Deja Vu: CD Player Recommendations Versus DVD Players

[N. Abstentia]

Question is...when he connects them DIGITALLY, which one will sound better?

[EdwardGein]

I don't know about the 640 but I wouldn't get the 540. I played it in front of a member here & the difference between that & my Harmon Kardon 31 DVD player was negilble. If anything I prefered the Harmon Kardon The 540 sounded the same when connected both by analogue & optical.

[musicman1999]

I have heard both and the 640 is certainly better.Make sure it is the updated version 2 model,they are much better.
ed
what were they feeding into?If nothing else the 540 shoul have a least sounded different when you compared the analog and digital,because you are using different dac's.

bill

[EdwardGein]

I & the other member of the board didn't notice any difference when we ran analogue cables from it & an optical cable through it connected to my Denon 3801. When I compared the sound of it to my Harmon Kardon 31, I noticed a slight difference for which I preferred the Harmon Kardon. I loaned the 540 to the othe board member who when he brought it home also noted a slight difference but preferred it to his existing DVD player. I then returned the 540 & got my money back as it wasn't worth keeping. I can't comment on the 640 because I haven't heard it.

[musicman1999]

thats odd.
I auditioned the 540(also the 640)before i bought my arcam.I have never heard your dvd player but have heard the dvd22 and it was not very good at all.Still odd that you should not hear a difference between the two dacs.
thanks
bill

[EdwardGein]

I can't comment on the 22 other then say that translating Harmon Kardons double talk gobblygook there are differences in the inside parts between them & the DVD31 besides the 31 playing DVD-A & the 22 not playing DVD-A, & maybe that affects the sound. Not having heard the 22 I can't comment on it. On the 31 for whatever reason, it sounds much better when listening by optic cable. There is also a setting that let's you decide whether you want to bypass the DVD player for the receiver. Having said that, when playing the exact discs on the 31 as opposed to the 540, the sound on the Harmon Kardon 31 to me was richer, warmer & gave more detail & the 540 sounded harsher. The other member of theis forum who also listen to the comparison at the same time, didn't notice these differences & for him they both sounded identical. As such, I returned the 540. When he borrowed it to hear at his home, the 540 sounded better then his existing DVD player (I forgot what brand & model it was).

[paul_pci]

thats odd.
I auditioned the 540(also the 640)before i bought my arcam.I have never heard your dvd player but have heard the dvd22 and it was not very good at all.Still odd that you should not hear a difference between the two dacs.
thanks
bill

Yeah, that was me. There was a difference between the Cambridge (analog) and my Sony mega disc (optical), but to me, as with Ed, it didn't strike me as a $500 difference. In other words, the difference wasn't such that I'd be willing to drop that kind of money. But I think it was the 640, but maybe I'm incorrect about that. The soundstage seemed leaner, which isn't necessarily bad and acoustic rock seem crisper, but still, it didn't strike me as that great of a difference at that price point. But, if I had that kind of money to throw around, I could see myself getting the Cambirdge or an Arcam, to be sure.

[EdwardGein]

It was definately the 540, I think 540C or something like that