[marios_mar]

Im going for a new source.

I was thinking among others
NEC Drive+ Art Di/p that might be later on modded and PS changed.

or a $200 Sony SACD player.

Id like comments on how would those two compare ? Is the Sony's redbook performance good? (compared to the NEC/ART combo which seems to be a classic here at headfi)

I dont think Ill be listening to SACD too much because I am not yet convinced if i should buy discs that in some years will be useless if there is no good support anymore to play them back properly with newer equip. etc...
I also have a vinyl system of good quality.

But I want to hear what you have to say.


ps. SACDs in EUROPE cost twice the amount a normal CD costs.

 

[lindrone]

I had an ART DI/O before, and if your player is good enough to begin with, you won't see any benefit of using ART DI/O without doing some heavy modification. ART DI/O with about $300 worth of modification later is really a good quality source... as a stock source though, it's not very good, and just about comparable with most entry level CD/SACD/DVD players (I'm not even talking entry level audiophile, I'm talking entry level).

Case in point, I used the ART DI/O with my Philips 763sa before, it made absolutely no discernable difference in the sound quality....

Which Sony SACD player are you getting? You can also mod SACD players later on to give you a much higher quality playback, rivaling CD players in its price range. Just because you're getting a SACD player doesn't mean you have to play SACD... once you mod it, the redbook playback is going to be great as well.

 

[marios_mar]

Then for $150 I could get a brand new sony CDP deck again and this sound doesnt satisfy me. I have one already. Is the stock art no improvement over a $150 CDP? I though it was good DAC for the money. If its like entry level multiplayers etc then its not worth the price. I might get then another DAC used or maybe build one.

 

[lindrone]

I had a $99 Philips 763sa.. and the stock ART DI/O didn't satisfy me at all.. my $150 Sony CE775 is much better than either.

The stock DI/O is only an improvement if you had a crappy PC soundcard... otherwise you will have to spend a lot of money modifying it to get it to an acceptible level.

 

[marios_mar]

Thanks for the advice Lindrone. I didnt know the ART was so crappy as it was getting a lot of praise here. Do other members feel the same way about it?

 

[philodox]

marios... I am confused as well... since I have read thread after thread on here about the merits of the ART DI/O

 

[lindrone]

They're good after you've put the time in to mod them.. and if your source was extremely crappy to begin with.. for people who wants to do the transport + DAC method (like, NEC CD-ROM), ART DI/O is a good place to start.

After you've spent $300 worth of mod on it, they are very good...

You just have to ask yourself, if that's really worth it to you personally or not. It's one way to go to get your source.

 

[Wodgy]

The thing about the ART DI/O that makes it popular is that (even in its stock form) it has a sound that's on the warm side of neutral (especially with a simple power supply replacement). Many budget CD players sound thin and/or bright, so you can see why the ART is a popular alternative. If you're a detail freak (prefer things a bit on the bright side), the ART isn't going to satisfy you, but I think most people prefer a warmer sound.

Sony's budget CDPs/DVPs in particular used to tend towards being bright sounding. The NS500V that was popular here for a while was awesome, except that it was very bright and a little thin on the bass. However, the latest revisions of the Sony CDPs seem to be getting good reviews (I haven't heard the newer ones myself), so this preconception may not be true any more.

My own personal recommendation for a budget source is the Pioneer 656A. It's fairly neutral, with good bass, and can be had for less than $200. It's exactly the same inside as the DV45A, but it doesn't do SACD. Both Modwright and Tweakaudio offer mods to this unit, if you think you might want to upgrade in the future.

Since Sony CDPs are so easy to find and audition in basically any city, you should check them out too. Keep in mind that units that haven't been burned in may sound significantly different (either bassier or brighter) than well-burned in units, so try to audition demo models.

 

[andrzejpw]

Personally, I hate the budget sony sacd players (especially the ns500v). SACD was decent, but redbook was simply terrible and bright. The art, on the other hand, is very popular not because of it's stock performance, but because of the high quality that can be obtained after modding the unit. The improvement is quite stunning.

 

[lindrone]

The budget Sony CD players improve immensely with the mods as well... but I have to agree with that, before the mods, they are very thin.

The question comes down to.. is the price of the transport + ART DI/O + mod amount to as much as a brand new CD player that's on the same level or better?

 

[andrzejpw]

Considering modding my player cost me $50 and a few hours, yes.

 

[recephasan]

Waiddaminute, andrzejpw!
$50 to mod a CDP? What did you do?

 

[marios_mar]

Yes but any player can be modded so whats so special with the art. I mean you can get a used sony CDP for $40 used shipped. If it sounds close to the ART then why get two seperate components and bother with a seperate transport etc.?

I am very confused .

 

[Wodgy]

What we're saying is:
- you get a specific sound with the ART
- you also get a specific sound with a low-end Sony CDP
- both can be modded to sound better.

The only question you have to decide is: what type of sound do I want to start out with?

The ART unmodded is a pretty good starter sound. A lot of older Sony CDPs are not very good starter sounds. Some of the newer Sonys may be better. Luckily you can audition the newer ones, since they're probably in stores near you.

 

[Wodgy]

By the way, if you're buying used Sonys in the $40 range, definitely get a dedicated CD player over a CD/DVD player, even if the CD player is slightly older. Some of the early Sony CD/DVD players are terrible.