2900 vs RCD 1072 for cd playback?

[NHT]

As some of you already know, Im not impressed with the performance with my new 1098 that I bought two days ago. Let me rephrase that. It sounds good, but not much better than the 1055 Ive used as a pre/pro. Sure, it has a lot more users options and tweakability but soundwise, in my opinion, is not worth the extra $1500 I had to shell out. So I might just keep my 1055 as a pre/pro for the time being and plan ahead and make an upgrade to my system elsewhere.

Which leads me to ask you this question. I compared the DACS of my Denon 2900 for cd playback against that in the 1098, and I would have to say that the 2900 was noticeably better in all regards. Being that its not a dedicated cd player, would a purchase like the Rotel RCD 1072 yield better cd playback than my already excellent 2900? Has anyone compared the two for analog cd playback? Should I upgrade my system elsewhere? How about a used 1070 for much less than a new 1072? Is the 1072 much better?
Thanks to you all again for all your invaluable assistance.

[DarrenR]

Hi NHT
I'm jumping a bit between your threads here, but here goes. I'm surprised that you preferred the sound of the Denon 2900 DACs over the 1098, as I said in your other thread, IMHO, the RSP 1066 DACs were noticeably better (better/tighter bass, larger soundstage etc.) than the 2900. I strongly suggest that you at least try to let the 1098 burn in for a couple of days before you decide to get rid of it.

A dedicated CD player SHOULD and generally does sound a lot better than a DVD of comparable cost. My old Rotel RCD 971 was better again than both the RSP1066 and the Denon 2900, & I suspect that this would also be the case with the RCD 1070 and 1072 (although I haven't heard either of these units).
As I said in my other post, before you pay for second transport, go grab an external DAC & plug it into your 2900 & see what difference it makes. You should be pleasantly surprised. The Denon 2900 makes a fine transport BTW, especially if it is appropriately isolated (Denon have gone to a lot of trouble to reduce vibes in this unit though).
For a low cost DAC, try a Perpetual Technologies P-3A. If you go this route, make sure you buy the dedicated power supply unit (Clear Islands or Monolithic), as the one supplied with the P3a really doesn't do this DAC justice.
Darren

[eelco74]

I own a 2900 and I do like the CD playback. I compared it with Rotel's rcd-975 at that time a top player.

I found the difference noticable, especially in the bass area. The Rotel was more tight and had a more coherent sound. But the margin was very small, it took me several A/B comparisons to hear the difference.

So the RCD-1072 will sound better than the 2900, that's for sure. However you will have to find out for yourself if the extra cost (and rackspace) is worth the extra investment.

[NHT]

So which route should I take? Go with the 1072 or an outboard DAC? If its not too much of a difference, I would much rather go with the 1072 because it would match much better aesthetically with my other Rotel gear than the outboard DAC. But I really want to make the next decision final because if I decide to return the 1072, I think my dealer would ban me from the store from too many returns.

[Aussie Geoff]

NHT,

I strongly recommend that you do instore comparative listenning of the 1072 with any alterntavies you are considering. I recommend that you book a time with the dealer and bring in your own Denon 2900 to compare (the dealer will hook it up for you). Absolutely you also need to bring in your own high quality CDs that you know and like.

In my experience the actual speakers etc you use don't have to the be same as at home, as long as they are of reasonably high quality and you can compare the CD or DVD players in the same room on the same speakers....
Try it - you will soon know what you like for sure and be able to buy with confidence and your dealer wont ban you.

Remember ONLY YOU know what is right for YOUR EARS....

Geoff

[eelco74]

Geoff is right,

I had the 2900 at home for a few days. So I had the time to compare it to my own RCD-975. Like I said, the Rotel sounded a bit better, but found the difference too small to keep the 975.

However this is all my opinion. Just compare the both of them at home or at the store. It is your choice, and your HT set.

[will1066]

I think the problem here is like Geoff and eelco said. You are relying on *our* *opinions*. I suspected you didn't audition the 1098 before you bought it. Correct me if I'm wrong on that, but don't do that twice. I have been guilty of this too. But recently, I went auditioning some speakers that are highly praised here, and I didn't fully like them. It would've been a hairy situation if I had gone and bought them based purely on opinions.