Universal Players = CD Players?

[JamezHill]

Hi, just wondering if the newer Universal Players (SACD, DVDA,etc) are good for playing regular Dedicated CD Players? I heard it doesn't sound the same. Is this true, and if so, do newer players overcome this? I was looking into maybe getting the new Yamaha S2500 when it comes out, but wanted to make it my only player.

[N. Abstentia]

I love the CD performance of my Marantz DV6400. It's by far the best CD player I've ever had hooked to my system. You might get a .004% improvement if you spend $2000 more, but it's not worth it to me.

[RGA]

Hi, just wondering if the newer Universal Players (SACD, DVDA,etc) are good for playing regular Dedicated CD Players? I heard it doesn't sound the same. Is this true, and if so, do newer players overcome this? I was looking into maybe getting the new Yamaha S2500 when it comes out, but wanted to make it my only player.

A lot has to do with the resolving capability of the system. As a frequency response difference cd players have less than what the room and the speaker offer you - but on the other hand a small difference isn't necessarily less important than a big one.

I think it's not right to generalize that a Universal player can't be as good - and it depends WHICH dedicated player we're talking about. If you don;t notice the difference audibly - don't pay for it.

The problem is the review magazines tout dedicated cd players -- so many out there who disagree with the magazines will turn around and trust them about speakers.

Bahh - listen - keep an open mind --- but if it ain't doing it musically it ain't comin out of my bank account.

[Feanor]

Hi, just wondering if the newer Universal Players (SACD, DVDA,etc) are good for playing regular Dedicated CD Players? I heard it doesn't sound the same. Is this true, and if so, do newer players overcome this? I was looking into maybe getting the new Yamaha S2500 when it comes out, but wanted to make it my only player.

It's an old debated, but it is possible to worry too much -- and spend too much -- on source components. This is most emphatically true when talking about entry- and mid-level systems. Source-first advocates say, "The sound can never be better than the source". Yeah, true, but the better analogy is to a chain: "The chain is only as strong as it's weakest link" -- not the first llink. In most systems the weakest link is the speakers. Of course, after you strengthen the weakest, some other link might become the weakest. After speakers, the weakest is most often the amplfier. That said, admittedly any improvement to any link might be audible, even to interconnects.

I just got a Samsung DVD-HD810 universal player for my HT system. From what I've heard so far, it's great. I suspect that it is the equal to my dedicated SACD player, a Sony SCD-CE775. Both units are inexpensive, but significant improvement would require paying over $1000, or 4-5x as much. Money much better spend on expanding my record collection.

[toenail]

I've been very happy with my Toshiba 4960 in stock form, but it is also easily moddable for marked improvement. Plays all the formats and is quite affordable.

[Arc45]

I saw 2 Universals at Circuit City today which play SACD for around $140. I currently have an Adcom GCD-750 CD player. My question is will the universal sound better playing an SACD than my current CD player? Or to rephrase the question will playing an SACD on the uiniversal sound better than on my standard CD player?

Anyone done a comparison?

[Feanor]

I saw 2 Universals at Circuit City today which play SACD for around $140. I currently have an Adcom GCD-750 CD player. My question is will the universal sound better playing an SACD than my current CD player? Or to rephrase the question will playing an SACD on the uiniversal sound better than on my standard CD player?

Anyone done a comparison?

If you are playing an SACD on a CD player, then you are playing the CD layer of the SACD on the disc. That's not SACD sound. If you play SACD on a univerals player, (or a dedicated SACD player), then yes, it will generally sound better because you will be playing the actual SACD layer.

[Arc45]

So Bill, then you know for a fact that it will sound better on a $130 SACD enabled player then or do you think it should sound better?

[Mike That Likes Music]

Hey Jamez,
I also own a Marantz DV6400 and agree that it sounds much better than my old dedicated CD player. One thing it does, which I think most universals do, is upsample CD. The pundits can say whatever they like about upsampling, but I think it's fantastic. Most dedicateds aren't going to give you upsampling.
But in the end I agree with the ears. If it doesn't sound better to you, don't believe the hype.
Mike

[noddin0ff]

So Bill, then you know for a fact that it will sound better on a $130 SACD enabled player then or do you think it should sound better?

arc45, to some extent your comparing apples to crab apples. As a format SACD should provide (read 'has the clear capacity to provide') superior sound relative to the CD format. Some disk have both formats. Your original question I thought was (rephrased) would a CD format sound better on an SACD enabled player. Generally, probably not. An SACD player treats a CD format the same way a dedicated CD player would. SACD enabled doesn't effect this. That said, some players, either SACD enabled or CD dedicated may play CD format better than others.