Is my dealer lying to me?

At the risk of drawing the wrath of fellow audiophiles that own megabuck CD players, I personally think that most high-end CD players are grossly overpriced. I used to work for a laser manufacturer, so I have a pretty good idea what it costs to build a CD player. To look at the prices of high-end CD players, you'd think they were manufactured with parts made of the mystery element, unobtainium.

If you don't own a good DVD/CD player, you might want to consider buying that rather than buying a CD-only unit. I previously owned a Rega Planet CD player, and replaced it with a Pioneer Elite DV-37, which I bought new for $650. The DV-37 not only produces a superb video image with DVD's, but it also has better audio quality with CD's than my old Rega player. A number of other people on this forum have also had a very good experiences with the DV-37. The DV-37 has a very large power supply, solid chassis, and excellent build quality.

To the extent that reviews matter, the DV-37 received a 5-star rating from one of the major review mags. Just my 2 cents......

As I suspected, this topic is drawing debate, some of which -- inevitably -- focuses on the merits and demerits of DVD vs. CD players. I must humbly disagree with Natalie's commments, though she is certainly welcome to her opinion. Major Japanese manufacturers have been producing some excellent higher-end equipment for many years, and the Pioneer Elite line is certainly in that group.

I have been a serious audiophile since the mid-1960's, been a member of several audiophile clubs, and have twice supported myself professionally by selling high-end audio gear. That does not mean that my opinion is the final word, but it does mean that I've had a lot of opportunity to listen to and objectively compare a number of brands of CD and DVD players. A well-made, upper end (as opposed to high end) DVD player often has a heftier power supply than many CD players, and most of the DAC's used in both CD and DVD players are made by the same manufacturers (Motorola, etc.). Therefore, choosing a combined DVD/CD player not only makes fiscal sense for many buyers, but practical sense as well if you have limited dollars or limited space.

As I mentioned in my first post, I worked for some years for Spectra-Physics, one of the major laser manufacturers in the U.S. Lasers for DVD's and CD's are virtually a commodity today, as are DAC's and other processor chips. This isn't to say that there are no quality differences -- there are -- but pricing is based mainly on quantity, and as someone above noted, manufacturing costs are largely a function of volume. Hence, many of the boutique high-end companies that virtually hand-build their products -- but who still buy the component parts from the same manufacturers as high-volume builders -- cannot compete directly on price with larger electronics firms.

Ultimately, you should audition several units IN YOUR HOME -- both CD players and DVD/CD players -- and let your own ears decide. As Pbb noted in the preceding comment, don't fall for the high-end argument that more $$$ = better sound. Tain't necessarily so........