Rotel 1072 or SACD/DVD-A universal player?

[spkerguy]

Hello everyone,
Now that my new 1068 processor is on the way I'm looking to get some better CD sound as well. I've never heard the 1072 but have read very good reviews about the unit. I'm the type of person that watches movies for the soundtracks. Even my wife, who doesn't share my enthusiasm for my hobby, agrees how much better DVDs sound than CDs. We are currently using a cheap marantz changer. 100% of our CD collection is redbook. THe question is how close can I get my redbook CDs to sound like the music I hear in DVDs. Also how do the DACs in the 1068 compare with the DACs in the 1072? I would imagine most people would probably use the DACs in the CD-player.

THanks,

Ken

[NonSense]

Is it the 5CH sound you like from the DVD movies or do the movie soundtracks actually sound better on your system. A good quality dedicated redbook player will do alot to improve the sound quality of your CD collection. IMO, a good CD player should at least equal, if not better the SQ you are getting from your current DVD movie playback. If 2Ch audio is your thing.

The DACs in both the 1068 and 1072 are both of good quality but will be voiced for differing applications. The 1072 is a dedicated redbook player (with HDCD) so the DAC's and filtering will be designed to maximize performance for this type of playback and somewhat to the designers preference. The 1068 is primarily a HT processor designed to accept various digital bitstreams (PCM/Dolby/DTS) and generate 5CH+ sound from various bit rates (44/48/96/192). Dialog, sound stearing and explosions being keys to success. Although the 1068 can do many things exceptionally well, so goes the saying, jack of all trades, master of none. Alot of people are also of the opinion that this equally applies to universal players. A good dedicated player can usually best a universal product if placed on a level playing field. Is the difference significant, only your ears can decide.

If the Marantz has a digital output, you can easily plug it into the 1068 and have a listen to the DAC's. You may actually find that this is enough of an improvement.

[Clepto]

it also depends if you have/want SACDs and DVD-As. They're probably slowly dying out as a format, but there are a few generes that continue to produce SACDs.

[hanser]

For me, I found the ultimate solution: Buy an Aqvox DAC (www.aqvox.com; 750 Euro) as an add-on to any CDplayer oder DVDplayer you happen to own. It sounds better than most CD-players independent of the price, and better than SACD on the cheaper SACDplayers like my PIoneer 656 universal player (direct comparison CD versus stereo SACD).

[lovepianos]

check out the Denon 3910 Universal Player!

Ken-
I bought a new Denon 3910 player a few months ago after reading the review on it from Audioholics. It sounds superb! It plays SACD's, DVD-Audio discs, HDCD discs and CD's of course - also it is an excellent video DVD player.
Here's the link to the review at Audioholics.

http://www.audioholics.com/productreviews/avhardware/DenonDVD3910Review1.php

It won their product of the year award, so it's no slouch. You can find it on Pricegrabber for around 1k.
- Ted.

[spkerguy]

Just pulled the trigger on the 1072! Thanks guys for your help!

Ken

[Taito]

I think you made a good decision - The 1072 is my source of choice (Vs a denon 1920 and a slim devices squeezebox). I only own 1 hi-res disc (Dire Straits, Brothers in Arms) and prefer listening to its CD layer via the 1072 than 2ch SACD via the 1920.

Enjoy!
-Ben

[pbarata]

Like Taito, I also prefer listen to CDs on my RCD-1070 then through my Pioneer DV-757A universal player.

[bleeding ears]

Guys, could you try to explain how the cd players sound better?

Eg tighter bass? better highs, more clarity or more soundstaging etc

My older rotel cd player does not beat my dvd player so am looking for a reason to upgrade my cd player.

Pete

[peterS]

Guys, could you try to explain how the cd players sound better?

Eg tighter bass? better highs, more clarity or more soundstaging etc

My older rotel cd player does not beat my dvd player so am looking for a reason to upgrade my cd player.

Pete

i find no diference
i have yet to hear a good explanation on why it would either

[Taito]

Hi Pete, with my 1080 in for service, I can't go back and listen right now. However, there are a few reasons:
1) (Based on memory) Sound stage was slightly fuller through the 1072 over the Denon 1920. (Subtle)
2) When I bought my speakers, I was able to compare my 1072 against a Denon 3910 (for CD only) and found that the treble throught the 3910 was SLIGHTLY harsh at high volumes. I did not notice this harshness in the 1072.
3) Most importantly to me: My 1920's transport makes a small, but audible noise. The 1072 does not.

Bear in mind that I only have 1 high-res disc, so your milage may vary.

Hope this helps, Ben

[gianni]

Some differences I've noted between CD analog out and CD or DVD digital out in case you care to listen for them next time you compare:

Bass - clearly tighter with better definition and with more heft as well as a more extended bottom end. The bass can be identified on the stage versus just eminating from the entire ensemble.

Image focus - most instruments but especially percussion such as clave, have a more clearly defined boundary and are easier to locate on the soundstage. Also, the leading edge transients are better allowing me to know where a certain instrument is located.

Mid Range - voices and instruments take on extra demension and shape. The images seem to also have more density. They are more 'present'.

On my system all of these things combine to create the illusion that the soundstage moves very slightly forward. This to me makes the images seem slightly larger and actually more realistic in scale. On the other hand, I find no difference in soundstage width.

Other than the bass, I did not notice all of these things in the first 2 minutes of listening. It took a little time to become a little more intimate with the sound of my system. And, the differences do vary from one recording to another depending on quality, type of music and if these attributes are present to begin with.

That being said, they are difficult to notice in casual background off center listening - they are most noticeable (except bass) seated in the sweet spot when you are actively listening. (for background listening I just usually use the digital out from my CD or DVD player, which ever one is powered up).

They are however real and repeatable. I can identify the differences more than 9 out of 10 times. And the occasional one I miss, I'm fairly sure is due to fatigue or my mind wandering off on other thoughts.

One more thing: for those who don't understand why there might even be differences let me contribute my 2 cents. If you are strictly using a digital output (as a transport) then yes the differences may be small between CD players. But, you are then limited by the performance of the receiver or pre you are using.

By going to a dedicated quality CD player, not only can we upgrade the DAC but we can improve the analog performance downstream of the DAC. I believe, at least in my system that this is where a good portion of the improvement comes from - it's not just about DAC's. In addition, by connecting the CD analog out to the Multi-inputs, I also bypass a good deal of circuitry in the RSX-1055 - on this model this is the cleanest signal path.

Hope this helps.

[drsiebling]

The Denon DVD-1920 is a nice choice for a good universal player. It has Burr-Brown DACs and for $350 is hard to beat. Now, I know it doesn't compare to some of the higher end solutions, but if you are interested in getting into multi-channel, it might be a good place to start.

I, for one, was really disappointed that Rotel hasn't supported the SACD format. As both SACD and DVD-A slowly die in the US, there has been a huge upsurge in content from Europe. My hope is that as the user base builds over there, those of us in the US can benefit from the increase in content.