On Fri, 29 Aug 2003 21:34:53 +0000 (UTC), Jim H wrote:
Why be coy about saying Sony and Philips? Odd :-)

Don't forget the "dedicated" mechanisms used in even the most
overpriced audiophile gear are the same cheap units as used in
everything else.

When the cheap ones can read any (undamaged) cd without error, why not? I
think a lot of audiophiles forget how trivially easy reading a cd is by
modern technological standards.

You're wrong. It isn't easy designing audio circuits nowadays that are
mediocre enough to muffle high audio frequencies for that "warm sound."
Usually you have to use cables so badly enginered that they have a 3 db
dropoff at only 5-10khz or perhaps insert a badly designed triode tube
stage into the audio path. It also helps to have incorporated a fresh
$5,000-20,000 outlay; it doesn't matter for what the money is spent. Of
course a new fresh $5-20K outlay will always sound better than the old
one.