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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
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.
tobias
1,534 posts
 
You should be able to hear a difference between players at the lower and higher ends of the scale, but without knowing which ones you've actually listened to it's hard to guess what might help. Even with crap downstream, you should notice a difference between, for example, a made-in-China Japanese mass-market model and a decent Adcom, Vecteur, Roksan or...

HK separates and "free" interconnects won't let you hear all of what you pay for, though. Even less-expensive audiophile cables are a must when you get your first good player.

Are you seriously looking ? If you are, go to a decent store and ask them to let you hear a high-end player through really good speakers and electronics. Most stores will do this for you once even if you don't buy anything, just in case you get hooked. Then ask them how to get from what you have now to a system like the one you heard.

If you still can't hear anything worthwhile, try another hobby.
garfish
1,840 posts
 
Good points above; I'd just add that maybe you haven't learned "critical listening skills"-- it does take awhile to become a skillful listener. Rapid A/B comparisons may not be enough time with each source. It took me 3 to 5 years to acquire what I consdider "good" listening skills-- and have confidence in them.

You may need listen to one source for several days or at least hours before you can judge the "character" of the component. Cheap digital can often be very fatiguing in a longer listening session. And I agree with the above posters regarding poor quality ICs, speaker cables etc. Also system synergy may not have been addressed? Good Luck. Craig
bomarc
501 posts
 
There are plenty of audiophiles with very good systems who believe that modern CD players sound very similar--and that many aren't distinguishable from one another at all. So don't let anyone tell you it's your "untrained ears" or your "nonresolving system." It's quite possible that the reason you can't hear a difference between the players you've tried is because they really do sound alike. They certainly sound alike to you, so don't sweat it. Put your money into gear that really does make a difference to you.
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