[oas]

Which is a better player?

 

[soupy]

555

 

[oas]

how do they compare to the 141?

 

[vrao81]

The D25S sounds bright, thin, and piercing from the line-out. The 141 sounds much better, its sound is warm and smooth with punchy bass. The 555 does sound the best of the three but I don't really remember its sound characteristics. 555 would be the best choice but the 141 is solid too.

 

[vwap]

Quote:

Originally posted by oas Which is a better player?

I've never compared the two.. but the D-555 is purportedly a LOT better than the D-25S.. But the D-25S is a lot easier to obtain than a D-555... But there must be a reason why the D-555's go for $150+, while the D-25S's go for $40+shipping...

[EDIT]: Although I must say that the D-25S certainly looks VERY cool.. But the D-555, with it's LCD and the orange glow it emits.. is also a sight to see..

 

[dkm24]

Price is no indication of sound quality. I have seen the coveted d-777 go for over $300 on e-bay. Is the sound quality twice as nice as my Denon DCM-360 home rig cd player. I think not. The D25-s is from Silicon Salvage which sells old and refurbished electronics. They are appealing to the general public, not PCDP junkies. The D-777 and D-555's prices have been driven up primarily due to this board and the reviews of it here. If one reads closely to the reviews here there are a lot of opinions on which player sounds the best. Some even like the D25-s the best. This should tell you that it is all a matter of taste and a lot of times ownership. I own the legendary Optimus CD-3400 and I think it sounds terrible compared to my D25-s, but the legend of the Optimus grows as time goes by. In my opinion the best bargain is the D25-s. The difference between this cd player and the D-555 is subjective. People say the D25-s is too bright. I think it is just right. I don't want to pay an extra $100 for subjectivity and serial number recognition. doug

 

[austonia]

Quote:

Originally posted by vrao81 The D25S sounds bright, thin, and piercing from the line-out.

You must have a problem somewhere else in your system.

Mine sounds superb from the line out, going to a Grado amp and headphones.

 

[AIM9x]

mine sounds just fine out of the headphone out,

 

[vrao81]

I tested it with a sennheiser hd580 and meta42. I also tested lots of other portable players - Sony D303, D515, D555, D-777, D-141, D-FJ401, D-311, DE-900, and the D-25S was the worst of the bunch.

And I'm not the only one complaining about the thin sound either, another user, gloco I believe it was, said the same thing.

 

[vwap]

True. While price is no indication of sound quality, it's a good predictor, especially for older players that people know about. Nobody's going to pay $200 for a crappy Sony or other PCDP. However, bidding wars can get fierce for D-555's D-777's, D-515's, D-303's, etc. I got my D-777 for half that $300 you're referring to... I've seen it go for a lot less than $200 before. So while price does vary greatly, it is a good predictor of sound quality. Me? I don't like the D-25S or D-150, as they are overly bright (to my ears). The D-35 was somewhere in between those and the D-555 and D-303 in terms of sound quality.

It's also somewhere in between in price.

Very subjective, yes, but like I said.. it's a good predictor, and very little else.

 

[dkm24]

To follow up what I was saying, people assume that the D25-s is worth a 1/4th of what a used d-555's price tag is. The reasons the d25-S gets overlooked is that it is readily available in new condition and it comes with a modest price tag. For these two reasons people overlook this player. Audio people can be very fickle. When you make an audio component hard to obtain coupled with a high price tag, people assume the sound is a lot better. I have heard terms describing the sounds of these players that they are head and shoulders better than the rest. I own a couple of the coveted players, namely the Optimus, and a brand new D-303. I like the d25-s the best. I think the D-303 has a dark tonal quality. The bass is slightly thick. To others this would be normal and probably desired. I think the d25-s is simply a gorgeous player, built like a tank, with great sound, and it's new!! What more can you ask for. To me I would much rather have that than a used $150 player that is subjectivly better, not built as well, and is in used condition most of the time. People tend to want what is hard to get!! I am always wary about audio reviews. There are a lot of others things that come into play other than just sheer sound quality when judging equipment. doug