What To Look Out For...
Apr 11 '01
The Bottom Line Research every CD player above and below the price your willing to pay, and then check them out in store.
Introduction
Hello and welcome to this guide for choosing a CD player. Firstly in this guide I will discuss the facts about CD players, and how to buy the best one. You need to consider:
a). Price
b). Specification
c). sound
In that order, because these are the most important facts about almost all Hi Fi components. Even before you judge a CD player, you should consider its price; whether or not its in your price range, specification; has it got the right sockets for your Hi Fi, and sound; has it the best sound at the price. You should never judge a CD player on what it looks like. In fact its often that the best sounding players are the worst looking, while some have a nice balance. So lets begin.
Research
So what is your current setup for your Hi Fi, if you are going to buy a CD player, I would think your out to buy a player, or upgrade a dying one. If you own a midi system; a Hi Fi with everything connected in one big box, then you will need to check the rear, there should be at least one set of auxiliary phono inputs to connect an external CD player to, on the other hand you may need to buy an amplifier for you CD player. If you own a separate system; a Hi Fi with a separate amplifier and source (tape deck, turntable etc.) connected with interconnects (cables connecting the output from the source to the amplifier), you can connect a CD player to the amplifier. And with separate amplifiers, there are usually a lot of inputs, (usually 5), if you don’t have any spare connections you may need to disconnect a source or buy a new amplifier. Its one of the widest used connections, but phono isn’t the only way to connect a source (that’s also your CD player) to the amplifier, you can use a digital connection. If you own a multi channel receiver, it’s likely you have one or more digital inputs. Confused? Here are all the connections for sound components.
Phono: A common connection between the source and amplifier, it uses two leads (for each stereo channel left & right), and can be used for more channels from DVD players like rear stereo channels. There is a wide range of cables but your better buying a high quality one, look out for OFC (oxygen free copper), and gold plated plugs. You need a phono to phono connection from CD player to amplifier.
Digital: Quite a recent addition. It comes in two forms:
ELECTRICAL: Where it uses a coaxial connection between source and amplifier, simply a single wire, which is like a single phono lead.
OPTICAL: A special wire which has an optical centre, light is sent down, and when used over long lengths the signal never degrades like electricity. This is also used for Mini Disc recording.
Extra research doesn’t have to be done totally in store, you can buy a hi fi magazine to read up on the latest equipment, look for good reviews. Build a shortlist of equipment, above and below your price range. See if your hi fi system has been setup with a certain player, and see it the results are good.
IN STORESo once you have seen a player in your price range, take a good look around it on its shelf in store, check for ALL the above connections, even though stereo amplifiers don’t use digital inputs (well some do but not the sub £500 ones, these use only phono inputs), they will come useful if you ever buy a Minidisc recorder or multi-channel receiver.
Next once you have a player with, the right price, and the above specifications, now check with a store assistant. Ask him if you can play CD-Rs or CD-RWs (these are recordable CDs, even if you don’t own a CD writer you should definetly be able to play CD-Rs, and perhaps CD-RWs – discs which can be written and rewritten multiple times like tape), don’t be put off by it not playing CD-RWs, but it’s a nice feature if it does. Now check if it can play HDCDs (High Definition Compatible Digital - a coding system for CD which aims to get better sound), if it can, you now know what you can buy in music stores.
Once you know what it can and can’t play, you can decide whether its still an option. If possible note down what they can do, and what they have. Check for headphone outputs on the front, and remote control (some don’t include one).
Next check the build quality, it’s a good chance to see if it will last many years right now. So check for: weak panels, wobbly buttons, weak disc tray, and check the lines between two panels like near the disc tray, they should be almost parallel. Also check how large it is, make sure it will fit into your system.
Sound
It’s such as sensible idea to take along a collection of your own CDs, ask if you can play them with a similar hi fi system you own. Or even ask if you can take it home to test it with your hi fi, you will need to put down a deposit but it’s a good idea if you want to buy an expensive machine. Since you want the best possible sound for your money, you need to know how it will sound in your system. If your upgrading from an old player, see if you notice any differences in sound quality. Try a range of music, check for voice purity, and how much detail in music you can hear, are instrument clearly heard behind or in front of singers?
Performance
Don’t get this mixed up with Sound, the player you choose in price will affect the performance. For example, a £500 player will be quicker in accessing tracks than a £100 player. Some players can zip to the end of a CD as quick as you press the number button. See how fast it loads the disc.
Look out For
Some players have a jog dial, especially the Sony models, these are simply a round knob which when turned it treks across the tracks.
’Display Off’ This is a feature found on more expensive player, which turns off the digital display, as a source of interference.
In short the best way to find a player is to read a hi fi magazine and then go out to a good hi fi retailer and check the player for sound, and its features. Don’t forget about cables; spend roughly 5 to 10% on cables of the total price of the player. Oh and if you do find a great CD player, don't forget to save money further by buying on the web, use the hi fi store as a 'looking' ground for the player you want.
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