Other: Big Buck CD Players

[Paul Mather]

On Tue, 14 May 1996, Rudich, Robert A wrote:

> >ObAside: Is anyone up on CD units in the L200 - L300 range? Comments
> >appreciated on what's worth buying.
>
> >FoFP
>
> Here's the deal as I understand it.  Once you made the leap to CDs, you got
> 95% or more of the improvement.   I was looking into this question myself.
>  I don't know what specific machines you're looking at, so I'll speak in
> generalities.  You can get better D/A converters, more oversampling, multi
> disc handling, and other user features like programing.   Whether these are
> worth the money is a personal choice.   However, you may not hear any
> difference at all in how the discs play and sound.

Apart from high-end exotica, most CD players use the same basic chipsets.
However, once the "bits" leave the D/A, they pass from the digital to the
analogue domain; no amount of error correction, oversampling, etc. can
help them then.  The audio signal will be subject to the ravages of noise,
like any other part of your hi-fi.  Essentially, the improvement you get
of one model over another in CD players is in the quality of the analogue
components.  Cheap models will usually have poorer, higher-noise
circuitry, noisier, less-shielded power supply, etc. than their more
expensive brethren.  The transport is usually improved, too.

>                                                    If that is your intent,
> go listen to several with headphones of yours and a disc you know well.
>  Don't take something obscure like that Hawkwang I hear tell of.  Then
> compare to something in the range of what you have.  I've done this and got
> very interested in speakers.  I've also read audio fanzine articles that
> reach the same conclusion.

I agree.  This is the modus operandi.  Get thee to a hi-fi dealer and get
*auditioning*. :-)  It's best to narrow down to a few models, but,
ultimately, the only way to go is to actually listen to a few models in a
listening room, if possible.  A decent hi-fi dealer will let you hear
something you're interested in, using the same setup you have at home
(where possible).  This has been my experience, anyway.  And, as Rudy
says, take along your own music, and a good sample at that.

As for brands, in that price range I can heartily recommend Rotel and
Marantz.  When I bought mine, it came to a showdown between the Rotel 955
and the Marantz CD52; the Rotel won sonically in the listening room (the
Marantz sounded "thinner" compared to the rich, full sound of the Rotel).
I'd certainly recommend the Rotel.  It has minimal gadgets on it (doesn't
even have a headphone jack, ubiquitous on most players), but it sounds
very nice, and it does have a "digital out" so you can connect the
transport to a better DAC in the future should you have a mind to.

> than cheaper ones.   If you really want to improve sound, the speakers are
> still the best place to attack.

Well, I disagree with this, but I guess that thorny issue is one for
rec.audio. ;-)

Btw, FoFP, there is a "Good Sound for Less Bucks" (or something like
that) FAQ that is posted to the rec.audio hierarchy.  You may want to
consult that for some ideas.

Cheers,

Paul.

obCD: Soundgarden, _Superunknown_

e-mail: paul at csgrad.cs.vt.edu                    A stranger in a strange land.