DVD Player instead of CD Player?

[Mojo Warrior]

As long as everyone is generalizing, silver sounds better than black players (they also look cooler). [Sarcasm]

That is why almost all "high end" audio gear have silver faces. [not sarcasm]

Everyone knows that red cars ARE faster.

 

[Dr Tinear]

When you hut player today it should be able to play ANY digital media. Which today means that you need Oppo device. Anything else is limited in what disk you can feed it with.

If they weren't made in China, an Oppo player would probably be on my audition list for my next digital front end upgrade. I saw and heard an Oppo BDP-105D in action at a dealer demo and was favorably impressed, but I'm not willing to risk that kind of money ($1299 MSRP) on anything made in the PRC. Friends have prevailed on me to work on too many electronic items from there that expired shortly after their warranties ended.

 

[Copa1934]

I must own a dozen or more players. CD, Multi-disk, DVD, SACD, etc. Both my SACD are Sony, both well regarded, one being an C555ES (no slouch of a player). The largest difference in sound reproduction I attribute to the "system" as opposed to the "player" alone. Using a pair of headphones I detect even less difference between players. Yes there is a difference. I own a dozen TT's, and while none qualify as audiophile class, I find several to be respectable. Unlike CD/DVD/SACD, etc. which are typically DD (direct drive), TT's can be friction, belt or DD. Just these differences alone make some sizeable differences in performance. Even if I had the exact same cartridges in all, they would each have distinct characters. And we're not talking "budget" TT's either. Get one of those USB TT's and tell me the difference isn't significant. I agree that the differences, from cheap "CD" player to the next is less so than between cheap TT's and even moderate priced TT's. Between TT's in the same spectrum as CD players, the differences can be even more obvious.

I'm switching to "digital" in the man cave soon. Just need a USB/DAC for my computer. Mostly I like the convenience. Will I give up CD's or LP's? Not too likely. But sure is nice to kick back in the ergo chair, remote in hand, and switch tunes when the desire strikes me, with far greater ease than LP, and even CD. Do I switch frequently? No. But sure beats getting up at the end of ever side of an LP to flip it over, then grab another LP to play after one completes. This of course doesn't even touch on the "maintenance" aspects of LP's.

Have a friend with an Oppo, no two Oppo players. One, I believe, doesn't play SACD, maybe an early unit? I can't make a comparison due to the fact he was running tubes and ESL-63 speakers. I don't believe his system sounded any better than mine. I didn't have a out of body experience or "ooo hadn't heard that before" or "those vocals/instruments weren't present before", etc. No notable change or improvement in stage or imaging. I guess I'm too busy enjoying the tunes rather than enjoying my system, or critiquing my system, if you will.

 

[knockbill]

Didn't read the whole thread, but I use an Apex DVD player on one of my systems, sounds great, and is very small... only complaint I have is there is no way to select a certain track,,, but I trash picked it, and the remote wasn't there!!!

 

[for_p1]

If they weren't made in China, an Oppo player would probably be on my audition list for my next digital front end upgrade. I saw and heard an Oppo BDP-105D in action at a dealer demo and was favorably impressed, but I'm not willing to risk that kind of money ($1299 MSRP) on anything made in the PRC. Friends have prevailed on me to work on too many electronic items from there that expired shortly after their warranties ended.

99.9% of consumer electronics is made in China, Korea, Malasia or Taiwan. For rest 0.1% you need to pay avionics level prices. My first Oppo player bought 8 years ago still works without problems.

 

[Drumolator]

I have used DVD players as CD players form time to time. If the DVD player is not connected to a TV, there is the issue of a display on the front so one can see which track is playing and the time elapsed. Newer players have no front display. Peace and goodwill.

 

[darkblue94]

I have two Denon 3910 DVD players, one black and one silver. I bought the silver one because I wanted to place it alongside my vintage Mcintosh gear. They are fantastic sounding machines, I use them primarily for SACD and CD playback in 2 channel. I bought them both off the bay for really low money. Main issue is the red book lasers eventually fail and must be replaced but they are still available inexpensively and pretty easy to replace. Bottom line is that they give high end performance for not a lot of coin.

 

[N8Nagel]

I have used DVD players as CD players form time to time. If the DVD player is not connected to a TV, there is the issue of a display on the front so one can see which track is playing and the time elapsed. Newer players have no front display. Peace and goodwill.

Fortunately this is not the case with any of the ones I've picked up... the Sony even has track, *index* and time display, something that I haven't seen elsewhere save for my very first CDP back in the late 80s (I don't even remember what it was now) now BDPs on the other hand... display is fair at best and they're basically inoperable without the remote.

 

[Dr Tinear]

99.9% of consumer electronics is made in China, Korea, Malasia or Taiwan. For rest 0.1% you need to pay avionics level prices. My first Oppo player bought 8 years ago still works without problems.

The percentage is much lower than 99.9 if you leave BPC audio and video, cell phones, portable media players and other lifestyle products out of the picture, and you don't always have to pay avionics-level prices (love that term!) to buy the good stuff. Many speaker companies including Salk Sound, Vandersteen, and Albert Von Schweikert's Vortex Audio still build affordable gear in the USA, and you can even find some affordable American electronic and source components from manufacturers such as Schiit Audio, U-Turn Audio or Grado Labs.

Considering how much A/V gear is made in Taiwan, Malaysia, or Korea, I've been surprised at how few components from those countries have crossed my bench. Almost all of the recent gear I've seen that died prematurely is from China, which is why I avoid buying the stuff wherever possible.

 

[USA Soccer]

DVD players are too slow to load, can't stand them.. For a cheap CD player I recommend Onkyo C-7030

 

[drmar120]

My beloved Marantz CD changer died a couple of years ago and I replaced it with a Marantz DV4001 dvd player that I was using with my old CRT. I'm perfectly happy with it in my main system sound-wise, though I do miss the changer function. I play CDs in the living room "theater" with a Panasonic BD75. Again, the sound is fine. I do regret that most of the newer Blu Ray machines lack analog outputs.

 

[BrocLuno]

I do regret that most of the newer Blu Ray machines lack analog outputs.

Yeah, but that's cool too because you get to play with external DAC's

 

[chadnliz]

I'm looking for an inexpensive used (less than $100) CD player in silver finish to match my vintage audio gear. I'm having a hard time finding a CD player in silver that meets my budget but have seen lots of DVD players in silver on Ebay.

Does anyone here know how DVD players compare to CD players as far as audio quality goes? Any brand suggestions?

If you see a Samsung HD841 model come up for sale snag it, it plays them all and pretty damn well for the money!

 

[BrocLuno]

That's a nice looking silver unit

 

[N8Nagel]

If you see a Samsung HD841 model come up for sale snag it, it plays them all and pretty damn well for the money!

Got one, silver too! Also have a black HD950 which is pretty much the same guy but has HDMI output instead of DVI. I think there are a couple other related models that are worth getting as well but those are the only ones I've seen in the thrifts.

 

[niles300z]

These 'super players' that play mp3, photo disc, CD, DVD, SACD, HDCD etc. seem to take longer to load. Its really not that bad but compared to a 90's Sony that seems instant, the Integra is slower.

Onkyo Integra DPS 5.5
I second this. Hard to beat used under $50 at this late date. Nifty dual analog output. Seems quite well made. Plays MP3 s, but I think you have to move up to the 6.5 to get DVD-A and SACD contrary to what I have read. Plus, those that can afford $30+ a disc will most likely have dough for a high end player. It's actually quicker to play than many DVD Players. Seems pretty reliable.
Not a lot to dislike if you like Onkyo stuff especially and are on a tight budget.

 

[RunOutGroove]

I have an Onkyo DVD player... a somewhat higher end one that plays SACDs (though I still haven't gotten around to picking any of these up). Except for a problem that I've had with it not playing certain CDs, which would be due to it's age and the fact that it needs a cleaning, it's served me very well for both video and music stuff. I will say that everything sounds much better to me through an external DAC that I recently bought, a Topping D50s, which I got used in great shape for $160. I think that using a cheaper player along with a DAC makes a lot of sense...

 

[niles300z]

I agree to a point. Those looking for an edge on updated DAC's usually go for something new or at least a dedicated stand alone DAC of their favorite flavor.
But those looking for an edge on players instead look more at disc handling, optics, quietness, build/durability and possibly availability of parts. Good transports seem to be a little harder to find. I tend to favor the older brick shithouse designs that weigh a lot like Lexicons and Cal Audio but then I'm Redbook CD only.

 

[bluesky]

If it sounds good... it is good.

 

[niles300z]

Yeah. Thats really the bottom line. OCD types like me are always thinking about glass lenses and triple lasers. Others are into modding and trying different caps and opamps.. the list goes on. I think I'm no happier than the guy with the Toshiba DVD that can just sit down, listen and enjoy the music more than the gear.