[bubblegummy]

Hi,

Since I'm just a college student, I don't own a full size CD player. All I have is just a Portable CD player i.e. Sony D777. However, I'm wondering how much differences the sound can be (for headphone listening) between them. Will a full size CD player produce much better sound than a portable CD player?? Keep in mind, I'm refering to headphone listening.

Thanks.

 

[jude]

Quote:

Originally posted by bubblegummy Hi, Since I'm just a college student, I don't own a full size CD player. All I have is just a Portable CD player i.e. Sony D777. However, I'm wondering how much differences the sound can be (for headphone listening) between them. Will a full size CD player produce much better sound than a portable CD player?? Keep in mind, I'm refering to headphone listening. Thanks.

My answer to your question is a big "yes" but with some qualifications. First of all, I've heard a couple of full-size units that sound worse than my portables, so you have to find a full-size unit that's at least decent. Second, I feel a separate amp is a must, and it looks like you've got that taken care of with a cmoy-type portable.

My Denon DCM-370's CD performance is far better than either of my portables. More roundness, less edge. Better, deeper bass. Better everything really.

My Sony SCD-C333ES... its standard CD performance betters the DCM-370 by a good margin. But HDCD-encoded CD's on the DCM-370 (which has a HDCD-decoding processor) sound as good on the DCM-370 as they do on my 333, to my ears. The overall CD performance of the 333 (non-HDCD), however, is so far above either of my portables that, at times -- and with particularly good recordings -- it can sound like it's playing an entirely new format. With good SACD's, well, that's just another world altogether.

In short, yes, a good full-size CD player is worthwhile sonically compared to portables. I've only listed two above -- there are obviously many more to consider (Njoe Tjoeb, NAD, Marantz, Arcam, etc., etc.).

 

[raymondlin]

It all depends on the quailty of the full size player the D-777 is a great portable Discman and will probably be as good as a $100 full size player. You basically get what you pay for, saying that, a full size player have the extra (loads more) room.

So it can uses better components like a better transformer for a more stable power supply. Or 4 DACs working in dual differiantial mode (Marantz CD-17 comes into mind). And a better transport for isolation, like the phillips's full floating mechnism on most Marantz players. Something you can't fit in a discman.

And the most Discman will probably cost no more $200, but you'll be lucky to find a half decent full size player for that price. They go up to Thousands or even tens of thousands. Mine is around $500/$750 (Marantz CD6000KI), which is around lower mid section of the HiFi market.

 

[grrr223]

The Denon 370 can be had on ebay for $150 or less on ebay and I know you can spend more than that on a decent portable (Panasonic 470 excluded, Headroom has it for $89 I believe) so I think it would be worth it. I'm in the same situation, poor college kid, listening to my HD600s off of a Sony D-E406CK discman, I can't wait to get an amp.

 

[Duncan]

I personally think that the line out of the D777 is getting on for EQUAL to that of $200-$300 units... When my Marantz CDP wasn't working, I was quite happily listening to my Discman instead, the only criticism of portable players, is that there line out volume (voltage?) is so much lower than a full size CDP, so... you have to turn the volume up higher, and introduce hiss, and distortion into the equation (If your amp isn't up to scratch)...

The only thing that the D777 really lacks in comparison, in my eyes, is the wideness of soundstage of a full size CDP, and also maybe a little bit of midrange warmth... but, maybe that is a trait of Sony players in general (the tone)??