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DJ CD player any good as a transport?

post #1 of 4
9/11/06 at 12:01am
Thread Starter 
Hi all:

I am a believer that decent sources, wire and amps that are indistinguishable sonically from big $$$ gear, don't have to cost much (http://www.matrix-hifi.com/contenedor_ppec_eng.htm).

I have been using an old external NEC Multispin 6Xe CDR-602 CD-ROM drive (http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue3/cdrom.htm) as my CD player for several years, feeding a Panasonic XR45 amp, to Green Mountain Audio Europa's. However, my old drive is starting to have trouble reading some discs and songs.

I have music cranking for 5-12 hours a day, so my system gets a lot of use. (In the past, I have prematurely killed Sony, Panasonic and Cambridge Audio CD players.) I was wondering about getting a DJ player, such as a Pioneer CDJ-100s. I know that I don't need all the features, but I am attracted to the robust design, small footprint (the player sits on my desk, beside my monitor), and ease of loading.

My question is - does the internal 'DJ processing' introduce any lossy compression? Or would I be getting reliable, bit-perfect output from the SPDIF digital output?

Also, are these players audible when they spin the disc? My NEC is totally silent - when I press my ear right up against it, I am unable to hear anything. This is a requirement for me, as it sits alongside my 0 dB, no-moving-parts PC.

Or should I be looking at something else?

Thanks a lot for any experiences.
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post #2 of 4
9/11/06 at 4:13am
The SPDIF output on CD decks is in just about every design taken from the raw digital stream, not a processed one. The quality of the digital stream before the SPDIF output is therefore primarily dependent on the quality of the CD pick up, the semi conductors and the PCB layout.
Pioneer makes their own CD pick up and IC's, Their 3 beam CD pick up is extremely reliable once tracking callibration has been performed accurately at the factory.

I use a Pioneer deck myself that I have re-callibrated. I don't read anything on this BB about the importance of setting up the CD pick up to track accurately, but I am not surprised. It does however THE MOST damage to the bit stream if not set up correctly. People only find that out when their CD pick up starts to skip to the extent that they can HEAR it.

The DJ deck might actually be far better for the job than you think if you are only going to use the SPIF socket for HQ entertainment. They are far more robust and have a more sturdy CD tracking and error correction PLL.

Take the SPIF output to a bit accurate DAC (and I am now convinced that there are few better performing DAC than the Beresford TC-7510 below U$1000 at this moment in time after playing with one for the least few weeks) and you are laughing, make that a bg grin instead.
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post #3 of 4
9/14/06 at 12:17pm
Thread Starter 

DJ CD players and Beresford DAC ...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Herandu
...

The DJ deck might actually be far better for the job than you think if you are only going to use the SPIF socket for HQ entertainment. They are far more robust and have a more sturdy CD tracking and error correction PLL.

Take the SPIF output to a bit accurate DAC (and I am now convinced that there are few better performing DAC than the Beresford TC-7510 below U$1000 at this moment in time after playing with one for the least few weeks) and you are laughing, make that a bg grin instead.
Thanks for the info. My concern was that there was resampling going on to support DJ functions - but from what you said, it sounds like the DJ functions would not be available over the SPDIF digital output? Is that correct?

Are those Beresford DAC's available in North America at 110-120V? How much do they cost?

Thank you.
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post #4 of 4
9/15/06 at 1:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by IanS
Thanks for the info. My concern was that there was resampling going on to support DJ functions - but from what you said, it sounds like the DJ functions would not be available over the SPDIF digital output? Is that correct?

Are those Beresford DAC's available in North America at 110-120V? How much do they cost?

Thank you.
Yep, the digital output is unmodified. The various DJ functions such as panning, tone control etc. are done in the analogue part of the DJ deck. But the digital signal is tapped off before then.

On eBay the TC-7510 is listed for sale and delivery to the US, so he would have to have 110V version as well. It's only a PSU change after all. Either email them from their website at home hifi or do search on ebay for TC-7510, then contact the seller.

Mine is still putting smiles to my face considering the price . And I am now trying to find a spot in the boot of my car to wire one in there as well after realising my car DVD player has an optical output. Let's see if it will make a difference to my ICE as well .
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