Two small questions..

[phalaris]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum and to the world of hifi so please try to be understanding..

(1) Anyway, I'm about to buy my first ever amp within the next couple of weeks and I don't have much of a budget. At this stage it's a choice between the
Cambridge Audio Azur 640A and the Yamaha AX-496.

So what pros and cons would you be able to give me about those two amps? I want something that can power 4 speakers at once (I have 4 80 watt speakers) and they both seem perfect, except the Azur is a bit cheaper..

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(2) And also, I can't afford a dedicated CDP at this stage, but I'm considering looking into a universal DVD player such as the Pioneer DV-578A-S

Basically what I need to know is (DVD function aside) purely as an AUDIO transport would a universal player such as this be of seriously lower quality than a dedicated CDP? What are the criteria that I should look at? The Pioneer website says
"A high-end 24-bit / 192kHz D/A converter ensures superb audio performance."
but what do those numbers mean? Is 24-bit / 192kHz suitable for a pure audio player? Would an amateur audiophile even notice?
How would it compare with the Denon DCD-685, for example?

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OK that's all.. sorry to "barge in" with all these questions, but it's just kinda hard to get objective advice anywhere because all people want to do is sell you stuff..
thanks guys, it's really appreciated.

 

[JJMP50]

Pioneer 578a-s

I picked up a 578a-s about 2 months ago on sale at Tweeters for $100. After extensive use, I can't imagine a better machine even at its list price of $199. Yes if you have $400+ for a higher end model you would see some improvement, mostly in base management for SACD & DVD-A. Bang for the buck, the Pioneer doesn't have any competition except from themselves (588a-s) IMHO.

 

[phalaris]

Btw is it multi-region too?

 

[nm2285]

The Yamaha would perform well. It should offer sufficient power and have a lot of high end sparkle. The Cambridge Audio I would think would be more musical, with less "brightness" due to a more laid back sound, but still plenty of detail. I have not heard it, but from what I've read, I'd go with the CA.

Another one to consider would be NAD C352.

You won't miss too much with the Pioneer over other players. I'd say go ahead and get it now. It's so inexpensive, you could easily upgrade it later when you can afford to.

 

[phalaris]

ok thanks guys..
and does anyone know how to evalutae the DAC criteria? Is 24 bit good? Are higher or lower values better? Is 192kHz good?

 

[jaxvon]

Yes, higher is better. 24-bit 192kHz DAC's are the standard. It's overkill for your standard CD (which is 16-bit, 44.1kHz), but the highest-quality DVD-A discs are 192kHz 24-bit recordings. Without getting specific, the larger numbers indicate that more of the original analog signal was digitized and recorded to the disc, yielding higher-quality sound.

 

[phalaris]

OK so does this mean that I would actually get better sound quality from any Pioneer DVD player (24-bit) than I would from the Denon DCD-685 which has a "Real 20-bit 2-DAC LAMBDA super linear converter".

It's just kinda confusing to me.. why would anyone bother getting a dedicated CDP if a much cheaper and much more useful DVD player can produce better sound quality? Are there other criteria to take into account?

 

[jaxvon]

There's also build quality to account for. The transports (the physical mechanisms that physically lift and rotate the CD) are more stable on higher end players. The more expensive players also tend to have thicker casing and more vibration damping to protect the electronics inside. More expensive units also tend to have beefier power supplies and better noise filtering so the analog outputs are cleaner and have a lower noise floor. That said, if you're using that inexpensive Pioneer player and a $1000 Denon, but using a digital connection, they will sound the same because your reciever will be doing the digital to analog conversion.

In the end though, it's much more cost effective to get a quality universal player with some good 192kHz/24 bit DACs. A dedicated CD player isn't needed.

 

[phalaris]

thanks man!

 

[jaxvon]

No problem. If you were budgeting for two players, it'd be worth it to sink more into a good universal player. The video quality gets measurably better as you step up the ladder. Look around the reviews here on Audioholics as well as the recommended systems.