Can anyone offer any advice/experience on a standalone hifi component cd
recorder for recording LPs?

I've read various reviews but they all refer to digital copies, and they all
seem to do that reasonably well. I was going to get a Philips 795 but on
comparing the more expensive version (the 820) has different 'distortion'
figures - 90db, against the 85db of the 795 - despite having identical DACs.
It's all at http://tinyurl.com/g4se. I'm really after the best A-D
conversion I can afford but I can't see any way to appraise it.

I'm going this route (incidentally) because I can't be bothered with the pc
idea any more - it's too much hassle and I find the results variable for
reasons I can't track down. I'm after something consistent, with quality
sound and convenient. The cost of audio cdrs is not a problem, and I like
the idea of dual decks, mp3 playback and 'record and go' - no booting pc,
starting programmes, setting levels at the other end of the house and so on.

TIA, Rob

In article , RJH
wrote:
Can anyone offer any advice/experience on a standalone hifi component cd
recorder for recording LPs?

I've read various reviews but they all refer to digital copies, and they
all seem to do that reasonably well. I was going to get a Philips 795
but on comparing the more expensive version (the 820) has different
'distortion' figures - 90db, against the 85db of the 795 - despite
having identical DACs. It's all at http://tinyurl.com/g4se. I'm really
after the best A-D conversion I can afford but I can't see any way to
appraise it.

I use a Pioneer PDR-509 CDRW audio recorder. Have copied a number of LPs
and cassettes onto CDR using this. Also record BBC R3. So far as I can
tell, the resulting CDRs sound pretty much like the original LPs, etc. The
recorder seems easy to use. My only regret was buying the 'black' version,
and I find the actual legends on the buttons hard to read. :-)

The LP source is a Shure V15/III in a Technics arm/turntable. I play back
the resulting CDRs using a Meridian 563 DAC, either using the Pioneer as
the drive, or a Meridian 200.

TBH I would not take too much notice of slightly varying distortion values
quoted in reviews. They probably don't relate very well to actual
performance, and may well vary from one actual unit to another. Hence the
recorder you buy may differ from the one reviewed. Also, the noise+
distortion level from an LP will tend to be large enough to give different
results from the recorder ADCs than when the input is a pure test tone.

Also bear in mind that the 'distortion' values they give in reviews are
often actually FFT-based and are quoting the sum of the powers in the
harmonic 'bins' from an FFT of finite length. Thus they may become
dominated by the noise floor as you reduce the signal level. Typically, if
you find the quoted 'distortion' is around -100dB or lower with respect to
'full scale', it may well be the residual noise level. The Hi Fi World
results I've seen in the past have often been classic examples of this
confusion. Details depend upon how the measurement was made.

If the recorder distortion is "-85dB" with a full-scale input, bear in mind
that with music from an LP this would probably be from modulation around
20dB over the reference 0dB level for LP, given the need to for recording
headroom. Most cartridges would be producing well over 10 per cent
distortion for signals of this level - i.e. millions of times more
distortion than the recorder!

IIRC the Marantz CDRW audio recorders got good reviews, but I can't recall
details of any Philips reviews. However I tend to regard the 'subjective'
comments in such magazine reviews as being of doubtful value to anyone
other than the reviewer.

If you wish for better ADCs than in the recorder, then I understand most
recorders have a digital input, so you could choose later on to add an
external stand-alone ADC. However I've felt no need to do this as the
Pioneer seems fine to me.

Slainte,

JIm

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html

Rob

Have a look at the Sony CDR-W33 Its a semi pro bit of kit with Super Bit
Mapping 24/96 capability. Uses computer discs SCMS defeatable etc
Sexy grey studio fascia. Was about £500 but in great demand and going up
fast last time I enquired. Got mine a few months ago and well pleased
with it.

Eddie

RJH wrote:
Can anyone offer any advice/experience on a standalone
hifi component cd
recorder for recording LPs?

I've read various reviews but they all refer to digital
copies, and they all
seem to do that reasonably well. I was going to get a
Philips 795 but on
comparing the more expensive version (the 820) has
different 'distortion'
figures - 90db, against the 85db of the 795 - despite
having identical DACs.
It's all at http://tinyurl.com/g4se. I'm really after the best A-D
conversion I can afford but I can't see any way to appraise it.

I'm going this route (incidentally) because I can't be
bothered with the pc
idea any more - it's too much hassle and I find the
results variable for
reasons I can't track down. I'm after something
consistent, with quality
sound and convenient. The cost of audio cdrs is not a
problem, and I like
the idea of dual decks, mp3 playback and 'record and go' -
no booting pc,
starting programmes, setting levels at the other end of
the house and so on.

TIA, Rob

--
Direct access to this group with http://web2news.com
http://web2news.com/?uk.rec.audio

Have a look at the Yamaha HDD/CDR standalone, I have had one since they
first became available.
It's an excellent machine, with useful simple editing facilities.
Best,
John Burgess

my old man's just bought a Pioneer 3 disc player, 1 disc recorder combined
unit. It's pretty tasty - I think you're looking at about 300 beans.

"RJH" wrote in message
...
Can anyone offer any advice/experience on a standalone hifi component cd
recorder for recording LPs?

I've read various reviews but they all refer to digital copies, and they
all
seem to do that reasonably well. I was going to get a Philips 795 but on
comparing the more expensive version (the 820) has different 'distortion'
figures - 90db, against the 85db of the 795 - despite having identical
DACs.
It's all at http://tinyurl.com/g4se. I'm really after the best A-D
conversion I can afford but I can't see any way to appraise it.

I'm going this route (incidentally) because I can't be bothered with the
pc
idea any more - it's too much hassle and I find the results variable for
reasons I can't track down. I'm after something consistent, with quality
sound and convenient. The cost of audio cdrs is not a problem, and I like
the idea of dual decks, mp3 playback and 'record and go' - no booting pc,
starting programmes, setting levels at the other end of the house and so
on.

TIA, Rob