Listening to CD's on DVD players?

jtoddaz

I am just curious if anyone listens to their music on their dvd players or if they have a separate cd player. I don't know if the sound is the same, but if it is, it seams as this might be a space saver.
Jeremy

gregure

On high-end DVD/CD players, usually referred to as "Universal Players," the performance for both DVD and CD can be superb. Some even have a CD mode in which you can bypass all of the video processing while playing CD's. The Sony flagship ES player does this, as does the Denon 5910, perhaps even the 3910. Another great player is the Pioneer Elite DV79AVi. Of course, these units will all set you back upwards of $1200-$3500. Using a cheapo DVD player as a CD player, you can definitely do better. Unfortunately, I like to listen to too much music at once usually to use a single-disc player, which all of the nicer units are, but in the $300 range for multi-disc players, I've always liked the Denon DCM 380.

danger boy

Jeremy,

Welcome to Club Polk. Always nice to have new members interested in Polk Audio speakers... and audio in general.

Yes you are right.. having one componenet that can play both DVD's and CD's, is a space saver.. not to mention a money saver as well.

I have a 2 channel system for music only. When i first began putting it together in a complete system.. i had a Toshiba DVD player hooked up to it for playing CD's. After a few weeks I purchased an older NAD CD player off Ebay and decided to try it out and replace the Toshiba DVD player. I was quite surprised to find out that a stand alone CD player.. even though about 10 yrs old, sounded better than a brand new Toshiba DVD player. It wasn't as compressed, the dynamics in the music sounded cleaner and more spacious.

Why? The NAD CDP was better built... better innards over a cheap DVD player. Not all DVD players are cheap.. some of them are very good at playing all kinds of discs. But you may have to spend alot to get a really good universial player to do that. This is just my experience. So for music listening I prefer to have a seperate CD player.

Shizelbs

Al, were you running both the Tosh and NAD through your alpha CAL DAC?

Dennis Gardner

I like my Pioneer Elite DV45A. It does CD playback as well as my Acurus ACD11. I run both through a separate DAC at times, so this can change characteristics of each player somewhat, but generally both do a great job.

danger boy

Shizelbs wrote:

Al, were you running both the Tosh and NAD through your alpha CAL DAC?

i tried it out both ways... what i've found out recently after including the DAC and then taking it out of the mix.. is that the DAC tends to bring out more mids in music.. and with the SRS's. the mids are plentiful enough already.

Honestly, i can't tell much difference between the 10 yr old NAD CDP, and the tube DAC. other than the DAC brings the mids forward more. The sound quality is so close.. it's tough to hear much difference there.

Now the Toshiba DVD player without the DAC was flat and narrow sounding.. just not very clear and clean sounding when compared to the NAD with or without the external DAC. I'm sure if i had had a DVD player higher up on the food chain.. things may have sounded better.

I listened to some music late last night.. (Carpenters Gold - 2 disc set) :eek: and the music sounded really alive. I know, i know.. the Carpenters??? but the dynamics on this 2 disc set is wonderful. Her voice and the use of what appear to be "real" instruments really come alive. The subtle changes in her voice as well as the background vocals come out so nicely in these recordings.

Shelby, what have you noticed with your DAC lately? Is it tube or SS?
I'm a big believer in stand alone CDP.

heiney9

Generally low to mid priced DVD/Universal players aren't really designed for great musical playback. They have to cut corners somewhere and it's usually in the audio section. A stand alone cdp of similar price will most time out-perform a DVD/Universal player. Certainly there are some that can sound marginally better. I run both my cdp and dvdp through an external DAC and get fantastic results. Most if not all low-mid priced universal players aren't anything to write home about regardless if they play SACD/DVD-A or not. Most low-mid priced stand alone DVD players are really horrible sounding.

YMMV

H9

jtoddaz

OP here, thanks for the replys. I have a Sony 300 disc changer and was thinking about getting a dvd that could play music because this thing is HUGE!!It sounds like I will keep it until i can go with an upscale dvd player. And I can't wait to hear how my music sounds on my new Polks with my new HK receiver.
Jeremy

Early B.

If you enjoy critically listening to music more than watching movies, invest in a nice stand alone CD player. Otherwise, buy a Cambridge Audio 540D DVD player and enjoy the music --

http://www.audioadvisor.com/store/productdetail.asp?sku=CAMB540D

aaharvel

jtoddaz wrote:

I am just curious if anyone listens to their music on their dvd players

Perish the thought

halo

I tried it with my Denon DVD/Universal and it didn't work out. The Onix is much nicer. More detailed. Better overall IMHO.

dudeinaroom

well, I was using my dvd player to play both, with the receivers dac doing all the decoding that is until today when I got home and the dvd player is now dead. Guess I'll be watching dvds on the ps2, and have to find my jvc portable to play cd's(my ps2 does not like to play cd's)

dudeinaroom

hooked up the jvc which has no digital out. Oh my god what a difference that little jvc kicks but. I was using the receiver for my decoding purposes because it sounded better with cd's than my dvd player did. but the jvc using it's inards sounds way better smoother highs, bass is more controled, and much better width and depth. sounds that used to come from the sides just ahead of me have moved behind me and also sounds coming from just outside the speakers have moved out up 5 feet(so now it's sounds as if sound is coming out of the wall). I though the center stage was good before, but I find my self now checking to see if i accidently hit the surround button on the remote, because it is really ancored to the center now. I love sda's, I wish I could be wedded to them(don't tell my wife I said that, she already acusses the computer of being my girl friend) later all, go get you polk on.

steveinaz

jtoddaz wrote:

I am just curious if anyone listens to their music on their dvd players or if they have a separate cd player. I don't know if the sound is the same, but if it is, it seams as this might be a space saver.
Jeremy

If you run an external DAC of good quality, chances are you won't noticed much difference (if any), between a DVDP and a high quality CDP. Depends on how "golden" your ears are...

If you get say a Marantz DV-7600 or something comparable you'd probably be fine.

heiney9

dudeinaroom wrote:

hooked up the jvc which has no digital out. Oh my god what a difference that little jvc kicks but. I was using the receiver for my decoding purposes because it sounded better with cd's than my cd player did. but the jvc using it's inards sounds way better smoother highs, bass is more controled, and much better width and depth. sounds that used to come from the sides just ahead of me have moved behind me and also sounds coming from just outside the speakers have moved out up 5 feet(so now it's sounds as if sound is coming out of the wall). I though the center stage was good before, but I find my self now checking to see if i accidently hit the surround button on the remote, because it is really ancored to the center now. I love sda's, I wish I could be wedded to them(don't tell my wife I said that, she already acusses the computer of being my girl friend) later all, go get you polk on.

This is all from a *portable* player. Ummmm....nevermind :rolleyes:

H9

dudeinaroom

heiney9 wrote:

This is all from a *portable* player. Ummmm....nevermind :rolleyes:

H9

Hey my dvd was an apex