Cheap DVD player as a transport - ever tried it?

[Accudazed]

Hi

Well, my Accuphase DP-500 is virtually dead (6 months nightmare that is far from over - all will be revealed when it is resolved...). Whilst I am bustin to share my horrendous experience with AoS members because there is much to learn from it, the whole debacle is still at a delicate stage legally, so I am keeping shtum for now.

What I will say at this stage is that I was treated abominably by Accuphase UK who said they would repair my machine and, after testing it, decided they would not even though they knew what the problem was and could get the parts. So, Richard Barnard reassembled my faulty CD player and sent it back to me at my expense. The shipping costs I incurred whilst benefitting from this appalling service was £130. Nice eh? Imagine if I had spent £36,000 on Accuphase's flagship CD player and then had to suffer that kind of service? So, dear AoS member, I recommend that you give R.T. Services (that's Robert Purnell, Accuphase UK distributor - website not updated since February 2012...) and Richard Barnard a very wide berth.

I am pretty sure that the DAC in my DP-500 is still working (and, it is one helluva DAC too). Accuphase UK thought so, so it must be okay! Since I can use this DAC as a standalone machine I thought (with the help of The Grand Wazzoo) that using a cheap DVD player (strapped for cash!) as a transport for my DP-500's DAC would get me listening to CDs again. You can get new Sony DVD players with a digital output that play CDs, CD-Rs and CD-RWs for less than £30. SH Blueray players can be had for similar money and that would give me SACD capability too. Has anyone tried this?

Imagine if this cheap DVD player transport option produced similar results to the 18lb monster transport in my DP-500? In this crazy world, anything is possible!

Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated.

Cheers

Steve

[Macca]

o. Has anyone tried this?

Imagine if this cheap DVD player transport option produced similar results to the 18lb monster transport in my DP-500? In this crazy world, anything is possible!

I applaud the sentiment but it's not true as often as you might wish.

I've tried using DVD and BD players as transports, using both the DAC of a Cambridge 840C ( tried with both upsampling and regular options) and the DAC in my XTZ amp.

In all cases I thought the players sounded better stand alone. The BD player was noticeably inferior to the DVD player. Some proper CD players fared better than both but again not as good as standalone.

I was gutted since I love a cheap solution. Who doesn't?

On the other hand I have read anecdotal evidence from others where cheap Tesco DVD players used as transports have wiped the floor with a couple of grands worth of Wadia or whatever. So I wouldn't rule out doing your own experimentation, especially as it is by definition, cheap. These things can often be system dependant. It would help if anyone knew precisely why a digital transport effects the sound. I agree that it does but the explanations I have seen are pretty weak.

[JohnMcC]

Silly question, but I was sitting in my car waiting for my Wife this morning, listening to the Pioneer car CD player and wandering if anyone has ever used such a player simply as a transport? They have to be pretty sturdy to put up with conditions in a car, they run on a 12V supply so would be isolated from the mains, they have slot loading so no flimsy drawer to break etc. Just wondered. If they read the digital signal to a decent DAC maybe, just maybe . . . ?

[Macca]

Silly question, but I was sitting in my car waiting for my Wife this morning, listening to the Pioneer car CD player and wandering if anyone has ever used such a player simply as a transport? They have to be pretty sturdy to put up with conditions in a car, they run on a 12V supply so would be isolated from the mains, they have slot loading so no flimsy drawer to break etc. Just wondered. If they read the digital signal to a decent DAC maybe, just maybe . . . ?

Never tried it, but I see your logic.

I've never tried one of those DJ players that look like mini turntables, either, but I quite fancy giving it a go. Trouble is the well built ones are expensive even used.

[Andrei]

If you use it as an file based player you can get better results. Worth a try. Use either WAV or FLAC download onto a stick or SSD and connect to the player via the USB input. You will need a screen to access the menu but a lot better performance than using as a CD transport

This is definitively worth a try. This works for example on my Oppo BDP 105. I have played CD quality rips, mp3s, hi-rez files (flac ans wav) and a fair bit of DSD content this way. In theory this should sound better than reading from a spinning source.

Silly question, but I was sitting in my car waiting for my Wife this morning, listening to the Pioneer car CD player and wandering if anyone has ever used such a player simply as a transport? They have to be pretty sturdy to put up with conditions in a car, they run on a 12V supply so would be isolated from the mains, they have slot loading so no flimsy drawer to break etc. Just wondered. If they read the digital signal to a decent DAC maybe, just maybe . . . ?

Yes I have wondered before about the inherently severe vibration of the motor vehicle. Interesting idea but getting digital output would be tricky.

[John]

If you use it as an file based player you can get better results. Worth a try. Use either WAV or FLAC download onto a stick or SSD and connect to the player via the USB input. You will need a screen to access the menu but a lot better performance than using as a CD transport

[struth]

1/Plenty good cheap old dvd players make good transport imo. The old Poneers etc.

2/Keep it in the rack for looks and use flac files from a pc

[Ninanina]

Steve I'm so sorry to hear of all the problems you are having with Accuphase... nightmare..

I've been using a Pioneer DV717 for a while now and I have no complaints, and I believe there a couple of others on here using them as well. I did have a Meridian 506 before and while it was pretty good I believe I've improved on it by using the 717 into a Rega Dac

I purchased a second 717 just to keep as a 'spare' as they are so cheap.. £50 should buy you a nice one.. my two are in the rather 'fetching' champagne colour, which is nice !!

I have a friend that also swapped his Meridian for a Pioneer DV989, sort of a more up to date 717, and also using it with a Rega Dac and he's very happy ... However the 717's are proper Made In Japan jobbies which I think makes a difference..

[walpurgis]

I've been using a Pioneer DV717 for a while now and I have no complaints, and I believe there a couple of others on here using them as well.

You'll never guess what I do with my DV-717. I play DVDs with it!

[Ninanina]

You'll never guess what I do with my DV-717. I play DVDs with it!

True they are ok for that as well..

Actually my spare 717 is used for DVD's however it pretty much doesn't ever get used...