Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Denon DVD-2910 for 2CH Audio Only?

This topic is brought up all the time. You have two groups that like to argue about CD players. One group will tell you that a disk is nothing but X’s and O’s and the DAC does nothing but read them and any DAC will do just fine. The other group will tell you that the quality of the DAC does matter and will affect the overall SQ. While I don’t agree or disagree with that, I disagree that all players sound the same.

Reason of my disagreement is in addition to reading the disks; you also have the transport function of a player. If the transport is a piece of crap, it really doesn’t matter if the DAC’s do a wonderful job or not. The disk still needs to be spun correctly for the DAC’s to read the X’s and O’s at the right speed. I’ve heard the term jitter in reference to this. Again, one group says this is BS, the other swears it exists. I believe there is some merit to this train of thought.

I don’t need a blind fold to tell if my 15 year old Kenwood CDP or my one year old Integra is playing a disk. There is a difference.

Just remember, that the one group tends to lean toward numbers and math, the other tends to believe in impression. Sorta like comparing creation and evolution. I guess I’m in the creation camp because I don’t like thinking that I evolved from a monkey.

In reply to:

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I guess I’m in the creation camp because I don’t like thinking that I evolved from a monkey.

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Well, you're lucky. I can tell you with certainty that we didn't evolve from monkeys. Now, if you had said apes...

Anyway, is that really your main reason for being in the creation camp, that the mere idea of it is distasteful? Have you looked at an ape? I mean really looked? I think it's really damn cool how the forces of nature of millions of years ago have shaped the tiny tiny slice of the earth's history that any of us gets to experience.

I like my Denon DVD-2910 very much, and use it for all my DVDs and CDs. It's DA conversion for SACD, DVD-A and DTS-A disks is phenomenal. After listening to multichannel music, 2-channel CDs sound quite dated! :-) There are better CD players out there (e.g. Ayre, Cary, Linn, etc.), but the Denon is certainly one of the better ones, and a bargain too.

No Peter, it’s not the “only” reason. I’m not quite that ignorant or shallow. But, this is one topic I will not discuss in person, or with anyone that I do not know personally and at a comfortably mature level. Right along with religion, government and politics. I shouldn't have mentioned it as all.

Thanks Richie, I placed my order. I'll eschew the evo/devo debate, Mike - but am long aware of the various audio subjective/objective perception/reality distortion camps. I can wear both hats. Never so far as to mark all my CD edges green or to insist on only Made In Japan CDs for their flawless balance, beveled edges and perfectly on-center holes (though I do have a few).
I gotta tell you the sound from my bargain Sony CE595 (via HK3480->M80s) is nothing short of spellbinding. Re the transport - the modders seem to be OK with it: 595mod
I'll let you know if I find the 2910 significantly more magical than the 595...

agreed, mdrew. I've witnessed far too many "discussions" gone bad concerning this topic.