Hi, complete newbie here who also happens to be a broke college student. I was looking for a space-friendly budget setup for playing CDs as the title has stated, and so far I'm planning to purchase a DVD player hooked up with a Schiit stack (Modi 3+ with Magni 3+), connected to a pair of Edifier r1280t or Neumi BS5P. I'm wondering if Magni 3+ will be enough to power these speakers and whether there is a better setup for this price range?
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Looking for suggestions for a budget setup under 300$ to play CDs in my dorm
- Thread starter kvluo
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Denon has a number of good micro systems. Their weakest link is inevitably the speakers, but if you get a system with a powerful enough amplifier you can always upgrade to better speakers later. If you opt to go the active speaker route, a decent DAC with volume control such as the Topping E30 is your best front end. Why not move to streaming instead of CDs?
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charleski
Major Contributor
If you're going to use active speakers then the magni 3 will be doing nothing other than providing a volume knob. Buying an external DAC is a waste if it means you're skimping on the speakers. So the first thing I'd do is lose the Schiit stack.
Other very cheap active speakers to consider are the Mackie CR3-X and Presonus Eris.
But we're right at the bottom of the market so all the options here have problems. If you can stretch to a tiny bit more then you'll see a marked improvement. There's the Kali LP-6 ($300/pair) or the JBL 305P MkII (also $300). Then you're looking for a cheap disc player preferably with some sort of volume control built-in: this Sony one looks reasonable, with a coax output as well so you can upgrade to an external DAC in the future. I see the volume control has 'Vol' buttons, but no idea if it actually controls the volume output from the analog jacks. If it doesn't then you'd need a passive attenuator like this one or a Schiit Sys.
[Note: both the active speakers I linked have only balanced inputs, but a pair of RCA->XLR cables should cost around $15. (Actually just noticed the Kali's have RCA in as well.)]
Other very cheap active speakers to consider are the Mackie CR3-X and Presonus Eris.
But we're right at the bottom of the market so all the options here have problems. If you can stretch to a tiny bit more then you'll see a marked improvement. There's the Kali LP-6 ($300/pair) or the JBL 305P MkII (also $300). Then you're looking for a cheap disc player preferably with some sort of volume control built-in: this Sony one looks reasonable, with a coax output as well so you can upgrade to an external DAC in the future. I see the volume control has 'Vol' buttons, but no idea if it actually controls the volume output from the analog jacks. If it doesn't then you'd need a passive attenuator like this one or a Schiit Sys.
[Note: both the active speakers I linked have only balanced inputs, but a pair of RCA->XLR cables should cost around $15. (Actually just noticed the Kali's have RCA in as well.)]
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Regarding the transport, I am one of those who think that multiformat readers are often slow and noisy (mechanically). If the intention is to read music CDs only, I would try to find a new or used music cd transport. That would be my modest tip.
Robin L
Master Contributor
Check a local thrift store for a used Blu-Ray player with a coax out. I got a SACD capable Sony model for $6, the remote was about $10. I've got it hooked up to a Topping E30 DAC. Spending more money than the $150 or so for this source will not result in better sound. After that, you're on your own. I'd look into low cost powered speakers, you can shift volume with the E30. You can also hook up your computer to the E30 via USB, a big potential advantage.
Edit: use these $99 a pair powered speakers, about $250/$300 for the whole rig:
www.audiosciencereview.com
Edit: use these $99 a pair powered speakers, about $250/$300 for the whole rig:
Edifier R1280T Powered Speaker Review
This is a review and detailed measurements of the Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf (computer) Speakers. I purchased a few weeks ago at a cost of US $99 for a pair including Prime shipping. Yes, a pair of powered speakers for just $99. Incredible value if the performance is there. I must say...
www.audiosciencereview.com
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Vict0r
Addicted to Fun and Learning
Here's what I did for a fun & affordable little cd setup I built in a nook of my office, just so I could spin my old cd collection again.
- Second hand Sony BDP-S370 SACD/Bluray/DVD player, comes with optical out, hdmi and a good remote ($50)
- Second hand stereo amp. I went with a NAD 3020 ($60)
- any pair of decent, second hand bookshelf speakers. I picked up a pair of Q Acoustics 3010's for $70
Total investment $180. Sounds better than it has any right to for that amount. At first I had a Topping E30 attached to the Sony (optical), using the Topping as a DAC and the Sony as just a transport. The E30 has a remote too, so I could still control volume. I took the E30 out of the chain, though, because the Sony sounds absolutely fantastic. Couldn't hear a difference between it and the Topping.
- Second hand Sony BDP-S370 SACD/Bluray/DVD player, comes with optical out, hdmi and a good remote ($50)
- Second hand stereo amp. I went with a NAD 3020 ($60)
- any pair of decent, second hand bookshelf speakers. I picked up a pair of Q Acoustics 3010's for $70
Total investment $180. Sounds better than it has any right to for that amount. At first I had a Topping E30 attached to the Sony (optical), using the Topping as a DAC and the Sony as just a transport. The E30 has a remote too, so I could still control volume. I took the E30 out of the chain, though, because the Sony sounds absolutely fantastic. Couldn't hear a difference between it and the Topping.
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restorer-john
Grand Contributor
So, let me get this straight: broke-ass college students think playing CDs in a dorm room is where it is at, in2021? Awesome!
That's how it was for me in 1986! I used a Sony D-50 portable CD into my TEAC BX-550 amplifer and two pairs of bookshelf speakers to rock my dorm room! Played it so hard and loud, they cut my power off (a few times), but I dropped an extension cord down to the room below (nice girl) and kept the music going.
charleski
Major Contributor
It's retro Old-Skool!
Robin L
Master Contributor
Good reasons include: already got them and they're so cheap used these days, they're nearly free. You don't need a computer or a turntable to play them. Used CD players [gotta include Blu-Ray/DVD players as they work just fine and are a little cheaper than dirt these days] are easy to find used for little money, are not fussy as regards set-up as turntables, are easy to use. And cheap used CDs will sound better than cheap used LPs,
Vict0r
Addicted to Fun and Learning
Most importantly; you can't hold a stream or digital file in your hands, read the lyrics in a lovingly designed booklet, find little easter eggs in the liner notes, thankslists and artwork, or cry uncontrollably because the nostalgia hit you so hard and you wonder where all your life went the past few decades.
Oh, and they sound pretty great too. Just compare any 128kbps Youtube stream to a cd. Compression artifacts are awful!
See thats why i ask.
we couldn't afford cd players back then! Or the CDs to play on them for that matter. I only knew one student who had one and he was a postgraduate who'd had a proper job (in a hi-fi shop) before returning to college.
CDs cost £12 back then, that's £35 in today's money. Vinyl LPs were a fiver.
DanielT
Major Contributor
In terms of sound, what is audible distortion and noise regarding different CD players / DVD / Blu-Ray player it is probably difficult to hear the difference.
audiosciencereview.com
Well noise, or rather a mechanically audible sound, a DVD/Blu-Ray player can sometimes definitely be audible. An audible sound when the disc spins. Note may have. Mostly when it comes to used, I can imagine.That's my experience of DVD/Blu-Ray player anyway. There may be exceptions and I was a little unlucky. In any case, used has its advantages, a lot of performance for the money. But of course used so it can, well, anything can happen with old stuff. Balances you have to make. New vs used that is.
Keep that in mind if you are buying a used player. Listen to it before buying. Or trust what the seller says.
By the way, I like the bass so subwoofer. That differ in taste and neighbors to consider the decision to acquire one ..or several subwoofer.
What is this? No golden ears!
Got an idea last week. Connected a Blu-ray, Sony BDP-S570, and a CD- player Marantz CD5001 to the pre amp. It has line selectors. Went to the local flea market and managed to find duplicates, CDs. Exactly the same CDs, the same recording on the discs. Same master. Enter with the discs in the...
audiosciencereview.com
Well noise, or rather a mechanically audible sound, a DVD/Blu-Ray player can sometimes definitely be audible. An audible sound when the disc spins. Note may have. Mostly when it comes to used, I can imagine.That's my experience of DVD/Blu-Ray player anyway. There may be exceptions and I was a little unlucky. In any case, used has its advantages, a lot of performance for the money. But of course used so it can, well, anything can happen with old stuff. Balances you have to make. New vs used that is.
Keep that in mind if you are buying a used player. Listen to it before buying. Or trust what the seller says.
By the way, I like the bass so subwoofer. That differ in taste and neighbors to consider the decision to acquire one ..or several subwoofer.
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restorer-john
Grand Contributor
I had three CDs. Jean Michel Jarre's Oxygene, Hall and Oates, Rock and Soul Part 1 and Love over Gold (Dire Straits). My friend down the hall (tutor) had two Michael Jackson CDs and Queens greatest Hits. By halfway through 86, I had Wham's Final (ordered ex-Japan), Eagles Greatest Hits (ex- West Germany Polygram), a few Midnight Oil discs (CBS Japan) and the piece-de-resistance, Icehouse's Measure for Measure (a recording made on a Mitsubishi 32 track digital, pressed by Sanyo, in Japan).
And, I have them all, still. Original pressings.
DanielT
Major Contributor
Exactly what I also noticed!
DanielT
Major Contributor
Here's the REAL reason to use a CD player.
Buy older uncompressed CDs ..... but then you have to have a decent system that can handle the transient peaks. ..
Sound regardless of the solution it will be, but fix them in a good way then a fairly capable HiFi solution is to prefer. What then is a fairly capable HiFi solution?As usual, the answer is: It depends..
Buy older uncompressed CDs ..... but then you have to have a decent system that can handle the transient peaks. ..
Sound regardless of the solution it will be, but fix them in a good way then a fairly capable HiFi solution is to prefer. What then is a fairly capable HiFi solution?As usual, the answer is: It depends..
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In the end, I would probably go for the Kali LP-6 and connect it to a computer. This puts all the money into speakers. The computer's analogue output may not be great, but these days it will not be horrible either. You can always add a DAC with volume control like the Topping E30 later. Unless you have a massive collection of CDs, I would go for streaming.
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