CD player vs. DVD player.

Hi:

I suppose this subject has been brought up in the past. If so, I’m sorry for appearing redundant. I am unsure of this issue and would like some direction.

First a little background. I’m am an audiophile beginner. A little over a year ago, I put together my system. Now, I had been a HIFI enthusiast in the mid 1980s. I let the hobby go, but picked it up again after retirement.

At best, my equipment is low entry level. IE, an Audio Technica PL 120xusb turntable, a Sony Strdh190 receiver, Polk Audio T15 and Sony CSCC 3 way speakers. They sound fine to me, but who knows about the future.

At this point, my primary music source is vinyl. It just so happens that I have a number of CDs, most of which I burned a few years ago to play in my car. At that time on occasions for my last job, I had to travel. Now that I’m retired, when in my car, I play music I downloaded to my cell phone. I don’t use those CDs while driving. Anyway, there are a few I enjoy hearing.

In order to play the CDs, I have been using a DVD player manufactured for video viewing. I have attached it to my system through one if my receiver’s imputes. This way the CDs are plated through my stereo system. I find the resulting sound pleasing.

One day I will probably purchase a component stereo CD Player, but for now this set up is fine for me.

My question is obvious, “Do you think a DVD player can produce music comparable to a component CD player”. In my situation that seems to be the case. It seems that the DVD player is all I need. None the less, there maybe more to this situation than meets the eye. So, I would like to know what all of you think.

Thanks in advance,

Lenny.

 

Some CD players like say a Pioneer Stable platter have very good audio. In my own modest system, i use a CD player. A DVD player is more likely to have a higher proportion of its available budget dedicated to getting a good video output, and sound quality less so. But if what you use sounds good then keep on using it.

I know the old Playstation 1 machines were an exception, and apparently sound great as a CD player, I must try this, as I have a playstation 1.

 

Mmm, That sounds like 'received wisdom' from the past. The reality is that you'd probably be very hard pressed to tell the difference between the audio output from either a CD or DVD/BluRay player unless you were straying into high-end territory.

 

Hi Lenny. The DVD play is more than capable of reading the binary code of the CD, just as it can from DVD. The DAC and audio chain is the question? Most mid-priced DVD dacs are pretty good these days, and the audio chain is designed to deliver sound for home theatre so the quality is reasonable but tends to be designed for crash and bang, to good for music as well, All really depending on the player.

 

With your present system, you won’t notice any difference.

 

Yes they will sound different and a decent CD player is likely to sound better than a cheap DVD player when on a budget seperate system. I speak from experience.

However there are a few "auduophile" DVD players out there, about 20 years ago there was a big fuss about DVD players like the Pioneer DV717 (I think) which reviewers thought could outperform some pretty expensive CD Players. The fuss died down but if you can get hold of one for little money its likely to be the best VFM disc spinner you'll find (especially if it also plays SACDs as well like some do).

 

If the DVD player has PCM or Toslink outputs I would recommend a DAC in the $100-$150 range for it. It can be used with so many different pieces of equipment and they do make a nice and noticeable improvement in sound. The Schiit Modi 3 and Topping are good for the $.

 

Thanks for the responses.

I purchased a Yamaha 303 CD player. So far ot sounds great.

 

I have used a Sony DVD player for 18 years to play CD. It still plays as well as the naim cd 3.5 it replaced.

 

Each of us has different standards of musical expectation from our systems. In my case, my universal digital player, an Oppo 105D, radically enhanced by Joe Rasmussen, which plays CDs, DVDs, BluRay, SACD and high resolution digital downloads, probably cost considerably more than your entire system. Despite that, I still much prefer to listen to records on my (even more expensive) record player.

My "DVD Player" does indeed sound considerably better than most CD players (in fact better than almost every dedicated CD player I have ever heard including some costing $20K+).

A really good CD player will sound better than most DVD players. An outstanding DVD player will sound better than most CD players. Choose wisely.

 

My view is somewhat different, in that all digital player, unless heroically badly engineered, will sound the same. The measurements of all such players are so far below audibility that they can't not sound the same.

That's why I choose player entirely on facilities and then price, as there's no possible difference between them sonically.

S