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Peter Stockwell
07-04-2009, 00:56
I think my CD player is going to take a long time to be fixed (see elsewhere). What's good at about £200 used ?

Tony G
07-04-2009, 01:53
For probably a lot less than that you could do a lot worse than a Marantz CD 52 Mk II SE.

ReachtheSky
07-04-2009, 02:10
How about less than GBP200 new!

Peter as a cheap temporary stop gap, the current basic Sony DVD players (Blue-Ray not necessary) give surprisingly adequate/good digital out to use as a Transport, providing your DAC has a good re-clocking circuit. As you have a 7510 I would imagine it would do the job. I’m sure the 7520 would do so.

If that’s not up to scratch you could then add a Behringer SRC 24/96 (with excellent re-clocking circuit) between your DVD player and DAC to give top results. And you’d have the benefit of a sample-rate-converter as a bonus – to up sample any source to 24/96 into your Stan DAC’s!

All new for less than GBP200!
Granville

Peter Stockwell
07-04-2009, 07:19
I have a Panasonic/DVD-HDD recorder for TV, maybe I should move things around so that I can put into the system. As you have pointed out I have the 7510, I could run the DVD player through the Dac, that would cost me peanuts. I reckon I could start there.

Peter Stockwell
07-04-2009, 07:21
For probably a lot less than that you could do a lot worse than a Marantz CD 52 Mk II SE.

There's a CD60 on ebay france that's currently at 2,50€ that is tempting ...

Tony G
07-04-2009, 08:27
Peter, the suggestion was made in all seriousness, I know a number of people other than myself who rate this above the much vaunted CD 63 KI signature.
I gather they are in reasonable supply on ebay UK under 50 quid - the proviso being it must be the Mk II Special Edition. I like my lightly modded one well enough to have bought a second one as a spare and it still gets almost equal play time with my much newer and more expensive Esound E5 signature.
It may be no CDX but I think you would be pleasantly surprised and it should handily shade the SB.
ciao,
TG

Peter Stockwell
07-04-2009, 09:00
Tony,

I did take your suggestion seriously, but I think my first port of call is to get a COAX cable to link the DVD/HDD recorder to the Beresford DAC. If I don't use this for CD playback it will still serve admirably when I watch TV. I never watch TV in real time, it's always time shifted.

I'll keep my eyes open in case CD playback via the Beresford is unsatisfactory.

Tony G
07-04-2009, 12:04
Fair enough, only makes sense to use what you have already if it fills the need.
I just did not think the CD 60 to be in the same game.
Hope you get some sense from the wretched courier company.
I have had some less than ecstatic experiences of them myself, though not to the extent of your present contretemps.

ReachtheSky
07-04-2009, 12:46
Peter, Good luck with the Panasonic DVD. I hope it sounds OK. Unfortunately most DVD players sound awful – they tamper with the signal path. But in my experience the current Sony DVD’s are one of the exceptions and have a reasonable “digital out.”

Peter Stockwell
07-04-2009, 13:03
But in my experience the current Sony DVD’s are one of the exceptions and have a reasonable “digital out.”

I mooted the stop gap CD player with the missus, she was lukewarm, but she didn't look at me like I was crazy. However, The box count is high enough at ours so one more DVD player wouldn't go down well.

I just ordered the Coax cable to get the DVD player connected to the Beresford, I have two cables already but they are too short. In any case the sound currently goes from the DVD via HDMI to the TV and then RCA to Din on the preamp. I'll be bypasing the processing in the TV. So it's a win situation with TV watching (Never watch anything in real time on the TV).

Magna Audio
07-04-2009, 23:18
I reckon you will be pleasantly surprised by the DVD using RCA digi output.
Only pain is the disc handling - slow to load up and perhaps skip tracks...
I ran our £29 Alba DVD player up against the Teac VRDS T1 using a 7510 6/4 and the different was fairly minimal really.
I've since moved on to a DPA Enlightenment Dac now and not done that test again. Perhaps I should...

Peter Stockwell
08-04-2009, 07:06
See you run an SL1210 and a P3 side by side, a comparison I've never directly made. What do you think ?

Has the AT33PTG arrived yet ? It's the best cartridge I ever owned.

Magna Audio
08-04-2009, 11:39
Sorry for the hi-jack. Nope 33PTG not arrived yet. Hope before easter or I'll be ...... off.
SL-1210 eats the Rega alive TBH. More of everything in the right places if you know what I mean. The Rega sound is ok - some love it dearly but the SL has much more class and detail in spades. This is with the same arm / cart and same platform to stand on so a very direct comparison.

DSJR
08-04-2009, 17:48
I think it's been said elsewhere just how cheap it is these days to implement digital to a fair standard and the diminishing returns curve is very steep indeed from a fairly modest figure.

By todays standards, I reckon the CD52 IISE would be, in standard form and assuming it's still running, rather soft and bland and as for the hyped up CD63 KI Sig? Gawd, that was a harsh one if you got the matching bits wrong (interesting, because the original CD63 sounded very smooth and well behaved in a top end system I heard one in once).

If the el cheapo drive doesn't work out, have a look at current Cambridge or older Arcam players as transports at least. An Alpha 5 has a good transport which tracks very well and Avondale can supply refurbished mechs for a good while yet, as well as being able to breathe fresh life into the original circuit.

technobear
08-04-2009, 21:20
If you change your mind and want a CD player, I suggest you grab this one quick before someone else does:

http://hifiwigwam.com/view_topic.php?id=38312&forum_id=5

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/5213/cdpx3000es009.jpg

A true classic!

The Vinyl Adventure
08-04-2009, 23:32
I think it's been said elsewhere just how cheap it is these days to implement digital to a fair standard and the diminishing returns curve is very steep indeed from a fairly modest figure.

By todays standards, I reckon the CD52 IISE would be, in standard form and assuming it's still running, rather soft and bland and as for the hyped up CD63 KI Sig? Gawd, that was a harsh one if you got the matching bits wrong (interesting, because the original CD63 sounded very smooth and well behaved in a top end system I heard one in once).

If the el cheapo drive doesn't work out, have a look at current Cambridge or older Arcam players as transports at least. An Alpha 5 has a good transport which tracks very well and Avondale can supply refurbished mechs for a good while yet, as well as being able to breathe fresh life into the original circuit.

i have a cd 63 mkii ki and that i have to agree it is a pretty harsh sounding bit o kit with the wrong kit. the 7520 has made mine sound pretty good though

Peter Stockwell
09-04-2009, 01:06
That sony looks really nice. But, as I discussed with Evelyne, better keep my ducks in a line. I have to keep in the right frame of mind to deal with UPS. so first attempt is the dig out of the DVD player.

ReachtheSky
09-04-2009, 01:20
Have to agree with Hamish and Steve regarding Transports. IMO provided the receiving DAC has a top reclocking circuit and top jitter control, then almost any modest clean digital source will sound similar. Unfortunately many DAC players do tamper with their digital out signal – could be for 5.1 type surround sound – I don’t know why? I’d back a current A$100 Sony DVD linked to a A$200 Behringer SRC to equal almost any A$3000 transport today. Then the real sonic difference comes from the DAC you choose to use.

Regarding the CD 63 mkii KIS, I bought the first one available in my town and I still have it (currently boxed). In its day, 13-14 years ago, it had no competition within two to three times its price bracket. What it did, at that time, was show your system up for what it was. If your system was poor then that’s what it sounded like. If your system was good then it sounded really good. And most good audio gear behaves like that.

Peter Stockwell
09-04-2009, 06:27
Unfortunately many DAC players do tamper with their digital out signal – could be for 5.1 type surround sound – I don’t know why? I’d back a current A$100 Sony DVD linked to a A$200 Behringer SRC to equal almost any A$3000 transport today. Then the real sonic difference comes from the DAC you choose to use.

There's a setting in one of the menus where it has to be set to PCM to pass 2ch. Stereo. Since I don't use 5.1, it's already been set this way.

Peter Stockwell
13-04-2009, 15:26
Mark Grant 2,5m 75 oham coax between the Panasonic HDD/DVD Recorder and the StanDac (TC7510 Mk6/3) and the results are very good.

The UPS story has had an up and a down. They've collected the player for the damages claim, but they've sent me a bill for the COD charges that I should never have to pay because the shipping was prepaid. The fat lady doesn't even know she's an opera singer ....