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From: greg@olivee.UUCP (Greg Paley)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: What about Magnovox 2040 CD players?
Message-ID: <329@olivee.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 22-Apr-85 12:42:04 EST
Article-I.D.: olivee.329
Posted: Mon Apr 22 12:42:04 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 25-Apr-85 08:14:23 EST
References: <1460@druxu.UUCP>
Organization: Olivetti ATC; Cupertino, Ca
Lines: 33

> I would like some info about the Magnovox 2040 CD player.
> I'm looking for a relativly inexpensive player but don't want
> something that will break in 3 months.  I've heard good things
> about the Sony 102/302 players but I don't have $450/550 to spend
> so I'm interested in the $230 Magnovox 2040.  If the extra $200-300
> buys significant mechanical reliability, I would like some idea of
> how much.
> 

If, as you say later in your article, you dismiss sonic differences
between the players, then the one area in which the Philips/Maganavox
players have been markedly superior to many others (and, specifically,
to earlier Sony players) has been in the tracking and error correction.
A number of test reports in European magazines (specifically, Hi-Fi
News and Record Review, Hi-Fi For Pleasure in England, and Audio,
Fono Forum, and Stereoplay, in Germany) have commented on the fact
that discs that produced either full muting or audible "clicks" on
Sony units could be played with no difficulty on the Philips.

Note, though, that the reports I've read have all predated the
latest "3rd generation" Sony players you mention.  Unfortunately,
I haven't had access to these European magazines since the release
of the new Sony's (I trust them more than the Americans since they
seem to be much more frank in pointing out the deficiencies of
equipment, particularly with regard to mechanical construction).
I know that the new Sony's have a redesigned tracking mechanism
which is supposed to provide superior performance to their own
earlier models, but I've heard of no direct comparisons with the
Philips/Magnavox players.  As good as the Philips/Magnavox models
are, I would highly doubt that the new Sony models could be so
superior as to be worth the extra money.

	- Greg Paley