Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site amdimage.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!prls!amdimage!steve From: steve@amdimage.UUCP (Steve eidson) Newsgroups: net.audio Subject: Re: Take the CD challenge! Message-ID: <447@amdimage.UUCP> Date: Tue, 6-Aug-85 13:22:27 EDT Article-I.D.: amdimage.447 Posted: Tue Aug 6 13:22:27 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 10-Aug-85 20:30:16 EDT References: <3339@decwrl.UUCP> <436@petrus.UUCP> <1295@houxm.UUCP> <1029@ulysses.UUCP> <2362@amdcad.UUCP> Reply-To: steve@amdimage.UUCP (Steve eidson) Organization: AMDIMAGE, Sunnyvale, CA Lines: 48 Summary: I hate to disagree with a fellow AMD'er and I'm probably opening Pandora's box, but recently I found that there is an audible difference in low-end (under $500) players. Now, I'll be the first one to admit that there probably shouldn't be a difference and before last week I'd have told anyone saying there was that they were full of it. Anyhow, a good friend of mine has been interested in purchasing a new player in the past few weeks, and asked me to come along to do some test listening. So we went to several local shops (no high-end stores, we weren't interested in how much we could spend), and found one that had the two players my friend had taken a shine to (Technics SL-P2 and Yamaha CD-X2). He had narrowed his choice for drawer mechanics and programming features. He preferred the Technics at first because of its styling and programming, but both our minds quickly changed after an A/B test (through the same pre-amp, amp, & speakers) using a digital recording of the Nutcracker. The triangle which was crisp and clear using the Yamaha, almost disappeared when played through the Technics. This was not meant to be an ad for Yamaha, but there are two new believers in CD differences. My suggestion (aside from a double blind A/B test) is to thoroughly quiz any salesman about the type and number of DACs used as well as the analog anti-alias filters. Find out whether the DACs are 14-bit or 16-bit, and if interpolation is used or not. Interpolation relaxes the constraints on the analog output filter since the aliased signals that must be attenuated are at a higher frequency. Sloppy filter design will ruin any advantage gained by interpolation. Two DACs are theoretically better than one. The most unfortunate thing is that most salesmen don't know what the hell they're talking about. In one of the stores we went to, a salesman tried to tell that the Yamaha had three lasers (it does actually) and the player took a vote on the proper digital code; best two out of three, majority rules. We couldn't help laughing at him. When we asked for an owner's manual, he left pretty quickly. Happy shopping. ---------- "...but you've got no arms and no legs, what are you going to do, bleed all over me ..." Steve Eidson (408) 749-2303 UUCP: {ucbvax,decwrl,ihnp4,allegra}!amdcad!amdimage!steve ARPA: amdcad!amdimage!steve@decwrl.ARPA