What's wrong with a DVD player as a transport?

Personally I can't hear anything missing. I've been using an inexpensive Sony DVD changer as a transport into a Bel Canto DAC 1.1. I'm moving this player into our HT system and am replacing it with a Sony Dvpnc 555es as a transport.

This player allows you to turn off the video circuitry and appears to be very well thought out. Although it costs much more than the player it's replacing I don't expect to hear any difference.

I have about a 15k system and don't feel I should spend more on a better transport. My system sounds so good already I'm quite satisfied. Moving a bass trap in my room would be more of a difference than between transports.

I appreciate everybody's input. I'd like to hear from an engineer who could say why a dvd player won't work as well as a cd player for a transport though.

I'd like to hear from an engineer who could say why a dvd player won't work as well as a cd player for a transport though.

Don't hold your breath. An engineer would tell you it doesn't matter what you use as a transport, as long as it can deliver the appropriate stream of bits to the DAC. And most $50 DVD players on the market have no trouble doing that at all.

Like Davetherave, I also have a DAP-777. I purchased a brand new CAL Audio DVD player after they went out of bsuiness for $800. Original cost was $2,500 It has balanced output to feed into the DAP-777. It also had a very expensive transport mechanism.

The review in Stereophile to Home Theatre stated the DVD portion was so-so but it had a state of the art transport section. Sound quality is outstanding. Also the video section can be turned off for less electrical interference. I can't see spending big bucks for a transport. (This replaced a Pioneer DVD model modified by Dan Wright that I used for 4 years with the Birdland DAC-Lite.)

I think John Marks addressed the issue of inexpensive transports in Sterophile stating that a used EAD player sounded fine.

I appreciate everybody's input. I'd like to hear from an engineer who could say why a dvd player won't work as well as a cd player for a transport though.

What makes you think that a DVD player won't be as good of a transport as cd player?

I had a Music Hall CD25 cd player and Sony S7700 dvd player that I compared as just transports and liked S7700 better. Dac was Bel Canto DAC2.

You are speaking in general terms as well when you say dvd player vs cd player as a transport. it's like comparing a sedan to a coupe. which is a better performer? can you say?

They can. I have a reference player that is a modded Sony DVP-S7700 DVD player. There are several others that make superb transports as well, including Denon 2900, Pioneer DV-47A, Pioneer DV-09. All stock transports have weaknesses due to requirements for FCC emissions and sometimes due to poor design as well. See this white-paper for more info:
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue14/spdif.htm

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
manufacturer