CD Player? (1 Viewer)

[Joe Greca]

I just bought my first receiver, Denon 3802... I was using one of those Aiwa things that comes with the speakers and cassette deck and CD player all in one box... Anyway, now I need to buy a CD player. Is there anything in particular I should be looking for? Should I be interested in DVD-A and SACD? I really don't know what all that is. Are there any CD players that play MP3 CDs? Thanks.

 

[Marc Rochkind]

Sounds like you need lots of basic information. There are numerous web sites with introductory material, and a few books, too.

But, some quick answers:

1. You didn't mention DVD. Lots of people nowadays use a single player (called a "DVD player," oddly) that plays DVDs, CDs, and possibly more. Separate CD players are still out there, but now I think they are the exception rather than the rule.

2. There are lots of DVD players that play MP3 CDs. I don't know about CD players. In additon to playing MP3s, however, you need to make sure the player plays CD-Rs and/or CD-RWs, whichever is important to you. Not all DVD players do. I don't know what percentage of standalone CD players do, but I suspect nearly all.

3. Many DVD players handle DVD-Audio also. DVD/SACD combinations are perhaps less common. All standalone SACD players also play CDs. I don't know of any standalone DVD-Audio players (i.e., players that play DVD-Audio that don't play DVD-Video.) If you do get a player for SACD and/or DVD-Audio, make sure it does bass management. Many, if not most, don't.

Hope this helps!

 

[Joe Greca]

thanks for the help.

I have a Sony DVD player.

I'm using it to play CDs for now, but it only holds one disc and doesn't play CD-Rs.

I've heard that DVD players aren't that great for playing CDs because they use different lasers. Is that true?

 

[Selden Ball]

Joe,
Some DVD players have "dual laser pickups". One laser is optimized for CDs and one for DVDs. They're usually able to read CD-R and -RW discs much more reliably than single-laser players. Most Pioneer and Marantz players have two lasers, but be sure to check the players' literature.
If you haven't already, you might want to check the DVD player reviews at Link Removed
DVD changers are readily available, too, from 5 disc players to ones that can handle 400.

 

[peter_anderson]

Joe: take a look the audio/video sources forum and read the posts about the difference in CD audio quality between DVD players and dedicated CD players. there is a noticeable difference, and i don't think it would a drastic jump in reasoning to assume your DVD player will last longer if you don't use it for CDs!

That said, there are a lot of great CD carousels in the 200-300 range.

 

[RobertCharlotte]

your DVD player will last longer if you don't use it for CDs

Wow! That's the first time I've heard anybody at HTF suggest that you might want to keep something longer than 6 months or when the next new model comes available, whichever comes first.
Maybe I'm not so unusual here, after all!

 

[Bob Hill]

Another thing you might want to be looking at is the digital to analog converter (D/A). This plays a big part in how well a CD player will reproduce the source CD.

 

[Mark Larson]

OT: Robert, love your sig!! Great movie eh?

 

[Philip Hamm]

Joe,
I wouldn't put any stock on DVD players not playing CD players "as good" as dedicated CD players. That's poppycock as far as I'm concerned. Others will disagree, I'm just stating my opinion. Whether DVD/CD or LD/CD I've been using combo players for years and they're fine.
However, not having a changer or CD-R capability is a major problem if you want those features. Sony recently brought the price on their entry level SACD player to $199 at Crutchfield, J & R, etc. That's the machine to buy. It's a 5 disc CD changer with multichannel SACD capabilities.

 

[RobertCharlotte]

Thanks, Mark. It is great.
Greeeaaaaat.

 

[Greg_R]

It sounds like Joe is using the DACs in the 3802 (which are excellent).

Joe, make sure you're using the digital connection from your player to the receiver. DVD-A and SACD are higher quality multi-channel audio formats. The discs cost more and titles aren't as prevalent.

I'd look at a Sony 300 or 400 disc changer for audio (or your DVD player). I use & prefer a PC for MP3 playback... YMMV.