Reimyo CDP-777 CD Player

The first thing I noticed about the Reimyo CDP-777 CD player was not its sleekly solid appearance nor, when I hit the Play button, its big, full, transparent sound. It was the price tag of $17,000 USD. That’s 17,000 big ones. Or 1700 $10 bills. Or 850 twenties. Or, if you don’t like carrying duffle bags crammed with greenbacks, 170 hundreds.

In short, that’s a lot of loot for a single-box CD player without SACD or DVD-Audio capability, much less the rest of the alphabet soup of new media options. Yes, there’s upsampling, but no external power supply or other visible accoutrements common to upper-tier high-end equipment.

But sticker shock is something we audiophiles are used to in the rarified reaches of our hobby, and the Reimyo’s not even at the top of the food chain. Burmester’s CD turntable-DAC combination goes for $57,000; the dCS Elgar DAC and upsampler are $23,000; Krell offers a $25,000 one-box CD player-preamp; and a handful of others weigh in above $17,000, including a Goldmund DVD/CD player-DAC combo whose $65,000 price should make it a popular item among Colombian drug lords.

The Reimyo and its pedigree

The CDP-777’s high performance is the result of a collaboration among three powerhouses of Japanese audio who came together in something called High Tech Fusion. JVC contributed the transport mechanism and Extended K2 Processing, the signal-processing elements that subject 16-bit/44.1kHz, "Red Book" CDs to a 24-bit, 4x-oversampling D/A conversion rate to yield 705.6kHz. Design and assembly are by Kyodo Denshi, maker of high-precision measuring instruments. And Kazuo Kiuchi’s Combak Corporation contributed its resonance-control processes.

Kiuchi is one of the high end’s great gentlemen -- a diminutive, softspoken innovator with whose work I’ve been familiar for many years. His array of tuning devices was laughed at when they first landed on these shores. That was when distortion-causing resonances were thought best controlled through massive construction and/or expensive, space-eating panels strategically (and intrusively) placed on or in front of walls and furniture. His quarter-sized stick-on dots were thought to be off the wall until people put them on their walls (and their equipment) and discovered that they worked.

My first audio equipment review was of Kiuchi’s Harmonix RFA-78 Room Tuning Devices. That was back in 1993; for several years -- until my wife decided she no longer wanted her living-room walls to look as if they had measles -- the RFA-78s were both conversation pieces and a remarkably effective way to rid the listening room of unwanted resonances.

Most of the CDP-777’s parts, including the power transformer and circuit, were designed specifically for the player. The Reimyo package doesn’t come with an AC cord (what do you expect for $17,000?), but Combak recommends using the Harmonix X-DC Studio Master power cable, loaned to me for this review. A 2m length will run you only $1305; there’s no need to run to your local hardware store to get a Belden.

I mentioned the CDP-777’s "sleekly solid" looks. That description extends to its well-laid-out remote control, with a silver finish that matches the faceplate of the ’777, whose black side plates and top are broken by a centered window that slides back to reveal the disc bay. After a disc is slipped over the drive’s thick shaft, it’s secured with a neatly finished silver puck. Close the window and play. Forget the puck, and nothing will happen other than a bright "Err" notice on the display.

The front panel is logically laid out, with all the usual suspects in their usual places, but with the added convenience for armchair dwellers of LEDs above key buttons that light up when that function is turned on. The display indicates not only track number but index number as well, harking back to digital’s early days, when tracks were often subdivided. And despite the unit’s thick chassis and rigid aluminum plating, its 33-pound weight shouldn’t cause undue back or groin strains.

Having recently spent time with CD players that triple as video and SACD players, I found the CDP-777’s rear panel refreshingly clean. In place of the puzzling multiple-choice hookup options are balanced and unbalanced analog outputs, digital coaxial and BNC output pins, and the power-cord receptacle. The CDP-777 also comes with a manual that’s as well-thought-out as any I’ve seen. In text and diagrams, it tells you all you need to know about operating the unit, and it’s in understandable English, with none of those ugly translations that drive party humor ("Listen to this line, guys . . . "), and no tech gibberish that only a PhD candidate can figure out.

Setup

I wasn’t prepared for a long break-in period for the CDP-777 -- its importers, May Audio Marketing, said the sample on its way to me had been in use for a while. But the time that unit spent in transit, then sitting snug in its carton waiting for me to finish another review, meant that, once installed in my equipment rack, my review sample sounded decidedly underwhelming, its tonal balance tipped up with a shrill mid-treble. Continuous run-in brought it closer to expectations, and supporting it on Harmonix footers yielded an improvement that was later trumped by installing the Harmonix power cable, which eliminated any system noise and further tamed the treble.

I listened to the CDP-777 through the Wyetech Opal preamplifier, Jadis JA-80 monoblock power amps modified with Siltech internal wiring, and the Von Schweikert VR4 Gen II speakers, replaced in mid-review by the latest model, the VR4 Gen III SEs. Wiring consisted of the Siltech Classic SQ110 interconnects and LS188 speaker cables, which have proven outstanding in keeping noise below audible levels and delivering well-balanced sound with flawless timbral integrity.

Sound

My listening sessions consisted of a variety of CDs new and old, ranging from vintage historical reissues to state-of-the-art audiophile favorites, and included a wide range of classical music, jazz, and blues. I spent considerable time just getting accustomed to the CDP-777’s sound; only after I felt thoroughly familiar with it did I move from listening for pleasure to focusing on selected items, pen and notebook in hand.

The first thing that caught my attention was the wall of sound thrown by the Reimyo. This player projected life-sized images. When I played JVC’s CD reissue of the 1959 Mohr-Layton RCA "shaded dog" LP [LSC-2341] of Saint-Saëns’ Symphony 3 [JMCXR0002], the Boston Symphony had a tactile, wall-to-wall presence in my room. That huge orchestral picture was staggering; so, too, was the way the Boston strings positively glowed with warmth in the poco adagio, and the heretofore unsuspected range of organ colors in the last movement. There was no exaggeration of the organ vis-à-vis the orchestra, and as the movement progressed, the passage with two pianos was well-detailed and scaled just right -- the pianos embedded within the orchestra, not in front of it.

If the Saint-Saëns sounded a bit better than my 1S/1S copy of LSC-2341, JVC’s new reissue of Solti and the Chicago Symphony’s recording of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring [JVCXR0225] turned out to be far superior to the London LP [CS6885]. This analog fancier found JVC’s XRCD transfers equal to or better than the original LPs without falsifying the originals, and in this instance the Decca bass is still not ideally defined (though improved over previous releases). But what this disc drove home was the Reimyo’s ability to reproduce complex orchestral passages with unusual transparency and detail. I could also clearly hear the different microphone techniques employed by the RCA engineers and their Decca counterparts.

Being able to hear more deeply into the music can change one’s estimation of a performance. I used to think Solti’s Rite exciting but not among my favorites. I had to revise my judgment after hearing the JVC reissue through the CDP-777, with its huge dynamic range and transparency. For the first time, I was able to connect with Solti’s Rite on an emotional level.

That kind of visceral involvement was also present as I listened to a superb performance of Shostakovich’s Symphony 5 that’s in danger of being overlooked because it’s on a small import label and performed by a conductor and orchestra known to few on this side of the ocean: Oleg Caetani leading the Giuseppe Verdi Orchestra of Milan on a well-engineered CD [Arts 47668]. The CDP-777’s tight, extended bottom end did justice to the extraordinarily realistic balances captured by the engineers. Finally, in a Shostakovich recording, the cellos and basses hold their own against the violins, precisely as they do in the concert hall. Again, the Reimyo reproduced massed string sound that was warm, but with ample bite in the violins.

What convinced me that the CDP-777 was a truly special musical instrument was a brief passage in the Britten Violin Concerto [EMI 57510]. There’s a moment in the Vivace when Maxim Vengerov’s violin sings in its highest register; then, at about the three-minute mark, it’s joined by a solo flute for a brief duet. Through most CD players and/or systems it can be difficult to tell that not one but two instruments are playing; even when they go their separate ways, one needs to listen closely to distinguish them. But with the CDP-777 there was never any doubt -- the player’s separation and transparency allowed me to hear an effect I had previously heard only in the concert hall, one too often muddled even by good systems.

I often check on a new piece of equipment’s handling of recording flaws such as the relatively small one that slightly mars tenor Werner Güra’s Schumann song recital [Harmonia Mundi HM 901766]. He’s well-recorded, but there’s a sibilance that can be bothersome in some songs, such as "Im Rhein," from Schumann’s Dichterliebe, where s sounds, especially at the beginnings of words, sound disturbing through several models of CD player. Through the Reimyo, those sibilants were less intrusive -- and, as a bonus, Güra’s lovely lyric tenor was reproduced with greater weight and density, the voice surrounded by more room sound and air.

That observation held true for massed voices as well. A recent favorite is the superb set of Bach’s Leipzig Christmas Cantatas led by Philippe Herreweghe [Harmonia Mundi HM 8017181/82]. My pleasure was greatly enhanced by the three-dimensionality of solo voices, the tonal colors projected by the chorus, and the CDP-777’s transparency, which let me clearly hear each of the three high-voiced soloists in the "Suscepit Israel" section of the great Magnificat, and easily trace the lines of the fugue in "Sicut locutus," in the same work.

The CDP-777 displayed similar virtues with jazz and blues recordings. Playing Junior Wells’ Come On In This House [Telarc SACD-63395], it projected a wall of sound from the electric slide guitar, drum kit, and wailing small band. Listening through the CD layer, Wells’ piercing harmonica and gravelly voice were captivating, and the CDP-777’s deep, firm bass was especially welcome on the shuffle blues "Tin Goat," in which the acoustic string bass and visceral power of the drums made it hard not to bounce along with the band. Our British colleagues are fond of referring to "slam" as a defining characteristic of a unit’s rhythmic precision. The Reimyo had "slam."

It also had delicacy. Whether listening to Bill Evans’ live chamber jazz and delicate piano filigree on Sunday at the Village Vanguard [JVC JVCXR0051] or Sonny Rollins’ classic Way Out West [VICJ60088], I heard nuances I hadn’t been aware of through other players. The sheer variety of timbres produced by Shelly Manne’s cymbals and rim shots in "I’m an Old Cowhand" amazed me, and at the same time confirmed the Reimyo’s speed and ease with transients. So, too, the warm, fur-wrapped sound of Rollins’ tenor sax in "There Is No Greater Love" confirmed the accuracy of the CDP-777’s tonality. There as elsewhere, the Reimyo’s presence gave the illusion of watching Ray Brown’s fingers moving along the strings of his bass.

Any flaws? Perhaps just one, and it’s not really a flaw but an indication of the Reimyo’s extended frequency response and a neutrality that’s uncolored, accurate, and at times ruthless. On some early digital recordings -- those peddled at a time when the suits bragged about "perfect sound forever" -- mid-treble peaks were closer to chalk on a blackboard than LPs ever managed. Well, dig some of those out of the closet and you’ll hear the harshness and glare that more forgiving units gloss over. What you get with the Reimyo is the complete, unfalsified, unsweetened truth. As we all know, the truth can sometimes hurt.

Conclusion

I love my music so much that any piece of equipment that reveals it in all its glories is worth getting excited about, and my time with the Reimyo was terrifically exciting if somewhat frustrating. The frustration came solely from its price, which puts it far out of my reach, even as its sound fed my fantasies of ownership. To paraphrase Mae West’s famous line about conscience, the Reimyo’s price was the only thing that hurt when everything else felt wonderful.

Except for those early CDs, or otherwise flawed recordings that often fare better on systems that roll off the nasties, the CDP-777 made every CD played through it sound better than I’d heard it in the past. On great recordings, the Reimyo’s soundstaging, transparency, detail retrieval, and tonal integrity enabled natural, relaxed listening sessions characterized by my forgetting about audio and becoming fully involved in the music itself. Because of all that, my enthusiasm for the Reimyo CDP-777 is strong.

The importer’s website claims that the Reimyo CDP-777 is "the best-sounding CD player there has ever been!" I can’t say that, partly because I haven’t heard them all; in fact, this was my first test drive of a five-figure CD player in my home system. But I can say of the Reimyo what a grande dame of the Gilded Age once wrote of a different pleasure: "A private railroad car is not an acquired taste. One takes to it immediately."


http://www.ultraaudio.com/equipment/reimyo_cdp777.htm

Kenwood DPC-MP922 Portable MP3 CD Player Review

Editor's Note: Kenwood has recently discontinued this product. Although this is the case, you might find this unit around on the web.. Crutchfield still has it up for $179.99.

We all know MP3's are here to stay even with the fall of the once popular Napster. But do MP3 CD players have what it takes to stick around with the new devices out there today? I'm thinking about the iPod and Nomad in particular. These 2 devices have changed the landscape of MP3 playing, in the portable sense. So, what remains to be answered is whether the "older" MP3 CD players still have the goods to keep people buying.

Is this the MP727?

Kenwood recently released the new DPC-MP922 MP3 player, but it looks remarkably the same as the MP727. What I wondered at first was whether there is a real difference, so I borrowed my friend's MP727 and compared the difference. As you might expect from the manual alone, they should operate in the exact same way since they share the same manual. So what was the purpose of a new model? Well, taking a look at the product specifications, it seems as though the new model has 2 differences: car cassette adapter and car power adapter, and the price reflects this as well since you are paying an extra $20 for it. So, if you want all the accessories, then you can pitch in for the new model otherwise the MP727 will be adequate. Actually, what I would have liked instead of the car adapters is a remote control and a nice pair of AA Ni-MH batteries. You would think that for the price of the unit, you would get some nice batteries.

First Impressions

The first thing I noticed about the Kenwood MP922 upon glancing at it, was the physical design of the player. In my opinion, I feel that the design team could have made it more attractive. It is too conservative and boring for the MP3 listening crowd out there. The buttons are small and too close together to distinguish them easily, so most of the time you have to look at the buttons in order to do what you want. Furthermore, the expansion battery adapter makes the unit even worse. You get more playing time, but what you get is an even bigger and uglier system. I think Kenwood just decided to go for a safe design and I think the unit suffers in that sense because of it. Another aspect that I don't particularly like is the thickness of the unit. I feel they could have tried to make a smaller unit if possible. I think that always gives CD players out there bonus marks. Overall, I would give the design average marks.

http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Reviews/kenwood_mp922/

Car CD Player -- What To Look For

Car audio cd players are on the rock. To get the best in the world of music and sound, you need to have a cd player. There are many manufacturers of car audio cd players. They are . . .

• Kenwood

• Pioneer

• Goodmans

• Sony

• Boss

Most decent CD players have a detachable faceplate. I will not recommend buying one that does not have this (They are usually the lowest models offered by any company). The last major item to consider is whether the unit will fit in your dash.

Look for a control layout that you are comfortable with. Generally a simple layout is better for finding buttons quickly. A crowded and busy display looks great in the showroom but can be confusing and dangerous when driving at highway speeds. Beyond these basics, you need only worry about which features you wish to have to in your cd player.

Since the head unit is the most noticeable part of your system, most CD player manufacturers have designed several ways for you to express yourself in the dash. Many receivers or players feature motorized and fully detachable drop-down front panels. They also come with wireless remote controls, front and rear RCA outputs and a dedicated sub woofer output as well.

Features that are usual in a CD player . . .

1. ISO DIN mounting.

2. Multicolor vacuum fluorescent display

3. Fully detachable front panel motorized, slide-down, for easy access.

4. PLL synthesized tuner

5. Station presets

6. Illuminated control buttons

7. Quartz digital clock for you

8. CD changer controls

9. CD Mute and track repeat

10. CD-R and CD-RW compatibility

11. Subwoofer output

12. Anti-skip mechanism

13. Balance and fader controls

14. Dual RCA outputs with loudness control

There are more. You can look around if you need other features. Car audio product manufacturers are going overboard these days. Who knows, you may even find one that allows you to read your emails.

Visit car-audio-products-and-accessories.com to read more car audio articles. Check CarAudioPlus for your car audio products and accessories.

Chimezirim Odimba writes for CarAudioPlus.


http://ezinearticles.com/?Car-CD-Player----What-To-Look-For&id=377791

Sanyo X200 - Portable MP3/VCD Player Review

You may wonder, why I reviewed this product. Yes, We found Sanyo X200 CD Player as the best, when we compared this with all other Panasonic and Sony CD Players.

The main advantage of this player is, it's only Rs.3000, while Panasonic SLM V60 costs Rs.4500 and Sony NF800 costs Rs.6000. The sound and product quality is also amazing when compared to other players.

It is thin and compact comparing to other portable players and we wonder hearing the sound clarity with it's inbuilt headphone. We have also tested the Panasonic and Sony players, but both results poor clarity.

And with it's extra Bass Xpander, you can get the best possible Bass, you can imagine. It supports MP3, ACD, VCD, CD-R and even CD-RW.

You can attach this player with your TV using the bundled AV Cable to watch VCD movies. The video quality is also good.

It also features an ANTI Shock system of 100 seconds for MP3 and 40 seconds for other formats. The earphone attached with this player is looking very professional and the remote control is also thin and compact.


http://www.itportal.org/News/Reviews/Sanyo_X200_-_Portable_MP3%10VCD_Player_Review/

Bandmaster Stack-O-Matic Phonograph

Bandmaster Stack-O-Matic Phonograph, the yesterday’s record players with today’s quality features. The belt-driven turntable plays 33-1/3, 45 and 78 RPM records and features full-range stereo speakers. It can stack up to six records at a time and with the fully-automatic swinging motion, the arm reaches the stack and drops your next favorite gracefully on the turntable.

It also includes a CD player and a FM radio. There’s an LED display for your track and you can also find a headphone jack. It is made of solid hardwood and hardwood veneer with a lustrous hand-rubbed finish. The Bandmaster Stack-O-Matic Phonograph is available for $269.


http://www.2dayblog.com/blog/2007/07/09/bandmaster-stack-o-matic-phonograph/?lang=en

Will DRM-free tracks kill the CD once and for all?

With EMI Group PLC (LSE: EMI)'s announcement Friday that its new Digital Rights Management technology-free tracks now available for sale on Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL)'s iTunes Store are performing well, will the compact disc finally go to the grave, as has been speculated for the past few years? Coolfer, a music industry site, notes that this may be one explanation, but can this truly be the case? Certainly the quick growth of DRM-free tracks is impressive, but is it long-term or simply a new service that consumers have embraced quickly and will cool?

For this listener, the differences in DRM-free tracks, "regular" iTunes tracks, and CD tracks are indiscernible, so the advantages between $1.29 iTunes Plus tracks versus CDs are nil. It is my belief, and this is strictly from someone who cannot let go of physical albums, that the curiosity with DRM-tracks has led to slight CD sales drops for specific EMI albums but these will not be permanent. After all, this new service is just another in a long line of "new services" that has challenged CD sales, and the CD is still with us. No, it is not in the same position it may have been 10 to 12 years ago, but it refused to die, or rather we refuse to truly kill it.

I am of the opinion that digital sales will eventually destroy prominent CD sales, but as long as the audio CD is manufactured, someone will purchase it. Even so, the CD as a tool, not simply as a device to hold music, will survive. After all, it is not always advantageous or simple to play music in a car from an iPod or other mp3 device. The transmitters to transfer the iPod signal to car radios exist, but the CD player still often comes "standard" in so many cars (I have a base-model car and it came with a CD player, so I'm using that as my example).

To think about the CD in these terms is not unlike talk about the cassette tape or the eight-track from previous generations and how those formats were replaced. DRM-free tracks act as the CD to the cassette and the LP, but even that similarity does not mean the end of the CD. The new iTunes Plus service is an EMI-product-only service right now, which makes the long-term effects of this growth very visible. If other music labels join EMI and offer DRM-free tracks, then the issue of CD sales dropping would be more prominent and lasting. As it is, Warner Music Group (NYSE: WMG) is staunchly committed to DRM and Universal Music Group is interested in beta testing without it to model the financial possibilities. SonyBMG seems content to remain with the business model it has, switching only if more than one company drops the technology.

The interesting notion about the quick growth of DRM-free tracks is whether other companies that intend to use the EMI tracks will enjoy the same popularity with the service that Apple has with iTunes Plus. When Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) opens its digital tracks store later in the year, will the "fervor" over DRM-free tracks have cooled or still be as hot? That is the real change to look forward to and then study. If Amazon's own iTunes Store can succeed while Apple has offered the same products for many months, then the possibility of CD destruction will be larger. Of course, it all depends on the other record companies.

Sales of DRM-free tracks from only one record label cannot kill the CD, but the sales could destroy CD sales for that company. How would the other labels view that and would it entice those companies to drop DRM, especially if they are committed to the technology? Watch for answers to these questions, especially as Apple enjoys much growth this summer.


http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/06/23/will-drm-free-tracks-kill-the-cd-once-and-for-all/

Why Do I Prefer My Alarm Clock Cd Player Over My Old Alarm Clock Radio

The short answer is that the sound quality that the alarm clock CD can supply is far superior to that of the alarm clock radio. If there is one thing that I prefer about my alarm clock CD over my old alarm clock radio it is simply the sound quality.

My old clock radio was great and I had good choice as to how I could use it but the quality of sound left much to be desired. The sound repetition was very trebly if you know what I mean. Like the sound you would make banging an empty tin can. Yes these gadgets will wake you up in the morning. But not with the full bass and full rounded tones of a good quality alarm clock CD. I am sure you would feel a lot better hearing the rich base sounds of your favorite piece of music over the scratchy hollow sound of the clock radio. There is really no credible choice between the two for me. The bonus difference between the two is that you can select a particular piece of music with the CD player but you can’t do that with the radio.

So technically what makes the difference? They both function as radios, they both function as clocks. Well as I said earlier it’s the quality of the sound. You see in my opinion in clock radios the signal comes through very small speakers whereas the technology incorporated in systems that play CD’s have much more up to date Bose style technology. It’s this technology that is good enough to be described as being of decent quality stereo sound.

We have just discussed a little bit about the technicalities but really in making a decision you need to balance desirable features against purchase cost. I mean what do you really want? Do you just want to be woken up in the morning-then get an alarm? There are many mechanical and electrical ones and they’ll both do the job for you. Do you want to be woken up in the morning to the news or the radio station of your choice that happens to sound a bit tinny? Well get a clock radio alarm. The clocks and the alarms are reliable but the radio is at best average. Or do you want to be woken up in style with the rich sounds of Mozart or Beethoven that are well balanced between bass and treble. Then get yourself a good quality alarm clock CD.

When purchasing an alarm clock CD player you need to balance features against cost. Good luck and good hunting!

Visit our website to see other interesting articles on alarm clock CD players.

There are other helpful articles on CD players Radio Alarms and house alarms to visit our website click here


http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Do-I-Prefer-My-Alarm-Clock-Cd-Player-Over-My-Old-Alarm-Clock-Radio&id=533416