having a CD player for CDs, because I like the features, and the fact that it just starts playing when I hit play, instead of having to wait for the player to figure out what kind of disc is in it.
I have a SACD/CD player from Sony and it checks every disc like a BD/DVD player. It initially displays SACD for every burned disc I put in there until it starts to play. My Oppo starts playing everything immediately unless it is a disc I was recently playing so it tries to start from the last position, so perhaps it recognizes disc type quickly, as does my Panny BD-65.
 
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PHANofPHUNK

PHANofPHUNK

Full Audioholic
My rule on this is, if your receiver has better DACs' then your BD player, use an optical out from your BD player. This way your receiver will decode the signal.

If your BD player has the better DACs, use the analog out. That way the better DACs are decoding.
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
My rule on this is, if your receiver has better DACs' then your BD player, use an optical out from your BD player. This way your receiver will decode the signal.

If your BD player has the better DACs, use the analog out. That way the better DACs are decoding.
You mean HDMI. For CDs, that would be fine, but for Blu-rays you can't get the new audio formats over SPDIF.
 
Z

zumbo

Audioholic Spartan
You mean HDMI. For CDs, that would be fine, but for Blu-rays you can't get the new audio formats over SPDIF.
Nope. He stated correctly for cd's.

Also, analog can be used for the new audio formats, provided the blu-ray player decodes.;) This is the option for those with avrs without HDMI.
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
Nope. He stated correctly for cd's.
What I meant was, there won't be a difference over HDMI vs SPDIF and most aren't going to have both SPDIF and HDMI connected.

Also, analog can be used for the new audio formats, provided the blu-ray player decodes.;) This is the option for those with avrs without HDMI.
I don't have HDMI on mine and I don't use optical. :) On my 2ch rig I use an integrated amp which, like most integrateds, doesn't have digital inputs :D
 

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