MARCH 2007
I have spent February getting some hours on the Audio Experience +R
preamp and the rebuilt Rogue 90 Stereo Amplifier. Between the Rogue’s
problems, and having very little time to listen in January, I decided to just
start over keeping track of the break-in time. Everything is sounding very
good but I am reluctant to put anything on paper until I have some more
time on both pieces of equipment. It won’t be much longer, though.
I do have a new article about exploring room modes and my listening room
on the web site. It can be accessed from the home page.
I finally got to listen to the new Bob Dylan album, Modern Times, Columbia
82876 87606 2. I think it merits all the praise it has received. What I
found particularly enjoyable is how melodic it is and how many of its
rhythms hearken back to early rock and roll music.
I also added some SACDs to my Dylan collection this month. I bought a
package of five Dylan SACDs from BMG for $25.98 during a free shipping
offer. I haven’t had a chance to listen to them but it was impossible to
pass them up, given the price. The group includes Blood on the Tracks,
Blonde on Blonde, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, Nashville Skyline, and
Highway 61 Revisited. Except for Nashville Skyline, I don’t have the CD of
any of these albums. I don’t mind duplicating what has been my favorite
Dylan album. It will be interesting to compare the SACD to the CD.
Out of curiosity recently, I substituted an inexpensive Toshiba DVD player
for the Sony SCD-C333ES SACD/CD player in my main system. I wanted
to compare them as transports. I was wondering if I could hear any
difference through the Perpetual Technology pair. The answer was clearly,
Yes. Music sounded very good via the Toshiba but lost the three-
dimensional quality that it has with the Sony. I was actually somewhat
surprised at how clear the difference was. Before the Sony, I had never
heard any clear difference between the various DVD/CD/LD transports that
I had used.
What prompted this comparison was noticing that there are now no
inexpensive CD players on the market. The least expensive dedicated CD
players start at about $300. The low-end CD playback market has been
vacated to the DVD player. I don’t think this is a bad thing; I was just
curious as to what it would take to replace the Sony should I ever need
to. I can at least rule out a cheap DVD player.
Using the Stereophile 2007 Buyer’s Guide, I spent some time categorizing
the CD players listed there by price range. The price divisions were
arbitrary and solely mine but the largest group, 42 players, exists between
$2,000 and $5,000. There are more CD players in this group than there
are from $500 to $1,999, which lists only 39 players. There are more
players costing over $10,000 than there are under $1,000, if you ignore
CD changers.
The conclusion this research has led me to is that CD is heading in the
same direction as the LP. While CD sales still account for 90% of all the
music sold, the actual number of CDs sold each year is falling. The CD is
heading for niche market status just like the LP. It looks like it will take a
while, but it’s happening.
The good news is that, like the LP, the playback equipment is getting
better and will likely get better still. I find that exciting. I would really like
to hear some of the new $1,000 CD players and DACs that are on the
market. I fully expect that they sound as good as my Sony/Perpetual
Technologies set up, which was about $3,000 when it was new.
So get your hands on all the CDs you can, while you can. The best is yet
to come. (Assuming you can afford it.)
Kent Johnson
February 27, 2007
