PREFACE: This article might best be located in the MP3 category -- but I figured that this section would garner better "audio-first" responses, and, because this TEAC CD player is one of only two stand alone units I've found that not only offered MP3 playback but also came in a single disk configuration (the other being a pricey Denon unit -- which I tend to avoid altogether.
Alright, alright - i sense you all groaning, but hear me out. MP3s played through a sufficiently amped stereo and audio-driven player can actually produce a sound acceptable enough for even long-term listening.
Now, I'm the kinda guy who doesn't have much money to spend on my system and have subsequently placed higher import on my music library than i have on my individual components. When my son was born a couple years ago i decided to put my main stereo and stacks in an extra room where his slimey little paws couldn't access. I use a separate "lesser" system for everyday music & movies and I've also assembled about 100 CD-Rs chocked full of MP3s that each hold about 7 hours of music when using 192kbps files (my basement quality level) -- this is nice because they don't require much storage space so, once again, it's easy to keep my little man's grubby hands off them.
A DVD player is what you might expect i'd be playing MP3s on, but you'd be wrong. I used to play them this way but that scenario came with two major caveats:
1. You need to turn on the television in order to navigate between particular tracks and folders - which is aggravatingly stupid and wasteful.
2. The sound that my mid-level Sony DVD player produces is of an absolutely abysmal quality. Any appreciable volume would result in listening fatigue after only a couple of hours -- even when playing bonafide factory pressings.
So, i began searching for a player that would play these MP3 discs and not require a TV to scan through folders. Sure - i could've easily grabbed an Ipod-type device, but i figure the 7-hr chunks that these CD-Rs allow are just about as mobile as my lifestyle requires them to be. Besides, why spend $300 on one of these devices and hour upon hour getting all the tracks stuffed into them, and then have the device only last me 3-5 years and i have to manage my back-ups and all of this other seemingly unnecessary overhead. The way i do it - the music i have is it's own archive - just like my stacks.
I've now had the very modestly priced Teac CD-P1260 ($80 from newegg) and an Onkyo TX-8522 ($130 on ebay) for about 6 months and i can now play (at least 192kbps) MP3s for hours on end without getting a friggin' earache!
The only major complaint i have about this blatantly entry-level Teac player is that the characters on the display are overtly large and blocky, and they don't display alphanumerics. This means, of course, that I can only navigate folders and tracks by their NUMERIC designation and not by the album or track title. This isn't a huge deal, but hell, my Boombox does this on its tiny little display so why shouldn't I expect the same thing here? I've handled this shortcoming by burning new discs with strict emphasis on folders, and by labeling the back of the individual paper sleeve (my preferred method of storage) with folder numbers -- a very navigable solution.
----Does anybody else out there listen to MP3s over their sound system, and if so, how have you addressed the limitations of the format?
Its always great when anyone can enjoy their music. Forget about what people say about what sounds good and what doesn't. In the end, its all about enjoyment. Much in the same way I enjoy my car stereo. A bottom of the line Alpine deck with factory speakers. Does it sound good in audiophile terms? Not a chance. Do I find myself singing along and getting into the music? Absolutely. Maybe moreso than dare I say my home system.
BTW, the Rega Apollo and Saturn play mp3 as well. I'm not usre if it is there by default from co-development with someones else, or if it is there for convenience, such as background music when the owner is having a party and doesn't want to keep changing discs.
Open those car windows for me Stu - i can hear ya jamming! Hell - i still listen to a few decent radio stations on AM!
I looked at those Rega's and their funky top-side bay doors (i think my $ might be better spent on a set of PSB T-65's). I looked quickly online and see that it looks like the Rega's both navigate "albums" on the remote -- which is another problem altogether considering how my son likes to hide these non-tethered apparatuses in such calamitous places as the garbage can.
"I looked at those Rega's and their funky top-side bay doors (i think my $ might be better spent on a set of PSB T-65's)."
Not a chance. I own T55s. With my new (to me) Bryston B60 and Apollo, the speakers are DEFINITELY the weakest link. As good as the PSBs are, they can get a little dry and dull once you're got some very good and revealing stuff behind them.
Imagine what Suspecterrain Jr could hide under Rega's bay door! Matchbox cars, army men, cookies. The possibilities are endless.
"Imagine what Suspecterrain Jr could hide under Rega's bay door! Matchbox cars, army men, cookies. The possibilities are endless"
If i did have one of the Rega's - the second thing you'd find under the bay door would be a smattering of severed finger tips conically arranged like so many carrot niblets!