CD Player Audio vs DVD Player Audio!

[SPAZZ2500]

HI. I currently use my dvd player for my audio listening needs. I am looking to get a cd player preferably a 5 disc changer. The question I have is: Will there be a major difference in listening to a dvd player for music as opposed to the cd player for audio listening? Thanks.

 

[shokhead]

If your playing through the digital connection,you wont have any difference. To me it doesnt make since to have both when a nice DVD player can do everything.

 

[Rocky]

agreed, a dvd player playing though coax or optical out will sound just as good as a stand alone CD player, and will save you money too.

 

[nibhaz]

As long as the DVD player and CD player are both of proper design and you are utilizing a digital connection they will sound exactly the same as stated by shokhead

 

[mfabien]

This week I should receive my new Sony's CDPCE375 5-Disc CD Carousel Player and it will be connected to my Yamaha via an optical digital cable (already in place waiting).

Sure I could have decided that the DVD player was good enough. However, my new CD Carousel will permit me to shuffle all 5 disc's (even program specific tracks only) and enjoy the medley.

Eventually I plan to install 2 new speakers in the dining room, upstairs, and wire them to Bank B of the Yamaha.

But I will need to use the DVD player for my DTS Music disc's and that is not a problem.

 

[shokhead]

This week I should receive my new Sony's CDPCE375 5-Disc CD Carousel Player and it will be connected to my Yamaha via an optical digital cable (already in place waiting).

Sure I could have decided that the DVD player was good enough. However, my new CD Carousel will permit me to shuffle all 5 disc's (even program specific tracks only) and enjoy the medley.

Eventually I plan to install 2 new speakers in the dining room, upstairs, and wire them to Bank B of the Yamaha.

But I will need to use the DVD player for my DTS Music disc's and that is not a problem.

My 5 disc Sony DVD player will do everything both your player will do. Hey if somebody wants seperate players thats cool but less equipment is better for me at least.

 

[Dan Driscoll]

As several people have already mentioned, if you're using the digital output it probably won't make any difference. But if you are using the analog outputs it could be very different. In my case the DACs in my CD changer are better than those in my Yamaha receiver/processor, so I use the analog output of the CD player. In fact, I bypass the Yamaha completely for stereo audio. All my 2 channel sources run through a Rotel analog stereo preamp. This set-up sounds much better than running digital through the Yamaha.

 

[HookedOnSound]

If you are comfortable with your existing solution (DVD player) for audio why bother buying a dedicated cd player?

I used to have a Sony 5 disc CD changer but the transport was making some noise occasionally so I bought a 5 disc Panasonic DVD player instead (on sale) which ended up being cheaper than buying another Sony CD changer.

The Panny has a CD mode feature (only reads cds while playing) and pretty much works like a CD player. I am very happy with it, I am using the analog RCA stereo outputs and haven't noticed any noise/difference.

 

[SPAZZ2500]

Thanks

Thanks for all the replys. I do listen through my DVD player via the digital coaxial. It does sound good but I have a mini stereo upstairs that sounds a shade better while playing cds. Now my DVD player is hooked up through a 5.1 system so I guess the little satelite speakers won't do the trick? Are there some tweaks to improve the sound on a 5.1 system?

Again, Thanks

 

[mfabien]

Thanks for all the replys. I do listen through my DVD player via the digital coaxial. It does sound good but I have a mini stereo upstairs that sounds a shade better while playing cds. Now my DVD player is hooked up through a 5.1 system so I guess the little satelite speakers won't do the trick? Are there some tweaks to improve the sound on a 5.1 system?

Again, Thanks

I find that CD's (which are in DD 2.0) sound better in 2 channel Stereo mode. Each of my Front Towers have 2 woofers and 1 tweeter. Therefore, from my listening position the Front speakers are perfectly balanced and I get the performer's voice or instrument in dead center with more quality sound than with mostly the Center channel, when selecting a DSP program. Try it, it doubles the speakers for the main performer.

 

[W_Harding]

There is one factor that has not been mentioned. Some DVD players take longer to read (process) a disc before they play than the typical CD player does. This delay, from press play to music, can drive some people crazy. If that is an issue with you, make sure the DVD player you buy is a "fast" reader. I use a DVD player for playing CDs on my HT system. I use the analog outputs to feed my amplifier and it works well.

One additional factor is that the DVD player may play some higher resolution discs. Many modern receivers have 96kHz./24bit DAC and can decode a digital bit stream from a higher resolution disc. Some DVD players have 96kHz./24bit DACs to play the higher resolution discs through the analog outputs.

 

[SPAZZ2500]

Analog Hook Ups!

Hi. I just hooked up my dvd player through the analog outs to my receiver and it totally sucked. SOund was not near as crisp as the digital out and the volume was way low on the analog hook ups. SO I guess the DAC of my DVD player does not do well with Audio music from my cds.

 

[Dan Driscoll]

I find that CD's (which are in DD 2.0) ...

I'm sorry, but this is completely wrong. Compact Discs use PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) in a 16 bit, 44.1KHz sample rate for encoding. PCM is a full bit rate encoding method and has no compression. 16/44.1 PCM is the only encoding method allowed for redbook CD's. A disk that uses any other format does not meet the redbook requirements and cannot legally be called a CD, nor will it play on a standard CD player.

Dolby Digital (whether 2.0, 2.1 or 5.1) is a lossy, compressed format that throws away some of the original data to reduce the file size, then uses an algorithm to recostruct the data that was thrown away. A disk that is encoded in DD is not a CD, regardless of what it looks like. Also, a disk encoded in DD will not play on a standard CD player.

Other than both being digital formats, PCM and DD have nothing in common.

 

[nibhaz]

Hi. I just hooked up my dvd player through the analog outs to my receiver and it totally sucked. SOund was not near as crisp as the digital out and the volume was way low on the analog hook ups. SO I guess the DAC of my DVD player does not do well with Audio music from my cds.

The most important statement you made was the fact that you are guessing. You can only compare the two outputs if they are level matched and you compare them with out knowledge of which one you are listening to. Only then if you can consistently pick one over the other can you say that one is better. In the home this type of comparison can be cumbersome and perhaps an exercise in futility.

But who cares, if the digital out sounds better to you, use it and move on. This isn't one of those questions that should trouble you. Room treatments or speakers will yield the biggest change in your listening experience, not a dedicated CD player, if that is in fact your end goal.

 

[mfabien]

My 5 disc Sony DVD player will do everything both your player will do. Hey if somebody wants seperate players thats cool but less equipment is better for me at least.

Contacted Sony yesterday because the CD Carousel was not shipped. Decided to cancel the CD player and ordered a DVD 5 disc changer which is in stock and should arrive this Friday. I had seen that DVD changer in a local store some months ago but the salesman said it could not shuffle between the 5 disc. However, Sony told me it could and, yes, there are advantages over the CD Carousel.

Your post was precious, thanks.

 

[mfabien]

I'm sorry, but this is completely wrong. Compact Discs use PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) in a 16 bit, 44.1KHz sample rate for encoding. PCM is a full bit rate encoding method and has no compression. 16/44.1 PCM is the only encoding method allowed for redbook CD's. A disk that uses any other format does not meet the redbook requirements and cannot legally be called a CD, nor will it play on a standard CD player.

Dolby Digital (whether 2.0, 2.1 or 5.1) is a lossy, compressed format that throws away some of the original data to reduce the file size, then uses an algorithm to recostruct the data that was thrown away. A disk that is encoded in DD is not a CD, regardless of what it looks like. Also, a disk encoded in DD will not play on a standard CD player.

Other than both being digital formats, PCM and DD have nothing in common.

Thanks for the audio course. But you will agree that a DTS Music disc is not PCM and it plays on any DVD player which transmits DTS bitstream over digital connection.

 

[shokhead]

Thanks for the audio course. But you will agree that a DTS Music disc is not PCM and it plays on any DVD player which transmits DTS bitstream over digital connection.

Your DTS Disc with with both Dig and Analogs.

 

[mfabien]

Your DTS Disc with with both Dig and Analogs.

With analogs? Never heard that before.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Some DVD players won't play CD-R's, while even the oldest CD players play them. It won't matter if you don't burn your own cd's, and with todays technology, most of you probably just hook up an iPod with 5000+ songs.

 

[Dan Driscoll]

Thanks for the audio course. But you will agree that a DTS Music disc is not PCM and it plays on any DVD player which transmits DTS bitstream over digital connection.

You claimed CD's were Dolby Digital, which they are not. I have no idea what that has to do with DTS music disks, except that they aren't CD's either.