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kevan
12-28-2005, 07:27 PM
Hi
I am going to buy a new 5 disc CD player. I have discovered that their are some formats that i think it should support. But i am confused about them or rather if i need them at all.
I was looking for CD and MP3 format palyer. But do i need an Audio DVD format? Will it catch on and is there any DVD Audio discs out there for sale?
Do i need SACD? again, is there any discs out there to buy?
I have always been happy with regular CD sound quality.
Should I buy a CD/video DVD player?
Im so confused.

I have just purchased a Yamaha receiver RXV557 and Polk speakers RM6005 based on advice from everybody here.

I do not need a DVD video player. i have a new but very basic sony DVD video player.

Any advice? I have seen the following 2 players
SONY SCD-CE595 SACD player. no MP3 or DVD audio support.
SONY DVP-NC875DVD/SACD. it plays DVD video, MP3 and CD but not DVD audio .

Cheers
kev

N. Abstentia
12-28-2005, 08:28 PM
Do you need DVD-A/SACD? Well that just depends on how serious you are about high-res music. Personally for me, it's a must.

There are plenty of SACD's and DVD-A's to buy, I get mine from the usual stores...amazon.com, buy.com, dvdempire.com, even the BMG music club carries SACD's.

I would also avoid Sony players due to quality problems. You can get a much better player for the money. Why not look into a matching Yamaha?

kevan
12-28-2005, 08:50 PM
Nice system!! i checked out your website. You have a great AV system. My back ground is in prfessional broadcast television so i am used to good sound. However, truth be known, i am happy with an MP3 CD on my system. So perhaps i do not need SACD. i was more concerend with buying a CD changer/player and finding out that next year CDs are out of date in favour of A-DVD.
I like the Yamaha CD player, i will look into that. Its well priced too.

What do you think of your Sony DVD changer? the 300 disc one. I was considering the that for my self but to be used mostly for Audio cd playback only. My concern is that i mostly only play 3 or 4 favourite cds in random mode and i had read that to set this up on the sony was quite a lot of work? based on that alone i decided t ogo for a 5 cd changer. I thought MP3 play back would be useful. ?

kev

paul_pci
12-28-2005, 09:21 PM
I have the same Sony 300 disc player and I love it. It really doesn't take much to set it up and it's pretty intuitive and you can even plug in a keyboard and type in the titles to the CDs. For your purposes you can "group" a few CDs together, select that "group" and then hit random.

As far as your original question goes, universal players, components that will play: DVDs, CDs, MP3-CDs, SACDs, and DVD-As are pretty cheap for decent sound quality, so I say, why not? But don't worry, SACDs and DVD-As are not going to take over the market any time soon.

PAT.P
12-28-2005, 10:17 PM
I bought the Yamaha DVD-C750 5 disd DVD AUDIO/Video SA-CD changer to go with my Yamaha receiver.It plays most format available ,and the better Yamaha is the DVDS1500.Still trying to get use to it,its a bit slow to load.

kevan
12-29-2005, 05:52 PM
Thanks Guys
THe Yamaha DVD-C750 sounds good.
I am now thinking of the Denon DCM380. What do you all think of this? I can get it for$380CND ($325 US) from a local store. It has a special DAC in it that makes it sound good apparently. it also plays MP3 and HDCD what ever that is. THe reviews seem good but refer to it as a budget CD player.
PS, My Polk speakers arrived today so tomorrow is a setup day for my new system and CD if i go get it. I realy prefer to shop localy but that realy limits my choices as i live in a small town. Localy i can get a yamaha CDC685 for $260cnd and the Denon DCM380 for $380cnd. I am replacing a solid 11yr old Marantz CD player and so want to put in a good replacement.

Any thoughts on the yamaha vs Denon?

cheers
kev

L.J.
12-29-2005, 06:49 PM
Thanks Guys
THe Yamaha DVD-C750 sounds good.
I am now thinking of the Denon DCM380. What do you all think of this? I can get it for$380CND ($325 US) from a local store. It has a special DAC in it that makes it sound good apparently. it also plays MP3 and HDCD what ever that is. THe reviews seem good but refer to it as a budget CD player.
PS, My Polk speakers arrived today so tomorrow is a setup day for my new system and CD if i go get it. I realy prefer to shop localy but that realy limits my choices as i live in a small town. Localy i can get a yamaha CDC685 for $260cnd and the Denon DCM380 for $380cnd. I am replacing a solid 11yr old Marantz CD player and so want to put in a good replacement.

Any thoughts on the yamaha vs Denon?

cheers
kev

I'd go with the Yammy(if you like it) for the SACD and DVD-A playback. Or a universal player for the same reasons. You could save yourself some money in the long run by getting a unit that plays all formats now. Take your time, purchase from a store with a good return policy and try some gear out at home.

The DCM380 is a nice player. Not as solid as my 2910, but it is built well. If your gonna use a digital connection, than your Yamaha AVR will be doing the processing, the 380 will only be transporting a signal. If you use a analog connection, than that's when the 380 DAC's will come into play. Some things you should note about the 380 is, no power button on the remote and MP3's can only be played through the analog outputs. Both my 2910 and 380 can decode HDCD's, but I dont own any so I cant comment on that. I do own SACD and DVD-A and you should give it a try. The sound is amazing.

Here some info on HDCD (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/forpros/hdcd/hdcdabout.aspx), SACD (http://www.sonymusic.com/sacd/faq/index.html)and DVD-A (http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid5_gci510035,00.html).

paul_pci
12-29-2005, 08:26 PM
You shouldn't go wrong with either player. They both make quality players, although higher end players tend to favor Denon, but at this price point, I'd decide by the features and user interface that best suits your needs. Either way, you shouldn't have any regrets.

kevan
12-29-2005, 08:52 PM
Thanks again
I Yamaha CDC685 only plays CD and MP3 i think. I plan to use the digital out on the cd for no other reson than to try it. It interesting point that you said that the DAC doesnt matter if i use the Digital out. GOOD POINT. In that case i should save to $100 and go Yamaha with digital out put.

Does this make sense?

If so then what about the sony i was thinking of orginaly that is cheap, $200 and plays SACDs but not A-DVD. Would thta be a better choise if i use the digital out? i have alwyas thought sony to be good but recently i have heard that they realy ar not so good.

.

L.J.
12-29-2005, 09:31 PM
Thanks again
I Yamaha CDC685 only plays CD and MP3 i think. I plan to use the digital out on the cd for no other reson than to try it. It interesting point that you said that the DAC doesnt matter if i use the Digital out. GOOD POINT. In that case i should save to $100 and go Yamaha with digital out put.

Does this make sense? .

Saving money always makes sense! ;)


If so then what about the sony i was thinking of orginaly that is cheap, $200 and plays SACDs but not A-DVD. Would thta be a better choise if i use the digital out? i have alwyas thought sony to be good but recently i have heard that they realy ar not so good.

Not sure about the Sony. I've never owned any Sony products besides my son's DVD player. It is usually not recommended here though. Someone here may have more experience with those products.

If you are only interested in CD playback you can't go wrong with the Yammy.

A SACD player will connect differently to your AVR. You will need to connect 6 rca cables from the player's outputs to your AVR's 6 Ext in inputs.

L.J.
12-29-2005, 09:43 PM
Actually, that Yamaha does NOT play MP3's.

2bluechris
12-30-2005, 04:28 AM
Kevan , you got 11 years service from your Marantz CD player , so why not buy a Marantz multi-disc player .... I use a Marantz CD player and I am very happy with it , and I listened to Denon and Yamaha and also NAD and some other brands before I bought the Marantz , plus I did some other research about , etc ... Marantz are well made and reliable as well as good sound .
Look on Marantz's web-site at their DV series of DVD players . There are several models , all play CDs and some play MP3 and other formats . If you are not happy with Marantz , then try NAD - www.nadelectronics.com - and look at their DVD players on their Home Theatre page - models :- T534 ; T524 ; T514 . All play DVD ; CD ; MP3 ; and some other formats .
Those are my preferred brands for sound in the low to mid price ranges , but Denon is not bad , so listen to what-ever models Denon have that play MP3 . I would not buy Yamaha as all their recent years' home audio products I have heard sound quite mediocre compared to the 3 brands I listed and to some others . Yamaha made their reputation with audio many years ago with some good products and later squandered it with mediocre home audio products {some of their Professional Audio products are quite good and some are less so} . sorry , I don't want to spoil your fun but I am being honest about what I have heard myself . best wishes , Chris .

westcott
12-30-2005, 09:07 AM
Review this site before you make a decision.

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=all

If you are not an audiophile or have the system to support HD audio, you may not notice a difference in sound on your system with SACD or DVD Audio.

DVD Audio and SACD never really caught on and is in serious danger of being displaced by formats that will evolve from HD video technologies.

I think you will find a unit on this site that meets your needs and fits in your pocketbook with or without support for all of these formats.

Let us know how you like your Polks!

kevan
12-30-2005, 09:37 PM
Hi
Well...LJ is rite, the yamaha does not play MP3. I was told by the store 3 times that it does, and then told that it doesnt. I would prefer MP3 playback, it may be useful but presently all of my CDs are not mp3 except those i play in the car. But thats because my present marantz doesnt support it.
Today i went to by the Denon DCM380. The store said they had it iin stock new. WHen i got there it was a dispaly model. I would rather have new out of the box. It had crumbs in the changer tray and was thick with dust. I played with the player and it worked well. it randomly palyed a mix of mp3 and cd disc's with no problem.
So now the only localy availabe CD player is the yamaha CDC 685. A good player, good enough for me but i would like MP3 compatabilty (i think) and perhaps if i had DVD audio it may futur proof the cd player? So its back to square one again. I dont know what to get. I will have to mail order and so the world is my limit.
THe truth is i still like the idear of a universal player so i can buy A-DVDs. But cost is an issue. Yamaha make some cheep ones for $250 to $450 but they look very basic. Thats stupid i know but asthetics are important to me. Perhaps i should just stick with the basic yamaha, i can buy it loclay, they can repair it localy if need be and it has digital out put on it. My marantz does not and i would like to go digital as far as i can.
kev

L.J.
12-30-2005, 10:06 PM
Kevan,

I think the best advice anyone can give is for you to take the time to consider exactly what you want, come up with a budget, research products within that budget and then give your findings a test run before making your final decision.

You're gonna get a thousand different opinions, so it comes down to what you like.

I believe DVD-A and SACD is worth looking into if you're already gonna drop money on a player, but that's just my opinion.

Woochifer
12-31-2005, 12:08 AM
As others have said, whether you need DVD-A and SACD depends on how interested you are in exploring those high res formats. IMO, multichannel music can be a revelation and even without a universal player, I've been buying DVD-A discs because they all have DVD-video compatible layers with DD, DTS, and/or PCM tracks that will play through any home theater receiver. Since you already have a DVD player, a universal player would indeed be redundant, but audio-only disc changers are a dying breed and you might need to get the video capability even if you don't need it.

That Sony CD/SACD changer that you listed is a good player, and it's specifically marketed as a CD changer replacement. It uses good DACs and sounds excellent with both CDs and SACDs. I recently bought the ES version for $240, and so far I've enjoyed it immensely. The advantage of the ES version is that it has a few upgrades and a 5-year warranty that might come in handy given Sony's spotty reliability record in recent years. Still, the regular version of that CD/SACD changer goes for only $150 at Best Buy. Since you're looking audio-only, that might be worth checking out. I bought a SACD player because there were specific discs that I wanted to listen to and unlike with DVD-A, SACD does not have a DD or DTS-compatible 5.1 layer available.

http://forums.audioreview.com/showthread.php?t=14902

The problem with universal players is that you don't have a lot of choices if you're looking for a five-disc carousel. I know that Yamaha makes a universal five-disc changer that sells for around $300 and can do DVD-A, SACD, and MP3. None of Denon's universal players are carousels.

http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/DVD_CD/DVDC750.htm

kevan
12-31-2005, 09:33 AM
Hi
Ok, I realy like the yamaha DVD-C750. It gets great reviews and plays all formats. If i cannot get it via my local yamaha dealer (they have no listing for it) is there a good on line retailer here?

ETRONICS and BRANDNAMEZ are advertisign it. Are they good retailers? I have never heard of them.
kev

L.J.
12-31-2005, 09:52 AM
Hi
Ok, I realy like the yamaha DVD-C750. It gets great reviews and plays all formats. If i cannot get it via my local yamaha dealer (they have no listing for it) is there a good on line retailer here?

ETRONICS and BRANDNAMEZ are advertisign it. Are they good retailers? I have never heard of them.
kev


Hey Kev, this is from the Yamaha site.
The Yamaha Limited Warranty applies only to products purchased from authorized dealers.

Yamaha's Authorized Internet Retailers:

Abt Electronics
Audio Advisor
B&H Photo
Best Buy
J & R Music
Your Electronic Warehouse
One Call
Sears
Sixth Ave
Stereo Advantage
Tweeter
Vann's Electronics

PAT.P
12-31-2005, 01:22 PM
Hi
Ok, I realy like the yamaha DVD-C750. It gets great reviews and plays all formats. If i cannot get it via my local yamaha dealer (they have no listing for it) is there a good on line retailer here?

ETRONICS and BRANDNAMEZ are advertisign it. Are they good retailers? I have never heard of them.
kevGood choise ,I really enjoy my Yamaha DVD-750 .

kevan
12-31-2005, 03:30 PM
Rite then... Apparently Yamaha no longer makes this or any other simular item. So i will have to mail order from the states. I will look for one from a registered dealer.

If not I GIVE UP. I will buy the basic yamaha 5 disc CD only and wait untill this A-DVD / SACD becomes more popular and so more widly avaialable. its getting frustrating but that because i always do my research...probably too much research.
Kind regards all
I will keep ou all posted as to my progress.
kev

kevan
12-31-2005, 06:43 PM
ok
What about this one?
Sony's DVP-NC60P DVD Player with 5-Disc Changer
id does cd, mp3, SACD.
It doesnt support A-DVD though.
I can get this loacly for under $200 cnd.
Is it any good? does any body have one?
cheers
kev

kevan
01-05-2006, 08:31 AM
I just wanted to thank everybody for your advice. It has really helped me make informed decisions on what i should buy. This is what i have ended up with.

Yamaha RXV557 receiver.
Polk 6005 with 10inch Polk sub
The cd player most heavily discussed here… i went with a basic simple 5 disc Yamaha CDC585. it is simple cheap and good reviews.
I wanted to pick up a multi format disc player but i found it hard to get one. So i decided to go with the basic cd player because that’s what i need rite now. I shall wait it out to see where audio players and formats go in the future. A-DVD? SACD? HDCD? Or other?

What i would like and i think may catch on is a hard drive CD recorder player. A box that takes in a CD and dumps it to Hard drive for easy play back of multiple cds. THey are available but very expensive eg. Yamaha at $1700. I hope this catches on so the price comes down.

Now. finally. The Polks ROCK. I really thought that my new system would be a compromise on the old one which was a Nad amp, mission speakers. Its NOT. It really sounds amazing. I am blown away by the improvement and i picked all items up in sales so got good prices.
I do have a few set up problems / questions but I shall start a new thread for that.
Thanks agian ALL

Kev