Expertise on cd changers

Thought I would take advantage of the great expertise of all the great audiophiles in this forum to ask some advice.

I'm planning on replacing my Harmon Kardon FL 8350 for something with improved sound, better transport, and perhaps HDCD. I previewed the Denon DCM370 at a local store, but found the carousel disc mechanism rather loud and a bit clunky. I'm now waiting until next week to preview the new Rotel 1000 series changer, which I understand is supposed to be far superior. Having never owned either Denon or Rotel, do any of you folks have an opinion on either? Both changers are HDCD which means I have to hook up to the analogue inputs of my Yamaha CX1000U for HDCD, unless of course I was to also buy a new HDCD equipped amplifier. Any other opinions on brands and models of changers I might consider in a similar qualite and price range?

That poses another question in my mind. I have a Yamaha EQ1100U Graphic equalizer that I haven't used in 5 years, due to having everything hooked up digitally. Should I reinstall the equalizer, if I am going back to analogue, for the HDCD changer? Or should I just forget about HDCD and concentrate simply on the changer itself.

I have a single disc Sony XE-670 SACD player, the single disc brother, in Canada, of the 775 changer. I am wondering if I should upgrade to a Sony ES model SACD changer, instead of buying another standard, or HDCD compatible model?

Any thoughts or ideas would be very much appreciated.

BTW, the better half has limited me to a budget of $1200 (that's Canadian Tire money too, not real US greenbacks!),for this new piece of equipment. She seems to think there are other things in life to spend money on, heaven forbid!!

Thanks for any and all input.

PapaJay

 

If you want a MUCH better CD/SACD player than the XE-670, check out Oade Bros. (You have to call for prices - they are an authorized Sony dealer, but are NOT authorized for internet sales, so they can't post prices on the website.) The Sony SCD555es SACD changer is $595 (orig $1700) new in the box with full factory warranty or $770 with upgraded op-amps. (You MAY have to send the modded player to Oade for warranty sevice.) Shipping is $25 in the US. I don't know what that works out to in CAN, but it's the best DEAL going right now, and is the best price on a 555 I could find from an AUTHORIZED dealer in the US.

I don't think the SCD555es plays HDCD, but it's a LOT better player than the 775 and is a STEAL at $595 US. For $200 the 775 is a great player, but I demoed both players in my home simultaneously, and compared to the 555, the 775 sounded muddy and distant. I don't know that the 555 was worth the $1200 difference in the original list price($399 for 775 vs. $1700 for 555), but it's DEFINITELY worth $395 more than 775.

I don't know much about HDCD, but as for the equalizer, you should liten to the system without it, then hook up the equalizer and see how much it degrades the sound with everything FLAT. (You should hear more grain, depending on the rest of your system.) Then set up your EQ curve and listen again. If you LIKE EQ, and think the EQ is worth the sound compromise/added grain, use the equalizer. Otherwise, take it out.

 

Thanks for your suggestions, dwmann. Just wondering what warranty problems I might run into with Sony, if I needed service on the unit.
Any other Canadians bought hardware in the States who have had any problems with void warranties up here?

I've talked with one of the sound guys in town. First suggestion...lose the equalizer, more problems than fixes according to them.Their idea if I was to get the Rotel HDCD player. It has a co-axial out that I could hook into the Tape 1 or 2 co-ax in, on the amp, using it for regular cd, and hook the analogue outs, to the cd analogue inputs, for HDCD recognition. Then simply switch back and forth depending on format.

I may call Sony and ask about warranties or service problems with buying the unit from the States.

Thanks again,

PJ

 

Gary, thanks for the info on G&G. I'll maybe give them a call tomorrow. Tried their website, but it is being updated. I did call the local Sony Store and they're still quoting $1499, that is, if they had one, which they don't. That's what their computer is telling them though.

I have already decided against the equalizer idea at any rate. It's going in the "to sell" used equipment pile in the basement.

On another subject, I suggested to the Sony Store manager that he might want to consider carrying some SACD's, being there isn't any other place in London that stocks them. He said that the Sony Store is only interested in selling "big ticket" items, not get into software. I asked how many SACD players he has sold, he said "not many". No wonder the format is going nowhere up here. Who is going to buy a player that you can't get discs for, unless you go online or go across the border? What a place!

 

Do they not sell Playstation and PS2 games in the store ?

When I worked with Sony most of the stores outside Japan were franchises and outside of certain line stocking regulations were more or less free to stock or not stock as they wish. Maybe a letter to Sony corporate pointing out the missed opportunity would actually work the trick in this case - but then again Sony Music, Electronics and Playstation were three semi-autonomous companies. (just thinking out loud)

All the best - Andrew

 

Hey Papa Jay, sounds like a great business venture if there are enough people living there in London Ont. to make it worth while. You might try some of the smaller audiophile dealers in your neck of the woods providing you have some of course.

 

Papa Jay, don't dismiss the Rotel. I've owned two of them and still have both of them and I really think they are great units for the money . Its great to have a machine that decodes HDCD! They are very reliable. And i also forgot to say that I have a Sony 555 ES, which I am totally happy with. Best, Ron.

 

Ron, it's definitely down to the Rotel or the 555ES. I'm leaning toward the Rotel because I want to hook into my stereo, not my surround system. I know the 555ES is great on red book cds, as well as SACD's. I may wait till next year to upgrade my SACD player, see how the market shakes out, between SACD and DVD-A. I have over 7,000cds, maybe 100 HDCDs, but only 20 SACDs, so my thinking is good, solid cd changer at the moment. But, if I can get a 555ES for 1k, I might not be able to pass it up either. I may have to try to sneak one past the wife!


PapaJay

 

Does the 555 have the clunky platter noise that the 775 has? I might just upgrade it for that!

 

Dean, I haven't demo'd a 555 yet, so can't comment. I understand it's a quantum upgrade, soundwise, to the 775. I have the single player equivalent of the 775, the XE670, which was available in Europe and Canada, but not from what I understand, in the US. It seems to be good and solid. That is one thing I want in a new changer, a good solid transport, as well as upgraded sound. My old Harmon Kardon had a clunky platter too, and needed repairs twice. The Denon I tested seemed to be light in that area too, and reviews I read on the internet confirmed problems with that machine. I'm going to demo a 555ES this weekend in Toronto, and next week a brand new Rotel 1000 series changer. I may like both of them so much, I'll have to spring for two!

PJ

 

Hey, Papa...

I've owned the Denon DCM-370 for about a year and a half and it's been an awesome player...great, rich, full sound, 5-disc carousel, remote control, and HDCD to boot!

Drawbacks:

Yes, the drawer sounds kind of chattery but I didn't mind it as it did not affect playback in any way...

The display is a bit bright (blue) and there is no way to dim it.

Other than that, a pretty damn good performer. BTW, I will be listing mine on Audiogon (just have too many CD players - wife factor in play) in the next couple of days if you want to pick a solid used one cheap!


All the Best,

Ben

 

Thanks for the offer, Ben. I was impressed with the sound of the Denon when I heard it. But since this may be the last cd changer I buy, what with all the new formats spinning around, I really wanted something a tad higher up. I'm checking out four in the next week, a Rotel,NAD,Arcam and the Sony 555ES. You should be able to sell the Denon quite quickly.

Good luck on your sale.

PapaJay

 

Or you could pool your funds and pick up an AX777ES for around $2000 US.

 

One down, one to go. The new Rotel carousel changer isn't scheduled for release now until November at the earliest. So, I purchased the Rotel RCD-1070 single disc player, instead. Just hooked it up about two hours ago and I'm breaking it in. Wonderful, full sound. Not the harshess my Harmon Kardon had. I upgraded to a MIT Z power chord and Kimber cables.

Now it looks like I might be in the market for that 555ES this weekend.

Just a rockin' here in London.

PapaJay

 

Papa Jay,

Just in case you decide to put out the big dollars...I've heard that the Sony's generally sound a bit too clinical and not as warm as some others. The one that I've heard that really blew my socks off was the SACDP by Classe'.

Curiously which Kimbers are you running? (another Kimber fan )

 

Dave, I just went to the Classe website, pretty impressive equipment! Maybe a bit out of my price range now. More than about 1K Canadian and I'm in divorce court now, that I've also purchased the Rotel.

My Kimbers are the Silver Streak. From what I can hear so far, they make a big difference as well. So does the upgraded power chord.

PapaJay

 

Best of luck in your search, PapaJay....good weekend.


Ben