I have read most of the online topics concerning choosing an old cd player versus a new(or old) dvd player as a cheap source for playing audio cds and i have to say there is a lot of bad information out there. I have been looking for a decent quality player for home made/commercial cds for a few years now and most of my experiences were rather negative. Although this is 2018, i think lots of people still use older cd/dvd players so i believe this debate still make sense. My findings are, as follows:
1. There is no general rule concerning the sound coming from an older cdp/dvd player. Despite what some people claim, they all sound slightly different. That being said, most cheap players that i`ve tried in the last 5 years, all of them in the 10-20 dollar/euro range(technics sl-pg490, sony xe-220, sony cdp-791, pioneer dv-420 dvd, LG/philips dvd players from around 2010 etc) all sounded kinda bad. It would be a uninspired decision to use one of those as a source for a HIFI setup. Most of these players have thin, lifeless sound and obviously many of them will show age-related issues(skipping, tray not opening, etc).
2. There are exceptions. As to this date, i have only kept 3 machines: a philips cdm630(or similar, can`t remember exactly right now) made in the late `80s, a denon dvd1000 and a sony xe320. The oldest and the best i`ve had by far is the philips(made in belgium, cdm4/19 mechanism, tda 1541). It`s built well, has big buttons and bright display and it reads any cd in 2 seconds flat. Best of all, it has a good, solid sound to it. Some may say it`s unrefined and all that, but i love it. Sounds a bit "analog", bass and voice reproduction is good and apart from a slow and noisy tray, i really don`t think you can do any better in this price range. It is the best 12 euros i`ve spend on a disc-based player so far. Definitely a keeper.
The denon dvd1000 is an old(expensive) dvd player. Quite heavy and well built for a dvd player, it doesn`t sound as good as the philips and it has a distinct sound signature with emphasis on voice. The bass response is ok. While the sound doesn`t blow me away, it is definitely much better than all the other dvd players i`ve listened to, so i`m keeping it.
Last but not least, the sony xe-320. The players from this series are very common and can be found at any flea market or online site, so it`s worth discussing them. The xe-320 does not excel at any category(build, sound), but it`s "good enough" for someone looking for a cheap cd player. The sound is a bit on the thin side, but musical nonetheless and i would say that in a low-end setup, this player would probably have the least influence on the sound. The transport is ok, the laser seems to be reliable.
As a conclusion to my rather lenghty post, i would reiterate the fact that when choosing a disc-based player you can`t rely on any general rule of thumb, you have to listen and make your own decision regarding sound quality. I keep reading these dumb opinions like "any cheap modern dvd player will beat an older cdp because it has improved dac`s" or "vintage cdp are the best" bla bla which really have little to do with reality. Every player that i`ve tried sounds a bit different than the others and this makes sense, they were not identical in any way. Furthermore, any player is only a small part of a system and obviously things like the speakers you have will have a big influence on the overall sound you get.
Don`t believe all the general advice you get on these forums, because not all red cars are as fast and not all players from a certain era or price point sound the same.
1. There is no general rule concerning the sound coming from an older cdp/dvd player. Despite what some people claim, they all sound slightly different. That being said, most cheap players that i`ve tried in the last 5 years, all of them in the 10-20 dollar/euro range(technics sl-pg490, sony xe-220, sony cdp-791, pioneer dv-420 dvd, LG/philips dvd players from around 2010 etc) all sounded kinda bad. It would be a uninspired decision to use one of those as a source for a HIFI setup. Most of these players have thin, lifeless sound and obviously many of them will show age-related issues(skipping, tray not opening, etc).
2. There are exceptions. As to this date, i have only kept 3 machines: a philips cdm630(or similar, can`t remember exactly right now) made in the late `80s, a denon dvd1000 and a sony xe320. The oldest and the best i`ve had by far is the philips(made in belgium, cdm4/19 mechanism, tda 1541). It`s built well, has big buttons and bright display and it reads any cd in 2 seconds flat. Best of all, it has a good, solid sound to it. Some may say it`s unrefined and all that, but i love it. Sounds a bit "analog", bass and voice reproduction is good and apart from a slow and noisy tray, i really don`t think you can do any better in this price range. It is the best 12 euros i`ve spend on a disc-based player so far. Definitely a keeper.
The denon dvd1000 is an old(expensive) dvd player. Quite heavy and well built for a dvd player, it doesn`t sound as good as the philips and it has a distinct sound signature with emphasis on voice. The bass response is ok. While the sound doesn`t blow me away, it is definitely much better than all the other dvd players i`ve listened to, so i`m keeping it.
Last but not least, the sony xe-320. The players from this series are very common and can be found at any flea market or online site, so it`s worth discussing them. The xe-320 does not excel at any category(build, sound), but it`s "good enough" for someone looking for a cheap cd player. The sound is a bit on the thin side, but musical nonetheless and i would say that in a low-end setup, this player would probably have the least influence on the sound. The transport is ok, the laser seems to be reliable.
As a conclusion to my rather lenghty post, i would reiterate the fact that when choosing a disc-based player you can`t rely on any general rule of thumb, you have to listen and make your own decision regarding sound quality. I keep reading these dumb opinions like "any cheap modern dvd player will beat an older cdp because it has improved dac`s" or "vintage cdp are the best" bla bla which really have little to do with reality. Every player that i`ve tried sounds a bit different than the others and this makes sense, they were not identical in any way. Furthermore, any player is only a small part of a system and obviously things like the speakers you have will have a big influence on the overall sound you get.
Don`t believe all the general advice you get on these forums, because not all red cars are as fast and not all players from a certain era or price point sound the same.
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