Why use a separate CD player and DVD player?

Well that's for your ears to judge. I can hear a big difference between my Cary 308T and my Yamaha DVD-S1200 and the difference is worth spending the money on a seperate cd player since i'm 90% music and 10%HT. Check out some players and see if it's worth it to you.

 

You probably shouldn't spend the cash on a new CD player just because you MIGHT hear a difference. Try experimenting, borrowing a friend's CD player to use in your system, or buy from a dealer with a good return policy in case you don't like the player or can't hear a difference.

That said, I was in the same position as you, and found a major difference in sound from different player brands. I settled on a Sony SCD-C222ES, which sounds great and also has SACD playback.

 

A couple good cheap CD player options would be a Cambridge Audio D500 SE or a NAD 541i. Used there would be some more options such as an older generation Rega Planet.

 

A Sony 222ES can be had for less than $500 and you would SACD with it also.

 

My rationale for using a separate CD player has nothing to do with sonics but with durability. With the exception of some ruggedly built flagship models, DVD players don't exactly set the world afire with their ability to withstand hours and hours of continuous use. Better, then, to use a separate dedicated player for music.

 

And if you ever want to watch The Wizard of Oz while listening to Dark Side of the Moon you're gonna' need a stand alone CD player.

 

I always like to have a dedicated CD player since my receiver can't read my mind on playback preferences. I like to use some DSP processing on my CDs, where as DVDs are stricly Dolby Digital or DTS. I hate have having to switch between different sound processing and settings going back and forth between CDs and DVDs

 

If you have the money to burn then why not give it to me alternatively instead of buying a separate cd player it may be worth looking at a separate stereo amp. I'm not familiar with HK amps so I couldn't say if it was any good for music or not, but I know my denon avr2802 is beaten to a pulp for music by amps costing half as much.

 

You can get a good deal on NAD refurbs at dmc-electronics.com. They have 521i cdplayer for $199 with good return policy. Try it in your system and see what you think...

 

Mathew,

If you are using the digital connection between your DVD/CD player and your receiver, then you won't here any difference since it's the receiver doing the D>A conversion. If using analog connections for music, then you might hear a difference.

If you want to try it, buy from a store that will let you return it for a full refund if you can't tell the difference.

JimmyK

 

I like the 300 disc changers myself for redbook (I think is the common term these days) cd's.