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PHiX
06-05-2006, 05:35 PM
Hi guys,

I am thinking about buying separate components to replace my mini set and have done some scouting already. My main plan was to get a reciever which can do dolby surround and a dvd player since it can play cd's as well... I don't have plans to watch dvd's on it any time soon, but I figured it does not hurt to already have one. For now I want to use 2 speakers, but I like the idea to be able to upgrade to more speakers in the future.

A sales person at this quality audio store however, told me that a dedicated cd-player sounds much better than a dvd player for audio, and that I should also consider getting a stereo-only reciever since they are both way superior to the setup I had in mind. Question: is this true or was he trying to get rid of his older stock? Does the untrained ear notice a lot of difference?


Should I get a cd-player and just wait for whatever becomes a HD video standard and get one of those whenever I can afford one? Should I limit myself to 2 channels because of superior audio quality? I am far from rich and it will be an investment that should live up to my needs for years without feeling the need to replace it any time soon, so I try to do it right at once. :)

Any advice is appreciated!:16:

By the way, the dvd player I had in mind is a Marantz which also states SA-CD on the player itself, I dont know the type or whether that's a good sign. I'm fairly new to this if you didn't already notice. :D

N. Abstentia
06-05-2006, 06:25 PM
I'd say the salesman is either an idiot and/or trying to unload stuff that does not sell.

My Marantz SACD player has outperformed every standalone CD player I've put it up against. Now I've never put it up against a $1500 CD player mind you..but point being you're not going to find a better DVD/CD/SACD/DVD-A player for the price. No use in buying 3 different players, get the Marantz and do it all.

Now keep in mind that since you're interested in SACD, you must get a reciever with multi channel inputs for the SACD signal, and no 2 channel receiver is going to have them.

Get a the Marantz.
Get a good multichannel receiver (why not Marantz?)
Get 2 speakers to start with, add on when available.

What kind of budget are you looking at?

musicman1999
06-05-2006, 07:00 PM
Depends on several things,how much money you want to spend,your listening habits and how soon you want to watch dvd's.At a similar price point,say $500.00,a dedicated cd player will,without doubt,sound better than a dvd player,if you use an analog connection.Why pay money for funtions you are not going to use.As far as sa-cd,if you don't have any discs now,chances are you won't build up a collection,don't get me wrong,it's a good format just does not have much support anymore.If all you are doing is cd,then get a cd player,as you say you can add a hd-dvd or blue ray player when they get that mess sorted out.I am sure the Marantz is a good player,but if cd only,try something like a Cambridge Audio 640c v2 against it,its a great little player for the money.

bill

PHiX
06-06-2006, 03:25 AM
I'd say the salesman is either an idiot and/or trying to unload stuff that does not sell.

My Marantz SACD player has outperformed every standalone CD player I've put it up against. Now I've never put it up against a $1500 CD player mind you..but point being you're not going to find a better DVD/CD/SACD/DVD-A player for the price. No use in buying 3 different players, get the Marantz and do it all.

Now keep in mind that since you're interested in SACD, you must get a reciever with multi channel inputs for the SACD signal, and no 2 channel receiver is going to have them.

Get a the Marantz.
Get a good multichannel receiver (why not Marantz?)
Get 2 speakers to start with, add on when available.

What kind of budget are you looking at?


My budget is nothing far beyond $1000 for a reciever / amp, cd/dvd-player and speakers. I ran into this Marantz set on sale for $700 which consists of what I believe was an SR5500 + that dvd/sa-cd player (which used to be $600 a piece). I thought that would be a nice choice in combination with 2 B&W speakers of $200 each to start out with. However, right now I'm not sure of whether to get an AV reciever already at all, because I won't be watching dvd or adding more speakers that soon.

N. Abstentia
06-06-2006, 05:51 AM
That's a heck of a deal for that Marantz stuff, I don't think you'll do much better for an A/V receiver with a DVD/SACD/DVD-A player for equipment that nice at that price.

But the question is...do you need it? How long are you talking before you start watching DVD's?

shokhead
06-06-2006, 06:14 AM
Depends on several things,how much money you want to spend,your listening habits and how soon you want to watch dvd's.At a similar price point,say $500.00,a dedicated cd player will,without doubt,sound better than a dvd player,if you use an analog connection.Why pay money for funtions you are not going to use.As far as sa-cd,if you don't have any discs now,chances are you won't build up a collection,don't get me wrong,it's a good format just does not have much support anymore.If all you are doing is cd,then get a cd player,as you say you can add a hd-dvd or blue ray player when they get that mess sorted out.I am sure the Marantz is a good player,but if cd only,try something like a Cambridge Audio 640c v2 against it,its a great little player for the money.

bill

I dont think a cd player at the same price will sound better then a dvd player. Why do you think it will?

musicman1999
06-06-2006, 06:44 AM
Well,i used my ears.I had no preconceptions going in,i just listened to a couple of dvd players,Denon 2200 and Cambridge Audio 540d amd a couple of cd players Cambreidge 640c and Arcam cd73t.There was a couple of other players but those 4 were the main ones.After a lengthy listening session it was clear that the Arcam was the clear winner for cd's.And i ended up buying it.It was very similar price wise to the Denon.I also bought the Cambridge dvd player and am very happy with it as well.


bill

PHiX
06-06-2006, 08:17 AM
I'm seriously considering going for the marantz set, I hope it is still there because it was the final model, hence the price. They had another one for $50 less, which had an SR5400 as far as I can tell from the looks. I prefer the SR5500 looks and specs wise though.


I dunno when I'll buy the equipment though.

nightflier
06-06-2006, 12:55 PM
If they still have the Marantz setup, then by all means... But if it's gone I would suggest reconfiguring your formula and put a little more towards the speakers. If you don't abuse them, speakers will easily last a decade or two, whereas receivers will be obsolete in a few years. A DVD player could become obsolete even sooner if HD/BR or downloaded content eclipse everything else.

You might also want to consider buying used. Not so much the player (moving parts don't ship well), but a good pair of 2-3 year old $400 Paradigm speakers will give you a lot more satisfaction than a $200 pair of store-boughts.

2chAlex
06-06-2006, 03:06 PM
Just a thought on the dvd/cd thing. I use my dvd for concert videos more so than for movies. As for the Marantz being gone when you go back, there are two authorized on line retailers. Check Marantz web site, one does new the other new and refurb.

superpanavision70mm
06-06-2006, 08:58 PM
Marantz, Denon, or Pioneer Elite DVD players in their mid-range should all be fine for what you are trying to achieve.