Four 3rd-Generation CD players: Adcom, Magnavox, Onkyo, Yamaha Page 2

One aspect of the 582's performance was truly outstanding: its ability to track. The 582 played through track 35 of Disc 2 of the Pierre Verany test disc set—these tracks simulate dropouts. Anything beyond track 27 is beyond "standard values but inside the theoretical [sic] correction capabilities of CD players." The 582 even played track 36 without glitching too much. There are only 38 basic tracks. Moreover, the 582 played four out of five damaged discs in my collection, including two discs no other player has been able to flawlessly track.

If only the sound quality had been a bit (or even two bits . . . hell, I don't know) better, I could recommend this machine most enthusiastically at the piddling price. Maybe I got a bum one—you expect sample-to-sample variations at this price point. I should also say, in fairness to Philips, that I have not heard a better machine at the price (I have seen the 582 selling for as low as $179.95), and I have heard far worse. You may have better luck.

Adcom GCD-575: $599
I got two samples of this machine—early production and late production. Late production is better, I think—the sound is smoother. Victor Campos of Adcom told me about the changes, most having to do with tighter tolerances and a few parts upgrades.

Never mind the tech stuff, this is a very good-sounding player for the money—devastating to most of the competition at the price in that once I heard the Adcom, most of the other players were unacceptable. What makes the Adcom so devastating is its low-level resolution—ie, clarity. This is from a 16-bit Philips DAC with 4x oversampling. I wonder why I haven't heard this resolution from Magnavox and Philips machines.

Soundstaging is very good, and imaging is excellent. Ambience retrieval, too, is most impressive—just short of the very best you can get with a CD player and far better than what you might expect for the price. Instruments are very clearly localized, and there is air around them—they don't exist in a void, as they do with some CD players.

There are limits to the performance, of course. Dynamics are somewhat reined in. When you get to the fourth movement of Tchaikovsky's Manfred, this machine, like many, gives up—it cannot deal in a totally satisfactory way with the dynamics.

Parts quality looks good for the price, except for the drawer mechanism, made by Sony, which looks like it belongs on a cheap machine. Every time I used the drawer, I thought it might break—but it didn't. Even more disturbing was the poor shock resistance. This player skipped when I walked up to it! And I had it on a Mission Isoplat with a VPI Magic Brick on top. (The Adcom is shipped with no transport screws. Maybe that's a mistake.)

Adcom is known for innovation. The GCD-575 has, in effect, its own built-in line amp, which gives a variable output of up to 5.3V, with an output impedance of 100 ohms. You control the output level with a conveniently located volume control on the lower-right corner of the front panel. The Adcom GCD-575 can probably drive any power amplifier directly. You could have a dynamite duo: GCD-575 and GFA-535 power amp for under $1000 list.

Another novel feature is AFPC (Analog Frequency/Phase Contour). Switching this gives you a dip in the presence region, boosting frequencies below 1kHz by about 1dB, cutting frequencies above 1kHz by an increasing amount to –3.2db at 20kHz. This is akin to a slight LF boost upward with the Quad 34 preamp's tilt control. I found this feature occasionally useful, but it's no substitute for adequate weight in the bass.

The Adcom sports a polarity reversal switch that works via remote. Julian Hirsch says he couldn't hear any difference with the switch in or out. I bet you can! When the setting was right, there was more air around the instruments. More space.

What causes me to hesitate about this player is the flimsy factor—the rickety drawer and the player's exceptionally poor resistance to shock (this on the two samples I had, plus another sample I examined . . . as well as on Julian Hirsch's test sample). Sonically the Adcom GCD-575 is a winner at the price, but not so good that I would be tempted to switch from something like a Magnavox CDB650. I suppose my real complaint is that Adcom did not choose to build this player to a higher price point.

Yamaha CDX-1110U: $1199
This machine (at $1199 list) is one of the new generation of Yamaha "hi-bit" or "pseudo" 18-bit players, as the competition calls them. I've been trying to sort out the technical claims—Yamaha's vs the competition's (ie, those manufacturers who offer players with "true" 18-bit DACS). I have failed.

Briefly, an oversampling digital filter generates additional bits beyond the 16 bits of the basic CD format. In the Yamaha scheme, 18 bits from the oversampling filter's output are wired through switches to the inputs of a 16-bit DAC. When the two upper bits are not being used, which is most of the time, the 18 bits are shifted so the two unused bits are ignored and the 16 lower bits are used instead. The analog gain then needs to be reduced by 12dB accordingly.

The question is whether this "bit-switching" causes distortion. Onkyo, in a "white paper," contends that it can, while Yamaha, not surprisingly, contends that it doesn't. On the contrary, says Yamaha, their bit-switching scheme actually acts as a dynamic noise reducer. A cynic might wonder whether Yamaha uses this scheme because 16-bit DACs are cheaper than 18-bit DACs. But I'm not the Audio Cynic—just the Audio Anarchist.

Yamaha's poop sheet makes a big fuss over the fact that the machine delivers such a low level of digital signal leakage that no analog filter is needed to clean up the digital mess . . . ah, noise. But Yamaha supplies a filter anyway—via a second pair of output jacks. This is weird, because analog-out from the player sounds much better with just the digital filter, just as Yamaha says it does. According to Yamaha, there is virtually no phase shift with just the digital filter. I hear a clearer, cleaner, more focused sound. Why, then, spend money on the extra analog filter and extra pair of jacks? Inscrutable! If they didn't do this, maybe they could afford to put in a pair of true 18-bit DACs. Ah . . . but Yamaha claims that the bit-shifting is sonically beneficial. You can see how easy it is to get bogged down.

Let's not, for we would then lose sight of the fact that this is a superb-sounding player—probably the most analoguey player I have yet heard.

Why so analoguey?

The Yamaha CDX1110 has ambience aplenty—the kind of life, light, and air that analog freaks have been craving. There is a bloom around instruments—especially noticeable with an amplifier which itself has plenty of bloom, like the B&K ST-140. (Through the Threshold SA/3, all the CD players tended to sound more alike.) Whether or not this spaciousness is specious—a partial byproduct of the bit-shifting process—I don't know and don't care. It's lovely. Enjoy it!

This spaciousness is combined with an exquisitely smooth, sweet, and delicate high end—rather like a really neat high-end cartridge! Again, lovely.

Sounds too good to be true, huh?

Well, on the downside, the Yamaha CDX1110 does not have all the low-end body and low-end punch of some more expensive players. And there is something vaguely uncertain about the way notes emerge from the silences.

In the December 1988 issue of Hi-Fi News & Record Review, Paul Miller writes about machines that do not offer a totally quiet background. You can't hear hiss, but there's a vague sense that something is "going on" in the background.

ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
rschryer's picture

When Sam (Tom Gillett) bailed on Stereophile in 2015, he predicted the mag wouldn't be around in four years. I think it's safe to say that as good a writer as he was (is), he was no clairvoyant.

Or maybe he mistook Stereophile's changing of the editorial guard for its demise.

Wonder if he's still writing...

hnickm's picture

...will CD players be around in four years. ???

rschryer's picture

...CDs will make a comeback. CD players will follow, a sub-category of which will be CD-only players designed to satisfy the appetites of people who care about sound quality.

Bogolu Haranath's picture

'CD only' players probably won't be around after 2025 :-) ..........

rschryer's picture

...informs me that CD-only players will do well as a sub-genre *forever*.

Ortofan's picture

... your last ever new CD player, which one would you buy?

rschryer's picture

All I can say with certainty is that I'm very happy in my current relationship, with my Simaudio Moon 260D player.

The two of us spend many enjoyable moments together and I feel no lust to look elsewhere.

volvic's picture

I tell you I felt the same way until I ran into the venerable Gerard Rejskind and he convinced me to look past my CD players and go to computer audio. I emulated exactly what he had in his system and was blown away by how much better it was than any of my CD players. I still use my CD players when I want to hear something without the need to boot up the computer and HD but to sit and do critical listening with the CD player is a thing of the past. Funnily enough considering buying a Karik III and Numerik just to relive old times. I am though considering getting the Technics Network SACD player as I have been getting into SACD more, and would like to link my computer setup through it, those Esoteric reissues are quite good, but to buy a new CD player without a digital input and SACD capability is not a viable option. Can't wait to come back up to Mtl and visit the folks and raid L'Echange and all other stores up and down Mt. Royal Est. Happy listening.

rschryer's picture

...but I was never able to work up the courage to install a computer-sourced audio system in my main listening room. (In my office is another story, but that's because it already had a computer.)

But I do respect both Gerard's and your opinion, so if you don't mind, do tell: what is this computer-based system Gerard recommended that blew you away?

BTW, the record stores along Mount-Royal miss you. Their sales have plummeted since you left, and I can't do all the heavy lifting by myself. :-)

Note to fellow 'philes: Gerard Rejskind is the editor of UHF Mag in Canada. The man knows good sound.

Bogolu Haranath's picture

"Misery"? ......... Just kidding :-) ........

volvic's picture

I had a spare MacBook Pro, purchased a 3TB Glyph HD and uploaded all my records in AIFF, Apple's version of WAV into iTunes. I connected a Stello U3 to a Moon 300DAC into my Kairn preamp, and the rest is history. Since then Gerard has updated his to the Bryston DAC, as they got better results with it. But I am very happy with my results and the costs were minimal to purchase. The Stello U3 has since been discontinued, but it can still be found on the used markets. I have a YBA CD1a and a Linn Ikemi, all were sent packing in comparison to the Stello/Moon combo, it was that much better and by a wide margin.

I have over 4000 CD's most were purchased in Montreal before I moved down to NYC, fact I need a 4TB HD now as I am running out of space. Montreal has some great second hand CD stores, there used to be more but sadly some have closed. Still it is always great to come and visit my old haunts and support these great local stores that have offered me so much in terms of musical enjoyment. Don't worry coming in for Columbus Day Weekend and intend on making a dent along with six cases of Naya water and Keith's beer. Cheers

Ortofan's picture

... "feel no lust to look elsewhere", take a gander at this item:
https://www.omegaudioconcepts.com/cd-player-the-stream
If nothing else, the styling should make it a guaranteed conversation piece.

tonykaz's picture

CD has proven itself as a reliable system.

Over 200 Billion Music CDs have been manufactured and sold making it the most popular Music Storage Medium ever devised, by Far!

It can easily compete in Sound Quality with the finest Record Players i.e. the PS Audio Player designed by Ted Smith, costing a mere pittance compared with an equally high performance Vinyl Player/Arm/Phono Cart./Cable System/Phono PreAmp/Record Cleaning System aaaannnnnndddd the required Room full of Sturdy Shelving and thou$$$$$$$ands of Dollars in actual Fossil Fuel based 33.3 Music. Phew!!!

Vinyl Guys Collecting are very much like the Old Geezer Car Show People that Collect 57 Chevy Convertibles to show off at the Weekly Parking Lot Gatherings where they play BeBop music over the PA and rev up their engine to quickly leave right after the 50-50 drawing winners are announced.

Vinyl and CD both have hoarders but CDs can be Downloaded, copied and stored in a damp basement. Vinyls need careful storage and probably an entire spare Bedroom of Heavy Duty Wood Shelving with Climate Controls and Mold remediation systems. Asthma alert

CD will outlive us, RedBook is the Gold Standard

Tony in Venice

ps. Futuristically we'll have iPhone Music Players playing music from the Clouds making our CD collecting the last hard music format, doncha think ?

ps.2 Some time in the Future we'll be buying Entire Audiophile Music CD Collections from Estate Sales, Chad Kassem might be the King of the CD World.

rschryer's picture

...by how far the sound of CDs and CD players has come. I can dig them now!

That said, my enjoyment of CDs does not preclude my enjoyment of LPs.

What do you got against 57 Chevy convertibles anyway?

:-)

tonykaz's picture

I owned one...

and I'm GM Corp.

Having said all that, all Cars from the Post WW11 era were 11 year durable goods meant to be crap quality lasting about 11 years before they were nearly completely re-cycled. GM Corporate was the earliest Proponent of Re-cycling. The Cars were UnSafe at any Speed and horrible polluters.

All that remains is the Mid-Century Style. Fatalities are forgotten.

Tony in Venice

volvic's picture

I remember reading years ago when the CD12 came out that Ivor said that 16 bits was more than enough for our listening pleasure. I was skeptical then but now believe he is right, we didn't know for a very long time how good those CD's were (sorry Mikey), but through a HD has really impressed me.

volvic's picture

Missed your familiar comments against vinyl. Actually Tony you'll appreciate this, I'm building another LP-12, I thought you'd get a kick out of that. Decided to build my fourth turntable and not pay $5k to fix the transmission on my 1988 325. Pained me to sell it, but the LP-12 won't rust and vinyl will long outlive any questionable tranny rebuild, and I felt it was better money spent. I miss it tbh, but an LP-12 with an SME IV on a Geddon PS will make me quickly forget.

tonykaz's picture

I don't own one now but I can see having one in my Museum.

It will have an Ittok Arm, ASAK MC phono cart and an Afromosia Plinth with clear cover ( I love the original 1983 Look )

I still own a large collection of 33.3 and have owned an extensive collection of Koetsu Phono Cartridges.

But...

Vinyl demands & commands obsessive commitment, it's a high maintenance mistress that often misbehaves causing extravagant expenditures. I was a Vinyl Slave in the early 1980s but broke free in 1985. My wife's Attorney convinced me to abandon my Love Affair that kept getting more and more expensive. He ended up buying-up all my best Vinyl Playback gear in my Esoteric Audio Salon Closing, now his wife is cursing .

It's nice to be "back on the Air" after a 3 month long vacation / hiatus .

Tony in Venice

ps. I've shut down all my Business in the Frozen North, Sold all my Real Estate and most of my larger possessions.

I've Re-located to a NEW Sub-Tropical Location ; Venice and bought into another Real Estate project/holding that promises to not loose as much as I've been loosing in my last bad deal.

I'll continue to support B.Sanders Campaign Transportation Systems along with my fellow GM Corp. retirees.

325s are dam nice Cars.

volvic's picture

Try owning an 1988 325 that is a money pit - constant preventive maintenance, change timing belt every 4 years lest it snap and your engine is a coffee table. No vinyl rig does that. Let me know when you might want to part with some of those Koetsu cartridges and if you have old DG, EMI, London classical recordings let me know.

tonykaz's picture

I'm Car Industry.

Those prices you pay are designed into the Ownership Experience.

Japanese Cars are the exception ( including Korean Cars like Kia ).

Record Players are even more expensive because of the obsessive need to upgrade. Cartridges like Koetsu cost a fortune per play because they don't last all that long before sending back for repair.

Phono interconnects are super expensive with improved performance actually possible from the better ones.

Comparing the LP12 to the latest VPI will end up costing $30,000

A designed Stand for the Player will cost $1,000, much more if you
get one of the suspended ones.

Record Cleaning Systems will present significant improvements in playback and phono Cartridge longevity so 30 minutes per record of Cleaning time ( each ) is required. Figure $1,000 initial investment.

Vinyl collecting is a separate hobby onto itself, it's Curating a Museum of Civilizational Culture more than it's a Music Hobby. It's Mid-Century Collecting. A Vinyl Collector seems like a CD Collector type of person.

Vinyl Collecting is Hoarding. Just look at the images of Vinyl Collecting in Analog Planet Home Base or Todd the Vinyl Junkie's or the personal Home or Chad Kassem or mine ( back in the Day when I was importing and most of my Spaces were dominated by Vinyl Gear and Vinyl. Digital Homes ( John Darko ) look like Better Homes & Garden compared to a Vinyl guys Home ( Steve G ) .

However, playing Vinyl has that High Voltage Sizzle in the Air when the needle drops into the groove. Synapses are trained to be thrilled by that Sizzle. Digital presents the Silence of a Funeral Home accompanied by the feeling that something is missing here and it is, great Steak but no exciting sizzle.

Sizzle missing is the problem with the Tesla Car and the new Porsche Electric. People love that deep throbbing of the Mustang V-8. The Tesla is the Performance Winner but it has no Sizzle.

Diesel Pickups have that Authoritative Sound and Commanding presence but the new Electrics are superior.

Tony in Venice

ps. I feel like I've been thru all these cycles since the early post WW11 years. I'm delighted with what the 21st Century is bringing.

volvic's picture

You're like Joe Biden, but in a good way- all over the place. Where to begin....

Cartridges like Koetsu can last a long time, again I asked Gerard Rejskind many many years ago about this and he told me they can last a very long time, in excess of 1000 hours, the investment in a Koetsu can last well over a decade of regular play.

You can buy a second hand LP-12 and upgrade as much or as little as you want, third party upgrades are cheaper and offer great performance. Where you want to go is up to you. That's the same for any source component you want to own, in most cases a DAC or CD player cannot be upgraded, you have to buy a new one. Not the case with turntables for the most part.

No designed stand for $1,000 is necessary for the suspended design, a nice Target stand or a built in will suffice and provide great sound. All for under $250.00.

Again don't need to dish out $1,000 for record cleaning nor spend 30 minutes per record. Harry Weisfeld of VPI has spent enough time researching and says his vacuum machines suffice, I agree although love the cavitation machines, but not necessary. Total cost $600, that's how much I paid for mine.

All kind of collecting is hoarding. People I know buy first edition books, their house is full of them as are stamp collectors, watch collectors. It's human nature, we love collecting things we like, big deal.

As for streaming it is not my cup of tea but recognize it's advantages. It does though remind me of a very lovely old lady I once knew. Years ago when I worked in Mtl at a hospital foundation, a very thankful woman sent me a blank check with the amount to withdraw from her account every month as a way of thanking the hospital and her doctor. Years later her son phoned me to let me know that she had passed away a few years ago and had only recently noticed that the $$ were still being withdrawn from her account. That is how I feel about the online services like Tidal, I might expire and my card will continue to be charged without any tangible thing left behind. Tim de Paravicini has said that he would rather have a really bad vinyl pressing next to a decent quality audio file stored on a hard drive. He said "for me it's like owning a thought that will soon disappear and you're left with nothing." - Well said.

tonykaz's picture

You might get long life from a cartridge ( I hope you do ) or you may not.

You may get satisfactory performance and remain delighted for decades, most people find themselves upgrading on a semi-regular Basis. New and Improved Phono performance is what Show Coverage is all about.

The Linn LP12 ( I've owned many ) are Stand sensitive. The heavy VPI tables are far less sensitive to Floor Vibrations and Wooden Floors in general.

VPI Cleaning Machine is a good one, does it take less than 30 minutes? , maybe only 10 ?

I have hoarding leanings, so I can recognize the patterns.

And...

Streaming probably isn't your "Cup of Tea", of course! You're an Audiophile.

I'm World War 11 Vintage, I've been thru all the Home Audio Phases.

For me, Music is a mood altering drug, I'm scaling down the emotional impact by limiting my listening to fond memory music while I work on all my other activities.

On the plus side, 33.3 is a happy Club with their very own Planet ( where $$$ falls from everyone's Tree and Mono Phono Cartridges are only $14,000 ).

Bon Vivant

Tony in Venice

volvic's picture

Keep your comments coming! While I sometimes don't agree with all you say, still glad you're back. Nick L.

tonykaz's picture

When any two people agree on things, only one is doing the thinking.

Tony in Venice

Jim Austin's picture
With all the DACs around, there will be a new generation of transports. Pro-Ject is ahead of the pack. https://www.project-audio.com/en/product/cd-box-rs2-t/ Jim Austin, Editor Stereophile
JRT's picture

Rip once, read many.

The very best real-time transports can only match but not exceed the performance of well implemented inexpensive computer based digital audio extraction. While well implemented inexpensive computer based digital audio extraction can match or exceed the performance of the very best real-time transports. And that really has been the case since the late 20th century (available in mid/late 1990's Plextor Plextools digital audio extraction software tools used with then market leading high performance Plextor optical media drives).

I can see obtaining a nice lightly used Oppo BDP-10x for ripping DSD from SACDs. And the same device can be used for playing various video discs. And occassionally it can be used for playing a CD not yet extracted to server storage, and the digital output can be connected to the audio system.

But I cannot see much sense in spending any money on another new simple CDP deck with such low system utility. That is a 20th century solution to a problem that no longer exists. I can get a couple of top notch ribbon tweeters (eg. Viawave or Raal) for that same money that would be spent on that Project unit, with some left over.

Jim Austin's picture

>>The very best real-time transports can only match but not exceed the
performance of well implemented inexpensive computer based digital audio
extraction. While well implemented inexpensive computer based digital audio
extraction can match or exceed the performance of the very best real-time
transports.

Perhaps, but there are many people with vast CD collections and no interest in either ripping or selling them.

Jim Austin, Editor
Stereophile

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Stereophile could change their minds by reviewing a few latest generation CD-rippers/music servers :-) .......

Jim Austin's picture
I ripped my collection years ago. By "some people" I don't mean "me." Jim Austin, Editor Stereophile
Bogolu Haranath's picture

Of course, no surprise ...... You are a scientist ....... Not like some 'luddites', I was referring to :-) ........

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Stereophile has already reviewed NAD M50.2 CD-ripper/music server :-) .........

JRT's picture

I have a lot of CDs and other media, and won't likely sell any of it.

Ortofan's picture

... the CD players available in various price points made by Pioneer/Elite and Sony/ES.

Glotz's picture

But after several years I sensed he was more concerned about the politics of audio playback, rather than its quality.

He was a curmudgeon and the opener to his column above points to that. He would give up 15% SQ for convenience..?? Was he really that lazy in getting up to flip an LP?

Bogolu Haranath's picture

If ST is reading this, he could get a server like the new Aurender A30, which has a CD-ripper and 10 TB storage, or similar products from other manufacturers ....... He doesn't even have to get up from his listening chair ........ He can keep listening as long as he wants :-) .......

Kal Rubinson's picture

Yes and he does not have to give up anything in sound quality for that convenience.

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Yes ..... He can also, bring-up and listen to any track he wants, in seconds ........ He can also, make multiple playlists of his choice ...... He can also, listen to his favorite radio station(s) anywhere in the world :-) .......

JRT's picture

The hard drive storage capacity was not inexpensive in the last century, but capacity/price ratios were rapidly improving. For anyone involved in that at the time, it was plainly obvious then that home servers would soon become inexpensive and with increasingly high storage capacity, and that would enable networked high quality digital audio and audio/video solutions.

Plextor had high quality fast CD-ROM drives and burners then, and offered free Plextools software that included ability to quickly and very accurately perform digital audio extraction from CDs. That Plextor based solution was the best available solution for doing that at the time. No real-time CDP transport was better, if as good, though there were many that were very much more expensive.

Yamaha had a slightly better performing CD burner, but Plextor had the better ripper. The pinnacle of Plextor's CD ripping solutions was their 52x-speed PlexWriter Deluxe CD burner that came out around the turn of the century, and is still considered to be top shelf in fast accurate digital audio extraction, though it is now long out of production.

Before FLAC became popular, Monkey Audio's Ape files had good lossless compression in the late 20th century. It took longer to process Monkey's lossless compression than some other lossless compression software, but the resulting files were small and required less processing to decompress, advantageous at the time.

Before Voyetra acquired Turtle Beach in 1996, Turtle Beach had an excellent for the time MultiSound line of ISA bus sound cards. The 2nd generation of those, the MultSound Pinnacle and MultiSound Figi supported S/PDIF on an optional digital I/O daughter card.

Around the same time, Monarchy Audio offered their DIP (digital interface processor) which had S/PDIF input and several outputs, including S/PDIF, AES/EBU, and TOSLink fiber optic. It served to clean up the clocking, and it provided galvanic isolation, removing any significant influence of a noisey computer switch mode power supply. Outputs were nice clean square waves with sharp corners and straight perpendicular flanks, and AES/EBU could drive a longer interconnection to an external DAC in the HiFi stack.

You are well aware, but other readers should know that good external DACs were already available in the late 20th century, but were not particularly inexpensive then. The AD/DA processor that I very much wanted but couldn't bring myself to purchase was the circa 2000 Pacific Microsonics model 2 HDCD capable processor, with truly excellent performance. Though today there are modern inexpensive units that sound as good and offer better flexibility in systems integration.

http://www.goodwinshighend.com/manufacturers/pacific_microsonics/pacific_microsonics_model_two.htm

John Atkinson's picture
JRT wrote:
Plextor had high quality fast CD-ROM drives and burners then, and offered free Plextools software that included ability to quickly and very accurately perform digital audio extraction from CDs. That Plextor based solution was the best available solution for doing that at the time.

Very much agree. The Plextor drive and Plextools were my constant companions until first one then the next PC in which I had them installed gave up the ghost.

John Atkinson
Technical Editor, Stereophile

Robin Landseadel's picture

Or he can get a high-quality DAP and carry his collection in his pocket.

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Or, he can get one of the new smartphone/DAP/servers, and even make phone calls with that device ...... See, JVS (Stereophile) review of LG smartphone :-) .........

Robin Landseadel's picture

https://www.stereophile.com/content/lg-v30-hi-res-smartphone-mqa

There's refurbished LG-V30 'phones on Amazon for $149.00.

I would give Kal Rubinson a big "like' for noting how good server-based digital has become, a bigger one to Tonykaz for his justified cynicism as regards "Bespoke" analog.

Found a used Sony BDP-S570 Blu-Ray player at the local Value Village for all of $5. Works fine. Found a remote for it at Amazon for $8. The S570 is one of the last cheap Blu-Ray players with analog out, plays all formats save DVD-Audio, have no doubt it sounds better than anything reviewed here.

After getting bawled out in no uncertain terms over at Analog Planet, I ran across Audio Science Review, looking for distortion measurements for phono cartridges. Kinda the opposite of AP, it's the land where you find out what bespoke gear measures like crap and what cheap gear measures best. The guy running the show—Amir Majidimehr—appears to be rational, some of the objectivists on that board are as "cult-y" as analog evangelists. But Amir's tests indicate that the engineering in some $100 devices outshine $5000 devices.

Something to think about. I'm sure the "audio cheapskate" would dig ASR.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/a-bit-about-your-host.1906/

I'm seriously considering getting the LG-V30.

Bogolu Haranath's picture

LG V30 DAC mesurements can put some of the hyper-expensive DACs to shame :-) .........

Bogolu Haranath's picture

I forgot to mention ..... Hi-Fi news measures phono-cartridge distortion levels, along with the other cartridge measurements ....... Hi-Fi news also measures turntables and tonearms along with their reviews :-) .......

Regarding some $100 devices outshining some $5,000 devices ....... Really? :-) ........

Robin Landseadel's picture

US $13,816:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-totaldac-d1-six-dac.8192/

US $70:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-e1da-9038s-bal-portable-dac-amp.8424/

Bogolu Haranath's picture

See, Stereophile review and measurements of AudioQuest DragonFly Black ($99) and DragonFly Red ($199) :-) ..........

Robin Landseadel's picture

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-dacport-hd-and-dragonfly-red.5977/

The E1DA 9038S BAL Portable DAC & Amp has better measurements. Cheaper too. Not that I have anything against Dragonflys, mind you.

Bogolu Haranath's picture

There are other 'new kids in town' ........ iBasso DC01 and DC02 ....... Could be even lower price Euro 50 :-) ........

Bogolu Haranath's picture

The new DragonFly Cobalt could have better measurements ...... Of course, it is more expensive than the other DragonFlys :-) .......

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Jim Austin could watch movies on his laptop while listening to the sound via headphones/IEMs fed by iBasso DC01 or DC02 :-) .........

JRT's picture

Looking at the link that you posted reviewing the "E1DA 9038S BAL Portable DAC & Amp" (I reposted the link directly below), I noticed another nice review, this one of the "Monoprice Monolith THX 887 Balance Headphone Amp" (link posted further below). These are both very good values. The new Monoprice Monolith THX 887 measures slightly better than the excellent Massdrop THX AAA 789. I would like to see another variant of either that adds preamp functionality, with a similar quality buffered balanced pre-out on the back, with a separate volume control on the front and separate switched mutes for both. But regardless that, it is truly a great time to be interested in high quality audio.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-e1da-9038s-bal-portable-dac-amp.8424/

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-massdrop-thx-aaa-789-amp.5001/

misterc59's picture

I've got the LG G8 Thinq and it's great. It will never replace my vinyl and my system is WAY less than $10K for turntable playback, but it still sounds great. However, I might not know good sound, so one pro digital commenter here may not agree. Not you Mr Bogolu, but your comment best fit mine...

Cheers,
Terry

mmole's picture

...after his (imaginary?) friend Lars died.

Per Sam, Lars "tweaked himself to death."

Glotz's picture

His joy seemed to die shortly thereafter.

I don't think he was imaginary, but his convictions did seem to dovetail into Sam's feelings pretty often.

One cannot tweak oneself to death...exhaustion is more appropriate.

Good to see Tony back as well... Venice is all the excuse one needs for forgetting about audio!

jgossman's picture

https://www.stereophile.com/news/11381/index.html

But Lars was very real indeed.

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