I'm considering using my Cambridge Audio Azur 540D as a dedicated CD player, what say you?
I've scoured the Internet for a reason not to, but I can't find one. All of the reviews of the 540D are aglow with how well it handles music, and it does, as far as my ear is concerned.
Having said that, I'd still like to know your opinions.
I don't have a great deal of experience with CD only players. The only ones I've heard of late have been in show rooms & tied into multi-thousand dollar systems.
What should I look for in terms of sonic improvements? What are the differences between a "great" and a "crappy" CD player. Should one be able to automatically discern the difference between a $200 and a $2000 player, or pick it out as a weak link in system, because I'm not certain I can?
CM, if you venture out of Brooklyn and find a shop, maybe you can get a demo unit for one night. Cambridge, Nad, Rotel or Rega. You know the brands. That might speak better than words.
And try your cables with both, then maybe a fair set from the dealer as well?
Moving the 540D front & center doesn't mean that it won't double as a DVD player once & a while. I'm intent on selling-off my 5.1 setup,
I don't care too much about DVD these days. When Hollywood starts coming out with some good movies maybe that will change. (When is Batman: The Dark Knight coming out?). When the industry settles on a new HD format, I'll consider an upgrade.
As I've mentioned elsewhere, my aim is better stereo listening.
Back ro CD players, what are you listening for when you audition a new model? What am I missing out on by using a the 540D?
Christopher, hopefully without stirring up to much debate here I will have to say that a system includes appropriate cabling for your gear. That means if you aren't going to invest in good complementary cables for your cd player then you can't expect top performance from it. If you are going to stick to budget cables and you are satisfied with both the performance of your player and cables then I don't see why you want to mess with that. Perhaps I'm wrong here and I apologize in advance if I am. I look for the same characteristics in gear and cables and I know no better way to put it than increased musicality. Better connection to the music via my system.
Primary, no, but he does have one, and I'm just curious about how it works in comparison.
And yes, I too do not wish to dwell on cables, and with all due respect Art, I've auditioned some very expensive, and some out & out ridiculously greasy snake-oil drenched cables, and must not have the golden-ear, and I know I don't have the golden-checkbook to appreciate their benefit.
If I can't tell the difference, and reasonable professionals can demonstrate to my satisfaction that I'm not crazy if I can't distinguish a $50 cable from a $500 cable, I'll be content with solid budget cables until I'm proven wrong or am drafted by the NBA, where I imagine most of the cable industry sells its products.
Simply stated, it's my opinion that damaged or inadequate cable can corrupt a signal, but a solid cable up to specification can't improve a signal, and I think the cables from a company like Blue Jean Cables are solid & more than up to the task.
Perhaps I need to A/B my 540D with a high-end CD player, with & with out fancy cables.
"Perhaps I need to A/B my 540D with a high-end CD player, with & with out fancy cables."
That would be the answer to your own question. If you don't hear a difference, stop the bleeding now and enjoy what you have.
I can relate about draggin gear out of the house...hate it. My friend who sells NAD wants to hear my Apollo in his system. Ofcourse I'll have to do it but boy do I hate it. When I take it to Eugene to check out the software I'll drop it by. Sometimes we just have to do it Christopher and for you to have the answers you need...well you know.
I'm no expert, but my wife and I have done a LOT of comparison listening to CD/DVD players, amps, speakers and cables. But we don't have a lot of money. I settled - happily - on a Cambridge 87 CD/DVD player, which appears to give me quality reproduction at a sensible price. But I went through several other brands - unhappily. Speakers - my B&W 705s suite me fine, but they have their faults - rather weak low-mid to low range. My amp - a NAD 763 - is a jewel. Period. My Mordaunt-Short 12" woofer is a knock-out. And my cables. Oooooooh - forgot, I'm not supposed to get into a cable discussion! Wife says I get red-faced. Sigh. But I'll sneak this in: ev-body has their favorites - and after my wife and I did exhaustive and exhausting tests on dozens of them - we chose Blue Jeans cables for everything - and are happy. I must bow to Art, and many others on these forums, for their expertise - so please listen to them. Art could not have put it better: if you're satisfied with your sound - don't mess with it. BUT - like most of us, you'll always think you could do better. And you can, but at what price? In my very humble opinion - don't bow down to cables, but don't go any "lower" than Blue Jeans, either. There are differences. . . And if you have, perhaps, taken a look at some forums under the Home Audio umbrella - especially the Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks under SACD/DVD - you will see that there is more to CD enjoyment that equipment - there are tweaks out there that DO make a difference! Really. . .
Art - I hope I haven't taken words out of your mouth. Did not intend to. . . Just want our friend to enjoy, as we do, music.
I'll try to breeze through all 8135 replies before a go to sleep tonight. Shouldn't be a problem.
Let me rephrase my question: Are there any glaringly obvious reasons why a well reviewed & fine sounding DVD player should not be considered for the job of a dedicated CD player? Is it unlikely that a DVD player can musically match or exceed the performance of a comparably priced CD-only player?
What simply "tweeks" would you suggest right of the bat?
What would you consider a step-down from Blue Jean Cables? Have you seen the Dayton cables from Parts Express? Any thoughts?
CM, seeing cables? Seeing is really not much to form an opinion upon. Seeing a review means even less. Stick a pair in your system and form your opinion that way.
"What would you consider a step-down from Blue Jean Cables?"
What comes in the box.
"Is it unlikely that a DVD player can musically match or exceed the performance of a comparably priced CD-only player?"
It is unlikely. But if you need a one box solution players such as are offered by Cambridge do a remarkably good job. It wasn't many years ago (less than a handful) when you would have to spend thousands of dollars to out perform players like the one Larry has. Cambridge players offer outstanding value. Their universals, DVDplayers and dedicated cd players are all well reviewed and for a reason...they're good.
OK - it was Art who first suggested that I buy the Cambridge player. I've not been sorry! Oh, I drool over the new NAD universal player - but if I were to spend that much cash, my wife would alter my physical appearance. (grin) Tweaks: Well, CM, if you dig into the Old Dogs thread you'll read a lot of back-and-forth on two simple yet amazingly effective ones: Pledge multi-surface spray from Jan V - and two Zaino car-care products from me. All of us seem to agree that the Zaino Z-14 and Z-6 work very, very well - but that the Pledge isn't far behind - and a lot cheaper! What do they do? Sigh - here we go again. Basically, they remove residual mold release compound, and clarify the disc surface so the laser light gets a better path too and from the metallic surface. Does it really do anything? Yep. Yep. And don't be fooled by great-LOOKING ads. Art has cables that are surely much "better" than mine. But then, he has different gear, as well. . . Blue Jeans, Cobalt, Kimber - each is a bit different, but ALL are better than, as Art says so well, "what comes in the box." Throw those away - quickly! As far as I'm concerned, and Art has already touched on this, the players of 2006 are so vastly better than the players of even 2002 that you're fairly certain of getting quality with the top brands. All I'm saying is that - for the money - I've not found anything to beat the Cambridge line. Hope this all helps - and as a tag I again thank Art for the Cambridge-steering!
One short add, please. As to cable-testing - I once had (shudder) a JVC CD/DVD player. And I made the mistake of trying out several cables while using that player. Nothing sounded good. then, I got a Yamaha player. Well, I'll be darned - there WAS some difference in the cables! Then, I got the Cambridge player, and I'll be darned, there WAS some difference in the cables! Moral: No matter what down-stream gear or cables you test, if your player ain' no good nohow - nuttin' will sound its best!