posted
Anybody have any experience with this deck? Are there better decks out there for less? Such as the Pioneer P1R? This is sort of at the "upper" end of my price range. The Nak cd700 is too much. The other thing is, isn't sony due for a new high end deck this coming year? I guess I should mention that I don't have need for internal crossovers/eq's and other useless gadgetry.....just pure SQ.
------------------
[This message has been edited by Rivman (edited 12-08-2000).]
posted
I have a C90 and I really like it. You can't read the screen well in sunlight though (a problem they had w/ the C910 which I used to have. Why didn't they fix that??) For your purposes, you can use dvol which bypasses all the little filters and stuff in the headunit and outputs a clean, unaltered signal. However, my friend just recently got a Clarion 9255 and swears that it's cleaner sounding than the C90 (which he had in his car for a month before he replaced it w/ the Clarion). I'm not sure about that since I didn't hear the C90 much in his car, but I can vouch that the 9255 is WAY cleaner than his old PS909. Sony is supposed to be coming out with a new deck sometime next year. I think second quarter or so. Maybe you could wait til then, and then snatch a C90 off ebay for cheap when everyone's springing to get the new model The C90 will probably sound better than the P1R since it has the better dacs. I don't have any experience with the P1R, although I should, but my roommate got scammed and might be out $400 now... Hope Visa's fraud protection comes through! Looks like a nice deck though. Lots of bells and whistles however that you won't use.
posted
isn't the P1R part of the odr system? (correct me if I'm wrong)....if so, you're comparing a head unit, to an entire system. the xes would be equivalent to the p1r.....I've had the c90(sold it cause of the damn sunlight problem) and It was an extremely clean deck with alot of expansion possibilities.....the one thing I didn't like about the design...if you use one of their external processors, you'll use the optical output....and now you have just let 4 20bit d/a converters goto waste. there's just 1 bit d/a's on the processors(except the 4000x i believe)....very upsetting. as far as looks, function, expansion, and having a kick ass remote....I loved it, and I'd probably get another one if I could figure out how to remount it at a different angle.
------------------ A little knowledge goes a long way.
posted
No, the P1R isn't ODR ( I don't believe.. They have a separate processor and it wouldn't make sense to have all the crap in the P1R with all the stuff in the DSP/EQ/XOVER that they have.. The XES processor is crazy.
I still like the symmetry.. I want one soooooooo bad.
ShadowStar
------------------ HEY! I'm looking for a CHEAP used Clarion Thunderdome.. Hook me up!
If the sub moves, use it. If the tweet's metal, lose it. If you car doesn't have Oz, I just can't excuse it.
Posts: 2578 | From: Somewhere In the Northeast | Registered: May 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
The Pioneer ODR system is the equiv of Sony's XES system (just look at the prices. yikes! ) The XES setup I saw in the Sony Tower was something like $20,000. The P1R is made to compete w/ the C90/XDP-4000X.
Are you sure that the quad dacs go to waste? I mean, the signal has to be read from the CDDA format of the CD into a music signal before it can be sent to be processed. I think the optical cable is so that the signal can be transfered without any losses or interference as it would in standard RCAs. I think quad dacs are for converting the CD's info into an analog signal, and the 1 bit dacs on the processors are for converting the deck's digital signal into an analog one. I may be wrong though. Is there some way to contact Sony and ask them about this?
posted
most cd players have a 1 bit d/a converter that will convert the digital signal into analog so that it can be amplified via op amp and sent on down the line via rcas. if you run the optical setup from the c90, you're not using the 4 20 bit d/a's because you never convert it to analog. it stays in its digital form till it gets to the output stage of the processor where it will go through it's 4 1 bit d/a converters(4000x has 18 bit I think....it's been awhile since i've looked into the actual specs.)
------------------ A little knowledge goes a long way.
posted
That's a very similar setup to my old Alpine 7939 and PRAH400 processor. The deck was regulated 1-bit and the processor was dual 18-bit......IMO the deck was noticably better than when I had the processor hooked up. Actually it sucked. Why do they do that? The expensive processors have an inferior DAC and it automatically defeats the sweet DAC on the deck. Make them the SAME!!!!!!!!
posted
alpine 7939......that brings back memories....very very nice peice, not the most attractive to today's standards, but like your mother says, it's whats on the inside that counts.
------------------ A little knowledge goes a long way.
posted
the C90 uses quad burr brown 20bit DACs. it is a solid HU all the way around. only drawback asmentioned is if mounted in any ergonomic friendly area the display is hard to read in sunlight. having owned the 9255 previous before the c90 i can do a good comparison. IMO the c90 has to be given the edge in overall clarity and detail. also another advnatge is the c90 doesnt skip in my expereince with it, where as any moderate turn or bump coudl make the 9255 skip in alot of instances. 9255 would play cd singles tho c90 does not.
the c90 and 9255 actually use very similar if not the exact same DAC. but there is a definite differnece in clarity and detail between the 2 IMO, giving the edge to the c90.
the xdp4000x has dual 20bit DAC not 18bit. when used with a c90 or c910 the HU dac are bypassed and you are now using the processor DAC.
to settle the other dispute the p1R is NOT part of ODR. it is the immidiate step down from ODR. teh ODR Cd transport which does lil more than mock u and the 2k u spent on it and sit there and does nothing at all is the RSD2. to make use of your 2k paperweight additional ODR pieces like a P1 or p50 processor must be purchased or a A1 or A2 amp. without them you cannot use the rsd2. i think the cassete transport. is teh RSK1 if anyone cared
------------------ Elitecaraudio.com Co-editor and Chat moderator. SD moderator -Image IS Everything-
Printer-friendly view of this topic