Conference cookie::notes$archive:cd_v1

    The salesman probaly has a Red Nose, Orange Hair and Big Shoes.
    
    Tweeter (in my experience) WILL order items that they don't stock,
    if they are a dealer for that line.
    
    				George

    I have the Denon DCD-1500 and am infinitely happy with it.  The
    DCD-1300 is a 1500 with single D/A's and a slightly different analog
    back-end.  Considering what you will be listening to, the rest of
    your system, and the price differential I say GO FOR THE DENON!
    
    But, hey, don't take *my* word for it.  Grab some of the
    literature/brochures for each of the models you listed and compare
    from a specs/engineering standpoint.  I think you'll find that Denon
    will be the winner.  Next, the acid test: listen (preferably A-B)
    to all of them.  Again, I believe you will find Denon to win in
    this category as well.
    
    STANDARD DISCLAIMER: no, no, I don't own Nippon Columbia (parent
    company of Denon) stock, nor do any of my relatives work for them,
    I receive no compensation for plugging their products, etc. etc.
    I'm just a VERY satisfied customer.
    
    FWIW,
    David.

    I looked at Nak, Mission, H/K, Yamaha, Sony, Technics before deciding
    on Denon, hence I consider my .2 a reasonably unbiased and informed
    reply.  Again, these are *my* opinions; your mileage may vary.
    
    David.

    $379 for the Sony CDP-510 is highway robbery.  I paid $329 for mine,
    and have seen it as low as $289.  I think the LIST price is $369!
    However, it's a fine unit, and appears to be a worthwhile successor
    to the universally-admired CDP-55.  I'd probably spring for the
    CDP-710, though, given the choice, as the programming ease of the
    buttons on the front panel are worth it.  I have a note in here
    somewhere on the 510, do a DIR/TITLE=510 to find it.
    
    The Denon is a fine unit too, but I think the Sony is a bit more
    technologically advanced (better error recovery, faster access
    time).  You wouldn't go wrong with either one.
    
    				Steve

    I agree with .2 and .3.  I also own a DCD-1500 and love it.

    I am certainly not an expert but I disagree with .4 about error
    recovery.  I've had discs play on my Denon that drove a Magnavox
    CDP-650 nuts.  

    I don't know anything about the Yamaha, but I definitely think you
    can't go wrong with the Denon!!!!!!!!  
    
    Like .2 I don't own stock or anything.

    Dave P
        
    

    .6 got hung up in some kind of inter-system limbo.....
    
    Q Audio has the new Magnavox CDB-465 for $229.88.
    
    If you are looking for best sound at lowest price, it deserves
    consideration.
    
    It is a replacement for the CDB-460, the no-frills player with 
    essentially the same audio path as the CDB-650, which has gotten
    some excellent press.  They have added the 650's Favorite Track
    Selection (memorizes your preferred sequence/selection for about
    150 disks), and have "used the optical block from the 650" (whatever
    that means).
    
    dq

I wrote my check for $209.95 to Stereo Discounters last night, after Lou called 
to tell me the CDB-460 is finally back in stock.  Actually, replaced by the 
CDB-465.  I might want to spend $20 extra to support a local store, although
I was VERY impressed by the mail-order business' attitude.  I only called them
because I couldn't find the Maggie anywhere around here.

It's hard to convince people that cost isn't the same as quality, but I think 
anyone who made a CD choice WITHOUT hearing the Magnavox would be doing
themselves an incredible disfavour, and losing a lot of money besides.  I'm
not going to even attempt to explain why the Maggie is the ONLY CD player I 
would consider buying, as I'm sure Walt Clark and a few others have already 
made that attempt more eloquently than I am capable of with my limited hardware
knowledge.

Since there is now a local store that carries Maggies (Q Audio is on Mass Ave
in Cambridge, right across from M.I.T.), it is now possible for people to go
hear one first-hand, rather than having to impose on someone they likely
haven't met yet, through this conference.

Now, I have to decide whether to rip up that cheque.  I couldn't send it yet
anyway, since I just had to fork out close to $800 for a convention that I
won't be reimbursed for until the next fiscal year begins.


				Mark

Incidentally, I've heard the new Sony pro CD player, the 650, and was not
impressed.  It wasn't harsh sounding, but sounded very unnatural.  There also
seemed to be a LOT of mid-range distortion, and in general there was a lack of
presence to the sound.

The Denon's aren't too bad, and are a better deal than the Nak's.  The Nak's
are softer sounding (less harsh), but also lacking clarity and depth.



				Mark

    In fairness to Steve back in .4 I must admit that when I was shopping
    the Sony CDP-710 was still "vaporware" so you should probably make
    an effort to check it out before rubber-stamping my input.
    
    Second, to prevent our getting carried away in yet another "my CD
    player is whizzie TOO!"-fest, might I suggest you look at some of
    the other topics via SHOW KEYWORD and DIR/KEY=<foo>.  There are
    several discussions elsewhere which you might find elucidating.
    
    [ OH BROTHER!   Here I go promoting myself to Moderator!  What gall!
      Especially considering I'm the guy who *started* this nonsense!
         ;-)      ;-)      ;-)           ]
    
    $SET MODE=NOPONTIFICATE
    
    Just trying to help,
    David.

    RE: .8
    
    Don't send your check to Stereo Discounters yet.  If you do, you
    may not get anything for a while.  I've had a 460 on backorder for
    the last 4 weeks.  Called up Magnavox to get an idea on when they'll
    be shipping the new players out.  Looks like the first of July.
    Now that doesn't mean any consumer will see it the first week of
    July, it doesn't even mean Stereo Discounters will see it the first
    week of July.
    
    Magnavox is replacing the current line of CD players in Sept.  They
    will have a model number of something like 471, 473, etc.  They
    couldn't tell me much about them but I hope it's the model someone
    had mentioned earlier that has been out in Europe that people like.
    
    Kenney

    Re:  Stereo Discounters
    
    I think I brought these fine folk into the conference first,
    several months ago, so want to pass on some additional data.
    
    They seem to be fine in shipping you the item you ordered (if
    it is in stock -- ask when you call), and their prices are
    phenomenal.  The last catalog I saw had the CDB-460 for $149
    and the CDB-560 for $199.
    
    I ordered a -460 and it had what seems to be the archetypal
    Magnavox defect -- a grating sound as the disk spins (look back
    through the old 1041/1051/2041 notes for more -- it seems to be
    a question of unit-to-unit variation).
    
    So I endeavored to send it back.  Their attitude is COMPLETELY
    different when you are returning.  Everything filters through
    a truculent clerical person named Brenda Ziegler, who first tries
    to discourage you from returning the unit at all ("They all do 
    that at first, then after a while it goes away") amd then suggests
    taking the unit in for manufacturer's warranty service instead.
    
    After the unit was returned, they failed to send a new one (there
    aere apparently supply problems), but I only found out by calling
    regularly and watching the lead time change ("It'll ship in a week"
    ... "two weeks" ... "four weeks").  Finally cancelled and bought
    from Q Audio, both because they actually have the units and because
    of the ease of returning.
    
    Bottom line:  even at Q Audio's price, higher than Stereo Disc.,
    the Magnavox units are PHENOMENAL values.  I personally do not
    understand why anyone with less than $400 to spend would buy
    anything else.

    RE: Stereo Discounters
    
    My brother ordered the 460 from them 6 months ago.  Took less than
    2 weeks to show up.  Worked fine when he got it.  Still no problem
    with spinning up the disks.  Did have a problem with skipping due
    to a dirty lens.
    
    Thanks for the tip on returns.  I'm seriously considering cancelling
    my backorder now.  Looks like it's off to Lechemers.  Buy a player
    at regular price, wait for it to go on sale within 30 days, get
    the refund, return it when you don't like it.  Constomer satisfaction
    policies are great!  I've done it before and it keeps me coming
    back.

    Kenney

    Thanks for all the advice!
    
    I actually did have the Magnavox unit in mind, I don't know why
    I didn't write it down.  I really love that feature that stores
    the programs...wish they all had it.
    
    I have read about each of the units in Digital Audio (A friend of
    mine has all the back issues) and they all got good reviews. I think
    they all got 4 stars with the Denon getting 4�.
    
    I'll check out Q Audio this w/e, but I think I have my heart (and
    ears) set on the Denon assuming I can get a good price.  I might
    go to Natural Sound and show the clip from Uncle Steve's and see
    what kind of responce I get.  If the guy comes down below 400, I
    might just get it up here.  Then again maybe the Mag will catch
    my fancy...the price seems right.
    
    Thanks again.
    
    	-Greg

    Latest issue of Digital Audio has a review of the 460 you may want
    to check (Paper Store, Maynard) -- if I remember right, Pohlmann
    gave it 4 1/2 stars, said it tested slightly better than the 650.
    
    

    Got the lastest copy of the Village Voice on Friday and wouldn't you  
    know it...the 1300 was no longer listed.  I figured it was too good to
    be true.  So I did a bit of shopping up here and ended up breaking down
    and buying the Sony 710 for 330 at Q-Audio. Not the best price in the
    world, but that was as low as I could get them (they had it listed at
    420 - which is BS from what Steve says) and they give a 3-week money
    back guarentee, so if anyone knows of a much better deal let me know. 

    I also was glad I got to use my AMEX card instead of paying cash
    (as I would have had to do in nyc) I get an extra years warrenty
    through their Buyers Assurance plan.

    They had the Maggies there, the 465 and the 650.  They were selling
    the 650 for about the same price as the 710.  But it seems the guy
    was pushing the Maggies pretty hard, I know the 650 has better specs
    (4x, 2 d/a's...) but I couldn't hear the difference, makes me wonder.
    
    .5 was right about the 465.  Seems like a great player and it was
    only 229.  I would probably recommend it to any one who could sacrifice
    features for a good unit at a low price. (I couldn't) 
    
    I love the 710.  Great sound and all the features I wanted.  Now
    I have to go out and buy some disks.
    
    	-Greg
    

    Re: .16
    
    $420 list for the 710 is about right, maybe a bit high.  List prices
    are bogus anyway.  I paid as much for my 510 as you did for your
    710!  Anyway, you got a fine player.  Enjoy it!
    
    					Steve

    Very happy with my JVC XL700. I believe it is the only machine
    with BOTH a 6 disk cartridge and a separate single disk tray.
    
    Paul