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Bronze Member Username: AfjGaboroneBotswana Post Number: 28 Registered: Jan-08 | im looking at buying a one of the two. my priority is stereo music but it would be convenient for me the have a dvd player. is there a huge difference between a cd player and a dvd player for music. im loking at hk or onkyo |
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Gold Member Username: NuckPost Number: 9920 Registered: Dec-04 | fj, a whole lot of people recommend the Oppo dvd player if you must use a dvd. Otherwise, a cd player is a whole lot better for music. |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 181 Registered: Jul-07 | What is your budget ? What is your amplification and speakers ? Is this for background music or do you sit in the sweet spot and groove ? |
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Bronze Member Username: AfjGaboroneBotswana Post Number: 29 Registered: Jan-08 | hi chris pl note that i live in africa and dont have access to a lot of brands. was thinking of spending in about 3-400 usd. i've got a nad t163 pre amp, a yamaha pro power amp (250w rms) and jbl L890's (250w rms continuous). dont really sit in a sweet spot but would be more than just background. |
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Bronze Member Username: AfjGaboroneBotswana Post Number: 30 Registered: Jan-08 | hi nuck for some reason i thought both the posts were from chris and left you out when i addressed him. ya like i was saying dont have access to oppo in this part of the world. any other suggestions? considering my current system would i need to up my budget? |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 2579 Registered: May-05 | Francis, All things being equal, a CD player should outperform a DVD player for two channel music. Key words being all things being equal. I have no idea what is available to you, nor do I know what prices are to recommend anything, or even what your budget should be. You have an NAD pre-amp, so I'm assuming that brand is available. I've heard NADs DVD players with CDs and they can sound quite good. Not better than an NAD CD player, but pretty close. |
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Bronze Member Username: AfjGaboroneBotswana Post Number: 31 Registered: Jan-08 | nad is available. got the option of the t514 and t524 in the dvd segment. or the c515 for a cdp. if the dvd sounds pretty close to the cd i would rather go for a dvd. managed to find oppo but i'll have to pay 120 dollars more for it compared to the t524. also is there much of a difference between the t514 and t524? the t524 apparently comes with "improved audio and video circuitry" |
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Silver Member Username: Jazzman71Phoenix, AZ USA Post Number: 128 Registered: Dec-07 | FJ, ordinarily with your preference for stereo music over movies, I would suggest a CD player because they are much better for music. However, at your price point, you have two options if you want both functions: (1) you can opt to get a good quality DVD player that does both music and movies reasonably well which is where you seem to be heading. Or, (2) you can buy a cheap DVD player if you don't need a lot of formats and features, and get the best CD player you can find for your budget. https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-audio/56254.html https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-audio/169450.html The first thread is pretty old, but NAD still makes the C542, so it may give you some useful info. If you plan to play a lot of CDs you have burned from other sources you will want to look at whether the player is temperamental with other formats. Reading both threads should help sort through some of the pros and cons. Oppo and NAD seem like reasonable choices for DVD/CD units in your price range if you decide to go that way. Good luck. |
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Gold Member Username: NuckPost Number: 9936 Registered: Dec-04 | Good insight, Neil. |
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Bronze Member Username: KillamabillaClear Lake, TX USA Post Number: 51 Registered: May-07 | For $300-400 I doubt you'd find a CD player that would surpass the Oppo 980 ($170 shipped), though I have heard some great things about the Cambridge 340 which is right around $350 shipped. I bought an Oppo for its HDMI upconversion but was very impressed with its analog output for CD listening. Wonderfully clean, detailed sound with punchy bass and solid imaging, quick transients, lots of air around the instruments. Beat out Marantz, NAD, Denon, and even Music Hall players in the $300-700 range. Its only weakness was during sustained high notes, especially female vocals, during which a sort of wavering thinness came out---something that you have to listen carefully to hear, rather than jumps out at you. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 2584 Registered: May-05 | Keep in mind that Francis is in Botswana, Africa. The prices there are different. He stated the Oppo is $120 more than a NAD t524. Having not heard either player, I can't say one is any better than the other. Nor can I say that one is a better deal than the other. I can however say that not everything is as good as reviewers will lead you to believe. He needs to hear them and decide for himself. |
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Gold Member Username: NuckPost Number: 9943 Registered: Dec-04 | It really is amazing that an el cheapo player/product like the Oppo 980 should be more expensive, or unavailable to everyone. |
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Gold Member Username: Mike3Wylie, Tx USA Post Number: 1205 Registered: May-06 | shipping costs to Africa can be prohibitive |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 6593 Registered: Feb-05 | I just bought the Oppo 981 and it's a fine player. It replaced my Denon DVD2910 in the HT but not before comparing it them for music...not bad...I'm selling the 2910 what can I say. |
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Bronze Member Username: KillamabillaClear Lake, TX USA Post Number: 52 Registered: May-07 | ah yes, I forgot about his location. T524 for $120 less seems like a reasonable choice. Hopefully NAD DVD players don't have the QA issues that some of their CD players have had. |
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Bronze Member Username: AfjGaboroneBotswana Post Number: 32 Registered: Jan-08 | thanks a lot for all your inputs guys. i've got the following options 1. nad c515bee - $310 2. nad c525bee - $380 3. nad t514 - $235 4. nad t524 - $300 5. oppo980 - $420 i wont be able to listen to them before i buy because they;re not available in botswana and will have to order them from south africa which is across the border. would rather take advice from you guys for the purchase than from some store over the phone that would 'sell' the product that they stock not really too keen on the c525 unless it really is that much better. would rather go for the t514 or t524 if its close enough in sounding to the c515. i dont really mind spending the extra 100 dollars but the increment in value should be worth it |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 188 Registered: Jul-07 | I haven't heard all of those units. I own an Oppo, and as Art stated its audio capabilities aren't half bad. I doubt it loses much to the segment of the NAD lineup you have listed. However, given you would half to pay about twice as much as I paid for mine, I don't think it's worth it. Plus, I'd worry about servicing after your purchase. If NAD servicing is closer, I'd go that route. I can't help you with which of the NAD models are listed are better than the others as I've only heard the t524. |
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Bronze Member Username: AfjGaboroneBotswana Post Number: 33 Registered: Jan-08 | chris, how would you compare the t524 to the oppo for stereo music |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 6596 Registered: Feb-05 | Don't know about Chris but I've never compared them. He's right though if NAD service is closer then that's probably the way to go. I would buy a Cd player for music but I understand some of the DVD players aren't bad. |
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Bronze Member Username: FunkmeisterPost Number: 51 Registered: Nov-07 | The Oppo Digital 981HD (and yes I own it) is an outstanding video player-perhaps the second best upscaler on the market (the 983 would be number 1). But if used exclusively as a CD player, its performance is good but not exceptional. Take Art's comments with a grain of salt on this issue. |
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Bronze Member Username: KillamabillaClear Lake, TX USA Post Number: 53 Registered: May-07 | "good but not exceptional"---I'd say, VERY GOOD but not exceptional. Meaning that the Oppo gets all the basics right, it just doesn't have that extra musicality or poetry of something like a Rega Apollo. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 6601 Registered: Feb-05 | It appears that you did not read my comments Jimmy. Not a good idea when you intend to refer to them. I don't use a DVD player for music...read the profile...nowhere did I say the performance of the Oppo was better than you have...it appears that we agree on the Oppo. That means he should take your comments with a grain as well. |
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Bronze Member Username: FunkmeisterPost Number: 53 Registered: Nov-07 | Good point. I concede. |
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Bronze Member Username: FunkmeisterPost Number: 54 Registered: Nov-07 | Come on Dietz, no one in his right mind would expect a $226 DVD player to compare to a $1200-$1500 CD player. I stress right mind. |
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Bronze Member Username: KillamabillaClear Lake, TX USA Post Number: 54 Registered: May-07 | Jimmy, it appears that reading comprehension is not your strong point. Right now you keep arguing against things that nobody has said. This amusing at the moment. Could get tiring pretty quick though. |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 192 Registered: Jul-07 | Francis, the Oppo gets things wrong more by errors of ommission. There are just things missing that better players find, and get right. That being said, what it does, it does pretty well. Easy to listen to, quite good imaging, laid back. The 524's misses on some of the things it tries to do, but doesn't do well. I found it bright, edgy in the mid-upper registers, and a little stressful overall. Not relaxed at all. If you enjoy more detail and a brighter sound, the NAD will do that for you. If you would rather miss a little detail and get a warmer overall presentation without anything particularly annoying going on, I'd lean towards the Oppo. |
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Silver Member Username: Jazzman71Phoenix, AZ USA Post Number: 132 Registered: Dec-07 | Well said, Chris. |
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Gold Member Username: NuckPost Number: 9959 Registered: Dec-04 | D'Accord. |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY United States Post Number: 1836 Registered: Oct-04 | Consider, the Marantz DV7600 for $349 from http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/MARDV7600/MARANTZ/DV7600-Progr essive-Scan-Universal-DVD-Player-w/HDMI-/1.html . Under $500, I think you'd be hard pressed to find a more substantial, feature packed CD player; consider the fact that it plays DVDs too a bonus. I bought this player a few months ago to use exclusively as a CD player and have no complaints. |
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Bronze Member Username: FunkmeisterPost Number: 58 Registered: Nov-07 | Meaning that the Oppo gets all the basics right, it just doesn't have that extra musicality or poetry of something like a Rega Apollo. Dietz Jimmy, it appears that reading comprehension is not your strong point. Right now you keep arguing against things that nobody has said Dietz Yep, Dietz, guess you're right. |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY United States Post Number: 1837 Registered: Oct-04 | "Come on Dietz, no one in his right mind would expect a $226 DVD player to compare to a $1200-$1500 CD player. I stress right mind." Nobody in their right mind would expect a $30 T-Amp to sound as good as it does either. As a great man once sang, "I've got no expectations". |
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Bronze Member Username: KillamabillaClear Lake, TX USA Post Number: 55 Registered: May-07 | Christopher, you're overlooking the fact that many audiophiles have spent tons of money on their gear and desperately need to reassure themselves that it was not just a completely stupid waste, whenever such pricepoint defying products as the T-Amp come on to the scene. I will grant that there is an equal and opposite argument that budget audiophiles also have a vested interest in eating up pricepoint defying "giant killers" like the T-Amp. |
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Bronze Member Username: AfjGaboroneBotswana Post Number: 34 Registered: Jan-08 | thanks guys. will check out the marantz. dont think i want to spend 420 dollars on the oppo |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY United States Post Number: 1838 Registered: Oct-04 | Francis, see if you can get an audition (it is an older model, so that might be hard), if not, there are plenty of online reviews to read, and I think AC4L has a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. I wanted a better CD player to mate with my Marantz SR5400, I had been using an entry-level DV4400, and was relatively satisfied with its performance, but I knew I could do better. I also knew that I'd prefer to stick with Marantz because A: I like things to match, and B: Marantz builds damn good equipment. The refurb. DV7600 at $349 (it was originally priced at $1099.) was the least expensive CD/DVD player to feature Marantz's larger, heavier chassis & HDAM ic's. I don't remember exactly, but I believe I would have payed about $200 more for a similarly equipped Marantz CD player http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/MARSA8260/MARANTZ/SA8260-Multi -Channel-SACD-Player/1.html . After doing my online homework, and listening to several similar players, I decided to give it a try, and as I said, I've not been disappointed one bit. I sold off my DV4400 for $50, and was even able to get AC4L to throw in a 3-yr. extended warranty, so it's all worked out very nicely; it's built like a battleship & sounds great. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 2589 Registered: May-05 | Chris, I don't think accessories4less will ship to Botswanna. If they do, and the voltage requirements are a match, I think the shipping costs won't make it as sweet a deal. |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY United States Post Number: 1839 Registered: Oct-04 | I suspect you are correct...I sort of overlooked that small detail, didn't I? Anyhow, if you can find a DV7600 at a decent price, you should look into it. |
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Bronze Member Username: AfjGaboroneBotswana Post Number: 35 Registered: Jan-08 | is the marantz a refurb? wont get that here either. guess its the nad then |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY United States Post Number: 1840 Registered: Oct-04 | Yes, the Marantz is a factory refurb. |