HIGH-END CD players: HEGEL Viking vs. SCHIIT Urd + DAC
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 ก.ค. 2024
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**CORRECTION**: The Kraftwerk box set shown in this video is the 2009 version 🤦🏻♂️
🎥 Camera: John Darko / Olaf von Voss
🎬 Editor: John Darko
🌈 Colour: Olaf von Voss
🕺🏻 Motion GFX: John Darko
💰 Ad segment: Jana Dagdagan
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0:00 Intro
1:22 Backstory
4:34 Kraftwerk CD box set
7:49 vs. Mohican
10:18 vs. Schiit URD + DAC
14:28 abschließende Gedanken
👉 As seen in this video...
Hegel Viking
📖 darko.audio/2023/06/hegel-ann...
15 reasons why I still buy CDs
📺 darko.audio/2022/08/15-reason...
Steve Hoffman forum on 2004 Kraftwerk 'Der Katalog'
🚿 forums.stevehoffman.tv/thread...
Hegel Mohican & more
📖 • NOT DEAD YET: CD playb...
Schiit Urd
📖 darko.audio/2023/07/schiits-u...
FiiO R7
📺 darko.audio/2023/06/fiio-r7-v...
Hegel H590
📺 darko.audio/2018/10/a-short-f...
AudioQuest balanced interconnects
🛒 amzn.to/47CQbiL
IKEA Gnedby
📖 darko.audio/2020/03/ikea-disc...
Cables and power products by AudioQuest
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I love CD’s because I can buy them at used places for $1-3. Vinyl has gotten way too expensive.
99% of the fake vinyl overpricely sold today are made from a digital master….so don’t feel bad about that. It’s actually a smart move, a new CD is 3 times cheaper than a vinyl…for pretty much the same sound…
I still love CDs as well though not enough to waste this kind of money on a pointless transport. I can send my $7 Goodwill Oppo out to a DAC and be good. Mastering is what matters though and some modern vinyl is better simply because it was mastered better than the crushed version on CD. That is if the vinyl is pressed well which isn't always a given with modern vinyl.
Same opinion here.
I live in the USA. CD's are the only format for me. Media hype makes people think the modern day vinyl is the way to go. Modern vinyl is terrible sounding.
CD’s are still the king of price and quality! When we first bought cd’s, we never had awesome transports and DACs. Now we do and they sound better than ever!!
Watching your videos is often like a guided tour of my music collection
John, thanks much for this interesting and well done review of CD players. There are many of us out here who love music and love and enjoy CD players also. CD, vinyl, streaming...it's all just part of the overall experience for us music lovers. Thanks much for what you do. I know reviewing and writing can be tough to juggle at times and your end 'product' remains excellent. Have a great day!
Hi, I absolutely enjoy your reviews and your charisma!! keep you the GREAT WORK
5K for a slot loader? Tried one. Hated it. I wish IKEA still sold that CD storage solution here in the US. Thanks, John.
Freakin film quality and lighting on this video is just superb.
Agreed, doesn't receive the recognition deserved for this hard work!
Always great production with Johns videos.
Thanks John! Nice to see a cd player review. 😎
And as always, thank you ever so much for doing what you do so well, John :-)
Great review and top notch quality production.
Thanks John for venturing into ye olde worlde of CD players. It did amuse me when one of your fellow TH-camrs declared that nobody was manufacturing CD players anymore. I guess he forgot to tell the manufacturers.
Many digital fans spend a considerable amount of time sourcing their catalogue of music, streaming it, ripping it, reclocking it and finally decoding it. I still love my 20 year old Musical Fidelity CD player for its sound and blessed simplicity.
Oh, and high res is just about lowering the noise floor, which on CDs is already much lower than it is on my records, but don’t tell them. 😁
Great bit of entertainment! And great production quality. I love my cd player nad c540, what 25 years young, has a lot of sentimental value, me and my now wife used to listen to this together during are college years. These days it has a new lease of life being plumbed into my chord qutest.
Uff. Finally I found someone who feels the same as me, with regards to CD quality vs high res. Thanks John, you made my day way better. I don't have any fancy setup, just old Pioneer CD player, Denon amp and MA Silvers, so I'm sure the quality is nowhere near the Hegel, but I still like it and enjoy a lot.
I love CD’s and have a fairly large collection. I still buy them like crazy with the occasional SACD/Hybrid. I simply like owning the physical media and actually “spinning” them to listen.
Cheers from The Woodlands, Texas!
Yay John! And yes to hearing about niche products now and again. Well done as always. Thanks!
One of the best Vids to date John! Back to basics, clear, no BS, love it, and love my Mohican.
Good review, don't stop reviewing Cd players. Youre correct CDs sounds better than streaming, even high rez. And its charming with a machine and cds, you get the album experience just like LP.
I think exactly the same ! CDs sounds better then streaming, even high res.
Hello, thank you for the review of cd players. I’m very much into cd still! I’ve recently purchased a Hifiman EF 600 DAC and Cyrus Cd transport, I have to say that a precision transport + this NOS DAC have completely changed my music listening experience for the better, far better. On the flip side,sometimes I notice all the artifices in the mixing, like ghost singers superimposed on a guitar or a piano or drums split between the two channels. However when the source material is recorded following hi-fi principles, the result is mind blowing 😂😂😂
YOU, yep, Y O U took me back to cd's ...and glad of it ...bought the cxc v2 few month ago and thank you so much...and glad i did not bin all my cds i keeped .
I do love those 12" cd box sets. The Underworld series, and Chem Bros Surrender are brilliant. I may look at that Kraftwerk set too, now. Thanks as always for the interesting and detailed content.
Confusing comparo - as a transport only, is the URD comparable in sound quality to the Viking (Viking connected to the 590's DAC)? Same DAC different "transports". Thanks.
Great review. Thanks to your channel, I've reconnected with my CD collection. I'm currently using a $300 NAD and 1990's Nakamichi CD4. I'm looking to upgrade so would love to see you review some CD players in the $500-$1,000 range.
Thanks John.
Excellent stuff!! ❤
Luv your reviews, you make it interesting but knowledgeable
Excellent video John.
Great to have more CD players covered. I only play physical media (vinyl and CDs).
I remember when you reviewed the Mohican. I was so impressed and wanting an upgrade I looked into getting one but even 2nd hand ones seemed unobtainable.
After that I looked at a range of alternatives including the Project RS2 T transport and Rega Isis.
About six months ago I opted for the MacIntosh MCD 550 and got a great deal on a 3-4 year old mint one. It is absolutely amazing and replaced my almost 20 yr old Arcam CD 83. Would be great to see the Viking up against theMacIntosh MCD 600,theRega Isis or RS2 T
Thanks for a great review.
Nice review and detail about your interconnects. I love my Mohican coupled with my H390, my CDs sound great and I still collect them too and vinyl. For me, it usually depends upon how I have collected my individual artist, by vinyl or CD. I don't have a dedicated streamer as I use my H390 for that, at the moment anyway. I remember when the CD first appeared and it was my go to choice of format for a while. Long live the CD! Cheers John.
Great video, John, l to agree, I think this medium has some way to go yet. So much so that I've only recently purchased a playback designs MPT-8, which replaced my Gryphon Mikado signature CD player.
As you mentioned in the video the Delta between the two Hegel CD players was not vast, and so is the case in my experience with my recent upgrade. But still an improvement, and one I was happy to make given my ever increasing library of CDs.
I love rummaging around the second-hand stores and finding absolute pearls for a few dollars. I guess this is another reason why it's still so much fun to be buying CDs.
Long may it continue.🎧👍🙂
Spot on about the dac and supporting hardware making the real difference 👍
Excellent to see this superb new CD player being released. My feeling is that as long as there are olthers like me who buy CDs by the truckload, CDs are here to stay for very long, long time.
Hi Darko, thanks for your CD passion, been one as well. It's funny to see bigger brands jumpnon again. It's funny to see how expensive, because the DAC is optimised for only one use case (much easier board design, output stage they use 1:1 from other Hegel products) and really good CD drives are much cheaper now. So there is a huge margin for many vendors 😊 So I stick with my Vintage Pioneer PD93, Sony X505ES and the best new one: Cyrus CDi with external PSU 😅
Greetings from SLC, Utah!
John, in the middle of June 2023 good friend of mine had the Hegel Viking and Emotiva ECR-4 CD players.
We compared both players by listening to few reference CDs (Classical, Jazz, Alternative).
His setup:
- McIntosh C 49 preamp.
- McIntosh MC152 power amp.
- B&W 702 S3 B&W speakers.
We did blind tests (somebody was changing the players behind the wall), we had 7 people audience.
Guess what… in 100 points scale the Emotiva earned 77 points. It’s hard to believe, cost of the Emotiva is only ~14 percent of the Hegel.
Nothing surprising. You test two devices that are not up to the $15,000 of amplification you are using, the same goes for the speakers. Therefore everything will be distorted.
Very nice player! I recently bought a beautifull cd/dvd box from Saint Etienne’s ‘I have been trying to tell you’. Must be in your cd rack😁
That Kraftwerk set looks lovely....CD's were never dead for me, it's all about ownership, plus great sound coupled with perfected technology. Excellent video.
Great video. Love the products of Hegel but they’re a bit too expensive for me right now. I have a Rega Apollo CDP connected to a Rega IO and it sounds superb especially when you consider the price of both units. The Apollo CDP can be used as a CD transport too but the built-in Wolfson DAC does a fantastic job.
I am always desperately watching any of your new videos. not just because of the great content and style of presentation, but especially because of your music selection 😂. I did never hear a track that i did not like....how the hack are you finding all your music?
Best audio review channel on TH-cam. Blows all others out of the water. Night and day. But seriously, my favorite reviews on Yt. Thanks. And yeah, CDs are cheap now. But probably not forever I suspect.
Yes yes! Love that little plastic and metallic discs. Getting the jist that the CD is here to stay. Yay ya!
Very nice to see reviews of CD players. Keep it up.
Apologies finger error, keep up the GREAT WORK
Great review john as always. I also have the odd loading issue with my Audiolab 6000cdt, but nothing to fret about.
I always enjoy comparing the music you show in the racks with my own collection, this week Floyd, Prefab sprout, Sugarcubes and Tom Waits Orphans Album. Good stuff.
I’ve got the same transport but it’s the eject when using the remote I have had issues with . But it sounds brilliant, so worth getting off my bum and just pressing the button.
Hi Andy - another happy 6000cdt owner saying hi!
CD is not dead for sure! I can’t imagine not playing my first compact discs from the early 90’s and later, just like I still play my vinyls from the 70’s, 80’s and also recently bought.
And yes, the DAC makes the difference. I don’t have a Hegel, but before buying my new player I did a side by side comparison with my integrated amplifier Atoll IN200 + optional DAC DA200 (AKM-AK4490). On one side the CD player Atoll CD200 with integrated DAC (BURR BROWN PCM1792) and on the other side the drive DR200, so they both have the same architecture and are optimised to play with the IN200. I was not expecting such a big difference before starting the listening ! The choice is always very personal, but for me the Burr Brown was definitely better than the AKM that was too surgical.
As a conclusion, always try before you buy!
I enjoy your hi end gear review. Your Auralic VEGA G2.1 review helped me to purchase mine. 😂
Great take. Also appreciate the Kraftwerk tip. Been a fan since the mid 80’s. Thank you for your efforts.
this video introduced me to The Sugarcubes. Thanks!
A strange review. Mostly a comparison against a discontinued product so guessing its for people contemplating upgrading a Mohican? Disappointed there was so little discussion of the URD, it was almost just tacked on as an afterthought. How did the URD stack up against other transports? How would the URD stack up when used with a Schiit "Unison" USB DAC? (This is supposed to be a big feature of the URD). No mention of price/performance, no mention of usability/ergonomics. Seemed like more of a Fiio R7/Hegel H590 DAC vs Hegel Viking review/comparison.
I hope the Urd gets a proper review beyond the rather short shrift it got here.
Yup, if the URD gets as much info from the redbook CD that it sounds better with a high end dac like the MolaMola over the Viking I am hoping its a real good CD transport. Looking for an affordable upgrade to my Cambridge CXC.
I don't trust this mechanism .. I don't accept the way it draws my valuable discs ....
That's it for the URD?
No animals have been harmed during the load of this disc. (Sorry...could not skip that one)
The pigs flew away.
Hey John, thank you for each informative and very entertaining episode. I really enjoy your descriptions. I would be interested to know how you might like an atoll in 300 amplifier and what impressions and thoughts it might elicit from you. Greeting Ben
I don't have that many CDs compared to vinyl but I still listen to both. I have a lot of CDs that are never going to available on a service so I keep my 15+ year old Eastern Electric Mini-Max tube cd player that does play HDCD (a lot GD CDs are HDCD but I prefer their vinyl) (but not CDRs). Has NOS tubes with no markings but I have never changed the tubes. It also has a very good headphone output so it works solo with my Audio-Technica Sovereign AT-H1000 headphones. Srajan said the 2 together were equal to a $10k system back then (June 2004) and I agree still today.
Nice one:)
Love this product ❤
Dear John. Thanks for the review. The chance of audiophiles who already have a good DAC buying a CD player today is much lower than buying a CD transport. When you have schiit Urd in the title of this video, at least you could compare Viking as a CD transport to Urd, that is new and much cheaper.
I think the people have spoken ! physical format is not going anywhere. The slot load to me is far more elegant and less clunky. The Viking looks to be a great piece of kit. Will streaming ever match the sound quality of a high end CD player? Who knows ? but both options have their place, that's for sure. Thanks John for another fine presentation .
Searching for that Sylvian and Fripp album right now. Thanks for reminding 😀 AKM chips, properly implemented, are hard to beat in terms of musical engagement.
It appears that Hegel Viking has done a lot right. It is good to see AKM back on their feet and that Hegel has used one of AKM's new designs to good effect. Jason Stoddard of Schiit has talked at length about the learning involved to use both AKM and ESS devices to good effect. AKM is very pull pins down to configure. ESS is very set registers to configure. And ESS has very comprehensive configuration options. Either will make a good audio player.
Schiit TRD is a unique product, a CD transport having USB output. But it is also a digital audio switcher that can connect any of several sources to the USB output. The USB output is Schiit's own UNISON implementation of USB Audio 2 for PCM only. The input side of Unison USB is found in all Schiit DACS currently offered.
I'm hoping you'll have time to explore TRD and show how it might be used.
I have to make do with a classic Marantz CD50se player using the SPDIF output to a Cambridge CXN as the DAC. I prefer CD's to the digital files from Qobuz most of the time, but I sure would love to own a Hegel Viking. BTW you always choose such good incidental music for your streams.
The Kraftwerk 'Katalog' starts at £250 and heads up to £1000. Wish I could afford the Hegel CD player too.
I like you even more, John...Sylvian and Fripp's Darshan...great review/insights as always!
Another great review. Thank you.
As an owner of the Mohican, I find it interesting that Hegel have moved to a slot-loading mechanism. I have had issues with the tray-loading mechanism on my player. Twice I have returned it and yet it's still not fully fixed. I wonder if other players suffered similar issues and that has influenced the design change?
Without any doubt. Every CD 16/44 is playing better than any streamer with 24/192 files. On a CD player, powersource, DAC, platte stability, errors correction, outstage plug, play major rule for final results. I just tried different dac's and cd player (mine is from 1994! - old internal DAC PD2029A) always it's better without any modern external DAC. For now streaming is very convenient, but CD's are better. In future, who knows...
Cool vid
Thanks for the great video John. I own a OPPO 205 and I know it is not made anymore but it would be interesting for you to compare the OPPO 205 audio only internal Dac via balanced outputs. If I were a betting man I would bet on the OPPO 205 and I hope mine never breaks down. Thanks again!
CD Players definitely do still have their place, whilst it’s possible to get excellent sound from streaming, I do think that owning a physical form of media will always feel more sentimental and give you a greater connection to the music.
I was really looking forward to the Urd, but was disappointed with the pricing. I guess compared to the Hegel, it’s budget, but I don’t see why a quality transport has to exceed the 3-figure range.
John, maybe the Viking could read your copy of Animals if you stop putting your fingerprints over the reading side of the CD 😂😂😂
Nice work! I'm still a big CD fan. I'm not a fan of slot loading or even drawers so much. My preference is top loading...current player is a Rega Saturn Mk 3.
Wow. Great video. Just remember my audio friends. Physical media rules. CD’s are worth it! Give them proper treatment and you’ll reconsider using streaming for reference level listening. 🍻
New camera? Video looks much crisper! (and so does audio)
Hi John. I'm not able to connect my Urd to the R7 using usb out to the R7 usbc dac input. Any suggestion? I've tried three different cables.
I've always loved cds. Loving my Luxman D-10X and it is magical. I had the D-03X before and it was good, but there is definitely some artistry in the D10x . Definitely get yourself one. As an American I'm loving the rock bottom prices of CDs. I even buy some from Europe by Indi artists like Agnes Obel and etc..👍
Luxman D-10X. Now there's a beast of a CD player. My dream machine for sure.
I realy love japanese pressings.I bought some Jazz SHM-CDs this week . They aren't cheap but you get superb sound quality because of the outstanding masters they use for the digital transfer....
By the way ,i have no issues with my slotloading cyrus cd player.
The Japanese stuff is amazing! Have you tried anything on the Three Blind Mice label ? The sound quality is superb, and it’s great jazz from Japan .
Oh yes , i tried several albums of this label and they blew me away.... , and i don't think you find them in streaming services.
Thank you.....
Great video I love CD players and I'm bored of streamers and DAC's so more CD player reviews please
Very good video. My Mohican experience is similar. 2018 was my return to the hi-fi world with a Hegel H190 amp and a Mohican CD player. Great combination where the H190 has been replaced by the H590 and where I have expanded my CD collection with a few hundred CDs (still beats SQ of my Roon/Qobuz-solution). The Viking step seems to be very interesting, although I'm not a fan of the new CD tray either. I'm curious how the Viking combination with the new H600 amplifier will turn out... Hope you will also review that one...?!? Ron.
I had 48 of those shelves filled at one point with a few boxes of overflow. I've started the tedious task of migrating to Space Saving Sleeves a few years ago and I'm now down to 27...yay? Kira Kira, so good.
Thanks for this review. I am curious how hegel would perform by digital output to your fio. That would answer if the dac+analog path in the hegel is so good or transport as well. This leads to the question if hegel can be upgraded in the future to even better set by outside dac added to its digi out...
You are one of the very few rational voices regarding CD's and their true niche of sound quality (fidelity) in the seemingly overwhelming devotees of streaming quality.
I have had the same experience with cd quality out performing streaming playback but it'a much closer affair when i'm streaming a locally ripped cd file from my Innuos Zen to my 2qute dac. Did you manage to perform this comparison John as i believe it's much more appropriate for audiophiles who really only use third party streaming services for convenience?
I love CDs. They're how I started listening to music with my dad. Hope your eye is doing good!
Ok, you already made me go and get my Marantz CD17-mkII out of storage, now you're starting to convince me to go and get some new CD's. And another thumb up for featuring, if fledging, Bruce Springsteen's the ghost of Tom Joad.
Thanks for video, did not know that Hegel recently released a new CD player. With regards to your comment on quality of CD playback vs streamed HiRes files, I have to agree with you as it has also been my experience. However, if you can have a good player to play downloaded Hi Res files, then Hi Res files win (my experience especially on classical recordings). I have an Innuos Zenith and was able to do the 3 way comparison from the exact same set up. Streaming quality appears to be the weak link the system ( do I need a Audiophile grade switch? 😞 )
Nice bright displays on these Compact Disc players - with my monocle, I can differentiate between them and my zimmer frame.
Is it coincidence that after John Darko mentioned Deadstock's eponymously titled CD from 1996 last week, that on Discogs all but one copies have now be sold?
I love my only CD source a Naim CDS3 in my journey unfortunately that may come to an end as storm water ingress fell upon my CD player. It's to be returned to the factory for service 😢😢. Its the lazer transport which may condem the unit. It's a beautiful sprung chassis with a clamp. To be honest I am not sold to slot loaders. The audio journey can be filled with some anxiety. Great review 😎👍🎵🎵
The rega cd player with top loader is my fav because there is no loader to malfunction , I still use as a transport with a much better dac.😊
As always very well explained. How ever would it be possible to have your opinion of URD verses sam category of transport? alike of cambridge etc ...? thank you.
Hate slot load players!
The day it died , my Bluesound Vault2 ate the last cd I was ripping 😮
Still haven't retrieved it😢
Revisiting Kraftwerk this morning 🤖🤖🎶🤖🤖
Nice job Matey
Hi, I think that it would be illuminating if you would compare a modern CD player to an old one. Just for edification. What do you think.
I think people in Germany and Japan are still enthusiastic about CDs. Recently I bought quite a few SACDs, Helen Merill, Sarah Brightman, kind of blue from Miles Davis and I'm considering buying one of these SACD players. I wonder if it's possible to make an episode on Accuphase SACD player DP-1000 as I'm seeking to buy one. Must say the player looks fancy and accuphase is quite durable and reliable.
But John, how does it compare to my Sony walkman CD player (yellow edition) with 45 second skip protection?
Solid review John. For decent money on a CDP (or CDT) I'd want to be pretty confident about long term support, especially repair/replacement of transport mechs. Not sure how Hegel stack up.
Heard they have Teac Drives.
Thanks for the video. Have you got any industry insider info on the new Exposure full width cd player? It has been at some shows but seems to still be in hiding... Cheers!
I really enjoy that Animals reissue. I love CDs as well. They are the best value in my opinion. Thanks again!
I agree they are the best value. I wish the format was a tad larger. The artwork and reading materials are just too small!
But they are almost all under $15 and so much easier then records in every aspect.
Me again John - was the Viking already run in when you received it or did you have to give it a few weeks before critical listening?
Indeed on my set up I play a simple old file of Piano in mo3 and it sounds fantastic due to the hardware.Better file provides better sound of course I play CD, records and SACD ,high res files,streaming..the upper you go the better it gets but the standard resolution of a CD does play really well already 😊
Nice presentation. Are there any other CD players you can recommend for less $$$$? Cheers!
Like this Hegel, but out of my budget by huge measure. But do like your attitude to all of this.