CD recorder Marantz or Pioneer

Hi Craig & Ram, Craig I agree with your opinion.I read a review from the Jan. issue of AUDIO on the HHB CDR-850 and it was very informative.The one thing I found very interesting is it stated that the sampling-rate converters are not always audibly transparent,however,and some CD recorders with such converters keep them in the circuit even when the incoming signal is already at 44.1kHz.This will,at the very least,change the data,and it may affect the sound.So it's a good thing the CDR-850 lets you bypass its sampling-rate converter when necessary.In fact,if your source recordings are always at 44.1 kHz,they recomended to just leave the sampling-rate converter off.Also has anyone used a Genesis digital lens anti-jitter unit between cd transport and CD recorder to see if it makes a better sounding copy.A interview in Audio Advisor with Paul McGowan stated he had a two CD's of same recording and one disc had more jitter.He then played it through the Lens and made a digital copy with a CD recorder.When he played the copy back through the Lens it sounded much better than the original factory-pressed CD.If interested I have two Lens(s).One I use between my McCormack SST-1 transport and Sonic Frontiers SFT-1 transport to Kimber Kable D60 digital cable to Camelot Technology Arthur V3.0 DAC.(still waiting for the Camelot upsampling 24/96 dac I ordered).Iplan on using other Lens with CD recorder and will let you know how it works if you would be interested. Don

Hi Don; good point re: sample rate converters. I'm quite sure the Pioneer W739 also bypasses the SRC when the signal is 44.1. Craig

Sorry if my comments seemed sarcastic. They were worded that way inorder to make a point. I truely meant it when Isaid mail it directly to the artist. Here is a better solution: Buy a professional unit and use consumer grade cds. However, I doubt the artist you recorded will ever see a penny. Also, you should check out the ad converters. Often times the consumer units are compromised. One way to solve this problem is to buy an external ad and by pass the units. There are several affordable units on the market. An added advantage to the pro unit is the flexibility of the inputs and out puts. You can use AES-EBU and lower jitter. Anyway, in my opinion you have the best options with a pro unit and you can always use consumer data.

As a former member of ASCAP, signator for AFTRA, Mercury recording artist and producer I can guarantee you that if any money gets to an artist it is irrelevant by the time it is divided amongst all the artists. It is a scam. I received a total of...12 cents when an album I was on was #1 in 13 states,(many moons ago). This has not changed. Get the best copier you can. Good luck.

Hi Bmp & Ramstl; Thanks for a "hands on", informed opinion. Our words have crossed before on this site Bmp, and I respect your observations and opinions on this subject. It seems that Ramstl's skepticism was well placed and I probably owe him an apology. So Ramstl, I hereby apologize. I based my buying decision, and recommendations, on articles I read in audio magazines, info. gleaned from the i-net, and of course advertising information. And although the HHB is undoubtedly a better built recorder (ie it's about twice as expensive), I will defend the Pioneer W739 based on its features and recording quality (I'm sure that in a blind test, I could not tell commercially made CDs from those made with the W739). Before I bought the W739, I tried a Pioneer 509 single drawer recorder that would not copy track information from my two out board Sony CD players. I was pretty frustrated and returned it. Then the W739 came out; it is a "dubbing" recorder, that has built in play and record sides, so it is completely self contained. A Three CD drawer on the left can be programmed in any way you want and recorded on the right side, or a single CD and CD-R can be dropped in and a "one touch" copy made-- neat. I rechecked, and the W739 digital out signal does bypass the sample rate converter when 44.1 (ie CDs) is used. Anyway, the features and versatility of this recorder were also big reasons I chose to go with a "dubbing" "consumer grade" CD recorder. I still stand by my assertion that recording quality of the W739 is excellent. As for SCMS, I suppose that it will have "some" impact in reducing wholesale digital copying, but if I wanted to go into CD copy sales, I would just buy a pro unit that didn't have it in the first place, and that could also use the cheaper computer CD-R blanks. I can see that fairly inexpensive pro copiers (and computer copying) are signicant loopholes in the SCMS (system).