Pioneer DVD player as CD player (1 Viewer)

[Sam_h]

I have a pioneer DV-333 that I want to use as a combo dvd/cd player. How well will this unit function as a CD player?

 

[KeithH]

Sam, seeing as the Pioneer DV-333 was a budget DVD player (it sold for $150-180 when current), it isn't a very good CD player. Dedicated CD players for around $250 such as the Denon DCM-370, Sony CDP-CA70ES, or Marantz CC4000 changers or the $350 Sony SCD-CE775 changer, which also plays stereo and multi-channel SACDs, will outperform the '333.
By the way, I noticed that you picked a sad day to join the HTF, especially seeing as you are from New York.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Keith- I wouldn't necessarily assume that.
A lot of "cheap" DVD players nowadays have exemplary CD performance. It just doesn't cost that much anymore to get great linear PCM sound quality.
The 626 by Pioneer, which wasn't that expensive a player either, had some of the best jitter measurements that Stereophile ever measured. Fantastic performance as a CD transport.
I would think of it as the following: try it, and if it sounds OK to you, then it *is* OK (but that's not good enough for me ), or, try to find a review somewhere that includes correlation between measurements and performance. My 2 favorite review sources for DVD players are Sound & Vision (they always include a comment or 2 about a DVD player's CD audio performance in the "measurement box" of their test reports), and Secret's: Link Removed
2 other good places to look are audioreview.com and ecoustics.com.

 

[Chip E]

"A lot of "cheap" DVD players nowadays have exemplary CD performance."
They do?..Hmm, news to me..if thats the case i spent wayyyy too much jing this year on audio, lol..
I'd consider some of Keith's recommendations for a good budget cd player for some dedicated performance.

 

[Matt DeVillier]

Pioneer's recent DVD players have functioned extremely well as transports. It's not going to give you the same quality as some of the units Keith listed, but it will be pretty close. I had a DV-333 and was hard pressed to tell the difference between it and my dad's Marantz changer when used as a transport.

 

[Barry_B_B]

My 333 in the bedroom sounds almost as good as the Sony changer on the main system. Better audio cables would hopefully make a difference, since it does with the 525 in the theater system.

 

[Stephen L]

Sam I have the Pioneer 333 and use it as my main CD player with no problems.It performs well and to me not worth the $250+ to upgrade to a dedicated player , thats just me though.Keep in mind it won't be the reference quality of a $500 player.

 

[Sam_h]

Does this player support CD-TEXT?

 

[Jeff]

I just got a DV-343 to play VCD's and SVCD's and I was hoping it would double as my CD player too and I could get rid of my 1989 JVC cd player. I compared the two and the Pioneer was horrible sounding.

I would think the DV-333 would be no better. I might try the DV-440 but I don't know if it plays VCD's/SVCD's as well.

Jeff

 

[Paul_Psutka]

Pioneer DVD players (including the low-end models) have had a reputation for better than average CD playback sound.

"What HiFi" and "HiFi Choice" (UK magazines which you may be able to find at a better bookstore) tend to talk a lot about the CD playback performance of DVD players.

Glancing at a recent issue, they (can't remember if it was What HiFi or HiFi choice) criticized the CD playback sound of JVC, Marantz, Panasonic, and Harman Kardon players. They liked the Denon and Sony (400 model) sound, and even the Philips 712AT sound (it was lively, though not entirely neutral). Most were lower end models, except the Denon was an expensive model. The Pioneer player fell into the middle of the pack, as the new Burr-Brown 192/24 DAC's don't seem to be as good as the 96/24 DAC's Pioneer had been using in older models (according to another review I read).