Dedicated CDP to replace my Pioneer DV-588AS?

Laura Palmer
Laura Palmer Posts: 124
edited March 2006 in Electronics
Hello folks! Back with another question :)

I was wondering what the folks here think about whether it is a good investment to get a dedicated CD player to replace the Pioneer DV-588AS DVD player I am currently using to play back CDs. I'm having a hard time figuring out whether this will be a night/day comparison. The reason I settled on the Pioneer is that the audio CD quality apparantly rivaled a lot of CD players and came out sounding just as good.

That said, would I notice a difference if I moved up to a NAD C542? Or maybe a Marantz/Jolida/Sony ES CD player? The NAD is more in my price range right now.... but would I notice as big an upgrade coming from my Pioneer DVD player? I'm just wondering whether I'm getting the most out of my RTi12s if I don't have a dedicated CDP.

Any advice you could offer would be splendid, as always!

Thanks.
Post edited by Laura Palmer on
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  • Laura Palmer
    Laura Palmer Posts: 124
    edited March 2006
    I'm also looking at Arcam which is great as well. My question is more theory based this time, not so much which product I should go with.
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  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited March 2006
    Hi Laura, long time no see!

    Only your ears will tell you if it is a night or day difference. That said, I will always have a separate cd player in my system. I love my Rotel 1072!

    If you can, take some cd's that you know extremely well to an audio shop & A/B the cd & dvd players.
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
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  • EricT43
    EricT43 Posts: 130
    edited March 2006
    Yeah, check out the Rotel, I think it was RuSsMaN that wrote a stellar review of that unit.
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  • keith allen
    keith allen Posts: 734
    edited March 2006
    I would go with a music hall mmf25,with the 627 opamp upgrade.Wow,weird I happen to have one for sale:D shameless plug I know
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited March 2006
    Laura
    It really depends on how fussy of a listener you are. Picky people (me included) will want a dedicated CDP, but keep in mind that differences can be subtle, depending on what you're comparing.

    Better CD Players are noted more for what they don't do, than what they do. Meaning, blacker background, less digital glare, less grain in the high frequencies, better controlled bass, smoother more neutral presenation, etc.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • Laura Palmer
    Laura Palmer Posts: 124
    edited March 2006
    Very interesting. Thanks for the quick feedback!

    I guess there is no guarantee that it would be worth the money so I'd better just twist a dealer's arm to let me take one home for a weekend so I can see. :)
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  • audiobliss
    audiobliss Posts: 12,518
    edited March 2006
    That's a great idea, no matter the product under consideration.

    Will it be a night/day difference? That really depends on your other equipment and how demanding of a listener you are. That being said, I would second the recommendation to take a look at Rotel's CDPs. RuSsMaN wrote a glowing review of the RCD-1072 here. It retails for $700 and can be found used on audiogon for around $500, or so I've heard. I would also suggest taking a look at their RCD-02. It's meant to go with their matching 02 series integrated (or is that preamp and amp?) and tuner, but it makes for a great CDP. It uses the same DAC and transport as the acclaimed 1072, and many say it's very hard to hear the difference between the two units.

    Good luck with your search!
    George Grand wrote: »
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    Wonder WTF happened to the rest of my money.
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  • aaharvel
    aaharvel Posts: 4,489
    edited March 2006
    there's a sweet looking xa3es on ebay for $120.
    http://cgi.ebay.com/SONY-ES-SONYCDP-XA3ES-HI-END-AWSOME-SOUND_W0QQitemZ9703824251QQcategoryZ61329QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
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