Sony RCD-W1 2-Disc CD Recorder
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- Device Type: Recorder
- Number of Discs: 2
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Competent Performer; but there's Much Better
Pros
Ability to use as two independent cd players.
Cons
Below average ergonomics. Mediocre auto indexing. Only has TosLink Digital inputs. Slow reacting remote!
Recommended it?
No
The Bottom Line:
I can't recommend this unit at the present state of technology. With a poor user interface and average sound quality, there's better to be had.
It was with great anticipation that I opened this CDR(W) recorder. Unlike the target of the RIAA's paranoid protection schemes, my main purpose for buying this unit was to transfer my precious albums to CDR and listen to the Lp's only when critically listening.
I first decided to listen to CD playback to get a feel for the unit?s sound. As a cd player this unit is no better than the interconnects you use to connect it to your system. With Monster Cable 400, this player sounded awful. Overblown everything with in your face imaging. Switching to my reference Purist Audio "Elementa" interconnects ($100 per pair) the focus and clarity that Sony is known for shined through. So I caution you to not judge this unit with mediocre interconnects, especially on the ?Record In? side. This was promising performance and I couldn?t wait to start copying my Lp's. So as not to waste my time, I decided to throw some reference material at this unit to judge it's trueness to the source. Much to my surprise and pleasure, guitar and solo piano sounded remarkably like the Lp on first listen. However, after extended, late-night, listening sessions I found that the subtle details that make you feel like the instruments and performers are in the room with you and not mere two dimensional images were missing. Instruments remained well placed within the soundstage with remarkable depth of field. Lateral spread was as the phono source, not extending beyond the outside borders of the speakers. However, no matter the material, there was always a smearing of the midbass and lower bass and loss of fine detail. Unlike Lp listening, I was unable to hear the type of pick or strings used on acoustic guitars. Nor was I able to easily discern the decay of the acoustic bass. And like all CD playback, the extreme highs were missing in action altogether! This may seem trivial to most, but this is what I heard when listening to LP vs. the CDR(W) playback. After all, this is historically what all the fuss has been over and why I still prefer a good LP over the best CD playback. This includes Accuphase, Meridian, and the like! Cost never impresses me, performance does! What I've mentioned so far is the good stuff. Now to the problems.
1. Since I'm primarily recording LP's, the auto indexing feature was just about useless. There is manual control, but the delay from the remote takes too long, so I had to record one song at a time in order to use the indexing feature for most of the LPs. (To be fair the owner?s manual did mention that auto indexing could be a potential problem with Lp recording. My problem is that Sony should have thought of that and come up with a novel solution.) The main reason is that the threshold of silence varies at random. When you think it should index, when you don't hear anything, it doesn't index and when it shouldn't index, when you?re on a quiet passage it indexes! This was sheer madness. I stopped recording Lp?s. It was just too much trouble. If you are buying this unit to copy your LPs, look elsewhere!
2. The unit's overall sound, while competent, is not as good as I've heard in this price range and therefore I would not use the unit as my primary CD source. You can however, use this unit as two independent cd players. There are individual outputs for each drawer.
Overall I?d have to say that this unit just didn?t meet my needs or expectations. Sony? s proprietary AD/DA converters leave out subtle details that somehow rob the music of it?s life. There are many features that this unit has that may have bolstered my user interface complaints, but since the unit did not meet my primary sonic criteria for recording of LPs and playback integrity, I passed on this one.
In case you?re wondering what CDR(W) recorder I choose over the Sony, it was the Philips CDR800! I had both units at the same time and did head-to-head comparisons using identical source and playback equipment.
While listening back and forth one night, I boxed up the Sony and haven?t looked back!!!
Addendum - The Purist Audio Interconnect mentioned in the review has increased dramatically in price since I purchased mine @ 1997. I've seen them @ $210.00/m pair. I mention this to reinforce the fact that they are that good and they will let you hear your components to their fullest potential for not too an expensive outlay. The Elementa speaker cable is not as good; I prefer the LINN K6
I first decided to listen to CD playback to get a feel for the unit?s sound. As a cd player this unit is no better than the interconnects you use to connect it to your system. With Monster Cable 400, this player sounded awful. Overblown everything with in your face imaging. Switching to my reference Purist Audio "Elementa" interconnects ($100 per pair) the focus and clarity that Sony is known for shined through. So I caution you to not judge this unit with mediocre interconnects, especially on the ?Record In? side. This was promising performance and I couldn?t wait to start copying my Lp's. So as not to waste my time, I decided to throw some reference material at this unit to judge it's trueness to the source. Much to my surprise and pleasure, guitar and solo piano sounded remarkably like the Lp on first listen. However, after extended, late-night, listening sessions I found that the subtle details that make you feel like the instruments and performers are in the room with you and not mere two dimensional images were missing. Instruments remained well placed within the soundstage with remarkable depth of field. Lateral spread was as the phono source, not extending beyond the outside borders of the speakers. However, no matter the material, there was always a smearing of the midbass and lower bass and loss of fine detail. Unlike Lp listening, I was unable to hear the type of pick or strings used on acoustic guitars. Nor was I able to easily discern the decay of the acoustic bass. And like all CD playback, the extreme highs were missing in action altogether! This may seem trivial to most, but this is what I heard when listening to LP vs. the CDR(W) playback. After all, this is historically what all the fuss has been over and why I still prefer a good LP over the best CD playback. This includes Accuphase, Meridian, and the like! Cost never impresses me, performance does! What I've mentioned so far is the good stuff. Now to the problems.
1. Since I'm primarily recording LP's, the auto indexing feature was just about useless. There is manual control, but the delay from the remote takes too long, so I had to record one song at a time in order to use the indexing feature for most of the LPs. (To be fair the owner?s manual did mention that auto indexing could be a potential problem with Lp recording. My problem is that Sony should have thought of that and come up with a novel solution.) The main reason is that the threshold of silence varies at random. When you think it should index, when you don't hear anything, it doesn't index and when it shouldn't index, when you?re on a quiet passage it indexes! This was sheer madness. I stopped recording Lp?s. It was just too much trouble. If you are buying this unit to copy your LPs, look elsewhere!
2. The unit's overall sound, while competent, is not as good as I've heard in this price range and therefore I would not use the unit as my primary CD source. You can however, use this unit as two independent cd players. There are individual outputs for each drawer.
Overall I?d have to say that this unit just didn?t meet my needs or expectations. Sony? s proprietary AD/DA converters leave out subtle details that somehow rob the music of it?s life. There are many features that this unit has that may have bolstered my user interface complaints, but since the unit did not meet my primary sonic criteria for recording of LPs and playback integrity, I passed on this one.
In case you?re wondering what CDR(W) recorder I choose over the Sony, it was the Philips CDR800! I had both units at the same time and did head-to-head comparisons using identical source and playback equipment.
While listening back and forth one night, I boxed up the Sony and haven?t looked back!!!
Addendum - The Purist Audio Interconnect mentioned in the review has increased dramatically in price since I purchased mine @ 1997. I've seen them @ $210.00/m pair. I mention this to reinforce the fact that they are that good and they will let you hear your components to their fullest potential for not too an expensive outlay. The Elementa speaker cable is not as good; I prefer the LINN K6
