Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
NOTE: The poll has ended, but a results video is now up! You can still watch the video and try the test yourself, then view the results at the link below.
Poll/results link: poll-maker.com/poll5531027xCf574629-164
Results video is now live! youtu.be/m6zErFywIo4
Lossless FLAC file of the same music track in the video (exported at the native 24 bits of the editing environment): https://shorturl.at/1WfqQ
CD was the first mass market digital music format. Despite that, CD players need to read the data on the disc and convert it to something you can listen to. Does that analog conversion circuitry matter as much as some people think it does? Can you actually hear the difference between different CD players? A lot of people say they can and it's become almost common knowledge among certain types of audio enthusiasts, but I'm going to put it to the test in this video.
Credit for this idea:
David Mellor's Audio Masterclass: youtube.com/watch?v=cLMefO_eZVM&ab_channel=AudioMasterclass
AP Mastering: youtube.com/watch?v=7Sg1nYLmLCw&ab_channel=APMastering
Some info on the players used:
JVC XL-Z555: hifiengine.com/manual_library/jvc/xl-z555.shtml
Pioneer PDM-430: hifiengine.com/manual_library/pioneer/pd-m430.shtml
Pioneer BDP-52FD: soundandvision.com/content/pioneer-elite-bdp-52fd-blu-ray-3d-player
Technics SL-PD665 (not a lot of info about this player; this is the best I could do - it was the SL-PD687 overseas): archive.org/details/technics-hi-fi-1995/page/28/mode/2up
RCA RP-2458: web.archive.org/web/20050310235125/http://www.rca.com/product/viewdetail/0,2588,PI700300-CI700009,00.html
Visuals made using musicvid.org and by creators:
caseif - Particles & vis.js
caseif.net
Incept - Particles & vis.js
https://incept.online/
00:00 Introduction
03:56 CD player basics
08:54 Oversampling
11:29 1 bit DACs
16:02 Modern DACs & CD transports
21:04 Test info
26:33 The Test
NOTE: The poll has ended, but a results video is now up! You can still watch the video and try the test yourself, then view the results at the link below.
Poll/results link: poll-maker.com/poll5531027xCf574629-164
Results video is now live! youtu.be/m6zErFywIo4
Lossless FLAC file of the same music track in the video (exported at the native 24 bits of the editing environment): https://shorturl.at/1WfqQ
CD was the first mass market digital music format. Despite that, CD players need to read the data on the disc and convert it to something you can listen to. Does that analog conversion circuitry matter as much as some people think it does? Can you actually hear the difference between different CD players? A lot of people say they can and it's become almost common knowledge among certain types of audio enthusiasts, but I'm going to put it to the test in this video.
Credit for this idea:
David Mellor's Audio Masterclass: youtube.com/watch?v=cLMefO_eZVM&ab_channel=AudioMasterclass
AP Mastering: youtube.com/watch?v=7Sg1nYLmLCw&ab_channel=APMastering
Some info on the players used:
JVC XL-Z555: hifiengine.com/manual_library/jvc/xl-z555.shtml
Pioneer PDM-430: hifiengine.com/manual_library/pioneer/pd-m430.shtml
Pioneer BDP-52FD: soundandvision.com/content/pioneer-elite-bdp-52fd-blu-ray-3d-player
Technics SL-PD665 (not a lot of info about this player; this is the best I could do - it was the SL-PD687 overseas): archive.org/details/technics-hi-fi-1995/page/28/mode/2up
RCA RP-2458: web.archive.org/web/20050310235125/http://www.rca.com/product/viewdetail/0,2588,PI700300-CI700009,00.html
Visuals made using musicvid.org and by creators:
caseif - Particles & vis.js
caseif.net
Incept - Particles & vis.js
https://incept.online/
00:00 Introduction
03:56 CD player basics
08:54 Oversampling
11:29 1 bit DACs
16:02 Modern DACs & CD transports
21:04 Test info
26:33 The Test
