Best CD player, new used or refurb for around $300?? (1 Viewer)

[Kevin_Breeze]

I have been playing my music through my 4-5 year old Pioneer DV-333 DVD player, which is a $200 ( I think) DVD player. I am perfectly pleased with the picturew quality with componenet inputs, but I think i am selling myself short with playing music through it. I have an older Pioneer 6 disc changer that doesnt sound as good though, probably part of the problem with that is the cheapo rca cables, but anyway I want a good cd player maybe SACD to better compliment my HK AVR7000 and JBL S312's.

Just want to see some opinions on the best they think I can do in the price range of $300. Like if you had $300-ish to spend what would you buy. Doesn't matter if it would be a used or refurb either as I have no problem with that...

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[John Garcia]

222ES used gets my vote, even if you won't use it for SACD. Got mine off Audiogon for $300.

 

[Kevin_Breeze]

Thanks for your input John. I have been totally out of the audio scene for a while and I am not even all that familiar with the whole SACD format. My AVR7000 actually has onboard HDCD, which it seems never really took off in the industry as I only have one cd in my collection encoded with it (Kenny Wayne Shepherd) and when I put it in the HDCD icon lights up on the receiver. Never really looked to see what new Cd's are encoded with SACD. Are their many? How big of a difference in sound is it?

By the way I am also a car guy (current car is 99 TA WS6 "ram-air" with some bolt-ons & about 375 HP)and anyhow that speedring thing looks like fun. I love kart racing, but I want to find a place with motors bigger than 7 HP. I want to do some serious kart racing, but I dont think they have that anywhere. Liability is probably too much.

 

[Kevin_Breeze]

BTW, when I say "I think" I am selling myself short using my pioneer DV-333 as the CD player, I probably should have worded that a little differently b/c I don't really have much to complain about the sound when playing music CD's through it but I have just heard many people saying to get a real dedicated CD player to hear much better music. This player has 96KHz/24-bit Audio DAC so I don't see what the big difference would be?? Also is their a way to bypass the DVD players processing and use my AVR7000's I also read somehwere that someone just bougth a cheap CD player to go with this receiver b/c he was going to use the processing of the receiver anyway?? - something to that affect...

 

[John Garcia]

SACD and DVD-A are a definite step up from CD and very worthwhile IMO, but as you may have read in other posts, it is very dependent on the recording. A bad recording can still sound like you are listening to redbook. You DON'T need to be an audiophile or have crazy expensive gear to hear the difference either. There are plenty of titles, but depending on what you listen to, the selection may be limited (mine is, but I still manage to find enough). Check in the music forum here, a search should turn up links to sites that list all SACDs available (I haven't checked recently). A decent player will probably sound better than your Pioneer, but an average player will likely sound about the same.


It's not so much the exact specs of the DAC so much as the end result of how it sounds and it's implementation in a given player. The variance in the sound of DACs is considerable, and one of the things you are going to find on more expensive gear is better DACs. IMO, a good used $300 CD will probably give you better performance than a new player for the same price. The DACs in my new receiver are actually as good or better than the 222ES, so I am now using it as a transport only for redbook. A well recorded/mastered SACD still sounds noticably better to me.

Haha. Speedring has a 9hp "club kart" that you have to get a certain average lap time to qualify to use. I haven't actually been there recently with work and all, but I'll have to try it out sometime (my friends are the onwers and I helped out as a kart mechanic in my spare time for a while). 7HP sounds like it would be a snooze, but the karts are actually geared for about 40mph and can just about hit that on the two long sections. Believe me, with no suspension 3/4" off the floor, the reaction time is so quick, you feel like you are doing ~100mph. Just outside of Vegas, there is a place you can go run some more serious karts (125s?). I'm more about handling than pin your head to the seat horsepower My buddy has an LS1 that is about the same HP as you with 125 shot added on top and it is scary fast

I mellowed out a bit after rolling my last car. :rolleyes

 

[Kevin_Breeze]

QUOTE: "The DACs in my new receiver are actually as good or better than the 222ES, so I am now using it as a transport only for redbook. A well recorded/mastered SACD still sounds noticably better to me."

This is what I am trying to find out if the DAC's in my receiver are good enough that its not worth it to spend money on another CD player. So i guess essentially it is not worh buying any CD player (Strictly SQ wise) unless it surpasses the DAC's in your receiver correct? How to I hook up the DVD player touse the receivers DAC's?? this confuses me.

Yeah I am into handling too, still gotta install my koni's. I know exactly what you mean about being that close to the ground thats what I love about those carts. They handle amazingly. I was debating adding a 100 shot but go back and forth b/c I am a little scared of the trouble i might get myself into.( I rolled a car once myself, many years ago - RIP Supra- I really like that car too). Although the other week i get owned bigtime by a 500HP 03' cobra that made me feel like I was in an accord or something and that almost motivated me to do it

 

[John Garcia]

Digital connection = receiver's DACs (signal is passed as PCM)
Analog connection = player's DACs (signal is decoded)

I didn't go for another fast car because I kind of enjoy living. My little s13 (240SX) handles incredibly, but is slow enough to keep me in check

 

[Kevin_Breeze]

Geez, i don't even know if I have it hooked up via digital or analog connects, lol.

dor the record other CD players I am looking at are

Cambridge Audio 300 or 500SE
NAD 541i or 542 (can get the 541i online for $300 new -$599 retail).
one of the Sony ES units like you suggested