Suggestion for Audio CD Player

[venkatcr]

Muthu:

For the TEAC player, you have to look around in the market. It used to be very popular with recording shops.

The Beresford DAC - I have read that some members here use it. Please look up their web site Home HIFI. Some of the members have ordered online and have paid 7,500 including transportation and customs.

If you are unconfortable with online ordering, talk to Sudhin Prabhakar at Pro Musicals. he may be able to recommend and supply a good DAC for you. He deals with professional equipment. His contact details are 2819 3446 and 2819 3823.

Cheers

 

[Muthusami S]

Muthu:

For the TEAC player, you have to look around in the market. It used to be very popular with recording shops.

The Beresford DAC - I have read that some members here use it. Please look up their web site Home HIFI. Some of the members have ordered online and have paid 7,500 including transportation and customs.

If you are unconfortable with online ordering, talk to Sudhin Prabhakar at Pro Musicals. he may be able to recommend and supply a good DAC for you. He deals with professional equipment. His contact details are 2819 3446 and 2819 3823.

Cheers

Thanks Venkat. I will refer the site and decide.

Regards,
Muthu

 

[dvdmk]

Dear Mr.Muthusami

I will prefer a Marantz or CA over Teac anyday , even if you are using a external DAC , try to use a good transport as far as possible. Teac was a good product few years back , but now i dont think they are ready to challenge the leaders , you dont need a DAC , when you are using a CD 5001 or 640cV2,

I auditioned a Behringer DAC2496 along with Marantz CD5001 , i could not find any difference between connecting the DAC and not connecting the DAC.

hope this helps.

david.

 

[reignofchaos]

That Philips DVP642K is a better transport than any of the entry level cd players being talked about here. I'd say keep it instead of throwing it away. All of these cd players use either a philips or sony transport anyway.

What I'd suggest which will give you far better bang for the buck is to import a Zero DAC for ~180$ shipped to India. This is quite close to your original budget and there are a few dealers in HK who'd ship to India. With this is better off than any cd player below 30 grand.

Someone suggested a Berfordshire DAC. Unfortunately its rather old and no longer as good as some of the sources from the far east.

 

[venkatcr]

Muthu:

I roamed about quite a lot in the markets of Chennai such as Spencers Plaza, Ritchie Street, and a fe other places.

Whenever I asked for a CD Player, people looked at me as if I was from Mars or Venus. For the open market, it looks as if the CD Players is becoming an endangered species.

The only ones available are Yamaha and Denon costing around 15,000. Of course CA's 340C will be around the same price or cheaper. NAD's enntry level CDP should be around the same. It may be possible to buy some CDPs costing around 5K in Mumbai. I would encourage someone from Mumbai to pass his views on this.

Do you have a computer? If you have one, a better option may be to buy a good sound card with the necessary outputs to connect to your amp. You can use the PC also to rip your CDs to FLAC files and prepare yourself to go digital shortly.

Let us know what your views are.

Cheers

 

[reignofchaos]

^^Adding to venkatcr's comment, the Zero DAC comes with a free USB-> SPDIF converter included in that price allowing one to use the DAC with a computer.

 

[dinyaar]

Hey Venkat,
I presume u are referring to NEW cdps @ 5K in mumbai. I am not aware of a cdp from any of the reputed cos which goes for 5K. Maybe some chinese cdps are available but i have no clue about them. U get tons of DVD players for even less but dedicated cdps start a bit higher than 5K in mumbai or elsewhere in the country IMO.
Regards

 

[venkatcr]

Hey Venkat,
I presume u are referring to NEW cdps @ 5K in mumbai. I am not aware of a cdp from any of the reputed cos which goes for 5K. Maybe some chinese cdps are available but i have no clue about them. U get tons of DVD players for even less but dedicated cdps start a bit higher than 5K in mumbai or elsewhere in the country

Yes Dinyaar, I was looking for a new CDP. I was specifically looking for a Teac CDP, or one from Pioneer or some such Japanese company that are generally used in those shops that do recording and copying of music CDs.

When I said 5K, I meant around that price. What I was attemting here was to get some information by which Muthu could get a good CDP with excellent DAC for less than 10,000. Frankly, it seems difficult.

Someone suggested a Berfordshire DAC. Unfortunately its rather old and no longer as good as some of the sources from the far east

^^Adding to venkatcr's comment, the Zero DAC comes with a free USB-> SPDIF converter included in that price allowing one to use the DAC with a computer.

I re-looked at the Beresford specs, and it seems to be very much alive. They have released a new version of their TC-7510 that works at upto 352.8KHz. In the reviews there is one guy who says he prefers the Beresford to the DAC1. I have also read some members of this forum saying they they really like the sound of the Beresford.

I read some details of the Zero DAC. It seems to made more for a headphone, though it does have a pre-out that can be connected to a power amp.

 

[rikhav]

I re-looked at the Beresford specs, and it seems to be very much alive. They have released a new version of their TC-7510 that works at upto 352.8KHz. In the reviews there is one guy who says he prefers the Beresford to the DAC1. I have also read some members of this forum saying they they really like the sound of the Beresford.

I read some details of the Zero DAC. It seems to made more for a headphone, though it does have a pre-out that can be connected to a power amp.

The DAC1 i assume is costing 5 times more then TC-7510. So is it right to compare both of them? And can the TC-7510 can actually be better then something which costs 5 times more then what it costs
I have also not used any of the two, infact none outboard DAC's

 

[reignofchaos]

I re-looked at the Beresford specs, and it seems to be very much alive. They have released a new version of their TC-7510 that works at upto 352.8KHz. In the reviews there is one guy who says he prefers the Beresford to the DAC1. I have also read some members of this forum saying they they really like the sound of the Beresford.

I read some details of the Zero DAC. It seems to made more for a headphone, though it does have a pre-out that can be connected to a power amp.

The basic problem with the Beresford is the lack of a clean internal power supply. It uses a wall wart for the power needs and everyone knows how noisy the power output from a wall wart can be. This one has a proper power supply stage and doesn't rely on an outboard wall wart. That is the biggest advantage. Price is another advantage as well and so are the extra output options.

 

[venkatcr]

The DAC1 i assume is costing 5 times more then TC-7510. So is it right to compare both of them? And can the TC-7510 can actually be better then something which costs 5 times more then what it costs
I have also not used any of the two, infact none outboard DAC's

Rikhav, it was just an opinion of someone who had reviewed the Beresford DAC. Here is the link - Beresford TC-7510 DAC - New kid on the block. Of course it has to be taken with a pinch of salt, but if someone does praise a product so much, there may be some value in it.

I am going to request one of our members who lives in London to take a look at the product and write a review.

Cheers.

 

[Muthusami S]

Thank you David.

Regards,
Muthu

Dear Mr.Muthusami

I will prefer a Marantz or CA over Teac anyday , even if you are using a external DAC , try to use a good transport as far as possible. Teac was a good product few years back , but now i dont think they are ready to challenge the leaders , you dont need a DAC , when you are using a CD 5001 or 640cV2,

I auditioned a Behringer DAC2496 along with Marantz CD5001 , i could not find any difference between connecting the DAC and not connecting the DAC.

hope this helps.

david.

 

[Muthusami S]

That Philips DVP642K is a better transport than any of the entry level cd players being talked about here. I'd say keep it instead of throwing it away. All of these cd players use either a philips or sony transport anyway.

What I'd suggest which will give you far better bang for the buck is to import a Zero DAC for ~180$ shipped to India. This is quite close to your original budget and there are a few dealers in HK who'd ship to India. With this is better off than any cd player below 30 grand.

Someone suggested a Berfordshire DAC. Unfortunately its rather old and no longer as good as some of the sources from the far east.

ROC,

I think within my budget I can only buy a DAC and connect it to my Philips DVP 642K. On going through the specifications of DVP642K, I found that the DAC is 24 bit. Is this sufficient or using an external DAC will produce better results?

Regards,
Muthu

 

[Muthusami S]

Muthu:

I roamed about quite a lot in the markets of Chennai such as Spencers Plaza, Ritchie Street, and a fe other places.

Whenever I asked for a CD Player, people looked at me as if I was from Mars or Venus. For the open market, it looks as if the CD Players is becoming an endangered species.

Even I had the same experience. When I asked for the CD player, they showed me DVD players As 'regionofchaos' says, I can retain the Philips DVD player and will buy an external DAC. In the Philips 642K spec, the DAC mentioned is 24 bit. Is this sufficient or an external DAC will do better?

Do you have a computer? If you have one, a better option may be to buy a good sound card with the necessary outputs to connect to your amp. You can use the PC also to rip your CDs to FLAC files and prepare yourself to go digital shortly.

Let us know what your views are.

Presently, I don't have a computer. When I buy one, I will implement the above things. [/QUOTE]

Regards,
Muthu

 

[reignofchaos]

The converter chip in that dvd player is fine. However there's a lot more required to produce analog output other than the converter chip which are compromised. An external DAC will definitely help in improving the audio output.

 

[dvdmk]

Dear Mr.Muthusami ,

Probably you are roaming in the wrong place , because now a days there is lot of awarness , that too in chennai you have lot of choices like Marantz , Nad , CA for the mid end and MF , Bryston etc etc for the high ends.
Getting a CDP is really easy , but getting a new CDP for 5K is really difficult.

And any day i will go for a stand alone CDP instead of DVD players or Computers. There is lot of difference , just have an audition and hear it yourself.

regards

david.

Even I had the same experience. When I asked for the CD player, they showed me DVD players As 'regionofchaos' says, I can retain the Philips DVD player and will buy an external DAC. In the Philips 642K spec, the DAC mentioned is 24 bit. Is this sufficient or an external DAC will do better?




Presently, I don't have a computer. When I buy one, I will implement the above things.

Regards,
Muthu[/QUOTE]

 

[venkatcr]

Probably you are roaming in the wrong place , because now a days there is lot of awarness , that too in chennai you have lot of choices like Marantz , Nad , CA for the mid end and MF , Bryston etc etc for the high ends.
Getting a CDP is really easy , but getting a new CDP for 5K is really difficult.

david.

David, as you yourself said we were looking for an inexpensive player. We are very much aware of medium and high priced CDPs. We were trying to find a player that will fit into Muthu's 6-8K budget.

Cheers

 

[SuhasG]

David, as you yourself said we were looking for an inexpensive player. We are very much aware of medium and high priced CDPs. We were trying to find a player that will fit into Muthu's 6-8K budget.

Cheers

Venkat, first define what you want in a 5-6 K CD player. If you want a CD transport + simple DAC + Power supply + Metal box to hold all this + a Remote then a DVD Player can do this job for much less (about 2-3K). Want even cheaper then a potable CD players are available like Discman.

Now if you want better CD transport, better DAC, better Power supply, better this and better that, you need to increase the budget. And that is what David is saying.

It could be possible to locate some Chinese CDP costing around the target price of 5-6 K but with issues like quality and service support. Did you see the thread 'faulty brand new 640C V2 ? I am sure CA will replace that faulty one with a new one or at least fix it free. What about Chinese stuff then?


People had reported very good sound delivery from SONY PS1 and PS2, I don't know whether a new PS1 is still available in the market but PS2 is there and can be had for 6-7 K.

Based on my experiences and of many on this forum and else where also ; it is now clear like a day light that there is nothing (new) CDP that can be had for 5-6K. If you still want a 'pukka' CDP and yet wanted to remain within the budget of 5-6K only option left is buying a pre-owned one.

A well made DVDP from Pioneer; Philips or Samsung (here don't go their entry level models but a model one notch up) can not only fits the budget but also delivers good quality sound. To elaborate this, allow me to put forward my own example.

I was using a Pioneer DVDP player (based on recommendations from none other than Mahendra Dave of Cadence!) for almost a year and was quite happy about its performance; I still have that DVDP as a back up in case my main source (CDP) dies. During that phase , I tried several CDPs in the range of 15K to 20K( Marantz 5001, NAD 525, CA 340 etc) ; yes there was some difference (what we call it as 19/20, ??Unnis Bees ka fark? ) between my Pioneer DVDP and those so-called CDPS but that couldn??t justify the price difference (3.5 K v/s 20K). Real difference I heard only when I brought in CDPs costing 40K and more (Jolida CD100, Arcam CD73, Cyrus CD6 etc) and I finally settled for a pre -owned Audio Note 3.1X CDP.


Hope this helps.

SUhas

 

[venkatcr]

SuhasG,

I am very much aware of the possibility of using a DVD player as a CD transport. I am myself using a Oppo 983 for Video and an Oppo 980 for Audio.

The reasons I was looking for just a CDP for Mutthu were two. One, he has just a two channel amplifier and speakers. Secondly, I wanted to see if we can get him a simple CD Transport for now, and help him get a DAC at a later stage so that he can have an excellent music system within his budget. I was particularly not looking for a DVD player as I did not want the unnecessary complications of video circuitry. In addition, other than some brands like Oppo and maybe Pioneer, DVD players do not pay too much attention to DAC for 2 channel music. In addition, because of the need to read just about any form of disc and the need to keep prices low, such DVD players focus on video and multi channel sound. Manufacturers are aware of this shortcoming and are now introducing features such as 'Audio Only' 'Stereo', 'Pure Audio', where they cut off all circuitry except those that are needed for 2 channel amplification.

I was also not looking for portable or other players, as I wanted the unit to be a regular sized one so that it can sit on his rack. Teac has a unit (CD-P1260) that has a 1-bit Dual D/A Converter and 8 Times oversampling rate. This is available in the international market for around 100 dollars. Teac transports are very good and are built to last.

Teac has this bad habit of introducing some superb equipment at ridiculously low prices, and keeping quite about it!! They did it about 5 years ago when they released a superb AVR. AV Max screamed about it as the best AVR available etc. Compared to Denon and Yamaha this was producing cleaner sound for half the price!! But then Teac could not keep up with the marketing competition. Teac transports, by the way, are used extensively in professional circles and in high end CDPs.

I was also hoping that similar to Teac, there would be players from other vendors such as Sony or an Indian manufacturer. .

Cheers

 

[Muthusami S]

SuhasG,

I am very much aware of the possibility of using a DVD player as a CD transport. I am myself using a Oppo 983 for Video and an Oppo 980 for Audio.

The reasons I was looking for just a CDP for Mutthu were two. One, he has just a two channel amplifier and speakers. Secondly, I wanted to see if we can get him a simple CD Transport for now, and help him get a DAC at a later stage so that he can have an excellent music system within his budget. I was particularly not looking for a DVD player as I did not want the unnecessary complications of video circuitry. In addition, other than some brands like Oppo and maybe Pioneer, DVD players do not pay too much attention to DAC for 2 channel music. In addition, because of the need to read just about any form of disc and the need to keep prices low, such DVD players focus on video and multi channel sound. Manufacturers are aware of this shortcoming and are now introducing features such as 'Audio Only' 'Stereo', 'Pure Audio', where they cut off all circuitry except those that are needed for 2 channel amplification.

I was also not looking for portable or other players, as I wanted the unit to be a regular sized one so that it can sit on his rack. Teac has a unit (CD-P1260) that has a 1-bit Dual D/A Converter and 8 Times oversampling rate. This is available in the international market for around 100 dollars. Teac transports are very good and are built to last.

Teac has this bad habit of introducing some superb equipment at ridiculously low prices, and keeping quite about it!! They did it about 5 years ago when they released a superb AVR. AV Max screamed about it as the best AVR available etc. Compared to Denon and Yamaha this was producing cleaner sound for half the price!! But then Teac could not keep up with the marketing competition. Teac transports, by the way, are used extensively in professional circles and in high end CDPs.

I was also hoping that similar to Teac, there would be players from other vendors such as Sony or an Indian manufacturer. .

Cheers

Venkat,

I thank you very much for your help in finding out a budget CD player. I understand from the posts that for a good audio CD player, I need to stretch my budget or to a pre-owned CD player. As I don't prefer the pre-owned stuff, I should wait, save money, and get a good CD player. If any shops offer EMI schemes, I can buy from them. So as of now, I decided to continue with my Philips DVD player for sometime.

Thanks again for your valuable inputs.

Regards,
Muthusami. S