Music quality via CD vs via DVD players

[1953]

I would like to know if my aged Denon 2200 would produce better CD output than a Blu-Ray or Toshiba HD DVD player?

[Earl Bonovich]

I think that question is better asked at AVSForum.com

IMHO... I think it has a lot more to do with the Brand/Quality of the device... then it being a CD vs a BluRay/HDDVD/DVD Player

You would problably need to compare specific models, then generic technologies.

Unless you are a hard-core audio-philiac... I am not sure you would hear much of a difference between the two.

[1953]

Thank you Earl.

[BattleZone]

What you're talking about is really the difference in quality in the digital-to-analog converters in each unit, because that's the only difference worth talking about.

Your Denon may indeed have slightly better DACs, but honestly, the quality of DACs has improved over the years and the cost of a quality DAC is pretty inexpensive. Unless you are extremely discerning and are listening in a very tightly controlled environment, there won't be much if any difference.

[moxie1617]

What you're talking about is really the difference in quality in the digital-to-analog converters in each unit, because that's the only difference worth talking about.

Your Denon may indeed have slightly better DACs, but honestly, the quality of DACs has improved over the years and the cost of a quality DAC is pretty inexpensive. Unless you are extremely discerning and are listening in a very tightly controlled environment, there won't be much if any difference.

And if you are using the digital outputs then you are talking about the DACs in your AVR, the player won't make a difference.

[P Smith]

Not only DAC is important part of the whole path [digital to analog]- also FW (algos) is responsible for proper reading sectors from CD/DVD/BR, for correcting errors during that, initialization of those DACs, interacting with a user by menu's items, etc. Especially, if we're talking about multiple formats, like mp3/aac/etc

[Carl Spock]

I don't recognize the 2200 as a Denon CD model. Nor does Google for that matter. A search for a Denon DCD-2200 gives zero results. Do you have the DVD-2200 from Denon? If so, it is already a universal DVD/CD player, and not one just dedicated to CD playback.

If you had a classic Denon CD player from the old days and it still worked and you could get it re-aligned to guarantee its performance, then maybe that would be a better bet than a new combi player. But that's a lot of ifs.

For example, I know a basic Oppo DVD combi player outperforms my old Philips based B&O CD player. From what I've read, their new Blu-ray player would be a further step-up. The DACs, algorithms and analog circuitry have all improved.

I'd go with a new player from a great manufacturer. Read reviews on the audiophile magazine sites like The Absolute Sound and Stereophile. Read AVS Forum. Spend a couple of days getting educated and I'm certain you can get a superior sounding CD player that will also play everything else under the sun.

[KroyT]

It's all about the guts of the components. I remember having a Panasonic RP82 DVD player that was highly praised by home theater installation (http://www.cedia.net/homeowners/finder.php) pros because of the Faroudja chip that was in it. They soon discontinued the player because of the cost of the chip and it became a semi-legendary player. So like others have said it depends on the guts and whether it is built with good DACs or not.