CD vs. DVD player for audio CD-need advice

[sstcobra]

I am trying to once again learn about audio after 20 years away from building speakers (back in college)and raising 3 kids and I need some advice on whether to use an older Sony CDP-491 CD player or a Magnavox MDV453 DVD player(cheapo unit) for "what should be the better sound" when listening to Audio CD's.

My other equipment: Denon 3803 and Axiom M22ti's w/ a Yamaha 100 watt Subwoofer.

The setup is intended primarily for the family to watch home theatre. I WANT to listen to Stereo Music(audio CD's), What should sound better for playing CD's and more natural? (The room I listen is is very large and open, 25 x 30 feet with 19ft ceilings)

In the brief time I played Sunday, I thought the 10 year old Sony sounded "brighter". However, I would need some time to play with this setup to be sure. What is your opinion. I also recently read that the sound signal from a DVD player is different than a CD Player (not sure what this means) Also, is it best to use a digital audio cable for connecting the MDV453 or the traditional analog cables?

Any and all advice would be most appreciated....Gary

[mtrycraft]

I am trying to once again learn about audio after 20 years away from building speakers (back in college)and raising 3 kids and I need some advice on whether to use an older Sony CDP-491 CD player or a Magnavox MDV453 DVD player(cheapo unit) for "what should be the better sound" when listening to Audio CD's.

My other equipment: Denon 3803 and Axiom M22ti's w/ a Yamaha 100 watt Subwoofer.

The setup is intended primarily for the family to watch home theatre. I WANT to listen to Stereo Music(audio CD's), What should sound better for playing CD's and more natural? (The room I listen is is very large and open, 25 x 30 feet with 19ft ceilings)

In the brief time I played Sunday, I thought the 10 year old Sony sounded "brighter". However, I would need some time to play with this setup to be sure. What is your opinion. I also recently read that the sound signal from a DVD player is different than a CD Player (not sure what this means) Also, is it best to use a digital audio cable for connecting the MDV453 or the traditional analog cables?

Any and all advice would be most appreciated....Gary

Either one will be fine, whichever is more convenient to use.

If you compare the two, you need to make sure with a test disc and spl meter that the levels you get with each is the same as you will detect small volume differences not as loudness issue but a better sound issue. Once this is known, you also need to account and minimize human bias that cannot be turned on or off at will.

[okiemax]

I am trying to once again learn about audio after 20 years away from building speakers (back in college)and raising 3 kids and I need some advice on whether to use an older Sony CDP-491 CD player or a Magnavox MDV453 DVD player(cheapo unit) for "what should be the better sound" when listening to Audio CD's.

My other equipment: Denon 3803 and Axiom M22ti's w/ a Yamaha 100 watt Subwoofer.

The setup is intended primarily for the family to watch home theatre. I WANT to listen to Stereo Music(audio CD's), What should sound better for playing CD's and more natural? (The room I listen is is very large and open, 25 x 30 feet with 19ft ceilings)

In the brief time I played Sunday, I thought the 10 year old Sony sounded "brighter". However, I would need some time to play with this setup to be sure. What is your opinion. I also recently read that the sound signal from a DVD player is different than a CD Player (not sure what this means) Also, is it best to use a digital audio cable for connecting the MDV453 or the traditional analog cables?

Any and all advice would be most appreciated....Gary

Unless I'm missing something about your situation, I would use both the DVD player and the CD player for playing CD's. You may eventually find you prefer one or the other for that purpose. On the other hand, you may discover it doesn't matter, and that you like the flexibility of being able to use either one for playing CD's.

[Swerd]

I am trying to once again learn about audio after 20 years away from building speakers (back in college)and raising 3 kids and I need some advice on whether to use an older Sony CDP-491 CD player or a Magnavox MDV453 DVD player(cheapo unit) for "what should be the better sound" when listening to Audio CD's.

My other equipment: Denon 3803 and Axiom M22ti's w/ a Yamaha 100 watt Subwoofer.

The setup is intended primarily for the family to watch home theatre. I WANT to listen to Stereo Music(audio CD's), What should sound better for playing CD's and more natural? (The room I listen is is very large and open, 25 x 30 feet with 19ft ceilings)

In the brief time I played Sunday, I thought the 10 year old Sony sounded "brighter". However, I would need some time to play with this setup to be sure. What is your opinion. I also recently read that the sound signal from a DVD player is different than a CD Player (not sure what this means) Also, is it best to use a digital audio cable for connecting the MDV453 or the traditional analog cables?

Any and all advice would be most appreciated....Gary

The audio signal from your DVD player should go to your receiver by a digital connection. There are 2 kinds of these: fiberoptic cable (called Toslink) and coaxial cable (standard 75 ohm video-type cable with RCA plugs). They both send the digital audio signal from a CD or DVD directly to your receiver without any processing. The digital-to-audio converter (DAC) in your receiver does that. Either type of cable works fine.


In your older CD player, you probably have the more familiar standard analog audio connections (a pair of audio patch cords with RCA plugs, usually color coded red and white) from it to your receiver. The DAC in your CD player does the processing, and the analog signal goes to your receiver. The first thing the receiver does with any analog audio signal is to convert it to digital. So the difference between using the CD player or the DVD player is which DAC does the conversion, the one in the CD player or the one in the receiver.


If I remember correctly, I may have the same Sony CD player as you have. Sometimes I think I hear a difference between it and my newer DVD player, but only on some CDs. The difference is subtle - I can only describe it as a lower background noise level when I use the DVD player. I have a 4-year old Denon 2800 receiver, and a Sony DVP-530 (?) DVD player.

[oryan_dunn]

I am trying to once again learn about audio after 20 years away from building speakers (back in college)and raising 3 kids and I need some advice on whether to use an older Sony CDP-491 CD player or a Magnavox MDV453 DVD player(cheapo unit) for "what should be the better sound" when listening to Audio CD's.

My other equipment: Denon 3803 and Axiom M22ti's w/ a Yamaha 100 watt Subwoofer.

The setup is intended primarily for the family to watch home theatre. I WANT to listen to Stereo Music(audio CD's), What should sound better for playing CD's and more natural? (The room I listen is is very large and open, 25 x 30 feet with 19ft ceilings)

In the brief time I played Sunday, I thought the 10 year old Sony sounded "brighter". However, I would need some time to play with this setup to be sure. What is your opinion. I also recently read that the sound signal from a DVD player is different than a CD Player (not sure what this means) Also, is it best to use a digital audio cable for connecting the MDV453 or the traditional analog cables?

Any and all advice would be most appreciated....Gary

I have the 491 as well, and use it for CDs instead of my Pioneer DV-563a for cds. I love how the entire thing is controlled by the front panel, no need to have the tv on. Plus, its just easier to use as a cd player. As for sound, I find that both my players sound almost exactly the same (take that with a grain of salt, as I can't tell a difference between stereo sacd and regular cd). Plus I like the display of the 491 better.

Ryan

[hershon]

Do not take this as verbatim but according to several electronic places and technicians I've spoken too, if you have a good CD player, your CD will sound better being played in that than a crappy DVD player. According to these people, when DVD players were built several years ago, they did not concentrate so much on making CD's, as opposed to DVD's, sound as good if not better than CD's played in a CD player.. If your DVD player is a decent to top of the line model built in the last 2 years or so, I'd say play your CD in that, but if its not, stick to your CD player. The easiest thing to do, as I think someone posted (I read these posts very quickly) is to spend an hour or so if necessary and have your CD player and DVD player hooked up next to each other amd just play 2 different CD's that you like back to back on each one and go by what you think or if your not 100% certain play them both for your family. Chances are there will be a unanimous decision. If you make your decision without sampling both under the same condition I described, your just leaving things to chance.

I am trying to once again learn about audio after 20 years away from building speakers (back in college)and raising 3 kids and I need some advice on whether to use an older Sony CDP-491 CD player or a Magnavox MDV453 DVD player(cheapo unit) for "what should be the better sound" when listening to Audio CD's.

My other equipment: Denon 3803 and Axiom M22ti's w/ a Yamaha 100 watt Subwoofer.

The setup is intended primarily for the family to watch home theatre. I WANT to listen to Stereo Music(audio CD's), What should sound better for playing CD's and more natural? (The room I listen is is very large and open, 25 x 30 feet with 19ft ceilings)

In the brief time I played Sunday, I thought the 10 year old Sony sounded "brighter". However, I would need some time to play with this setup to be sure. What is your opinion. I also recently read that the sound signal from a DVD player is different than a CD Player (not sure what this means) Also, is it best to use a digital audio cable for connecting the MDV453 or the traditional analog cables?

Any and all advice would be most appreciated....Gary

[Jim Clark]

Well if it were me in your place I'd eventually ditch the Magnavox DVD player in favor of a better unit but in the meantime I would use the Magnavox as a transport (digital connection) and trust the DACs in the Denon 3803 to be superior to both the older Sony CDP and especially the Magnavox DVDP. I have no scientific or factual basis for my preference, only anecdotal evidence but more importantly to me, gut instinct. On the other hand it could prove to be a real benefit to have one less component in the rack and one less component to have to program into the universal remote. For some that's enough of a reason to relegate the Sony to a second system.

Finally, for what it's worth, I think your system is too good for that Yamaha subwoofer especially with music. I'd turn it off for music and only use it for HT. Given your background I'd seriously look at some of the sub kits at Parts Express which in my opinion would be the biggest step you could take to improve 2 channel playback on your system. I know you didn't ask, but I think the improvements would be significantly more "sub"stantial than anything you could do with a CD player.

jc