*Q*: Portable CD player, best sounding?
Michael N. Goldshteyn
player that has a 20 bit DAC, for example? I would like to spend a couple
of hundred dollars on the best sounding player. I don't care about shake
resistance, or features, I just want the one with the best audiophile sound.
Thanks
Michael Goldshteyn
mi...@wwa.com
Gene
Goldshteyn) writes:
> What is the best sounding portable CD player out there? Is there any
> player that has a 20 bit DAC, for example? I would like to spend a
> couple of hundred dollars on the best sounding player. I don't care
> about shake resistance, or features, I just want the one with the best
> audiophile sound.
>
Most CD players sound pretty much alike, and, remember, the CD standard is
16-bit. While 20-bit decoders get you a little more signal to noise ratio,
in practice the effect is not terribly audible (except to advertising
copywriters who need to push the "next great thing."
What you should be looking for is a player from a manufacturer with a
reputation for good reliability and one with reasonable immunity from
shock if you intend to move it around. I'd suggest you try a couple of
units out at your local audio dealer and see which one holds up best to
bouncing and jouncing.
Peace,
Gene
Steve Zipser (Sunshine Stereo)
>In mesage <4bk9a7$a...@sashimi.wwa.com> mi...@sashimi.wwa.com (Michael N.
>Goldshteyn) writes:
>
>> What is the best sounding portable CD player out there? Is there any
>> player that has a 20 bit DAC, for example? I would like to spend a
>> couple of hundred dollars on the best sounding player. I don't care
>> about shake resistance, or features, I just want the one with the best
>> audiophile sound.
>>
>
>Most CD players sound pretty much alike, and, remember, the CD standard is
>16-bit. While 20-bit decoders get you a little more signal to noise ratio,
>in practice the effect is not terribly audible (except to advertising
>copywriters who need to push the "next great thing."
This is of course, a lot of hooey! There are definite differences in the sound
of CD Players - even (and especially) portables. Not only is there a difference
in the DAC's, there are differences in the amplification sections which
determine their ability to play headphones. As usual, Mr. 'Everything Sounds
The Same" Gene gets it' wrong again. He's not even close on this one!
>What you should be looking for is a player from a manufacturer with a
>reputation for good reliability and one with reasonable immunity from
>shock if you intend to move it around. I'd suggest you try a couple of
>units out at your local audio dealer and see which one holds up best to
>bouncing and jouncing.
At least here he dispenses good advice - but it doesn't go far enough! Bring
along the specific headphones you intend to use to make absolutely certain that
the prospective portable CD player can properly play them!
Zip
Steve Zipser (Sunshine Stereo)
Arther Dent
>ge...@aol.com (Gene) wrote:
>>In mesage <4bk9a7$a...@sashimi.wwa.com> mi...@sashimi.wwa.com (Michael N.
>>Goldshteyn) writes:
>>
>>> What is the best sounding portable CD player out there? Is there any
>>> player that has a 20 bit DAC, for example? I would like to spend a
>>> couple of hundred dollars on the best sounding player. I don't care
>>> about shake resistance, or features, I just want the one with the best
>>> audiophile sound.
>>>
>>
>>Most CD players sound pretty much alike, and, remember, the CD standard is
>>16-bit. While 20-bit decoders get you a little more signal to noise ratio,
>>in practice the effect is not terribly audible (except to advertising
>>copywriters who need to push the "next great thing."
This is absolutely NOT true. I just finished listening to a great many
CD protables. More than HALF of them sounded WORSE than my CASSETTE
walkman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I kid you not, my 4 odd year old Sony WMDX7 with
Maxell XLIIS60 tapes <copies of CDs that I made> beat most protable CD
players playin the original)
So, every CD player clearly does not sound the same! One model that I
listened to stood out, the Optimus CD-3470 it's not the 3400, but it is
close. and it was hard to skip too :)
There is another option, DAT. Sony makes a wonderful little DAT
play-only walkman (WMDDT1) that sounds superb trouble is, it costs $500
and you need a home DAT recorder ($800) to make tapes!!!!
But, if you want the ultimate in portable music reproduction....
Evro
:
: This is absolutely NOT true. I just finished listening to a great many
: walkman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I kid you not, my 4 odd year old Sony WMDX7 with
: Maxell XLIIS60 tapes <copies of CDs that I made> beat most protable CD
: players playin the original)
: So, every CD player clearly does not sound the same! One model that I
: listened to stood out, the Optimus CD-3470 it's not the 3400, but it is
: close. and it was hard to skip too :)
I have to say, I think portable discman quality has declined quite a bit
over the last few years... I had a Kenwood DPC-741 ("$229 top of the line")
that was about 3-4 years old... as far as sound quality was concerned, I
liked it MUCH more than the new offerings from Kenwood, Sony, Aiwa, etc.
Of course, the futility of discman in general finally got to me, and I
ended up selling it to a friend with about 40 hrs of use on it. He had a
brand new Sony and was amazed at how much better the older Kenwood
sounded.. but maybe I just got lucky..
Michael N. Goldshteyn
>"Steve Zipser (Sunshine Stereo)" <z...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>>ge...@aol.com (Gene) wrote:
>>>In mesage <4bk9a7$a...@sashimi.wwa.com> mi...@sashimi.wwa.com (Michael N.
>>>Goldshteyn) writes:
>>>
>>>> What is the best sounding portable CD player out there? Is there any
>>>> player that has a 20 bit DAC, for example? I would like to spend a
>>>> couple of hundred dollars on the best sounding player. I don't care
>>>> about shake resistance, or features, I just want the one with the best
>>>> audiophile sound.
>>>>
>CD protables. More than HALF of them sounded WORSE than my CASSETTE
>walkman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I kid you not, my 4 odd year old Sony WMDX7 with
>Maxell XLIIS60 tapes <copies of CDs that I made> beat most protable CD
>players playin the original)
>So, every CD player clearly does not sound the same! One model that I
>listened to stood out, the Optimus CD-3470 it's not the 3400, but it is
>close. and it was hard to skip too :)
I noticed that the 3400 was discontinued and am wondering how good the
other 34XX models sound compared to the original 3400. Did the quality
get better or worse? If worse, how much worse? Is Radio Shack still ahead
in portable CD player quality or are some of the top of the line
mid-fi models (e.g. Sony, Pioneer, Kenwood, AIWA) better?
Thanks
Mike
mi...@wwa.com
Andy Trafford
>play-only walkman (WMDDT1) that sounds superb trouble is, it costs $500
>and you need a home DAT recorder ($800) to make tapes!!!!
>But, if you want the ultimate in portable music reproduction....
>
Don't forget the other portable Sony DAT, the D7. This one records so it
makes getting into DAT a bit cheaper...
A D7, a pair of Acoustic Research Powered Wedges, Sennheiser HD580s, and DAT
copies of my best vinyl - makes a great office system :) Sounds better than
my home system. And I've got to find some of these crackly, noisy records
that people keep talking about - I'm having a very hard time convincing people
at work that this sound started out on a big black disk, not a wimpy little
silver one...
Traff
Kerry Davison
>>So, every CD player clearly does not sound the same! One model that I
>>listened to stood out, the Optimus CD-3470 it's not the 3400, but it is
>>close. and it was hard to skip too :)
>
>I noticed that the 3400 was discontinued and am wondering how good the
>other 34XX models sound compared to the original 3400. Did the quality
>get better or worse? If worse, how much worse? Is Radio Shack still ahead
>in portable CD player quality or are some of the top of the line
>mid-fi models (e.g. Sony, Pioneer, Kenwood, AIWA) better?
>
>Thanks
>
>Mike
>mi...@wwa.com
>
I recently picked up a CD-3490 to replace a CD-3400 that gave up the ghost.
I tried a Panasonic 291C for about 3 weeks first bust brought it back
due to harsh sound. The 3490 seems a bit less rolled at the frequency
extremes than I recall the CD3400 being when connected via line-out
to my home system (rest of system: Cary SLM100, Meitner PA6i, Jung
modified Philips LHH500 CD, TNT/ET2/V15). The 3490 is quite good in the
home setup whnw run off alkalines -- 3400 sort of flat and discouraged
long-term listening in this setup; 3490 could be considered for long-term
use. For portable phones, I've used Grado SR60, SR80, and Optimus Pro-25.
On the Panasonic 291C, the Grados won; on the 3400 and 3490 the nod
when to the Optimus Pro-25 phones. The sound of the 3400 vs 34900 over
the Pro-25 is rather similar per my best recollection. Both the
291C and 3490 have a 3 second memory -- the sound quality of the 3490
seems to degarde much more noticebly than that of the 291C when the
3 second buffer is enavled. BTW, I own a portable stricly for use
on airplanes and in hotel rooms. I've considered going the Headroom amp/
Epthomptics route but have been so far put off by the direct-marketing
thing keeping me from audioning them. I'm starting to travel enough
that I feel that I could justify a top quality portable system --
Optimii via the headphone out jacks is still stricltly mid-fi,
albeait decent mid-fi.
Kerry.
Brian Pickering
wrote:
>What is the best sounding portable CD player out there? Is there any
>player that has a 20 bit DAC, for example? I would like to spend a couple
>of hundred dollars on the best sounding player. I don't care about shake
>resistance, or features, I just want the one with the best audiophile sound.
>
>Thanks
>
>Michael Goldshteyn
>mi...@wwa.com
But of course it's the Optimus CD-3400! If you can get your hands on
one. They got discontinued a few months ago. The motor in mine burnt out and
there are no replacement parts available from RS. On my search for a
replacement I found the JVC XL-P81($189). It has a defeatable digital memory
for rugged use, and has a pretty good sounding headphone amp. It does take 4-AA
batteries though, and the display lights can't be turned off. It also has no
digital out like the 3400 did, which makes it useless for home stereo use,
unless you like the built in D/A(it's a 1-bit, fairly good sounding tho).
- Brian Pickering -