[peaches666]

I am shopping for a new CD player for home listening. I want to hook up my cmoy to a 110V source. I was looking for CD players on ebay when I came across several SACD players. They are generally considerably more expensive. Do they sound all that much better. Do "regular" CD's sound better or only special SACD discs? Should I spend the extra money on SACD? Using Ety ER4/p and CMOY amp by JMT. Thanks for any input.

 

[88Sound]

I'm sure you're going to find many differing opinions on this subject but here's my 2 cents. I don't know your budget but I'm currently using a multi format machine that can play everything except decode HDCD (those disc will play as regular redbook). So my source will play DVD, DVD-A, DVD-V, SACD, and regular CD. The best part of this is that I don't have to think of format when I'm looking for music. Generally speaking the SACD's sound much better than redbook. The ETY's are excellent but I'm not sure how much the CMOY can dicern the difference between regular redbook and SACD. DVD-A is also excellent. DVD-V is better but hard to find with very limited titles.

The machine I'm using is a Pioneer Elite DV47A, it lists for $1200 but can be had for between $700-$800. I have read many reports that the Sony SACD machines sound better on SACD, I haven't heard the Sony's but really like the way this machine sounds for all formats, and it plays movies too!

Good Luck!

 

[Fadamacka]

Nice avatar there! (VERY off topic, but I just had to tell you

)

 

[Tuberoller]

Peaches666,

if you have not already been welcomed to head-fi allow me to be the first to do so.

I have been touting the very good Sony DVP-NS500V DVD/SACD player for a few months now.Please do a seach for this model number and all the other related posts including one titled"awesome budget component alert".I won't rehash all the great things I have said about it but if you do the search you get to read me shamelessly gushing over a piece of audio gear.

 

[elambo]

psst, do you want to know a secret? sssshh, don't say it too loud - we don't want everyone to know about this yet.

go and buy the sony dvp-ns500v that tuberoller mentioned, then go to tweakaudio.com and read about his modifications for it. ok, got it? now send it to him and wait for it to get modded.

(tick...tock...tick...tock...tick...)

you got it back today? uh huh... you plugged it in and what happened? uh huh... the most amazing sound you've ever heard? i thought so. uh huh... you didn't even hear all that stuff with your old player? uh huh... what's that? no, i don't work for them, but i do know enough people who have sent their players to be modded by him and they all rave about it. he used to make a dac that got such an amazing review that sales were backed up for months and months. nothing had ever had so many reviews that were so positive, ever. so let's keep this our little secret, ok?

i plan on sending 2 sacd players within the next few months - a dvp-ns500 of my own and a hybrid pioneer sacd/dvd-a that's not on the market yet - and i can't wait to start using them...

OK, seriously. This is a guy (Ric Schultz) who has twisted and turned and replaced and listened more than anyone I know and he has great ears and great ideas. Very talented. His Millenium DAC is (was, actually) so good that even the naysayers are affraid to say anything bad about it. If you look at audioreview.com it has the highest rating of anything rated there in any category. A perfect review across a whole slew of reviewers. There's nothing but glowing raves. Supposedly his MilleniumII was even better. And now he says very clearly that the $170 Sony SACD mentioned above can be modified to surpass almost every other player in the land (my words, not his) and that the DVP-NS500 is actually a very good player in it's stock form as well. He says that a properly modified inexpensive SACD player can sound better than ANY standard DAC, no matter what the cost, and that's why he gave up working on his Millenium DAC. Do yourself a favor and go to tweakaudio.com - I swear I don't work for them.

...wait, why am i telling you all this? it's going to make it even harder for me to get my players modified if you all fill up the waiting list. i should keep my big mouth shut...