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Whats the deal with CD players?

I have a hard time telling the difference between CD players, even ones that are cheaply made vs. 'hi-end', or even CD's vs. DVD players. I couldn't even notice a big difference between tube and solid state outputs. When i get a player home i'll set up a double blind a/b test vs. my inexpensive dvd player and have yet to find a player that i could honestly say was a marked improvement. When i read reviews, both amateur and professional, people make it seem like it's night and day. And what do people mean by jitter? Amps and speakers to me can be night and day, but Cd players? I currently use a pair of dynaudio 1.8's and some H/K separates and I'll admit I skimp on cables and use those plastic ones that came with my vcr and dvd player, but despite that, shouldn't I be able to at least tell which player i'm listening to? I'd upgrade my cables, but I don't think cables are to blame. I know this post will piss a lot of people off, but honestly, what is it that you hear that can make you drop tons of cash on a cd player?
128x128perkadin
mdomnick
332 posts
 
No reason this should piss people off...you can only hear what you can hear, but people have to understand, hearing is a subjective sense...like most things in this world.

I would ask this: are you using the digital outs to digital ins, or are you using analogue? If you are using the digital outs, then the cd player in question is simply a transport and won't add to much to the sound, and a=most players will sound "similar."

Also, as the others have said, the chain is only as strong as the weakest link. Maybe your HK gear colors the sound to a point that any input sorce sounds similar.
brianmgrarcom
1,317 posts
 
I don't know why you think you will pi$$ off a lot of people. If you don't hear a difference, by all means enjoy the inexpensive players! (BTW, you didn't mention any brands/models.)

Jitter, from what I understand, are timing issues in the transport. The better the timing, the less jitter. I believe there is a thread on this if you do a search; I never read it but I am sure it was explained in detail by someone.
rwwear
2,867 posts
 
I don't think cables make very much difference if any.
buckingham
333 posts
 
Chances are your system is not resolving enough for you to be able to tell the difference between mediocre and elite cd players. If there's a bottleneck somewhere, you'll hear it more than anything else!
phild
603 posts
 
I agree with Buckingham...it's probably your system. That's not necessarily a bad thing...if you like the sound, then enjoy. I do think that the difference in CD players isn't always as huge as some people make it seem, but it can be as different as two different amps, different cables, etc. Besides obvious differences like "better bass, mids, or highs", I find that the biggest difference involves the palpability of the sounds...there is more atmosphere to each sound...they just sound more real...the soundstage is bigger and more accurate. Those are differences that you notice once you begin upgrading to more transparent components and cables, but you may have to pay quite a bit more for that kind of improvement (depending on your current player). Which cheap DVD player are you using? It may be cheap, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it sounds bad.
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