HiWire

My dad used to tell me that all CD players sounded the same, but then I went around and auditioned CD players for about 5 years, starting with consumer-grade stuff like my dad's Technics carousel all the way up to a 4-box dCS Paganini system. Obviously, they weren't all connected to the same amplifiers and loudspeakers, but I heard a lot of differences. I ended up with the Arcam FMJ CD36 and I've got my eye on the Oppo BDP-105D for HDCD and SACD playback – I think I can use it as a DAC via USB input. My amplification is pretty solid: Arcam C31 preamp and two Arcam P1 monoblocs, so the last big jump is loudspeakers for now. Also, I like Schiit Audio's idea of keeping their bases covered with the Loki. If DSD takes off, they can incorporate the circuitry in the Bifrost or another DAC/Amp. Oppo has also added DSD decoding to their newer players.

I, for one, welcome our new Realtek overlords. Coworker: "Is that a CD player?"

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/high-end-pc-audio,3733-19.html I'll be in the funny pictures thread.

Design problem, QA problem, or both? "You can't handle the truth!" Colonel Nathan R. Jessup, A Few Good Men

These should go well with my Arcam C31/P1 monoblocs... pity about the price, though. I'm currently running Acoustic Energy Aegis Two floorstanders. http://www.pmc-speakers.com/products/consumer/twenty/twenty26 I heard the older FB1i at a dealer paired with Arcam electronics and it was a great match. Initial reports from the Bristol show last weekend seem to be enthusiastic. I'll take mine in Amarone.

Darbee processing is for contrast – i.e., light and dark. I gather that some poorly-mastered DVDs might have more chrominance compression than necessary (e.g. everything is dark and muddy or everything is washed out) – Darbee processing might mitigate this problem. It might also help with color depth. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chroma_subsampling Scaling is supposed to be better on the Oppo than the PS3, but it depends on your source material. It should be the same on the Darbee edition as the non-Darbee.

Worth it to me. I have a lot of DVDs – they probably need Darbee processing more than properly mastered Blu-ray material. I mainly want it for SACD and HDCD playback. My PS3 has been surprisingly good – it should be interesting to see how much more video quality can be extracted from my dodgy movie collection – Anchorman has never looked so good.

It looks like Oppo is selling the Darbee edition of the BDP-105 now. I'll get one soon.

What about the Alessandro MS-Pros?

I like the looks (and value) of the uber analog Schiit Bifrost as well. If I ever decide to play my schiity audio files on my stereo or a headphone amplifier (stack of schiit), that would be the way to go. I hope they incorporate the Loki circuitry into the Bifrost and Gungnir if DSD demand becomes sustainable.

No professional reviews of this $2,000 box yet. 2 slavering 5-star fanboy "reviews" on the Sony site. Now in stock at Amazon. Who will be first in line for Sony's other new digital box thingy? http://www.theonion.com/video/sony-releases-new-stupid-piece-of-shit-that-doesnt,14309/ I am enjoying my Azurite Blue PS3, though. It works OK... I guess.

Maybe they should add that as a marketing feature: "Build stronger neck muscles!" I'm pretty sure my Grado HP-2 are heavier than the Audeze LCD headphones.

You know what they say about suckers – there's a new one born every minute.

Moar burning?

Thanks! I ripped my CDs in AAC for the Shuffle, but I'd want to go with lossless if I was upGradoing. Also, I just found out Sony still sells a bargain-fi D-EJ011 portable CD player at $30 – it runs on 2 AA batteries. Perfect as a backup for me. I kind of love that they think "Full-Circle Design – Hand Strap – 20-20000Hz, 1/-2dB" are still considered relevant marketing points. I've been having problems finding and charging gumstick batteries on my D-EJ2000.

I wish Apple would upgrade to a 320GB iPod Classic. Their current lineup really doesn't work for my music collection (320 kb/s AAC) – about 300 CDs.

I use a 4GB third-generation iPod Shuffle + Klipsch S4i in addition to my Sony D-EJ2000 CD player + Alessandro MS-1. It's the teeny-tiniest.

Sony is also big enough to dictate or manufacture custom parts (e.g. ICs, etc.). You can only get so far with off-the-shelf parts and some of the "good ones" have gone out of production. That and the small market size probably account for the Astell&Kern price structure– it has been shown, over and over, that the market for high end consumer audio is outside most manufacturers' comfort zones (compare with HiFiMAN, for example, or V-Moda's Vamp Verza). Their re-interest in portable hi-fi is a good sign.

Write to AKG.Maybe it's a QA problem they can fix.

Thanks, Tyll!

Me neither. But somebody must be able to afford these things.

I think I'd want one if my Sony D-EJ2000 went kaput. Has anybody tested one? Cry me an iRiver: http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/couple-nice-improvements-astellkern I'm a little confused at the specs – shouldn't all the players support 64GB micro SD capacities?

Tyll, do they sound much different than the K 701, then? Are they easier to drive?

Looking forward to the reviews. They are supposed to be moar better than the other one.

Review from Hi-Fi+ Playback: http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/beyerdynamic-t5p-headphones-playback-38/ They should list their test equipment.