Conference cookie::notes$archive:cd_v1

    I decided against remote control when I bought my Denon unit.  I had
    only so much money to make a purchase, and I decided that the #1
    "feature" was sonic quality.  At the risk of stating the obvious (I
    always say this right before I state the obvious), remote controls and
    fancy florescent displays don't add one nit to the sound you are
    hearing.  I guessimated that remote control adds $50 to the cost of a
    player, and I wanted that $50 to give me better sound instead.
    
    Of course, convenience (and the lack of it) has a "price" as well. My
    decision was that when I want to play music, I want to play it. I
    didn't see myself fiddling with the music from my sofa. Although I love
    RC on my VCR, I felt that music was a different ball of wax.  I am now
    sure that I made the right decision (for me). 
    
    If I tell you how much I enjoy my Denon, others will tell you the same
    thing about their decks.  The net result will be: So what? Listen to
    all three decks in a sound room, through identical components closely
    approximating the ones you have at home.  Real Purists would advise you
    to lug your equipment into the showroom, or even audition the units at
    home in their final sonic environment.  Forget it --- just listening to
    them in neutral tests at your favorite audio store is good enough. If
    you feel rushed or don't feel that you are being given the time to
    carefully listen to each unit, walk out. 
    

    jdr

    Another question:  I've gotten several comments from people that
    it's not worth buying a real good quality (bucks-wise) CD, i.e.,
    get a Magnavox cheepie, since the technology is still changing
    rapidly. I've read notes that 1) talk about the (good) sound out
    of the Magnavox, but also ones about 2) "I took 5 home and none
    of them tracked my disks".  My own feeling is to go for a solid
    CD now and not worry about the technical advances -- after all,
    at a certain point, how much better can/will a CD sound? Isn't a
    CD already limited by the quality of the other components in the
    system?

    I have an addition to 523.2.  I recently had an audiophile experience
    where I was shown (for hours) the difference between high end
    turntables.  It can get much better than what I have, but at what
    price.  A recent article in Stereo Review or other such publication
    said that most CD players have the same specs, but if you find one
    that sounds good to you buy it.  It is important to keep the
    constraints of your system in mind.  The final sound will only be
    as good as your weakest component, but it is important to start
    with something that will produce what was recorded and then amplify
    that.  
    I have a remote control with my Sony CD55 and find it not quite
    useless but certainly non-essential.  So if you have to decide between
    a unit with remote control and one that sounds better or is cheaper,
    don't let the remote control win.
    

    Took the plunge on the Denon: seemed the most solidly built and
    also had the most neutral sound in the upper range (insofar as
    one can tell with CD's)
    
    Thanks for your help. (I now resume with putting together the rest
    of my system - see AUDIO note 644...)
    
    Peters