Toshiba SD 3109 As a CD Player?

[Tim Britt]

Toshiba's introduced two new DVD players, the SD 3109 and the SD 5109
that do HDCD decoding.

I was in a Best Buy on Saturday and noted they were stocking and
selling the 3109 for $399, so this seems like a heck of a price for a
DVD player _and_ an HDCD CD player.

I've read elsewhere the Toshiba's are generally well thought of for
DVD movie playback.

So, my specific question is: Has anyone here actually listened to CDs
on a 3109 and would they care to share their comments on what they
thought?

[Chris Jensen]

I can't imagine a better CD player in 400.00 range I could hear the
difference through my TV speakers before I got the whole system set
up. On toshibas site they have some info on how they've tried to
reduce the jitter in these new players, If nothing else, It would make
a nice transport.

Chris

Tim Britt wrote:

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[Lv70smusic]

I wrote a post in a different newsgroup about one week ago about my
impressions of the 3109 as a cd player. (You can do a dejanews search
if you want to read everything I wrote then.) I also would state that
for $400, I cannot imagine a better cd player (though I got mine for
$360!). I'm sure it all depends on what you've been listening to, and
what you will be listening through, but in my system I'm getting a lot
better resolution than before, and not just with HDCD discs. Every cd
I have sounds better through the 3109...then again, I was using an
inexpensive (for the brand) Harman Kardon carousel player before.

Jeff (now listening through a Fisher 500C)

[DOUG DUGUID]

Don't bother!1st---almost all DVD players sound bad as cd players
compared to a similarly priced CD-only player. The only exceptions
to this rule are the high-end very expensive players such as the CAL,
the Faroudja, the Meridian, etc. HDCD playback is nothing if the
player's internal componentry mucks up the sound. Sure they're the
same Pacific Microsonics chipsets, but what comes before and after
is where the problems are caused. A Lamborghini transmission is
worthless when it is coupled to a Yugo engine. 2nd---remember where
you were when you saw the machine. Do you seriously think you can
find ANYTHING high-end at Best B-Stock or Circus Silly?
Stick to the good ones and do your ears a favor.
Doug D.
Tim Britt wrote in message <7gla6q$mdh$1...@agate.berkeley.edu>...
>...my specific question is: Has anyone here actually listened to CDs

[Tom Terleski]

I recently purchased a 3109 for a DVD player for my system (Theater
Grand, Cinema Grand, ML aeriusI's). I also own a well broken in
Marantz 67 SE. The Marantz sounds much warmer and provides large
improvements over the spacial sound. I bought the 3109 to also check
out the HDCD performance. It performs as described earlier. Regular
CD's are flat next to the Marantz. I have no bias toward Marantz
(its what my dealer recommended) I didn't even consider Marantz
beforehand. I've really grown to like it though for my CD's. The
HDCD's sound better on the Marantz then the DVD player! You will
hear an improvement over regular CD's on the 3109 in HDCD mode - but
it has an "shimmer" or electronic sound. My dealer described this
trend with all HDCD players. If what he described is what I am
hearing - I may not like the sound of HDCD.

Has anyone any comments about the "sound" of HDCD?

By the way, the 3109 is an outstanding DVD player for the money as
we all wait for the new formats to come out. The remote and it's
functions just plainly sucks.

tu...@cisnet.com

Tim Britt <tbr...@skybest.com> wrote in message
news:7gla6q$mdh$1...@agate.berkeley.edu...

> Toshiba's introduced two new DVD players, the SD 3109 and the SD 5109
> that do HDCD decoding.
>
> I was in a Best Buy on Saturday and noted they were stocking and
> selling the 3109 for $399, so this seems like a heck of a price for a
> DVD player _and_ an HDCD CD player.
>
> I've read elsewhere the Toshiba's are generally well thought of for
> DVD movie playback.
>

> So, my specific question is: Has anyone here actually listened to CDs

[Ted Weeks]

In article <7gla6q$mdh$1...@agate.berkeley.edu>, Tim Britt
<tbr...@skybest.com> wrote:

> Toshiba's introduced two new DVD players, the SD 3109 and the SD 5109
> that do HDCD decoding.
>
> I was in a Best Buy on Saturday and noted they were stocking and
> selling the 3109 for $399, so this seems like a heck of a price for a
> DVD player _and_ an HDCD CD player.

http://www.suttertel.com/dvd1.html gives a description and summary of
the 2nd generation Toshiba DVD line, and I found theIR price for the
SD-3109 (below).

SD-3109 DVD Player with ColorStream Component Output, Built-In AC-3
Decoder and Twin Try Playback $369 - Free UPS GroundTrac Shipping
Built-in Dolby Digital (AC-3) decoding
Twin tray loading
ColorStream Component, Composite and S-VHS video output terminals
Video CD playback
10-bit video digital to analog converter
HDCD decoding and filtering
Enhanced video black level control
3 position fluorescent display
25 sector picture zoom
Spatializer N-2-2 virtual surround sound
DTS bitstream output
Dolby AC-3 output
Remote control

Trust Ted Weeks

[Lance Cleveland]

http://www.proactiveelectronics.com/dvd.htm

Has specifications and other data.

The SD3109 is also shipping for $357 - including delivery via UPS ground.