cd player with mp 3 compatiable

Hi all, I planning to buy the combo i.e. Cambridge audio 640av2.0 (amp.) + Cambridge audio 640cv2 (18k) + Mordaunt short avant 908i my problem is this does ca640cv2 play mp 3 also. Is there any other cd player which is suitable with ca640av2 with mp3 compatible under 20k or 22k.

Has any body here has this combo or listened this combo with ms908i is it o.k

Raj, the combo you mentioned is really good.

However, if you are looking at mp3 and wma compatibility, you should look into

1. Marantz CD6002
2. Pioneer PD-D6-J (SACD/ 2 DACs)

Pioneer would be value for money; it retails below 22k. But my personal choice is Marantz.

All the best.

Hi Unleash,

I am in the similar dilemna... just bought a pair of MA BR5. Looking at an amp and CD player - The Marantz CD 6002 plays MP3's as well but honestly does a pure CD player has better audio v/s a CD & MP3 player ?

Also any idea about the Roksan Kandy Liii Mk iii stero amp?

hi spy

its true that a dedicated CD Player which doesnt play MP3 is always better then a player which plays MP3 , in that regard i suggest you to try SA 7001 from Marantz ( SACD + CD ) , its EISA award winner and BEST PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2007

happy listening
mohan

First of all, you picked a very nice pair of floorstanders. Congratulations!

Coming to the rest of the kit, I agree with Mohan. If you can afford, stick with the same brand; Marantz PM7001 + SA7001

Having said that, Roksan Kandy is a different league all together. It surely is more powerful and solidly built, but I find the sound over-exciting (strictly for my own taste)

If I may add, I'd say Marantz is for a person who enjoys Jazz&Blues or Classical where as Kandy is for someone who listen to Rock, Rap or HipHop.

Hope this helps!

...and hey, you can always use a cheap do-it-all DVD player from Philips for your lesser formats, what say?

Just throwing in my two cents...
I would suggest you do not consider mp3 playback capability as part of your purchasing criteria. Besides, the 640C-V2 you have mentioned does not play mp3s.

There are various reasons for this suggestion. First there is the problem of having to burn numerous CDs full of mp3 files -- you still have to swap CDs even if it is less frequent than Audio CDs -- compare this to using an iPod* and not ever having to get up from your seat while accessing all the music you own. Also, navigation tends to be awful in nearly all mp3-capable players I have seen. You cannot for example jump from File A in Folder X to File B in Folder Y smoothly - a series of slow maneuvers are needed. An iPod can always be added to your setup (unless you already have one or better) and costs just 10k for one with an 80GB capacity. Plus the advantage of being able to take a vast library of music with you wherever you go. Perhaps the most important reason though is that compressed music tends to sound awful on a revealing setup -- but with an iPod you can still store a vast amount of music in a lossless compression format and enjoy a high level of quality.

As unleash_me mentioned, players with a pure focus on playing CDs are your best bet. The Pioneer he mentioned has got a good (but not outstanding) review in the June 2007 issue of Hi-Fi World magazine, UK. I did not realise it was available here and at such a good price. Personally I have my eyes on the Marantz CD-6002 or Cambridge 640C V2. I have not heard the Pioneer but with its SACD capability it seems like an excellent candidate as well. You cannot go wrong with any of these three.

The Marantz 7001, also a SACD player, costs about 40k+ so it is in a different price range.

If you do want to add a low-end do-it-all player to your setup later on, do consider the Cambridge Audio DVD89 universal player, the Denon 1940 or the Pioneer DV-600AV. They do just about every format short of high-definition video. But they will perform poorly (relatively speaking) as far as Audio CDs are concerned.

[* - I have mentioned iPod but I do not wish to sound like a proponent of this product alone, but rather any kind of portable music player similar in function from Archos, Creative, etc.]

I had never thought about CD players in this way. But this seems to be a very logical and good suggestion

Do you know how Oppo players (980 and 981) fair? They have excellent reviews both for video and audio processing. And now they are available in India (though I dont know whether the famed Oppo support is available here).

And let me say this: Particleman, excellent post!

Regards,
Prasad.

do you know where to buy oppo dvd players in india, i am behind this for very long.

They were available at A2V, Juhu Bombay when I checked in June. Contact details can be got from Audio Vision India Pvt. Ltd..

They have recently launched in Bangalore also. The numbers from a recent ad in Bangalore times are 9845514021/9448265501.

Regards,
Prasad Redkar.

pnredkar, thanks for you info, they have confirmed they are official oppo dealer & has valid India warrant oppo products.