Why is it that many members skimp with regards to their sources? In what universe does it make sense to spend thousands of dollars on Headphones and an amp to drive them and then use a crappy source?
I’ve got news for you; a used Sony Playstation is not a worthy source for a truly high-end headphone or speaker based system. I own one and it’s almost as good as my Oppo DV970HD that serves as my bedroom source. Neither is good enough to set foot in either my high-end speaker rig or my headphone rig. Either would be fine in a $300 to $800 system, but above that I’d seriously consider any number of players from NAD, Cambridge Audio or others.
I actually believe that certain reviewers periodically decide to prank the audio community by starting rumors about and then reviewing certain cheap or long discontinued products. There was the Optimus CD-3400 back in the early 90’s. “Sam Tellig” (sic) should have gotten a kickback from Radio Shack because his review in Stereophile had to have sold thousands of the little suckers. I know; I purchased one of them. It was a good sounding portable, but its performance was not even remotely close to that of my Denon DCD-1520. So I used it as a portable until it died after about a year. The same can be said of the Oppo DV970HD. It’s a great $160 player, but it doesn’t really compare with any number of quality players in the $300-$500 range. I purchased one on the strength of its reviews, and it is relegated to my bedroom system (To be honest I purchased it as my bedroom source, although I did try it in my big system). It was (I believe that it is now discontinued) an exceptional $160 player, but it was no giant killer.
As far as the Playststion goes; any number of reviewers have drank the Cool Aid as far as it goes. It does little to offend and just as little to excite. If you are using one and you think that you’re using a high end source you are deluding yourself.
Using a Playstation as the source in a high performance high-end system is like running Bias-ply retread tires on a Ferrari; it’ll work, but it will hardly allow the Ferrari to do what it is capable of.
Let the flaming begin.
I’ve got news for you; a used Sony Playstation is not a worthy source for a truly high-end headphone or speaker based system. I own one and it’s almost as good as my Oppo DV970HD that serves as my bedroom source. Neither is good enough to set foot in either my high-end speaker rig or my headphone rig. Either would be fine in a $300 to $800 system, but above that I’d seriously consider any number of players from NAD, Cambridge Audio or others.
I actually believe that certain reviewers periodically decide to prank the audio community by starting rumors about and then reviewing certain cheap or long discontinued products. There was the Optimus CD-3400 back in the early 90’s. “Sam Tellig” (sic) should have gotten a kickback from Radio Shack because his review in Stereophile had to have sold thousands of the little suckers. I know; I purchased one of them. It was a good sounding portable, but its performance was not even remotely close to that of my Denon DCD-1520. So I used it as a portable until it died after about a year. The same can be said of the Oppo DV970HD. It’s a great $160 player, but it doesn’t really compare with any number of quality players in the $300-$500 range. I purchased one on the strength of its reviews, and it is relegated to my bedroom system (To be honest I purchased it as my bedroom source, although I did try it in my big system). It was (I believe that it is now discontinued) an exceptional $160 player, but it was no giant killer.
As far as the Playststion goes; any number of reviewers have drank the Cool Aid as far as it goes. It does little to offend and just as little to excite. If you are using one and you think that you’re using a high end source you are deluding yourself.
Using a Playstation as the source in a high performance high-end system is like running Bias-ply retread tires on a Ferrari; it’ll work, but it will hardly allow the Ferrari to do what it is capable of.
Let the flaming begin.
