CD player preference??

[RickH]

I am putting together a 2 channel system that includes a pair of Onkyo M504's, A Nakamichi CA-5A1, A M&K V90 sub driven ny an NHT SA2, and a pair of Triad Silver monitors. I am trying to decide between a few cd players that i own..Iv'e put them all in the system and they all sound OK...I would be interested to get some feedback from other members....especially if you have a very strong preference. Heres the list !. Sony CDP 201 ES, Teac ZD 5000, Sony DVPS7000,(I know it's also a DVD player), A Denon DCD1500, and an NEC CD-810. I realize this is sort of a system specific question so maybe you could just give me your preference on the players...I'm looking for some strong preferences....Thanks in advance!!

 

[TLS Guy]

I am putting together a 2 channel system that includes a pair of Onkyo M504's, A Nakamichi CA-5A1, A M&K V90 sub driven ny an NHT SA2, and a pair of Triad Silver monitors. I am trying to decide between a few cd players that i own..Iv'e put them all in the system and they all sound OK...I would be interested to get some feedback from other members....especially if you have a very strong preference. Heres the list !. Sony CDP 201 ES, Teac ZD 5000, Sony DVPS7000,(I know it's also a DVD player), A Denon DCD1500, and an NEC CD-810. I realize this is sort of a system specific question so maybe you could just give me your preference on the players...I'm looking for some strong preferences....Thanks in advance!!

You can't hear the difference can you? So why post about it? Bits are bits. Don't sniff the loony glue about all this "system specific" nonsense.

Try and buy good reliable gear that hold up and avoid the ignorant press of the "chattering classes."

Any one who has a strong preference among those player, has an opinion that is worthless.

 

[3db]

http://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=94:ayre-c-5xemp-cdsacddvd-a-player&catid=55:full-length-reviews&Itemid=4

Just a mere 6 grand to go with other audio bling thats out there.

 

[Seth=L]

TLS guy is kinda right, except you seem to have a high interest in vintage CD players for some reason.

Is this all that is available to you? What is your budget?

Transport wise the Sony DVP-S7000 makes a lot of sense to me. It's extremely well built. That's not to say the others on your list aren't well built too, but you'll more than likely run into things going out because of their age.

 

[ski2xblack]

There is nothing wrong with using one of your old players, if they still work, or if parts still available to get them that way.

Also, while I think Dr. Mark is for the most part correct, I think that there are subtle differences between players, particularly if you are using their on board DACs and output stages. DACs may be a mature technology, but subsequent filtering, sound shaping, and analog output stages could account for perceived differences, particularly with entry level components which have the most cost-cutting compromises in these areas. (I would love to see a DBX test using one of the new Oppo's vs their SE counterparts to see if there is indeed a subjective/perceptible difference between output stages.)

I keep my old Sony ES because it sounds as good as the other universal players I have, unlike the univeral players it responds to commands instantly, and parts are still available to keep it running (at far less than a new player would cost). Plus, it's built like a tank compared to the newer units. On top of all that, it gives me a warm fuzzy that I MacGyver'd it back to life myself using some pillow stuffing, scotch tape, and a sandwich bag. (Even rudimentary DIY is powerful Jedi mind trickery, and it's all about the end experience, however you get there.)

 

[mentorron]

I like older Philips units

See my new post under
Old CD players 80's to early 90's Thread
I have tried several of my previous DVD players for CD playback on my 2 channel stereo system, but always come back to the original Philips players with TDA1541/1543 DACs. They just sound "right" in my system, and at my age my hearing just gets to about 10kHz, but is fine otherwise. I listen mostly to the classics, with some jazz and blues thrown in from time to time.
The 3 DVD players I have tried are from Panasonic and LG: all are too harsh in the treble and have a shallower soundstage. Also their front displays are not great for CD info and are slower to load/play.

 

[mentorron]

I recently replaced my Philips CD player (TDA1543 DAC) with a Sony CDP-950 (aka CDP-307esD) which has a TDA1541 DAC and much better components in the output stages (ELNA caps, etc.). The sound is fuller and the treble richer. I would go with the Sony esD series as they are very well made. My wish list for a better player includes the following Sony's in this list (in order of preference):
555esD, 557esD, 337esD, 333esD, 227esD, 710.
Others I would like to audition in my system might be the ones with the Burr-Brown twin DACs:
338esD, 228esD, 508esD, 608esD, 970esD, X7esD.

My downstream components: Rotel preamp, Adcom power amp, Martin-Logan speakers.
Other source devices: JVC TD-V661 DD-capstan/3-head tape deck; Onkyo T-401 tuner; Technics SL-PD9 5-CD changer (for continuous background music at parties).

 

[3db]

I recently replaced my Philips CD player (TDA1543 DAC) with a Sony CDP-950 (aka CDP-307esD) which has a TDA1541 DAC and much better components in the output stages (ELNA caps, etc.). The sound is fuller and the treble richer. I would go with the Sony esD series as they are very well made. My wish list for a better player includes the following Sony's in this list (in order of preference):
555esD, 557esD, 337esD, 333esD, 227esD, 710.
Others I would like to audition in my system might be the ones with the Burr-Brown twin DACs:
338esD, 228esD, 508esD, 608esD, 970esD, X7esD.

My downstream components: Rotel preamp, Adcom power amp, Martin-Logan speakers.
Other source devices: JVC TD-V661 DD-capstan/3-head tape deck; Onkyo T-401 tuner; Technics SL-PD9 5-CD changer (for continuous background music at parties).

Subjective listening doesn't hold much merrit in these parts.

 

[Pyrrho]

I recently replaced my Philips CD player (TDA1543 DAC) with a Sony CDP-950 (aka CDP-307esD) which has a TDA1541 DAC and much better components in the output stages (ELNA caps, etc.). The sound is fuller and the treble richer. I would go with the Sony esD series as they are very well made. My wish list for a better player includes the following Sony's in this list (in order of preference):
555esD, 557esD, 337esD, 333esD, 227esD, 710.
Others I would like to audition in my system might be the ones with the Burr-Brown twin DACs:
338esD, 228esD, 508esD, 608esD, 970esD, X7esD.

My downstream components: Rotel preamp, Adcom power amp, Martin-Logan speakers.
Other source devices: JVC TD-V661 DD-capstan/3-head tape deck; Onkyo T-401 tuner; Technics SL-PD9 5-CD changer (for continuous background music at parties).

Most likely, if there is a real difference, it is that the Sony has a very slightly higher level output. Subjectively, a slight difference in volume is perceived as a qualitative difference. You will hear more treble, more bass, and more detail with the louder one. In other words, the slightly louder one will have a "fuller" sound. But that fullness is an illusion, which can be altered by turning the volume control on your preamp.

This, by the way, is the whole point of the loudness compensation circuits that one finds on quite a lot of two channel gear, as it is to boost the bass and treble to compensate for this nonlinear aspect of human hearing, so that the music still subjectively sounds right at a reduced volume.

 

[mentorron]

I balanced the player outputs by connecting the Sony with it's variable-level output and matched levels, both at 1kHz and with White Noise using my Sound & Vision Test CD and a Radio Shack sound level meter placed at my listening position. I had to make sure my "body shadow" didn't affect the microphone readings.
I have also given the other units a break by lowering the Sony a db or so below their levels. I still get the same impression with the Sony.
Last year I tried a Denon unit (Burr-Brown DACs) and found it's sound even warmer than the Sony's, but it seemed to lose detail in the process.
I still believe the output sections of the players contribute to this, and yes, I have read all the reports I could find on double-blind listening trials conducted by several magazines comparing both CD players and Amplifiers. They do conclude that under those conditions the statistical results indicated an inability to differentiate between units. There was even one where very high end equipment was compared against a system with a Sanyo portable player attached to an old receiver and using the cheapest wires and cables of uneven length, with the same result.
However I find with any system I have owned, I can prefer a different setup one month than I do another, and some of it seems mood-dependent and possibly even weather-dependent.
So I've tried reinstating my previous players from time to time, but I keep coming back to the Sony, no matter what output level I choose. (Strange for a person who has always preferred Philips units since "day one".)
The players currently IN my system are the JVC XL-MC222, Technics SL-DP9, and Sony CDP-950. The JVC is used for CD storage only (I've never really liked it's "sound"), the Technics for continuous background music, and the Sony for serious listening.
Also, Grammophone magazine, which I think is a more moderate periodical, has even commented that the reviewer first felt a newer CD player was better, then changed his mind after more listening (the units were both Sony esD models, with different DACs), preferring the older unit.
For me personally, I just feel more comfortable listening to equipment that I "feel" has a better presentation, even if "it's all in my head" ;-)
Music is such a subjective thing...