CD player suggestions....

Tony/Dev, I think that it might be worth a try as well, my current player is a Sony DVP NS77 H, it is about $90 new, it does have a digital output. I had thought about trying the Benchmark DAC as that seems to be one of the hot items. Just don't know if the Sony would give it a fair shake. I suppose I could always try it, and later add a better transport if the Sony isn't up to it. Any thoughts? I appreciate all the input so far, I am sure after the Christmas holiday I will have more time to check these things out. Tim

 

I know someone who has 1500 Euro CEC transport and he said he could hear no difference when using the digital out of a DVP-NS76H compared to the CEC. He says it's something to do with the precision drive 3 transport mechanism of the Sony. The dac he used to compare the two was a Altmann Attraction Dac.

jaspal

 

I have heard good and bad things about the Sony precision drive 3 transports. I can't really complain, in all honesty I can't believe what it does do and fairly well for something that is so inexpensive!

Always wondered about the CEC belt-drive players and how good they were. Not sure if there is a dealer/distributor here in the US or not. But if it is as you say, might not be worth it anyway! Tim

 

Tim,

Some would say a (Bel Canto) DAC is immune to transports. This is supported by JK's comment. As mentioned, my Bel Canto DAC2 is running off a 2 cent DVD transport and sonically the combo is all you could want - if you have the transport already and are looking for better sound on a budget.

The only issue I have is the user interface (track selection/display etc) of the Toshiba DVD player is nowhere near as slick as you find on any CD player.

If I was pressed to buy a 'better' CD transport mechanism I'd choose a cheap-ish, used TEAC VRDS 10, 10SE or 25X w/ the CMK 3.2 transport, or second choice is the TEAC 8 or 9 w/ a CMK 4 transport. Although these units are not the last word in longevity/reliability. Or a Wadia! Whether you'd hear any difference just from these transports I really don't know - when I have located a TEAC myself I shall let you know!

Tony

 

Newbie Q about Squeezebox vs. CD

I would ask if you would tolerate a few newbie questions re. SB or similar devices.

I have an Arcam CD 73 and Arcam 65+ amp driving some Castle speakers and am generally very pleased with the quality of sound. I also have several macs and various ipods and ipod player type units. When I connect my ipod to my amp via a rca connect the audio is distinctly inferior to the CD player as source (even with the highest compression setting).

What does the Squeezebox or Transporter do? When it grabs, say internet radio, what is the quality of output and what can I expect compared to direct input of my computer to the amp or my ipod to the amp?

Am I missing something here.

Please note that I am a newbie so forgive me if these are stupid questions.

Thanks

Evan05

 

Hi , I'm back again, sorry for the delay, these year-end work hours are a killer! Happy New Year to all.

Just wanted to update things a bit, had a listen to the Creek Destiny, a very nice sounding player, a little out of my price unless I could maybe find a used one. Build quality is very good too! Also got a quick listen to the Cambridge 740C again, this is an excellent sounding player as well for the money, could consider getting a new one. I am still wanting to check out the 840C though for a bit more money, love to hear it in my system. The Cambridge dealer that I go to also has the Esoteric line, kind of hard not to have a fair amount of lust for those machines! Then sticker shock brings it all back down. Oh well!

Has anyone heard the Marantz Reference series such as the SA-11/SA-15? I see some fairly good prices on these used on Audiogon etc. Also new, the SA-8001 has gotten a bit of good press. I can't say I have ever listened to any Marantz players in a long time, so not sure of there presentation. The Ref. stuff sure looks to have great build quality, but the sound is where I am unsure. Appreciate any comments on these.

Again, I appreciate all the input so far. I am hoping once I can get through the end of January, to put a bit more effort into making a shortlist and see what I can demo at home in my system. Even though I am trying to stay on my 1-1.5K US budget, I am looking at the future, and want to make a good decision for that as well. Happy listening all, Tim