[seamus4593]

Help me decide: marantz cd 6004 or one of the entry level tt's (debut carbon, rega rp1, music hall).

It's an odd question, but which route would get me more in sound quality on a $400 ish budget? Assume that I'm going with just stock everything.

Vinyl would be a totally new thing for me, but I just wonder if it's only worth it if you spend like a grand on a turntable.

 

[seamus4593]

In other words, will $400 buy me enough turntable to beat a $400 marantz? I'm asking for opinions.

 

[Makiah S]

In other words, will $400 buy me enough turntable to beat a $400 marantz? I'm asking for opinions.

I think your going to find a lot of... CD vs VINYL debates going on... so let's assume sound quality is equal. My question for you would be do you own any vinyl or do you currently own some CDs. IF you own  Cd's I think going with a CD player would be a very smart idea 
 
IF you want to get into the magic of Vinyl, and by magic I mean the process of owning, cleaning and doing maintance on Vinyl then you might like the change. Non the less
 
I am a fan of CD... it is technically superior to Vinyl. And we are talking purely in terms of hard ware... going to Mastering yes there are MANY...  Vinyl albums that may by FAR Superior  than their CD counterparts 
 
SO you have some choices to make. There may b a large number of Vinyl records you wish to own so maybe Vinyl is the choice. I think again the issue is... which ritual do you want to b a slave to! 

 

[seamus4593]

That's a good answer, thanks. I do have majority cds. A few lps. If I got a tt, I plan on researching good pressings to get for my favorites. Floyd, Dylan etc.

I just wonder if the $400 tt combined with well mastered vinyl is a significantly better than the same cds in the $400 Player.

I don't want to buy a debut carbon if it can't truly show me the potential of vinyl.

 

[Makiah S]

That's a good answer, thanks. I do have majority cds. A few lps. If I got a tt, I plan on researching good pressings to get for my favorites. Floyd, Dylan etc.

I just wonder if the $400 tt combined with well mastered vinyl is a significantly better than the same cds in the $400 Player.

I don't want to buy a debut carbon if it can't truly show me the potential of vinyl.

Again, mastering aside. CD is better.
Going back to Mastering... Flyod and Dylan... that is tempting and there might be some REALLY nice Mastered Vinyl 
 
BUT... you can get a hold of digital copies of those Vinyls 
 
STILL you might be able to invest in the good vinyl now. See how it compares to your current CD player before you spilt into one or the other
 
OR maybe you can save up a little more and get some kind of EPIC Vinyl CD monster combo device! 

 

[Hijodelbrx]

Pretty sure $400 bucks can buy a good entry level TT so like a previous poster mentioned, are you down with the analog dance! TT/cartridge/record maintenance! The endlessly repeated physicality required in the whole process of listening to LP's! You'll probably spend another $400 on records the 1st year! As a music-lover and an audiophile, going analog requires next-level commitment! While, understandably, some might find 'going analog' has too much baggage and is too much 'work'. At the other end of the spectrum, others find the whole process satisfying and fun. It ain't for everybody though, that's for sure!

 

[Radioking59]

If you want to get the best stereo Dylan available digitally you need a SACD player. I prefer mono for the early albums especially with headphones. For Pink Floyd the best digital versions of DSOTM and WYWH are on SACD also.

 

[HPiper]

I just recently got a sacd player but having heard a few sacd'd so far I have to agree with Radioking, there is no better sound out there. If the ultimate in listening quality is your goal and (this is the kicker here) the albums you like are available in that format, sacd is the way to go. The ONLY problem with sacd is there is a very limited number of albums that are available in that format. Upside is, if you shop smartly you can get an sacd player that will also play your cd's at a very high level as well so you get the best of both worlds.

 

[seamus4593]

What's an example of such a product for $400?

 

[Radioking59]

Oppo BDP-103 is $500 and will play anything ever put on a disc (Blu-ray, DVD, DVD-audio, CD, HDCD, SACD). $415 refurbished if you can catch it in stock from their website. There aren't too many other options unless you go used.

 

[HPiper]

There are a LOT of good players for sale on ebay. I got mine for just a little over $100. Not saying it is the best out there but the reviews I found said it was really good at sacd and that was really all I was interested in so I got it. I don't care if the video is grainy because I knew I was never going to be using it for that. I do intend to get a better unit, but I wanted to see what sacd was all about before I dumped a bunch of money into it and now I know. There are quite a few Oppo's and some of them are the 103 and 103D. They tend to go for a bit more than some others, I think just because of the name recognition as much as the actual quality of the units, but anyway I know you could pick one up in like new condition for less than $400.

 

[Makiah S]

If you want to get the best stereo Dylan available digitally you need a SACD player. I prefer mono for the early albums especially with headphones. For Pink Floyd the best digital versions of DSOTM and WYWH are on SACD also.

 
 

  I just recently got a sacd player but having heard a few sacd'd so far I have to agree with Radioking, there is no better sound out there. If the ultimate in listening quality is your goal and (this is the kicker here) the albums you like are available in that format, sacd is the way to go. The ONLY problem with sacd is there is a very limited number of albums that are available in that format. Upside is, if you shop smartly you can get an sacd player that will also play your cd's at a very high level as well so you get the best of both worlds.

 
Very true, I forgot about SACD