Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo CD Players

didnt you forgat something about jupiter being in line with mars, and the moons gravitional pull??

bigjohn

Saturn...you're confusing me. In one post you say all wires sound the same...in your very next post you say that's a myth. What's the deal dude? You hitting the long weekend brew a little early?

Saturn, I want to send you a test disc to try out. I'll PM you for info.

In regards to the sound differences of cdp in general, i haven't had a chance to hear any 'boutique' name cdps as of yet so the few comparsions i've done have all been with typically priced box store units. We've detected no distinguishable difference in sound other than signal strength, hence SPL between the Denons, Panasonics and Toshibas that we have heard.

However, build quality can certainly clean up sound to some extent. Of that i have no doubt. Our 2 year old Panasonic dvdp sounds fine, but the transport has begun to make a louder whirring noise and a more mechanical click during the disc swap. This is not unexpected and most likely due to normal wear and tear, but had we bought a dvdp with a better build quality, these issues MAY not have arisen, or at least not this soon. The higher whirring is now slightly distinguishable during quiet passages or lower volumes from the distance of our couch to the dvdp.
As for DACs, i personally believe that the modern spec differences between many units far surpass that which the human ear can detect, but it is possible that each DAC may not create an identical analog signal depending on how it was designed to interpret the digital code. Technically they should all be as accurate as possible and hence linear in their frequency response, but many cdps, especially the more expensive boutique names, also incorporate other technology onboard which could potentially change the sound (e.g. digital filters, oversampling protocols/methods, dual DACs per channel, etc.). I need more information about this yet before passing any judgement on functional differences, and i need to do more listening with some "upscale" brand name units for A/B comparisons.
Maybe once i get the Rega (if i get a Rega) i can begin. Too bad your Musical Fidelity would be too hard to ship. I was looking at just that very unit, as well as the A308, earlier today.

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Saturn...you're confusing me. In one post you say all wires sound the same...in your very next post you say that's a myth. What's the deal dude? You hitting the long weekend brew a little early?

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That list was a mere joke. It is seemingly the growing list of snake oil preaching in this forum. If the list was fact then the comment of Johnk would not be there.

My earlier note on findings that wires did not matter much was the outcome of tests I did a couple of weeks ago...I forever stop saying Kimber rules.

I thought perhaps...but wasn't sure.

From my listening experience I've found that cables make little difference. CD players do sound different, and amps can sound better but not the night and day differences that I hear some people preach.

That's just been my experience.

chess: I'll go find the CD locally and do the tests. I would be too scared to ship my player via any courier. I had my old Bryston 2B come with a dented faceplate. In that price range I would suggest:

MF 3.2
Rega Planet 2000
Cambridge Audio 640C (but I found this transport noisier than the higher end players)
CEC 3300
Creek CD53
Arcam FMJ23

Now if I could upgrade my ears. THAT would be the ultimate audio tweak!

Say, how come someone doesn't design ears that channel sound toward your eardrums better? A plastic surgeon could make a killing off audiophiles that way.

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A plastic surgeon could make a killing off audiophiles that way.

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Just include a line to the effect of "the bass becomes more effortless, the highs more extended, and the soundstage becomes completely 3-dimensional and lifelike" and you'll have people easily willing to drop $50k or more on a new set of ears.

Spiff,

I couldn't agree more. I believe in everything you said.

spiffnme;

Based on my listening test ... under $400 players sound alike. $400-$1200 sound alike .... $1200+ players sound alike... So a multi disk Sony doesnt sound any different than a Toshiba single cd player. But when you compare a $300 to a $800 to a $2400 player ... each will give you a different sound and give you more and more detail... Again that is based on my findings. That is why I do not agree with some of the experts views on Cd player.

(All based on CDN prices)My $190 Malata kareaoke DVD/CD player does sound as good as my $600 Cambridge Azur 640C. The Cambridge has lots more detail. The Malata sounds more thin. Doesn't have much bass. My $1950 Musical Fidelity 3.2 had just a little more detail than the Cambridge but focus on instruments were better. But more detail nonetheless. I can demonstate this to anyone that wants to demo my setup.