DVD Player as a CDP

[Jay5150]

Hi! I know its sort of audio blasphemy and I am probably going to get flamed but what would be the cheapest choice giving me the best audio?

I am getting my dad's old Pioneer SIA repaired to pair with an old Bose AM-3 III and I don't have a source.

I just need it for a stereo setup, so I will need something which will play audio cds and mp3s off DVD-Rs.

The base sony dvd players mrp is about Rs. 2,750. They play cds, mp3, wmv and aac. Any other suggestions?

I am really interested to know if there are there any players that will play flac? any players that have a usb connection?

Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[venkatcr]

Jay, there are a number of threads that discuss this in detail. I would suggest you go through this thread in detail:

http://www.hifivision.com/cd-players/15136-cd-player-really-better-than-dvdp-stereo-music.html

In short, if you want high quality music, to use a DVD player, you would need an external DAC.

Cheers

 

[Jay5150]

Thank you Venkatcr for guiding me to the right thread! It was a great read.

Yes, by now after many many months on HFV, I know that the dedicated CDP would be much better.

But in my case it just comes down to money and of course directly connected to that is my dear wife!!
As it is, I have been haggling for a while and she has grudgingly consented to indulge me my upcoming purchase of 55" LED+AVR+5.1 and then going ahead and pushing in another CDP for 20k might be literally harmful to me and my happily married life!

I figure 2-3k might fly under the radar without much resistance.

My main need is cheap player which can play CD, mp3 (128-320 kbps) and FLAC with or without an USB port, and costing less than rs. 5000!

Does such a mythical instrument exist? I know it will be asking too much for it to have an immaculate DAC but i think i can live with a slightly inferior sound reproduction.

 

[venkatcr]

I understand.

No DVD Player will read or play a FLAC file. If that is important, you have to look for a simple media player. Of course, a media player will not play CDs, but if you have a different way of ripping your audio CDs (such as a laptop or computer), that could be an excellent option. That is what I do. I rip all my CDs, and play it from my laptop or specialised audio PC.

If you are looking at DVD Players, look for Pioneer 220, or any player from CA or NAD. Players from CA or NAD will give you reasonably good sound.

Cheers

 

[murali_n]

Hi jay,

I suggest a VFM DVD Player will be the Pioneer 686 AS model( there was one available at Bangalore in for sale section ). It is a SACD player and good at audio. To still better its performance you can try to mod the output audio op-amp.

Just my 2 cents.

N.Murali

 

[baijuxavior]

Since you will be buying an avr+led tv go with a media player as suggested by venkat.

 

[Jay5150]

... look for Pioneer 220, or any player from CA or NAD. Players from CA or NAD will give you reasonably good sound.

Cheers

Thanks venkatcr. Read thru many useful threads. I saw that you got a NAD for your friend Shyam. Could you tell me what would be the cost of a new NAD C 515 BEEE? Who are the dealers down south?

 

[venkatcr]

A NAD C515 BEE is a CD Player and goes for about 17K. The T515 is a DVD player and sells for roughly 20K.

BTW, when I said NAD or CA, I meant DVD Payers. If you are looking at a CD Player, Marantz may be a good option.

Cheers

 

[soundofmusic]

Jay, If you are looking for DVD Players to play good music then try the Marantz DV 6001 or 7001. They are very good for Music too. Will match any budget CDP in the quality side. More over you may get good discounts because its discontinued now.

regards

 

[Jay5150]

BTW, when I said NAD or CA, I meant DVD Payers. If you are looking at a CD Player, Marantz may be a good option.

Cheers

Jay, If you are looking for DVD Players to play good music then try the Marantz DV 6001 or 7001.

Thanks guys! I will be actually using this setup as an audio only one. The only reason I asked about a DVD player bcos thats what seems to be available locally. If you guys know a CDP for <5k I am all ears!

As I said earlier the main factor is cost. This would be a secondary setup maybe in my den. First priority would be for my 5.1 setup.

Regards

 

[spirovious]

I can add a different thought.As Venkat said media player is good option,you can think of budget DAC (like nuforce) which can come for 5k around.If you spend more,you may get better one.

 

[Jay5150]

I have had some thoughts since I last posted and this needs a bump
I have decided to go for a DVD player i.e. Sony, LG, Samsung or Philips. No Mitashi or Koryo etc. I have decided to forgo FLAC instaed play only Audio CDs or DVD-R filled with 320 kbps mp3s.
Of all these players of about Rs. 3000 some of them have HDMI and USB. What I would like to know is that the players with USB, would they play NTFS drives or play mkv files?

 

[baijuxavior]

It is highly unlikely that ordinary dvd players support ntfs and play mkvs. I had an lg dvd player (model not remembering). It could not read ntfs formatted usb sticks and play mkvs or any other hd video formats.

 

[unleash_me]

Read in Hi-Fi World (April 2011, p37) that Yamaha CDS300 CDP can play FLAC files through its front mount USB input. Check it out yourself and confirm.