Introduction In the moderately recent days when Marantz was owned by Philips, the company released two high-end players that were intended to be direct equivalents of one anotherr: one was a Super-Audio CD player (SACD), and the other, the DV-12S1, was a DVD player capable not only of DVD-Video playback, but also replay of the latest high-resolution DVD-Audio (DVD-Audio) discs. With the Marantz equipment of this period, the higher the quality of the unit, the lower the model number, and the DV-12S1 is as low as the numbers get. The first thing you notice about the DV-12S1 is how heavy it is. The unit is big and solid, and has a large footprint – it’s nearly 16 inches deep and weighs 29 pounds. The unit itself has curved corners, in keeping with much of the Marantz gear, and elegantly complements their other equipment. The build quality overall is excellent. The rear panel includes an S-video output, ...

Introduction CD-R and CD-RW technology continues to offer faster ways of recording and archiving media, whether it be copying MP3 files, burning copies of your favorite CDs for your personal use or backing up your computer files, just to name a few. Yamaha’s latest offering, the CRW3200, addresses the need for speed with a CD-R, CD-RW, and CD-ROM drive that has the capability to write data at a blazing 24x. Able to rewrite at 10x and read at 40x, the CRW3200 will also support a wide variety of formats such as CD-DA, CD TEXT, CD-ROM, Mixed Mode CD-ROM (CD-ROM and CD-DA), CD-ROM XA, photo CD, Video CD, CD-i, and CD EXTRA. The CRW3200 is also the first kid on the block with CD-MRW (CD Mount Rainier Rewrite) format. This format allows much easier manipulation of your CD-RW data, eliminating the need for special applications or proprietary drivers to be able to read the disc to ...

Introduction The Z110 CD Player and Z140 Integrated Amplifier are part of the new Z-Series, the latest line from the venerable British electronics company, Myryad. The Z-Series is designed to be an affordable performance product in aesthetically pleasing clothes. Both the Z110 CD Player ($849) and the Z140 Integrated Amplifier ($895) feature attractive silver faceplates that feature a slim profile measuring 17 inches wide by three inches tall. A horizontal accent line bisects the front panels of both units. The front panel of the Z140 is dominated by a black conical volume control knob in the center of the panel. The metal knob features a finger-sized indentation for ease of use. The left side of the panel features the Myryad logo. Along the center line, there a small black standby button and an indicator light that glows red for standby and green when powered up. To the right of the volume control, also along the center line, ...

Introduction The choices for high-performance gear in the moderate price range have drastically improved in recent years. By improving on parts and build quality and giving us practical features that make sense yet cost less, manufacturers are making it easier to improve our systems without breaking the bank. With a little knowledge, you can garner a component that will meet your budget and exceed performance requirements, yet not leave you lacking in the feature category, all for a reasonable price. One component worthy of consideration is the NAD T 571 five disc DVD/CD/MP3 changer. The T 571 is 17-3/16 inches wide, 4-7/16 inches high, and 16-3/16 inches deep, with a MSRP of $799.00. The T 571 will play DVDs and CDs, as well as CD-RWs and CD-Rs. It will even decode MP-3 music files on either of the recordable CD formats. It also can deal with a mix of DVDs and CDs, as well ...

Introduction The choices for high-performance gear in the moderate price range have drastically improved in recent years. By improving on parts and build quality and giving us practical features that make sense yet cost less, manufacturers are making it easier to improve our systems without breaking the bank. With a little knowledge, you can garner a component that will meet your budget and exceed performance requirements, yet not leave you lacking in the feature category, all for a reasonable price. One component worthy of consideration is the NAD T 571 five disc DVD/CD/MP3 changer. The T 571 is 17-3/16 inches wide, 4-7/16 inches high, and 16-3/16 inches deep, with a MSRP of $799.00. The T 571 will play DVDs and CDs, as well as CD-RWs and CD-Rs. It will even decode MP-3 music files on either of the recordable CD formats. It also can deal with a mix of DVDs and CDs, as well ...