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New member Username: TommyvRowlett, Texas Post Number: 1 Registered: Aug-06 | I have just purchased some new equipment and i am wanting to buy a higher end CD player with HDCD capabilites. The one i am looking at is the Denon DCM 390 5 disc changer. I recently purchased my Onkyo TX SR703 reciever and i am happy with the sound it produces. one of my questions is, since on the higher end CD players you are paying for a better DAC, does it defeat the purpose to hook it up digitally via optical or SPDIF? I am currently using a Samsung DVD-N501(a great unit that i have enjoyed) to play CDs and DVDs. I am planning on buying a new higher end DVD player and 5 disc CD changer to replace the Samsung. My price range is about $400 on Ebay for a CD player. I would appreciate if someone could explain to me about hooking up digitally and any suggestions on players would be great as well. Thank you much. |
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Silver Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 803 Registered: Nov-05 | If you are looking for a higher end cd player,you are not going to get it with a changer, although the Marantz CC4300 isn't that bad and good value (but no HDCD). The starting point for a quality player imho would be the NADC542 and usually the players DAC's beats those in a receiver - analogue connections are the way to go. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 4505 Registered: Mar-05 | Tommy, a lot of this depends on your overall system. About a year ago I did a 3-way comparison between the Marantz 4300, NAD c542, and an old Sony ES player I had in a shop, on a NAD c372 with a pair of Monitor Audio Silver floorstanders (forget the model, but they were around $1500-2000/pair). Could not hear much difference between the 3 players, other than the Marantz having stronger bass and a livelier jumpier sound, the NAD having the cleanest and smoothest midrange, and the Sony falling somewhere in the middle. Couple of weeks later, bought the Marantz refurbed online, when I ABed it at home against the Sony ES it was in a totally different league. My home system at the time consisted of some vintage NAD 2-channel separates and Ascend 340 speakers. This is a long way of saying that with CD players you are not at all guaranteed to hear the $$$ you're paying, so best thing to do would be to get a home audition of a couple of them and decide based on that. |
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Silver Member Username: HawkHighlands Ranch, CO USA Post Number: 947 Registered: Dec-03 | Tommy: 1. If you are using a digital connection to the receiver (toslink or digital coax), you are hearing the receiver's digital to analog converters, in your case the Onkyo. This makes your disk player just a transport. Conversely, if you have used an analog connection (RCA pairs), you are hearing the CD player. 2. To a large degree, but not completely, going to a high end player is defeated using a digital connection. A better player will still do a better job in avoiding read correction errors; that is, they read the disk better and do not induce some distortion through errors in reading the disk. But you are correct that the benefit of having better DACs is eliminated. 3. Since you want a good 5 disk changer, with a $400 budget, I would suggest this Harman/Kardon which has HDCD: http://www.harmankardon.com/product_detail.aspx?Region=USA&Country=US&Language=E NG&cat=DVD&prod=FL%208385&sType=C MSRP is $299, but I found a dozen of them on eBay (your preferred source) for $169. Most were listed as brand new. The really isn't much available in your price range for a decent 5 disc player. The hk and the marantz are decent--most of the others are just plain junk, IMO. To really step up, you would need to get the Rotel changer which is $700 or the NAD DVD/CD changer, which is probably about $50-100 less than the Rotel. 4. As for hooking them up, I would A/B the two outputs. That is, assign a digital input on the receiver as "disk player" and connect the CD player to both the assigned digital input and the analog CD input. Play a few disks that you know well and switch the source back and forth between CD (analog) and Disk Player (digital). That is how you can tell which is the best way to go I hope this helps. |
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New member Username: TommyvRowlett, Texas Post Number: 2 Registered: Aug-06 | Thanks for all the responses. My system is the Onkyo TX SR 703 as i mentioned before, with 3 Athena WS 60's and 2 Athena WS 15's. I also have an older Sony sub that i plan on replacing at some point. The main funcion of my system is home theater. I just bought my new Denon DVD 955 today to replace my old Samsung DVD player. It is identical in every way to the DVD 2910 http://usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/3086.asp my system may not compare to some real high end systems but for the amount of money i spent (which was alot to me) i feel that it has excellent sound quality. For Hawk: I have seen that Harmon Kardon CD changer and Fry's and it seems nice. My only problem with Harmon Kardon is i don't like the look of them. Well let me rephrase that; I think they only look good if you have all Harmon Kardon equipment, other than that they look out of place. Is there any reason why you would shy away from the denon CD changer? http://usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/1895.asp that is the 380 but the 390 is already out, I just can't find specs on it. My experience with denon is great, i have only bought pro audio equipment by them. hooking up my CD player with analouge works great for my because the Onkyo reciever has an annoying draw back to it. You can only run zone 2 speakers from analouge sources, digital one's will not work. I guess it has something to do with it having a selectable zone 2. The reason i want a changer is so when i am having a cook out i can have continuous music running to my living room and patio. I also want a player i can really enjoy it's sound quality. I would appreaciate any input. Thnaks alot |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 4516 Registered: Mar-05 | With those Athena WS speakers and Onkyo receiver I think you'll be fine with the Denon 955. It only makes sense to spend more on a more expensive CDP if your system will show a difference. |
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Bronze Member Username: TommyvRowlett, Texas Post Number: 13 Registered: Aug-06 | Just an update, i ended up returning my reciever and all my speakers because the sound during some of my favorite movies was too harsh. I decided to go to a higher end store (home theater store) and i have decided on a new rotel reciever 1057 and some B&W speakers. its going to end up costing me an extra $2500 but i think it is worth it. I am keeping my denon dvd player though which i am very happy with. thanks for all your input. |
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Gold Member Username: NuckPost Number: 4069 Registered: Dec-04 | Another Onkyo exposed! Which B&W's TV? |
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Bronze Member Username: TommyvRowlett, Texas Post Number: 14 Registered: Aug-06 | well im still not exactly sure but i am deciding between the dm 601s an lcr 60 and dm 600s for rears or dm 602s, lcr 600 and dm 600s for rears. i am also getting the 600 sub. we compared with some blues cd and the 602s almost sounded a little boomy but i am going up there today with some of my own music to compare. i am also taking my dvds that made me decide to return my last system. The guy is convinced that the 602s/lcr600 set up will be far superior so we sill see. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 4551 Registered: Mar-05 | > Just an update, i ended up returning my reciever and all my speakers because the sound during some of my favorite movies was too harsh. That's too bad, I think the harshness was probably 100% the fault of the Athena WS speakers which are designed for WAF not SQ. So it looks like the Onkyo could not tame them enough. I'm sure you would've had much better results even with some cheap Polk Monitor speakers. Rotel is excellent by all accounts, but I have heard some people characterize B&W as a bit "harsh" too, though undoubtedly they will be an improvement over the Athena WS speakers. |
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Gold Member Username: NuckPost Number: 4076 Registered: Dec-04 | Between the Athena's and the Onkyo, all bet's are off. I have yet to hear a 602 or above sound 'harsh'. The Rotel and B&W are a mated pairing, but by the same sellers, so buyer beware! I am OK with the B&W lineup, although I have only really listened to the 602s3 and up. The Rotels are a known factor, and you will know if you like it or not.(I do). The player and the room layout and treatment will decide this one. Don't forget Tommy, a 100.000 stereo in a shoebox still sounds like a shoebox.(albeit a loud one). |
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Silver Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 825 Registered: Nov-05 | "602s almost sounded a little boomy" Position, Position, Position! These speakers benefit from correct postioning, even though front ported, and good heavy stands. They also require run in time before reaching optimum sound quality, which, imho is hard to beat for the money. |
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Gold Member Username: NuckPost Number: 4079 Registered: Dec-04 | Tommy, get them away from the rear wall! A little side wall is ok, but not along a long side without diffusion of some sort.(Even a Picasso wall hanging). These should not boom at all. |
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Bronze Member Username: TommyvRowlett, Texas Post Number: 18 Registered: Aug-06 | hey all, here is the update, i ended up going with the 601's for fronts and the LCR 600 for center. I also used the asw 600 for a sub and i changed my rears to DM1's because they look alot better mounted up in the corners of my living room. when i was in demoing the different speakers with my own discs i was really trying to like the 602s better but i kept feeling on music sources they were too bass heavy. the extra $150 was not a factor but to my ears the 601s just sounded better. after i got all my new stuff home i spent the majority of the day setting it all up, most of it mounting my rears. once i got the rotel reciver all hooked up and calibrated i am so happy with the sound. it is the large improvement i was looking for. i am sure i will still have some small tweaking to do. |