[john1970]

Dear AC Members,

I am looking for a new CD player and yesterday I came across the Denon DN-C635 Professional (studio) CD player.  It offers balanced XLR outputs and solid measurements: S/N = 104 dB, Dynamic Range = 100 dB, Channel Separation = 90 dB, and Total Harmonic distortion = 0.004%.  Although it retails for ~$600 I can readily get it through an authorized dealer for less than $500. 

Has anyone here every used a professional studio grade CD player in their audio system?  I am just looking for some feedback.

Here is the link to the manufacturer's website:

http://www.d-mpro.com/users/folder.asp?FolderID=1502&CatID=1&SubCatID=1

Thank you in advance for any advice,

John

[Bill Baker]

HelloJohn,
 There is nothing wrong with using a "Professional" series player. What that really means is that the player has a lot of features you will probably never use in a playback only home audio system. The balanced options could come in handy
 I had a few Marantz Professional players around and still use a Marantz "Studio" CD recorder for both recording vinyl to disc as well as normal CD playback.

 They are accurate and clean. Maybe not to the level of "audiophile" players in terms of resolution and transparency but I am sure you would enjoy your CD collection none-the-less. At $500'ish dollars, they are a very good choice.

[Rashiki]

The problem with using "pro" gear at home is that pro gear tends to use a higher voltage on their line outputs, the idea being that this will be better for driving the long cables needed in a live setting. Using a pro source with a normal line-level preamp would overdrive the preamp.

In this case, the unbalanced line-level outputs appear to be the standard 2.0V that most home audio equipment works with. The balanced outputs are +18dBu, which I believe is standard for pro gear, but higher than what most home gear likes. However, the balanced output is adjustable so you should be able to attenuate it to a level that doesn't overdrive your preamp.

I hope that helps.

 -Rob

[john1970]

Bill and Rob,

I have a Bryston BP25 preamp with dedicated XLR inputs so consider the XLR inputs on the Denon a bonus.  I do realize that they have quite a few functions that I would probably not use in a home environment.  I guess I still have a couple of questions that I would appreciate if you (or any other AC members) could answer:

1) Is the professional grade equipment built better than the consumer equipment?

2) How significant of a difference in sound will there be between this unit and an entry level consumer unit such as a Marantz CD5001 (currently in my system) or NAD C521BEE?

I find the XLR outputs very appealing because I can't find a consumer model for less than $1000 that has balanced outputs.

Thank you again for your time in answering my questions.

Best,

John

[Charles Calkins]

John 1970:

  Forgetabout a CD player. Get your self an SB3. Straight out of the box it sounds as good or better than a mid priced CD players. Getting it modded by Bolder or someone else takes it to a new level. Try it I'm sure you'll like it. Check with rashiki. He is the man when it comes to the SB3 setup.

                                       Cheers
                                       Charlie

[zoestanley]

what is an sb3?

[Bill Baker]

Squeeze Box 3

 Bolder Cable does alot of work with these.  You can check out their forum here at Audio Circle at:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?board=11.0

[john1970]

To all,

I am looking for a CD player not a SB3.  I know it is a popular option, but I prefer a standalone CD player.

Thanks,

John

[Rashiki]

1) Is the professional grade equipment built better than the consumer equipment?

Not necessarily. There's high-end "pro" equipment and low-end "pro" equipment. The word "professional" just indicates the intended audience, i.e. people in the music industry. If you look at "pro" amplifiers, there are some that are of quite decent quality, but others that are more-or-less equivalent to low-end consumer electronics.

2) How significant of a difference in sound will there be between this unit and an entry level consumer unit such as a Marantz CD5001 (currently in my system) or NAD C521BEE?

It's hard to say. Possibly no difference at all. It may also be quite inferior. People who buy the Denon "pro" CD player are usually buying it for the feature set and not because they value sound quality. It will quite likely sound decent, but you won't know for sure until you try it.

 -Rob