detailed, high resolution sound. clear sound

ergonomy, programming

The price/quality is very good. This player is all round. It doesn't matter, what kind of music your playing. Like Jazz, contemporary classical music, hip hop etc.

detailed, high resolution sound. clear sound

ergonomy, programming

The price/quality is very good. This player is all round. It doesn't matter, what kind of music your playing. Like Jazz, contemporary classical music, hip hop etc.

detailed, high resolution sound. clear sound

ergonomy, programming

The price/quality is very good. This player is all round. It doesn't matter, what kind of music your playing. Like Jazz, contemperary classical music, hip hop etc.

detailed, high resolution sound. clear sound

ergonomy, programming

The price/quality is very good. This player is all round. It doesn't matter, what kind of music your playing. Lik Jazz, contemperary classical music, hip hop etc.

MUSICALITY,DETAIL,OPENNESS,CLARITY,SWEET MIDS AND HIGS,WELL DEFINED BASS

ALMOST NONE...WELL REMOTE.....

MUST COST REALLEY MUCH MUCH MORE THAN 800..ALMOST FINE COMPARED WITH 2 OR 3 TIMES MUCH COSTING PLAYERS..UNCOLOURED SOUND..NATURAL...5 STARS AND MORE

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VARIOUS PLAYERS...

Sound!!!

Made in China? Cheap remote and super slow search

I just bought the Rotel CDR-971 and I love the sound, however I am very disappointed in the fact that it's made in China. I was expecting it was made in one fo the 3 Rotels in Japan, USA, or Germany. I can't believe that a $700.00 CD player is made in CHina. Looking at the remote with its cheap Made in China sticker on its bottom, you have to wonder, it looks like something from a blackmarket street vendor. I cannot argue with the sound though. Lots of depth and very rich full sound. I feel like I got a fake or something. Can anyone out there with a 971 tell me if theirs is made in China as well?

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Pioneer PD-65

Delivers the goods with all types of music; HDCD; price; fast loading.

No headphone jack. Treble could be improved, but it's not harsh.

Almost exactly what I anticipated based on reviews here - poised, sophisticated performance on all types of music without breaking the bank.

I bought the 971 because my own just released pop/rock masterpiece was mastered in HDCD and I wanted to hear the extra bits I paid for. If this is a news flash to anyone out there, Pacific Microsonics, the HDCD folks, was recently purchased by a little software company called Microsoft. So while SACD and DVD audio are still awash in uncertainty, HDCD is now funded by the deepest pockets of all. The real improvement in digital audio comes from the increase from 16 bits to HDCD's 20 bits. The difference between 20 bits and 24 bits is really much subtler. I know a lot of musicians who are mastering in HDCD; I don't know any mastering in SACD or DVD audio; much of the minimal content available out there is remastered from analog sources.

I was also attracted to the possibility of getting even more performance out of the 971 by adding inexpensive aftermarket upgrades through LC Audio. Anyone with any experience here feel free to email me, I'm all ears. I've cruised their site a lot, and if what they claim is half true, I'll probably want to try the upgrades at some point.

Meanwhile, I feel I have a very good performer certainly worth what I paid for it on the secondary market. I feel it lacks a little shimmer on the high frequencies. It's almost dull as opposed to harsh. So I feel there's some room for improvement there. Bass isn't bad at all and midrange seems fine.

I've only had it for a few days but I'm doing the oft-noted activity of going through my entire CD collection. If I were to analyze myself, I'd wonder a little bit if I wasn't doing it just to make sure I got good value as opposed to hearing so much more in the music. Every player is going to emphasize different frequencies so I've wondered whether more music is actually revealed by new players as opposed to listeners just hearing different EQ curves. That said, I actually do hear more music than on other players I've auditioned. I know, becuase I played it and recorded it! For example, there's an acoustic guitar part on my CD that I recorded in stereo using two different mics. For the first time, I'm able to distinguish that two different mics with two slightly different characteristics were used. That made me feel warm and fuzzy about my purchase.

There were several reviews that mentioned the unit's propensity for eating disks. Maybe they changed the mechanism on later units, but I haven't experienced this once. Conversely, I'm really happy with how fast the unit loads and plays disks. Eject is also as quick as I've ever seen. As long as this doesn't blinding performance doesn't flake out in the future, I'll be real happy with the load/eject experience.

The five stars for value are a no-brainer. The four overall stars reflect a little bit of my curiosity that there is more to be gained from the aforementioned LC Audio modifications and the lack of sparkle or refinement on the high end. As noted, this hasn't kept me from from enjoying CD after CD and feeling that I picked the right unit at this point in time and space that offers an intriguing upgrade path that could turn an already really good $400 audio experience into a fantastic $550 audio experience. So I can't quite go 5 stars which are supposed to be for "far better than you imagined" because the 971 is that rare piece that is exactly what I imagined. I'm well pleased.

Perhaps the well-loved Ah Tjoeb or other relatively inexpensive tube players like the Norh are also really enjoyable, but I couldn't find a tube player in this range with HDCD. So there you have it.

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NAD 541, Linn Ikemi, Older Nakamichis, recent CAL changer

Detailed sound, great for the price!

Poor build

The sound is really great but...
the tray is spoilt just after a day
of use....
*****for sound
nil for quality

crisp, clean, natural sound, reveals details in cd

poor remote, cd tray a bit flimsy

Just got it yesterday, got a chance to AB against the more expensive adcom 750 and rotel 991. Could not justify the extra $900 (CDN). This player keeps up with these in almost evey way you need. The details are amazing and puts the singer right there in your listening room. The sound is clean and precise, the intstruments in music each seem to have a life of their own. I recommend it if you want a high quality sound at a reasonable price.

My other gear includes
Krell KRC-3 preamp
Bryston 3B amp
Paradigm refernence 80's

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Marantz DP17MK2, adcom RCD750

Very nice detail, bass extension. Very, very good value for the money. Noise is very, very low.

Build quality is good, not great. Slightly sterile sounding. I couldn't call the Rotel "musical".

I think this is a very good CD player for the money. And for that, I give it 5 stars. However, it is definitely not the last word in CD players. I think that there are much better players out there, but for the money this is a pretty damn good player and you have to really split hairs to find its faults.

It is extremely detailed. It is a moderately laid-back player, so in order to accomodate that, you need an amplifier that is very fast and dynamic, ready to give you the punch that the Rotel will deliver. Give it lots of clean wattage in your amp and you'll have some great sound. Then you'll be able to hear all the detail with realistic dynamic punch, but not exagerated. The tone is very nice, but not on the warm side like some other players. I think if more warmth is to your liking, then you need to look at Marantz and Cambridge CD players. But then you will miss the precision of this player. My preference is for detail. The Rotel has been called "sterile" by some. I would have to agree, when I compare it against the Myryad, which is a very musical player. However, even with that being said, it still sounds very good. You have to dig pretty deep into a good sounding CD player here to come up with that criticism.

I have this Rotel hooked up to a Marantz 2385, 185 Watts per channel, an absolutely beautiful receiver. The speakers are completely rebuilt Acoustic Research AR-2ax's that are very clear sounding with excellent low-frequency capabilities. Man, this CD player fits perfectly in this system. The dynamic capability of the system is incredible, there is no noise from the CD payer. It really sings. The Marantz immediately and dynamically delivers the detailed music from the Rotel. I love it.

Like I said, I know that there's better players out there. My goal is a McIntosh 7010. But until then, this sounds pretty damn good for the money.

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Rotel 940BX, Myryad MC100.