[KtoEto]

Hi there,
If you had a 1000 Euros (1200 $) budget which universal player (cd, sacd, dvd-a) would you buy? Just for audio, video doesn't matter.
-denon 2900
-yamaha S2300
-pioneer 757ai
-?

Magazine ratings (all german)

Stereoplay ----------------- (sacd/dvd-a/dvd/cd)
-best: Teac Esoteric UX 1 - 70/68/65/62
...
-yamaha s2300 ------------63/63/54/50
-denon 2900 ---------------62/62/54/50
-pioneer 757ai -------------///

Audio ---------------------- (sacd-dvda/surround/image)
-best: Linn Unidisk 1.1 --- 135/100/100
...
-denon 2900 -------------- 105/95/100
-pioneer 757ai ------------- 90/90/100
-yamaha S2300 ----------- 105/90/95

Stereo----------------------(%/cost-performance)
-best: Teac DV-50 -------- 95/four stars
...
-yamaha S2300 ----------- 46/five stars
-denon 2900 -------------- 43/four stars
-pioneer 757ai ------------ 36/three stars

Looks like the yamaha is the winner. Have you a different opinion?
I will use it with headphones only (analog out-amp-cans).
Is now the right time to get a universal player (maybe something better is coming out shortly?)

 

[19lexicon78]

why an universal cd-player...are those formats better??

you should perhaps buy a studer pr-99 mk3 reel-tape player and buy reel-tapes instead of sacd or dvd-a....same price...

for 1000 euro..i would buy a studer a730 cd-player..you're from switzerland...you should know better

)))

greets,

stan

 

[KtoEto]

Quote:

for 1000 euro..i would buy a studer a730 cd-player..you're from switzerland...you should know better )))

Actually, like every other country, Switzerland has its newbies too. It's the first time I hear of Studer. I have to do some research.
Do you really mean that a Studer CD player is far better than SACD/DVD-a?

Quote:

you should perhaps buy a studer pr-99 mk3 reel-tape player and buy reel-tapes instead of sacd or dvd-a....same price...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think it's that easy to find reel tapes of the most bands.

 

[19lexicon78]

ok, forget the reel-tapes for those new bands..the reel tapes are not produced anymore, too bad..best format ever??...but look for studer cd-player..you will see those often on ebay..read about the studer on pro-gear-web-sites..or just google...studer..and you will see.
i red some articles, dvd-a and sacd are not that much better.. you can better buy a better redbook cd-player..i think a couple of months ago, i've heard about a new format coming from philips..it's in testing fase...perhaps it's surpassing vinyl..i don't know...but i'll be waiting the next 5-10 years...

look at my avatar..it's a studer d730, it's a toploader and has got a cdm4 transport. studer built those cd-players with philips..enough said..

 

[JaZZ]

Willy Studer was the founder of (Studer-)Revox. Professional gear was marketed under the «Studer» brand, consumer gear as «Revox».

I still think SACD and DVD-A sound principally better than the CD, but I'm curious about the new format 19lexicon78 mentioned. (Something with the blue-ray laser?)

 

[KtoEto]

Danke für die Auskunft, Jazz.
I'm not really a pro or a dj, so if I buy a cd player, a revox would be a good choice?
If a new and far better format is coming out soon then investing in sacd and dvd-a now does not really make sense.
The question is if this new format is going to be successful.

 

[19lexicon78]

also..but there is another format..a new digitally compressed cd..perhaps it could take a couple of tera bites of data on one cd..
seen a program on TV, i think 2 years ago there was a former philips engineer murdered for inventing that new technique. he wanted to sell his technique to philips....i don't know exactly..but it was revolutionary...but forget about these sfi-stories..

yes, there is a more new traditional technique..there is a downside..it works like vinyl..you can play the "cd" several times before the laser burns the cd too much, and the cd can't be read properly again..but it produces better sound-quality than vinyl...

i don't know when those players hit the market...a couple of years from now

 

[19lexicon78]

ktoeto...don't buy revox...that's a philips in another coat...unless you buy the philips lhh series..

buy studer...it's far better than revox....

 

[Welly Wu]

Go buy the Pioneer DV-868AVi. You'll be happy with the results. Do a search for it in the Head-Fi forums for a series of professional / customer reviews.

 

[KtoEto]

Quote:

buy studer...it's far better than revox

How much does a studer cost? (found nothing on the net)

Quote:

Go buy the Pioneer DV-868AVi

It's over the budget (in Switzerland)

I'm not spending 1000 Euros on a Cd(only) player.

 

[19lexicon78]

the studer a730, costs in 1991...4500 euro..

now , you can get them for +/-1000 euro

btw, sacd's are 20 euro a piece..redbook cd's 10 euro or less...perhaps in the next few years philips comes with a better format...then sacd and dvd-a is obsolete...think about it...

the studers are collectables for audiophiles..when you buy a good one..you can sell them for the same price...

 

[Welly Wu]

It's a universal DVD player that handles DVD-Video, SA-CD, Red Book CD, and DVD-Audio in one machine. I didn't know it was over your budget in Switzerland.

 

[KtoEto]

Quote:

I'm not spending 1000 Euros on a Cd(only) player.

Quote:

It's a universal DVD player that handles DVD-Video, SA-CD, Red Book CD, and DVD-Audio in one machine.

I have to rephrase it (it was late!), if I don't buy a universal player (like pioneer, denon or yamaha), I'm not willing to spend as much as 1000 Euros for a cd only player (say no more than 500).

Would a TEAC C-1D (250 Euros) be a good choice?

Quote:

perhaps in the next few years philips comes with a better format

That "perhaps" is the problem.

Get the universal player or hold on the cd and wait for something better. My player is not working properly, so I have to get something now

 

[19lexicon78]

hmm, for 250 euro and less...i would go for an old philips 850mk2. they were very good at that time. search for ebay...those older cd-players aren't that bad..in someways (transport) even better..

i don't know about the teac, or tascam players

 

[KtoEto]

Not second hand, please.
A middle of the road solution could be a CD/SACD player like the Philips DVD 963 SA or the Sony SCD XB 790. Which one is better?
Or a cd only player like the NAD 521 BEE?
Or... Or...Or....
Audio is like life, unless you try everything, you don't know what will suit you better. Which means that having a lot of audio friends is good for the quality improvement, but bad for the wallet. So, I'd like to choose something and be happy with it (in a ignorance is bliss way), until my Self will once again knock on the door and say "hey, you need something better than that".