I recently purchased an Akai DVD player, mostly because it's not
region-locked. I figured I'd also use it to play my CDs. I figured
wrong. It plays DVDs, including DVD-A, just fine, but CDs sound
terrible. The volume changes up and down, some frequencies are overly
pronounced, others are barely audible, vinyl sounded much better than
this. Problem persists regardless of whether I use the on-board DA
converter, or hook up the digital out to my amp. If I play the same
CD on my Sony Walkman, with the headphone jack attached to the inputs
on the same amp, the sound is much better.

What gives? Is my DVD player malfunctioning, or do DVD players
typically do such a bad job with CDs?

I am not a "high-end audiophile" by any means, the setup is a Pioneer
VSX514 amp with Infinity speakers, but the sound quality is so bad
even my tin ears complain.

"Jan" wrote in message
om

I recently purchased an Akai DVD player, mostly because it's not
region-locked. I figured I'd also use it to play my CDs. I figured
wrong. It plays DVDs, including DVD-A, just fine, but CDs sound
terrible.

Not the expected result.

The volume changes up and down, some frequencies are overly
pronounced, others are barely audible,

A player that is a sick puppy?

vinyl sounded much better than this.

I'd guess!

Problem persists regardless of whether I use the on-board DA
converter, or hook up the digital out to my amp.

Weird!


If I play the same
CD on my Sony Walkman, with the headphone jack attached to the inputs
on the same amp, the sound is much better.

Good something works!

What gives? Is my DVD player malfunctioning, or do DVD players typically
do such a bad job with CDs?

It must be broke or demon-posessed. No, they're not all like this.

I am not a "high-end audiophile" by any means, the setup is a Pioneer
VSX514 amp with Infinity speakers, but the sound quality is so bad
even my tin ears complain.

"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...
"Jan" wrote in message
om

I recently purchased an Akai DVD player, mostly because it's not
region-locked. I figured I'd also use it to play my CDs. I figured
wrong. It plays DVDs, including DVD-A, just fine, but CDs sound
terrible.

Not the expected result.

The volume changes up and down, some frequencies are overly
pronounced, others are barely audible,

A player that is a sick puppy?

vinyl sounded much better than this.

I'd guess!

Problem persists regardless of whether I use the on-board DA
converter, or hook up the digital out to my amp.

Weird!


If I play the same
CD on my Sony Walkman, with the headphone jack attached to the inputs
on the same amp, the sound is much better.

Good something works!

What gives? Is my DVD player malfunctioning, or do DVD players
typically
do such a bad job with CDs?

It must be broke or demon-posessed. No, they're not all like this.

I am not a "high-end audiophile" by any means, the setup is a Pioneer
VSX514 amp with Infinity speakers, but the sound quality is so bad
even my tin ears complain.



Check the players' setups in the menu. It may be processing the audio cd's
with Dolby Pro-Logic or some such. Or, your receiver maybe should be set to
plain stereo instead of a surround mode.

Mark Z.

(Uh-oh. I posted to RAO)

(Uh-oh. I posted to RAO)

Don't worry, you only posted about audio. Your reputation's intact.
Your friends and family will still speak to you.

"Mark D. Zacharias" said:

(Uh-oh. I posted to RAO)

Repent, Sinner!
The penalty shall be writing about audio for the next 10 days.

--
Sander deWaal
"SOA of a KT88? Sufficient."