AudiogoN Forums: Esoteric DV-50: Any cdp's Significantly better?

Esoteric DV-50: Any cdp's Significantly better?

Is there are anyone out there who has compared the Esoteric DV-50 to a number of dedicated red book only players (or other universal's) and found one that is SIGNIFICANTLY better?

I stress significantly because in my humble opinion the redbook playback (if comparison unit is just a cd cd player only )must be significantly better to justify losing DVD-A, SACD and DVD-Video capability.

I keep hearing there are better one box solutions and being a die hard 2 channel fan I would sell my DV-50 if I found a player in the same price range that sounds significantly better. But every time I do an AB comparision to other well respected units the DV-50 has slayed each and every one.

So far, it has eaten the lunch of the Classe CDP-10, Ayre CX-7, Linn Ikemi, Cairn Fog Vers. 2, Cary 306/300, Arcam DV 27A and CD 33T, Myryad CD 600, etc. It even betters a Sony SCD 777ES/MF Tri-Vista 21 transport/dac combo that I previously owned. I'm only comparing the DV-50 to single box cd or universal players, but I just wanted to mention the Sony/MF combo. I'm sure there are some dac/transport combo's that will handily beat the DV 50.

Some may say that the DV 50 should beat all the above because the of price point ($5,500 vs. average price of $3,000 for the above players). But I disagree since conventional wisdom says that stand alone players (especially with the pedigree of those mentioned above) should produce better redbook than a universal player trying to be a jack of all trades. Only the DV 27A does video plus audio. By the way, I was very impressed with the 27A as just a cd player. Of all the above I would say the Ayre was the best.

Next on my list is the Electrocompaniet EMC 1UP and the Resolution Audio Opus 21. However, I must tell you I am really impressed with the DV 50 and all the great reviews are absolutely true. I've noticed that many people who are using it or comparing to other players are using the RCA analog outs instead of the balanced outs. There is a significant improvement in sound if you use the balanced outs and I'm only interested in hearing comments from people who have compared it against other players using the balanced outs on the DV-50.

My system components are as follows:

B&W N803's speakers & HTM-1 center
Cary Cinema 5 (5 x 200) amp
Anthem D1 Statement pre/pro
Esoteric DV 50
Acoustic Zen Satori Shotgun speaker wire
Nirvana SX balanced interconnects from DV-50 to Anthem
Acoustic Zen Matrix reference II interconnects from D1 to Cary
No after market power cords or isolation equipment

My system sounds great! Those who comment please make sure to specify what specific improvements you heard over the DV 50 and what cdp were you comparing it against.

AVGURU

Avguru (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

11-06-04

Responses (451-500 of 933)

Click title to read one, or click date to read all below it.

01-02-05 Tbg- "i think shootouts are useless." careful, y ... Kana813

01-02-05 Mikannen, other than the crystal cs4398 dac board with micro ... Aplhifi

01-02-05 My problem with all these mods is that they do not upgrade t ... Diw

01-02-05 Diw, because of the quality of the 2 channel sound. i cannot ... Tbg

01-02-05 Alex, would you please respond to diw's comments about no u ... Avguru

01-02-05 Diw writes:i had ric schultz modify my sony xa777es and disc ... Metralla

01-02-05 Personally, i think the quality of multichannel sound is sup ... Diw

01-02-05 Tbg, the great value of the shootouts is not so much in a h ... Guidocorona

01-02-05 Tbg, i respectfully disagree with you,one of the room we use ... Jayctoy

01-02-05 Diw and avguru, there are many reasons why dvd machines are ... Aplhifi

01-02-05 Thank you alex and tbg alex, there is no doubt that yours i ... Mikannen

01-02-05 Avguru, sorry i forgot to answer your other question! the dv ... Aplhifi

01-03-05 Alex, what are the substantial differences, if any, between ... Islandear

01-03-05 Islandear, the transport/audio dsp of these machines is iden ... Aplhifi

01-03-05: Audiojoy4
alex

i have already e mailed you regarding purchase of the 3910 with full mods. Will you be able to do it in 240volt, or should I purchase the unit in the uk and send it to you?

I have always added the Musical fidelity X10d buffer which always added an organic warmth to the sound, improved low level detail and improved the three dimentional imaging.(this was in my audiocom modded sony scd 777es) So it is not suprizing that the tube mods are so successful.Indeed I have also used with 100% success every time the Monarchy DIP 24/96, which always added better tonality (microdynamic functionality)hence the more lifelike sound. I have used it between various transports and dacs with the same success. With the use of both the dip and x10D I wonder if these set ups match your single modded unit? Of course I have used better tubes,caps and my own filtered high VA ac input) in the X10D than the stock one.
Putting copper around the transport always improved the warmth and tonality of the sound and I have since discovered that this was done in the Marantz SA1. However, I have always found that full encapsulation or shielding of the unit lead to too much softness and loss of transparency. Nonetheless the same feat could be managed by simply wrapping copper (pure) around the interconecting or power cables. Again the amount of revolutions were consistent in the degree of warth added to the sound. The magic number was usually five turns before the sound stopped changing or became overly soft. Please note that these are not earthed. It is obviously an electromagnetic effect. Ultimately the design circuitry is the essential sound you will have but by judicious use of copper as described above you can TOTALLY change the sound of the unit. If you then decide to use silver coated copper you will extract more detail from the unit more transparency and insight but less warmth. The same also happens if you use 0.14 mm wire as oppossed to .5mm. So when one describes the teac as being 'lean' 'forward' 'musical'etc can be readily and easily changed to the opposite spectrum as described above. All those guys on this forum compare this to that but in reality there are dramatic effects that can be made by simply manipulating the transport surround or indeed the power and interconnect cables(or indeed adding the x10d buffer, which i know you will not like hearing) Ultimately the important factor of the unit (assumming it extracts near maximal detail) is what amount of changes the unit can support whilst inproving before the sound falls apart and you have not quite reached audio nirvana. Now that would be interesting in a unit such as the Teac DV50.

However, as i said the circuitry which extracts the maximum potential from the unit is what matters most and I am sure that you have this in your mods, by simplifying circuitry etc.

I look forward to doing business with you VERY SOON, or I may have to jump over to the cheaper exemplar.

regards Luke
Audiojoy4 (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

01-03-05 Luke, i made at least 10 attempts to email you, but it was a ... Aplhifi

01-03-05 Thanks alex. i have other some other concerns but i'll wait ... Islandear

01-03-05 Alex, i diod have a chat with one of his representatives wh ... Audiojoy4

01-04-05 711smilin, avguru, and others in the chicago obsession clini ... Dbld

01-04-05 Dbld, i am leaving for las vegas in 4 hours from now so i wi ... Aplhifi

01-04-05 All the best at the ces, alex! - jay Jsala

01-04-05 Hi guys, i received my modwright sony 999 yesterday af ... Pscialli

01-04-05 Hey folks, just wanted to let you know that i have spent tim ... 1markr

01-05-05 Hi all, i see no one has replied to any of my suggestions. ... Audiojoy4

01-05-05 Audiojoy, speaking for myself, i no longer am tempted by diy ... Tbg

01-05-05 Luke, thank you so much for your offer to contribute withou ... Guidocorona

01-05-05 Audiojoy4 "i am surprised that switchmode supplies are ... Kana813

01-05-05 Luke i agree with you,palpability should be part of musicali ... Jayctoy

01-06-05 My modwright sony 999 review: hi all, i've had the better p ... Pscialli

01-06-05 Peter, which tubes are you using with the 999es? 1markr

01-06-05 the 999 uses a pair of 5687s. peter Pscialli

01-06-05 Hi all, thank you all for your replies, you have made me fe ... Audiojoy4

01-06-05 Tbg, i agree about your impatience, i also have the same fe ... Audiojoy4

01-06-05 Guidocoroner, i am not sure what point you are trying to ma ... Audiojoy4

01-06-05 Hey peter, yes, i know about that tube. i meant more specif ... 1markr

01-06-05 This digital forum to promote aplhifi. as a modifier how pl ... Eldon

01-06-05 Thank you doc luke, you are correct in inferring that music ... Guidocorona

01-06-05 Doc, by the way, pscialli does own a musical fidelity tube ... Guidocorona

01-06-05 1markr, oh sorry about that. to be honest, i'm not sure wha ... Pscialli

01-06-05 I firmly agree with richard kern. moderators have deleted o ... Flye

01-06-05 Eldon a quick search has me puzzled when i found this post ... Carmantom

01-06-05 Doc luke i have a musical fidelity x10v3 here which i used ... Pscialli

01-06-05 Pscialli, i could not have said it better. i got my modwrig ... Dolfan

01-06-05 I don't feel alex has advertised or acted inappropriately he ... Dbld

01-06-05 Ok - what i said above was written while doug's post was goi ... Dbld

01-06-05 My post is four years old and was made before i learned the ... Eldon

01-07-05 Why not start your own "digital modifiers" forum o ... Reb1208

01-07-05 Hi avguru, eldon & flye i second what dbld is saying. we w ... Mikannen

01-07-05 Dbld, i couldn't have said it better myself. in fact last ... Guidocorona

01-07-05 Richard, i am the guy who has owned the apl, exemplar, and h ... 711smilin

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