Some Random Musings On Dirt-Cheap Components

My wife wonders why even in Chicago winters I spend so much time in the garage, and while it is true that I stash my overflow bourbon collection there, the main draw is the uber-budget system I cobbled together to use there. Behold:

Pioneer DVD-V7400 CDP/Transport

This 2000-vintage industrial model has garnered considerable cachet as a transport in budget audiophile circles. I picked one up for $60 on Ebay (you can find ‘em for even less) and dammit if there isn’t something to all the buzz. Plug-ugly but conveniently compact and very solidly built. There’s no on-screen display (you’re best off controlling with the remote) and no HDMI or optical outputs; I tested it through its RCA and coax out.  

As a player, the 7400 isn’t as bad I’d been led to believe—warm and vinyl-like, if somewhat smoothed-over and rolled off at the highest frequencies. As a digital transport (coax to my trusty SMSL SU9), though, it sounds BIG, with a very wide soundstage, full meaty bass and an airy, open-sounding presentation.

We compared the 7400 as a transport to some fairly pricey pieces (used as transports), including the $1000 Panasonic UB900 and the $1200 Oppo BDP-105, both of which sounded “softer” with fuzzier note definition—the Pioneer was noticeably crisper and clearer, with faster initial attack and decay on cymbals and high-hats. The Panasonic was also audibly noisier on quiet passages (there’s some merit to the adage that Bluray players are prone to mechanical noise). The Pioneer also read discs much quicker.

There are those who believe all transports sound the same. There are also those who believe Oswald acted alone, or that Trump never nailed Stormy Daniels. For the rest of us, if you don’t mind the dowdy looks and unrefined interface, the 7400 is a nice cheap pickup.

Sherwood RX-4109 Stereo Receiver

I saw one of these at Goodwill for $14.99 and, though I had resolved to stop accumulating BlackPlasticShit-type gear, I remembered reading some random raves on the Web and was intrigued enough to pick it up. Its generic appearance notwithstanding, the 4109 is surprisingly hefty and solidly built, with good-quality binding posts and  very strong FM reception. It uses a ”Discrete Amplifier Stage system” to reduce crosstalk and feedback, and it does in  fact sound cleaner than its cheap mass market counterparts, which use noisy integrated amp circuits.

It specifies 100w/ch, and does get effortlessly loud. It is rated only for 8ohm—it probably wouldn’t be optimal for your Magnepans. However, it did not break a sweat and remain undistorted when I ran it with two sets of high-efficiency JBL speakers (see below) or more demanding KEFs. The phono stage is also pretty impressive, with less graininess and more oomph than expected.

Bear in mind that this is a $99 SRP piece, and it won’t challenge your Pass Lab or Luxman separates for resolution and tonality. It is, however, better-sounding than its Onkyo/Denon peers and blows away the snazzier-looking 70s-era Pioneer and Sansui pieces it replaced. Keeper.

JBL HLS 610 Speakers

The backstory on these was they were the first design of a young team and were intended as a bottom-shelf (<$300) offering. Instead, they were so well-received that JBL quickly discontinued them to prevent cannibalizing sales of JBL’s pricier offering. Nowadays, they’re easy to find for around $50.

In any case, they’re impressive, with a bright, highly resolving tonality and very good overall clarity, even if the lowest octaves are missing. Like most horn-loaded tweeters, they’re somewhat directional, but if you get in their sweet spot they’re coherent and  imaging is really exceptional—you can place the position of  each performer precisely. Much more natural-sounding than comparably-priced Klipsch or Polks, these have outlasted numerous pricier speakers I’ve acquired.

Muse Audio Mini Hifi Spdif + Optical DAC

I got this about 15 years ago for about $50 on Ebay because it claimed to utilize the same DAC, opamp and other parts (Burr-Brown PCM1793+DIR9001+OPA2134 S) as some really fancy Wadia and other gear. It’s actually pretty good—punchy, clean and dynamic, with a lot of high-end shimmer. Tonality is somewhat digital/bright—it’s not the most organic-sounding, but it’s a clear step up from the onboard DACs of most mass-market AVRs and CDPs and better, to my ears, than entry-level Topping and Fiio.