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Esoteric DV-50: Any cdp's Significantly better?

Is there are anyone out there who has compared the Esoteric DV-50 to a number of dedicated red book only players (or other universal's) and found one that is SIGNIFICANTLY better?

I stress significantly because in my humble opinion the redbook playback (if comparison unit is just a cd cd player only )must be significantly better to justify losing DVD-A, SACD and DVD-Video capability.

I keep hearing there are better one box solutions and being a die hard 2 channel fan I would sell my DV-50 if I found a player in the same price range that sounds significantly better. But every time I do an AB comparision to other well respected units the DV-50 has slayed each and every one.

So far, it has eaten the lunch of the Classe CDP-10, Ayre CX-7, Linn Ikemi, Cairn Fog Vers. 2, Cary 306/300, Arcam DV 27A and CD 33T, Myryad CD 600, etc. It even betters a Sony SCD 777ES/MF Tri-Vista 21 transport/dac combo that I previously owned. I'm only comparing the DV-50 to single box cd or universal players, but I just wanted to mention the Sony/MF combo. I'm sure there are some dac/transport combo's that will handily beat the DV 50.

Some may say that the DV 50 should beat all the above because the of price point ($5,500 vs. average price of $3,000 for the above players). But I disagree since conventional wisdom says that stand alone players (especially with the pedigree of those mentioned above) should produce better redbook than a universal player trying to be a jack of all trades. Only the DV 27A does video plus audio. By the way, I was very impressed with the 27A as just a cd player. Of all the above I would say the Ayre was the best.

Next on my list is the Electrocompaniet EMC 1UP and the Resolution Audio Opus 21. However, I must tell you I am really impressed with the DV 50 and all the great reviews are absolutely true. I've noticed that many people who are using it or comparing to other players are using the RCA analog outs instead of the balanced outs. There is a significant improvement in sound if you use the balanced outs and I'm only interested in hearing comments from people who have compared it against other players using the balanced outs on the DV-50.

My system components are as follows:

B&W N803's speakers & HTM-1 center
Cary Cinema 5 (5 x 200) amp
Anthem D1 Statement pre/pro
Esoteric DV 50
Acoustic Zen Satori Shotgun speaker wire
Nirvana SX balanced interconnects from DV-50 to Anthem
Acoustic Zen Matrix reference II interconnects from D1 to Cary
No after market power cords or isolation equipment

My system sounds great! Those who comment please make sure to specify what specific improvements you heard over the DV 50 and what cdp were you comparing it against.

AVGURU
avguru
jayctoy's avatar
jayctoy
4,242 posts
 
Well Fla the Sony9000ES, did very in this shootout,If
your unit is not reliable as mine,then as Alex said
the 999es is better,maybe the way to go is the Sony
999ES,if you like Denon,Alex and Dan are both doing
mod for them, 711Smilin will get his DenonModright,I am
sure He is willing to share the info to you, Mark has
theSony999esModwright, when I hear it, I will let you
know, how good it is.Fla with information above, if you
are really looking for modding cdp,this are more than
enough.If you have time read this thread.Enjoy the music.
jayctoy's avatar
jayctoy
4,242 posts
 
Alex I mean Sony9000es that sounds like piano with
my Andras, I dont own the 999ES.
pardales
652 posts
 
I have had to really stop and ask myself some basic questions. Now that I have spent some significant time with an Exemplar 2900, I ask myself, is SACD really necessary? This player forced me to stop and think.

Prior to owning the Exemplar 2900 I owned the Sony XA777ES. SACD's on the Sony sounded very, very good to me. Way better than my redbook versions of the same discs. But after spending several months with the Exemplar I began to notice no significant difference, on many quality recordings, between the SACD and the redbook. For example, I owned two versions of Bill Evans 'Waltz for Debby': one was the SACD and one was the Super-K2 20 bit remaster. Well, on the Exemplar Denon, in my system, I could not tell a significant difference between the two, and, on a few tracks, I actually preferred the 20 bit remaster. This exeperience repeated itself a few times.

This has given me pause. It makes me wonder whether I should just go for something like an AA Capitole II and forget the whole Hi-Rez thing altogether (especially because I am two- channel and don't need DVD). While I have invested a lot of money in SACD only about %10 of them were music I re-bought and the vast majority were hybrids -- so it would not be hard to divest myself of the single-sided SACD's and keep the hybrids (which is mostly new music for me) if I wanted.

I have learned a lot and one of the things that keeps coming back to me is that maybe I just had never owned a really exceptional redbook player before the Exemplar. That is what I am thinking about these days. I have not come to any conclusions. Thanks for reading,
f1a
198 posts
 
Thanks Jacytoy:

Yes, I've read this entire thread, as well as Robert Levi's overwhelming rave of the Modwright 999 at Positive Feedback. I am intrigued to say the least.

I did email Dan Wright and he suggested the 999 Platinum level would probably suit my listening tastes (classical, female vocals) better then either the 9000 or even the Denons...

Of course, I will look forward to reading your opinion of the 999, as well as the opinions of others here.

Kudos to Alex for supporting another modder's product BTW! If the APL mod was more affordable, I'd probably swing that way...
aplhifi
515 posts
 
Jayctoy, I am glad for you that you are happy with Dan's 9000ES. Let me tell you that I have heard the 9000ES as you have it on two occasions in my own system. Also, I've heard it in a local reviewer's house in his system. In both cases, we compared the 9000ES to my previous reference mod based on Phillips SACD1000. Further more, I have measured the frequency response of the 9000ES here in my lab.

The 9000ES has some strengths making it sounding colorful and somewhat enjoyable. In general, and in my opinion, the 9000ES is highly colored sounding machine made to "please the ear". It has nice and lush midrange which is the reason for its "musicality". Other than that, the bass is of nice amount but is flabby (not well controlled), and the highs are significantly rolled off. It will be hard to say that the 9000ES offers the necessary top end detail, air and transparency.

Of course, this player would be very desirable for bright and thin sounding systems as it will add its colors resulting in good synergy and more enjoyable sound from digital. On a true sounding and really revealing system, the 9000ES shows its flaws immediately. This can also be seen measuring the unit in the lab.

Dan made the 9000ES to be more “musical”, not accurate.

The real puzzle is to design a digital player which is musical, accurate, realistic, detailed and extended without being fatiguing, just like professional analog reel-to-reel machines.

Regards,
Alex
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