XA2 as top quality CD player.

[Fat Tony]

Originally Posted by Rich86

I still run a high-end (older) Denon CD player - and stream the digital to my high-end receiver and let it decode. The resulting audio quality is excellent.
I don't use DVD, HD-DVD or Blu-Ray players for listening to CDs.

What sort of DAC is your receiver using? I would be very surprised if it's using a better stereo DAC than the XA2.

There are however, so many variables with receivers , amps , pre amps etc, results can be hard to quantify in some scenarios.
The entire point of my original post was to say, if you all ready have an XA2, you should be able to get a better result, and in a lot of cases an excellent result, obviously dependent on what you are currently using.
If it doesn't, who cares, it has cost you nothing to find out.

[Rich86]

Originally Posted by Fat Tony

What sort of DAC is your receiver using?

Beats me. I just know it has worked really well for me for a number of years now.
http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/p...ETYP=ATTRIBUTE

I'm not knocking your suggestions about the quality attributes of the XA2 - just sharing my approach to audio. This high-end Yamaha replaced home built Hafler kits for preamp and power amp equipment letting the Denon cd player do the decoding. I never would have left that setup except for wanting to get into 5.1 channel home theater. Now I'd like a 7.1 receiver that can handle hdmi and all the lossless codecs, but I'm not willing to sacrifice the audio quality my current Yamaha provides - so we're most likely talking about a $2k receiver.
As you said, every component and environmental factor plays a role in the resulting sound quality.

[Fat Tony]

Originally Posted by Rich86

Beats me. I just know it has worked really well for me for a number of years now.
http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/p...ETYP=ATTRIBUTE

I'm not knocking your suggestions about the quality attributes of the XA2 - just sharing my approach to audio. This high-end Yamaha replaced home built Hafler kits for preamp and power amp equipment letting the Denon cd player do the decoding. I never would have left that setup except for wanting to get into 5.1 channel home theater. Now I'd like a 7.1 receiver that can handle hdmi and all the lossless codecs, but I'm not willing to sacrifice the audio quality my current Yamaha provides - so we're most likely talking about a $2k receiver.
As you said, every component and environmental factor plays a role in the resulting sound quality.

The Yammy RX V1 uses the Burr-Brown PCM1704 DAC, which from all accounts is a quality DAC also.
Cheers

[Juio]

Originally Posted by Fat Tony

I'm more a Hi-Fi fan than home theatre fan, so I just thought I'd let those know who aren't aware, that the XA2/XE1 is not only a fine HD DVD/DVD player, but if you enjoy quality music, a first class CD player as well.
When the 2 channel stereo analogue outs (not 5.1) are connected from the XA2 to your amp, the XA2 is than using the on board Wolfson WM8740 hi performance stereo DAC for audio processing, which is the DAC of choice for many a high quality & expensive CD player such as Cambridge Audio and Rotel. What this means is, you will get superb stereo reproduction and outstanding quality CD sound.

So if your thinking about ditching your XA2, just remember, it would cost a small fortune to replace this unit with just a CD player of similar spec.
Cheers

I have the Toshiba A3 HD DVD player, and I use the optical cable that is directly connected to my Onkyo receiver for movies and music.

So if I get the XA2, do I just buy regular analog rca cables to hook it up to my receiver to get better audio?

[Lordoftherings]

By the way, my Toshiba HD-A2 also has the same Wolfson Microelectronics WM8740 Dac for it's 2-channel analog output. And it's a fact too, one Dual Dac (Stereo).

And my Toshiba HD-A1 uses the Burr-Brown PCM-1755 Dacs in all its analog outputs (5.1-channel and 2-channel stereo), for a total of four Dual Dacs.

* And the HD-A1 is considered a better CD player, because of these Burr-Brown Dacs. Even superior to the HD-XA2, in 2-channel Stereo!

** And to my own set of ears, in 2-channel Stereo, my HD-A1 sounds better than my HD-A2 with it's Wolfson Dac.

*** I just thought of mentioning that.

http://www.film-talk.com/forums/inde...79&postcount=1

--> Just go to "QUOTE" 'Notes:' at the bottom of post #1, and check 'Notes': #11.

))) Oh, and the Burr-Browm PCM-1704K (K for High Grade) is one of the very best Dac ever created, but it's a 96-khz/24-bit Dac.
~ If you use this Dac (4 Dacs per channel, cause it is a single Mono Dac) in a True Balanced Dual-Differential mode, inside a player or a Receiver, you have yourself a top noth player or Receiver, a true High End product, for sure.
~~ That'll be a very expensive product too.

)) And one current top notch Dac is the Texas Instruments B-B PCM-1792 or DSD-1792. This is a 192-khz/24-bit Dac.

) Also a much newer one is the TI B-B PCM-1795 Dac, a 192-khz/32-bit Dac.
~ The new Onkyo TX-NR5007 A/V Receiver has six of them in it (Dual Stereo Dacs), one for each channel (9.2-channel is eleven channels). The extra one, I don't know what for; perhaps the Center channel has two, for a differential configuration.

==> I love Dacs, I eat them for breakfast.

[Fat Tony]

Originally Posted by Juio

I have the Toshiba A3 HD DVD player, and I use the optical cable that is directly connected to my Onkyo receiver for movies and music.

So if I get the XA2, do I just buy regular analog rca cables to hook it up to my receiver to get better audio?

Correct. Heavy duty gold ended ones would be nice, but yes, RCA directly out from the 2 channel on the XA2.

[Fat Tony]

Originally Posted by Lordoftherings

By the way, my Toshiba HD-A2 also has the same Wolfson Microelectronics WM8740 Dac for it's 2-channel analog output. And it's a fact too, one Dual Dac (Stereo).

And my Toshiba HD-A1 uses the Burr-Brown PCM-1755 Dacs in all its analog outputs (5.1-channel and 2-channel stereo), for a total of four Dual Dacs.

* And the HD-A1 is considered a better CD player, because of these Burr-Brown Dacs. Even superior to the HD-XA2, in 2-channel Stereo!

** And to my own set of ears, in 2-channel Stereo, my HD-A1 sounds better than my HD-A2 with it's Wolfson Dac.

*** I just thought of mentioning that.

http://www.film-talk.com/forums/inde...79&postcount=1

--> Just go to "QUOTE" 'Notes:' at the bottom of post #1, and check 'Notes': #11.

))) Oh, and the Burr-Browm PCM-1704K (K for High Grade) is one of the very best Dac ever created, but it's a 96-khz/24-bit Dac.
~ If you use this Dac (4 Dacs per channel, cause it is a single Mono Dac) in a True Balanced Dual-Differential mode, inside a player or a Receiver, you have yourself a top noth player or Receiver, a true High End product, for sure.
~~ That'll be a very expensive product too.

)) And one current top notch Dac is the Texas Instruments B-B PCM-1792 or DSD-1792. This is a 192-khz/24-bit Dac.

) Also a much newer one is the TI B-B PCM-1795 Dac, a 192-khz/32-bit Dac.
~ The new Onkyo TX-NR5007 A/V Receiver has six of them in it (Dual Stereo Dacs), one for each channel (9.2-channel is eleven channels). The extra one, I don't know what for; perhaps the Center channel has two, for a differential configuration.

==> I love Dacs, I eat them for breakfast.

Cool.
Whole point is, a lot of people have a high quality CD player under their noses and the don't realise it, so get using them people.


'* And the HD-A1 is considered a better CD player, because of these Burr-Brown Dacs. Even superior to the HD-XA2, in 2-channel Stereo!'...............Not saying I don't agree, but have you got any links saying the Burr Browns are better?
I would have presumed the Wolfson was superior as it is only fitted to the 2 channel output on the flagship XA2, not any of the cheaper less quality versions, also because of it's use in high end CD players and also in the renowned Cambridge Audio Dac Magic.
Either way, they make a kick ass CD player for no extra coin if you all ready own one, and if you don't, they can be purchased as a cheap, but high quality CD player, enjoy.

[Fat Tony]

Lordoftherings, I just realised you said the HD A2 uses the Wolfson DAC? My understanding was it was only used in the XA2? Cant see it listed in the link you posted either?
Did I miss something

[Lordoftherings]

Originally Posted by Fat Tony

Lordoftherings, I just realised you said the HD A2 uses the Wolfson DAC? My understanding was it was only used in the XA2? Cant see it listed in the link you posted either?
Did I miss something

Hey Tony, just go to the bottom of post #1, under "Quote" Notes:, and check note #11.
(You have to scroll down quite a bit, to get at the bottom of the 1st post from the link.)

Don't try to get it from the HD-A2, it's not there, it is in the extra notes.

And as for the Burr-Brown PCM-1755 Dac being better than the Wolfson Microelectronics WM8740 Dac, well, that's what it says there in the Quote Notes.

Me, personally, I also believe it, because I own both machines (Toshiba HD-A1 and HD-A2), and from what my ears told me, my HD-A1 is a better sounding CD player from its 2-channel analog Stereo output.
And I may add, that it is also an excellent sounding multichannel player, from it's multichannel analog outputs.
Some people like the WM8740, others like the B-B PCM-1755.
Me, I don't really care, I just go with what my ears tell me.
** But there's more than just the Dac(s), there is the implementation, the analog stage, the capacitors, the resistors, the circuitry, the transformer for the analog circuitry, the small component parts, the short circuit paths, the circuit bord itself, the epoxy quality, the material used in these parts, the quality of the power supply, and some more, like differential mode, or dual-differential configuration. So you see, it just goes on and on...

Oh, and it is a fact that my Toshiba HD-A2 has the Wolfson Microelectronics WM8740 Dac in it.
~ It is a very common Dac, used in many components; Pioneer Elite receivers, Arcam receivers, Pioneer Blu-ray players (BDP-05FD, BDP-51FD, and others), Toshiba HD-XA2, HD-A20 and HD-A2 HD DVD players, Onkyo 805 HD DVD player, NAD CD players, Rega CD players, Cambridge Audio Dac Magic, in dual differential mode by the way (like you said), several Cambride Cd players, also from their Azur line series, etc., etc., etc...

* Here: http://www.wolfsonmicro.com/products/WM8740

And they're are other excellent Dacs too by Cirrus Logic (Crystal, the CS series), Analog Devices, TI, AKM (great Dacs too, my Toshiba DVD player has an AKM Dac, and Anthem very expensive Pre/Pros used AKM Dacs too), and more...

Cheers,
Bob

[Fat Tony]

Well done Bob, I hope all this info helps a few people unleash some extra qualities they didn't know they had, and lets us all enjoy our music a little more.

Cheers
Tony

[Lordoftherings]

That's why forums like these exist Tony.

Cheers,
Bob

[bruceames]

Here is a nice writeup of the A1/XA1 as a CD player.

http://www.highdefforum.com/151905-post1.html

[Blckman]

Originally Posted by bruceames

Here is a nice writeup of the A1/XA1 as a CD player.

http://www.highdefforum.com/151905-post1.html

I read this the other night bruceames and this was the defining article that made me purchase mine today. I just put a couple of MP3 cd's in it and it is rocking, but damaging the neighbors ears. LOL....

[Fat Tony]

Originally Posted by bruceames

Here is a nice writeup of the A1/XA1 as a CD player.

http://www.highdefforum.com/151905-post1.html

Great read, written before the flagship XA2 was produced I think, I would love to see what he thought of that as well.
But for all those reasons, they are a great CD player, that's why I bought mine.
I purchased mine as a designated quality CD player that happens to play movies as well.Built like a tank, quality parts to the core, a bargain price, what more could you want?

[Lordoftherings]

The Toshiba HD-A1, HD-XA1 & HD-XA2 are all top notch players when it comes to CD playback, and DVD also, and HD DVD too.

Did you knew that the cost to build them is similar to the PS3?
Yes sir, if you take all the parts inside the HD-A1 for example, and you add it up (manufacturer cost),
they'll be much more than what you actually paid!
And the HD-XA1 is what, 20 pounds!
Heck, the HD-XA2 has the HQV Reon video processor in it.

Also, if you do some extensive research (I already did), on the Internet and magasines, you'll find several reviews on these Toshiba HD DVD players that reveals all the internal parts, with precise specifications, back up with various pictures. They are truly mind boggling pieces of machinery, built from advanced technology (at the time anyway).

My HD-A1 is a great CD transport and quality sounding player too, both from it's analog and digital outputs.
And the HD-XA2 is a great DVD player.

* By the way, Thanks Bruce for your link.