Yamaha CD-S300 and CD-S700

The 300 weighs exactly like my old Technics, 3.4 kg. Guess weight doesn't guarantee much uh ?

 

No it doesn't guarantee anything but most people take a heavier weight as a sign of quality. A more robust chassis, beefier power supply, etc.

 

Yeah I think those things are desirable myself. Usually the heavier the more expensive also.

 

Great price! I paid 249 euro for mine about six months ago. It was worth it though.

 

The S-300 is very nice sounding but not especially dynamic or as refined as the 700. typically the higher priced players have a much better analog amplification system to bump up the power and dynamics, much like more expensive phono preamps do. larger power supplies / transformers are the clue that the sound will be improved.

 

From the YouTube vids I've seen, it would seem the loading mechanism is unusually slow; not so much to load the deiscsa themselves, but skip to other song on the disc and it can take 3-7¨ to start playing it. This is a common complaint on reviews all over the web. Any experiences with that particular issue ?

 

Not a problem I have experienced. I’m playing a CD now and skipped through the whole disc to test it and it plays the next track within a second or so.

 

I never had the problem of losing a second in a song with my cd player when I skip a song but it can take about 2 seconds to the song to start , sometimes only 1 second , that's not a problem for me

 

Lots of these examples.1-2 secs would not be a problem, but 7 ?!

 

I agree that 7 seconds is a big problem and something must be wrong.

 

mine is in a box out of service but i don't remember this being an issue.

 

In case it wasn't clear yet, it is definitely a problem with that particular unit. It is not a design problem in all units.

 

You know George, this was posted a few months ago. I think Steve H had an interest in it.
Sparkler Audio S507

 

Thanks, but that wouldn't work for me.

 

After rereading this thread this week, especially posts like the one above, I decided to give the CD-S700 another try. My local store had one and they gave me $170 off the already discounted price of $899, so I paid $629. I brought it home, plugged it in and everything functions without error. The USB function and the CD drive seem to be operating fine. I'll give it at least 100 hours of burn in before making any serious decisions about the player, but so far it sounds great! Bigger soundstage, more space between instruments and more realism than my CD-S300. As stated above, the CD-S700 is also more dynamic than the CD-S300, resulting in a more lively, exciting sound. And yes, the overall sound is more refined than that of the CD-S300.

So, off to a good start. I'm glad I decided to give another CD-S700 a try. I have always loved Yamaha's stuff, hence my avatar.

 

That is a good price. The CD-S700 is selling for $799 from Amazon and Crutchfield.

 

Guys - The CD-S700 has a differential D/A converter. What does Differential D/A Converter mean? Does it mean a separate DAC for each channel?

 

HERE is a thread talking about differential DACs...evidently means a separate DAC for each of the 2 channels (?)...or...could refer to multiple DACs, e.g., (referring to the product ADAU1962 12-Channel High Performance Differential Output DAC) "Analog Devices ADAU1962 high performance, single chip, digital-to- analog converter (DAC) provides 12 DACs with differential outputs using the Analog Devices, Inc., patented multibit sigma-delta (Σ-Δ) architecture." Sounds like a term whose meaning is, well, differential.

 

OK, I figured I would post an update on my new CD-S700.

Luckily, this time around, no defects have been found with this player. I found a few odd quirks, though. For example, for USB usage with multiple files, in order for all files to be playable, they need to be in a folder. Easy enough to accomplish, but still odd to me, especially considering that this info was not in the manual. If the files are not in a folder, only one of them is playable. The other odd thing is the disc tray. Although super quiet, it has four small bumps that the CD sits inside of, but because I have my player on a shelf that is a little bit above eye level, it is a bit tricky to get the CD in the correct position each time. And if you don't get it in correct position, the drawer simply jams up, stops, and you then need to open the drawer and fix the CD position. I figure this has to be bad for the player if it happens a lot, so I have been carefully loading CDs. Still, I incorrectly loaded one today. I read online that the drawer is belt driven. I'm not sure if this means it is more durable when it comes to stuff like this, but if anyone knows, please let me know?

Anyway, I am now at 100 hours of constant playing time. During that time, I have played a variety of CDs on repeat, with the sound down, except for when I wanted to listen to music. I have tried not to do any evaluations until this point. To see where the player was at today, I used a variety of CDs that I know well, rock/soul/hip hop and classical CDs. I listened to at least a few minutes of each disc. And I have to say, I am liking what I hear! Overall, I am getting a nice, rich, full, refined sound with plenty of detail. Focus and clarity is particularly good. Bass is full and tight, midrange and treble are clear and natural.

Comparing this to the sound I got with the CD-S300, which I have had for over 3 years now, I would say the biggest change with the CD-S700 is much improved focus and clarity. I can hear everything on the soundstage, which is now a bit wider and much deeper. I think this depth is something that I was really missing on the CD-S300. I wasn't even aware of it, though I frequently found that it was hard to make out all of the performers of the soundstage, one blurred into another at times. Now, everything is in its place, nothing crowding anything else. I had read before about there being air around the performers on the soundstage, but never really experienced it like this before. And perhaps due to the dual DACs, one for each channel, as opposed to just one with the CD-S300, the panned sounds on the left and right have more realism, detail and presence than before. Another plus on the CD-S700 is the bass. It has more impact now, but it's also better managed, tighter than with the CD-S300. The treble and midrange is a bit smoother with the CD-S700, with no loss of detail.

 

In the first 30 seconds of this video, one can see the CD-S700's tray being opened and the insertion of a CD. The 4 bumps can be seen, as the use has to be careful to seat the CD correctly.

 

Exactly! Nice job finding that video!

I feel a bit better watching that video, for I have a much easier time than the guy in the video has at lining up the CD on the tray. And my player is 5.5' from the floor so I have to reach above and drop the CD in the tray.

 

Another update. As was the case with the first CD-S700 I tried, my second CD-S700 is having problems reading discs. Over the last two days, it has had trouble reading three different discs. After putting them in, the display simply reads "CLOSE," which is usually what it shows as the tray is closing. I opened the tray each time and each time the CD was centered properly. The discs in question are fine and play without error on my CD-S300, as they always have.

So once again, I am going to return the CD-S700. I am well within the return policy period, so I'll get a full refund.

Also once again, I am going to stick with my trusty CD-S300. Unlike the numerous players I have tried to replace it with, some that were as much as four times more expensive, it plays all my CDs without error.

 

What a revoltin' development...

 

I don't believe it! You must be totally p*ssed off! And Yamaha of all manufacturers! I have the S300 and my son and I have the AS-501 amplifier and they are brilliant.
But they are mid-range products.
What the hell is happening higher up the chain?
I have two ancient portable CD players from 2001 or so and they still read anything I put into them!
So - in 2018 a high-end machine can't even read a bloody disc?
Give me strength!