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Onkyo C-7030 Home Audio CD Player - Black
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Purchase options and add-ons
Brand | Onkyo |
Color | Black |
Connectivity Technology | Auxiliary, Infrared |
Included Components | User Guide, Ri Cable, Onkyo C-7030 Cd Player, Remote Control, 1-Year Warranty, 2 -Aaa Batteries, Rca Audio Cable See more |
Number Of Discs | 1 |
About this item
- VLSC for Pulse Noise Reduction
- High Quality 192 kHz/24-Bit DAC
- Custom Designed Transformers
- Solid Aluminum Front panel
- Differential Headphone Amp Circuitry
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This Item Onkyo C-7030 Home Audio CD Player - Black | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | dummy | dummy | |
Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | |
Price | $299.00$299.00 | -10% $340.40$340.40 List: $379.95 | $349.00$349.00 | $350.86$350.86 | $279.99$279.99 | $549.00$549.00 |
Delivery | Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 1 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2 | Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 1 | Get it Apr 17 - May 2 | Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 1 | Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 1 |
Customer Ratings | ||||||
Sound quality | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 4.3 |
Remote Control | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 3.7 |
Volume control | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
Quality of material | 4.5 | 4.7 | — | — | 5.0 | — |
Value for money | — | 4.4 | — | — | 3.6 | 3.9 |
Sold By | Electronics Expo (Authorized Dealer) | Amazon.com | Audio Advice | HOKKAIDO STYLE | Electronics Expo (Authorized Dealer) | Amazon.com |
power source | AC | Corded Electric | — | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Corded Electric |
battery quantity | 2 aaa | 2 aa | 2 aa | — | — | 2 aaa |
weight | 11.7 pounds | 7.7 pounds | 3 kilograms | — | 11.2 pounds | 4.9 kilograms |
Product Description
Onkyo C-7030 Home Audio CD Player - Black. For music lovers who enjoy the tangible experience of playing a physical format, the CD retains its enduring appeal. The pleasure comes not just from browsing a collection of discs and reading the liner notes. It also comes from enjoying your music in superior fidelity. By combining high-quality components and decades of Onkyo audio know-how, the C-7030 CD player delivers a superb playback experience. The key lies in keeping the audio signal clean and free from interference, all the way to the output stage. To achieve this, we employ a new high-precision clock to dramatically reduce timing errors, along with our original VLSC to reduce pulse noise. Driving the system is a massive, custom-built transformer that provides a clean and stable power supply. Given how affordable the C-7030 is, build quality is exceptional. A 1/16" (1.6 mm)-thick flat chassis base helps reduce unwanted vibrations, while the sleek aluminum front panel provides an elegant finish. 2 Digital Audio Outputs (Optical and Coaxial). Differential Headphone Amp Circuitry.
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Is it worth it? Onkyo C-7030 Home Audio CD Player
⭐️Nadiia's Reviews
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Onkyo CD players compared #thisorthat
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From the manufacturer
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VLSC (Vector Linear Shaping Circuitry)In conventional digital-to-analog conversion methods, it’s impossible to completely remove noise. This noise taints the analog signal and ultimately degrades the sound emitted from your speakers. With Onkyo’s VLSC, though, data is continuously sampled between two discrete points—via a signal comparison generator—and the difference is joined with analog vectors in real time to produce a smooth output waveform. The VLSC digital-to-analog conversion method results in an accurate, virtually pulse noise-free audio signal that faithfully reproduces the acoustic detail and subtle nuances of all your audio sources, and breathes life into digital media. |
High Quality 192 kHz/24-Bit DACA high-quality digital-to-analog converter works to optimize audio performance on the C-7030. This DAC performs advanced 24-bit signal processing and supports sampling rates of up to 192 kHz, while displaying high resistance to clock jitter. With this DAC on board, the C-7030 delivers a pristine conversion of digital signals into analog audio output. |
Fully Flat Anti-Vibration ChassisWhen it comes to parts and construction, it’s not in Onkyo’s DNA to cut any corners. The C-7030 is no exception. Build quality starts from the ground up with a highly rigid, 1.6 mm-thick, fully flat chassis that provides excellent protection against shelf-borne vibrations. |
Onkyo C-7030 Home Audio CD Player | Onkyo DX-C390 6 Disc CD Changer | |
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Customer Reviews |
4.1 out of 5 stars
1,790
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4.2 out of 5 stars
4,086
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Benefits | For music lovers who enjoy the tangible experience of playing a physical format, the CD retains its enduring appeal. By combining high-quality components and decades of Onkyo audio know-how, the C-7030 CD player delivers a superb playback experience. | Housed in a sturdy chassis graced with a brushed aluminum front panel, the DX-C390 is ready to provide hours of uninterrupted music—for the soundtrack to your life. |
Features | MP3, Remote Control, Coaxial & Optical Outputs, VSLC (Vector Linear Shaping Circuitry), | 6-Disc Carousel, 40 Random Track Memory, Remote Control, Coaxial & Optical Outputs |
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Product information
Product Dimensions | 12.06 x 17.13 x 4 inches |
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Item Weight | 11.7 pounds |
Manufacturer | Onkyo |
ASIN | B004UR487A |
Item model number | C-7030 |
Batteries | 2 AAA batteries required. (included) |
Customer Reviews |
4.1 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #26,266 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics) #5 in CD Players |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Date First Available | March 28, 2011 |
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Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the sound quality, ease of use, and remote control of the audio cd player. For example, they mention that it sounds smooth and natural, with no digital harshness. They appreciate the simple design and the remote control, which offers all the essential features. Customers are also impresseded with the quality, performance, and appearance of the product. That said, opinions are mixed on readability.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the quality of the audio CD player. They mention it has good engineering, solid parts selection, and high reliability. They say it feels solid and is super quiet. Customers also like the build and the size of the Onkyo. They describe it as a very nice CD player with a nice headphone jack.
"...Separation (e.g. of instruments in classical music) is good to very good, and the individual instrument signatures are essentially free from ringing..." Read more
"...The build quality is good in general, the front panel looks nice, the remote works fine. Also, when it works the sound quality is vibrant and full...." Read more
"...This Onkyo is a solid piece, well made and producing very musical results.P.S. 3/3/13SIX MONTHS IN...." Read more
"...Getting something this good sounding with this kind of build quality at a ridiculously low price is making this 54 year old feel like a kid in a..." Read more
Customers like the sound quality of the audio cd player. They mention that it has excellent sound, the bass is sumptuous without being loose, and it's super quiet. Some say that the bass image is more detailed and that it produces sparking highs without any tizzy stuff.
"...Both units were dead silent when the discs were between tracks, or when passages were as quiet as 3 db. Neither unit had the slightest hiss or hum...." Read more
"...Also, when it works the sound quality is vibrant and full. However, the CD player began skipping, popping and pausing after a month of use...." Read more
"...This sounded a bit more full, but not as tight. Also harsh on certain discs (all classical).Now enter Sennheiser HD 595 headphones...." Read more
"...Very Smooooth sounding without any, and I really mean ANY hint of Treble/High End Harshness or lack of good solid Bass when it's there in the..." Read more
Customers appreciate the value of the audio CD player. They say it provides high gain, a high quality factor, and is well built for the price. Customers also mention that it is a worthwhile upgrade to their aging stereo system.
"...The Yamaha is a fine deck, worth every penny. But here's the rub: The Onkyo is HALF the price of the Yamaha, and it is SOLID...." Read more
"...in fact the ideal low-pass filter for this application since it provides high gain, a high quality factor and a superior high frequency response...." Read more
"...this good sounding with this kind of build quality at a ridiculously low price is making this 54 year old feel like a kid in a candy store all over..." Read more
"...here is that this player is as baseline as one can get albeit at a good price...." Read more
Customers like the performance of the audio CD player. For example, they say it functions perfectly with everything, is surprised by the features and performance, and has a respectable performance. Some mention that the front panel looks nice and the remote works fine. Overall, most are happy with the performance and functionality of the product.
"...be happy with either of these decks, and they both provide a level of performance unexpected in a deck costing under $600 ...." Read more
"...but it works well and so far no glitches...." Read more
"...quality is good in general, the front panel looks nice, the remote works fine. Also, when it works the sound quality is vibrant and full...." Read more
"...preamp i’ll be damned if i could tell the difference, and the DAC won’t play CDs on it’s own...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the appearance of the audio cd player. They mention that it looks good, has a good design, and beautiful components. The unit sports a nice satin finish, solid feet, and attractive design. There is no unnecessary bling or flaring lights, and the audio is crisp and clear. The metal face is nice and the remote layout is easy to use.
"...to say that the Onkyo C-7030 is a great example of a system where good design and proper execution raise the whole a cut above the sum of its parts...." Read more
"...The build quality is good in general, the front panel looks nice, the remote works fine. Also, when it works the sound quality is vibrant and full...." Read more
"...And also, I think the remote is just fine, kind of classy if you ask me.....better, much better than those all too familiar short stubby remotes..." Read more
"...Bummer because it looks great and when it wasn't skipping, I could tell it sounded great...." Read more
Customers find the audio CD player easy to use. They mention it's straightforward, simple, and easy to hook up. They appreciate the clean design and the clear sound. Overall, customers are happy with their purchase and recommend it to others.
"..." coming from the Onkyo C-7030 which translates to soothing or easy on the ears...." Read more
"Exactly what I was looking for. Simple and easy to use. Single cd player for my stacks of cds I still love to listen to." Read more
"So easy to set up and use!" Read more
"...Plays beautifully, is easy to use and seems to be good quality." Read more
Customers like the remote control of the audio cd player. They say it's simple, straight-forward, and offers all the essential features. Some customers also mention that the remote has just enough controls and is well-laid out. Overall, most are satisfied with the remote's functionality and design.
"...And also, I think the remote is just fine, kind of classy if you ask me.....better, much better than those all too familiar short stubby remotes..." Read more
"...The remote offers all the essential features albeit without backlighting.Of special note is the Optical Out...." Read more
"...The controls on the faceplate are well laid out, but could be a little bit bigger with much sharper white screen print above them...." Read more
"...The remote unnecessary oblong, with the most important buttons a bit too small, close together, and less obvious, leaving the face of the remote..." Read more
Customers are mixed about the readability of the audio cd player. Some mention that the sound is crystal clear, transparent, and coherent. However, others say that the control labels are very hard to read, and the functions are hard to find on the face of the unit.
"...The sound of the player can perhaps be best described as coherent, with little unnecessary harmonic coloration and good overall balance or, in short..." Read more
"...On the black units, the front-plate lettering is really subtle and you need lots of light to see which button you are pressing...." Read more
"...from EMI, Decca and RCA (all classical), I'm getting great results from older recordings (read non-digital) remastered for these sets...." Read more
"...I tried other MP3s with folders, same result, no sound. And no display info as to MP3 or folders...." Read more
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It turned out that this Onkyo unit sounded every bit as good as the Yamaha, and perhaps, just a tad better.
I played Telarc DDD discs on this for evaluation purposes. This deck, and the Yamaha, were was plugged into an Apt Holman preamp/Apt 1 power amp, and output to Klipsch LaScala speakers. Cabling to the speakers is Vampire Wire (constructed of four 13AWG conductors. Each conductor is made from 277 strands of wire. Each of the four conductors is formed from three bundles of OFHC, and three bundles of silver plated OFHC. The four conductors are joined to make 2 conductors, which are rated at 10AWG. This cable is laid out in a Star Quad configuration, which is a superior method to attenuate EMI (electromagnetic interference). I also used the same type of RCA cables to connect the Onkyo and the Yamaha to the preamp. Essentially, with this test setup, you will hear ANY flaw introduced by a component.
Both units were dead silent when the discs were between tracks, or when passages were as quiet as 3 db. Neither unit had the slightest hiss or hum. Bass was tight, midrange was clear, and the highs were bright without being harsh. Remember, the test speakers are fully horn loaded, so if a deck exhibits any harshness, it will be immediately evident. There was none.
On some vocals, the Yamaha seemed just the slightest bit "muddy," but not so much that it would be noticed if it wasn't in a head to head, A:B comparison with another deck. The Yamaha is a fine deck, worth every penny. But here's the rub: The Onkyo is HALF the price of the Yamaha, and it is SOLID. It weighs in at about 12 lbs, compared to the Yamaha's roughly 10 lbs. The DACs are the same one used by Bob Carver(Wolfsons), while the Yamaha uses Bur-Browns. Both exhibit high quality.
I put both units through their paces, playing a range of music, form classical to jazz to acoustic, and honestly, the differences were hardly worth mentioning.
The Yamaha has a remote that is a horror show to use in low light (the labeling of the buttons is nearly invisible), and it has some firmware issues. The Onkyo exhibits neither of these problems. So really, why spend the extra money when the performance isn't any different.
One thing that might make a difference to some people: the Onkyo will not accept a jump drive, and the Yamaha will. On the other hand, the Onkyo will play CDs in lossless format. That is more important to me than the USB port sported by the Yamaha. You might have different priorities.
I did note one issue with the Onkyo, and I will be calling their customer support to see if it a problem. When I push the >> or the << buttons on the remote, there is a very brief electrical "pop" or static noise. It happens when I first push the button, and again when I release it. No other button on the remote exhibits this quirk. If this is a minor defect (and I expect it is), I will return the unit for an exchange, and buy a second one at the same time. The Yamaha is being returned tomorrow. It's not that it's a bad unit. It's not. I just hate the remote, hate the quirks with the firmware, and can't see spending $255 for a deck that has its performance duplicated by one costing $139. Having 2 units will allow me to queue up a 2nd disc, and it will also serve as a backup.
Seriously, folks. I suspect you would be happy with either of these decks, and they both provide a level of performance unexpected in a deck costing under $600 . For me, the lack of a USB port is not an issue, but the ability to play lossless format CDs is important, so the Onkyo is a natural choice. And as I said, I am going to own two of them, so I am putting my money where my review is.
Should anything change, I will update this review.
Update: I sent my first back to Amazon because Onkyo said that little electrical pop was a defect, and I should return the deck. I purchased a PAIR of them, and they were tested today. Results: 1. BOTH decks have that little static pop when using >> or <<. It wasn't a defective unit, it is a design flaw.
2. Occasionally, just before the music begins to play, there is a soft "click" from the left channel. It is in the exact same spot when I play the disc on the second deck. Almost every disc seems to have one or two of these. And when I play them again, the click is still there 90% of the time, and it doesn't matter which deck I am using.
Seriously, Onkyo, you used top shelf components to build a sweet-sounding deck. How about going the last few steps to make sure the design is glitch-free? Do you even test the designs before they go into production? And do you test products coming off the production line?
I know you have heard about these issues more than once. How about listening to your customers? We should NOT have to serve as your QA department.
I deducted one star from my review because of these ongoing issues. I will keep readers posted if anything changes.
Update 11/25/14 I am adding that star back.
These decks sound simply wonderful. I now have one in my home theater setup, which is currently configured with a pair of Klipsch LaScala mains, a Belle Klipsch center,NXG 12 500W powered subwoofer, and two Klipsch Heresys for rear speakers, raised 3' off the floor. I plugged in a Yamaha RX765 for a power source for the day, and I spent a few hours today just listening to the subtle detail of which this deck is capable. I bought two in case one catches fire, blows up, etc. I really, really, REALLY love this CD player.
The other is going into a pure audio system, with a Thorens turntable, Klipsch K-Horn mains, a Klipsch Cornwall center, and Klipsch Heresys for rear speakers on a digital delay. Apt Holman electronics. Seriously, I cannot say enough good things about this deck.
The short version? It looks good, it sounds good and it is reasonably priced. Highly recommended.
The long version? well... I have been looking for a dedicated, single tray cd-player ever since my Teac PD-80 (an early '90s cd player) had developed a transformer overheating problem. In the interim I have not bothered with using one of the DVD players I have laying around (they are rubbish as far as playing CDs is concerned) and instead I've been scouring the web with the goal of finding a decent player for no more than half a grand. While there are quite a few choices in this price range from Cambridge Audio, Teac, NAD, Marantz, etc. for some reason or other (e.g. the info available, overall look of the player, other customers' reviews) in the end I down-selected to two units from Onkyo, the C-7030 reviewed here and the C-S5VL SACD/CD player, and finally I settled for C-7030. The choice became clear once other reviewers posted some pictures of the inside of the two players on this forum. A picture is worth a thousand words. Well, there were a lot of pictures posted, and of-course, when you factor in the various component data sheets from manufacturers, you can really learn a lot before buying something. So, first let's see what one could learn about C-7030 by looking at some pictures.
The C-7030 uses a fairly good quality cd-servo/processor (Toshiba TC94A92FG) which is capable of 1x and 2x CLV (constant linear velocity) and outputs data in I2S format. This would imply that the player is using a Philips, rather than a less desirable Sony transport. [The player uses a SF-P101N, Philips type transport manufactured by Sanyo - see info provided in a comment below by Noway.] Aside from providing tracking, error correction, etc., the Toshiba processor contains a 24bit DSP core with 1MB of memory and is capable of processing data from the cd-transport and from USB mass storage devices (sticks, SD cards, MP3 players etc.) The USB input section, however straightforward to implement, was not pursued for this cd player. We'll come back to this omission a little later. In addition, the processor provides the MP3/WMA decoding and S/PDIF signals for the optical and coaxial outputs of the player. The Toshiba chip is in fact a complete cd player solution and as such it also features a two-channel/stereo DAC. Nevertheless, the Onkyo engineers have paid no attention to this (somewhat nondescript) Toshiba DAC and neither shall we. From the processor, the digital data makes its way to a WM8718 D/A converter. This is a high performance switched capacitor DAC (of the sigma-delta variety) from Wolfson, but while certainly not their top of the line (it was in fact designed to bridge the performance gap between the lower high-end WM8728 and the state-of-the-art WM8740 and launched sometime back in 2002) it does have some very attractive features, such as: fully differential multi-bit digital processing (up to 192kHz/24bit), differential analog output, and a linear-phase low-pass digital filter good for 60dB (attenuation or -60dB gain). The CD player's listed S/N ratio is 107dB so if you are wondering how you get from 60dB to 107dB the answer lies with oversampling and with the fact that the DAC is followed by an analog low-pass filter. This filtering scheme is actually one of the reasons I ultimately preferred this player to Onkyo's C-S5VL SACD/CD player despite that player's use of an unquestionably superior DAC. More on this later. Now let's return to the issue of filters and more specifically to guessing at the analog filter implemented on the C-7030.
The question of which type of filter is better in the context of audio equipment: analog or digital? is an old one, and will probably not find a definitive answer any time soon. In the end (for the consumer) is just a matter of personal preference. Personally, I think analog filters help smooth-out the output of D/A converters and (if properly designed and implemented) provide better high frequency response, especially in lower cost gear. In addition, by using a less aggressive digital filter, the filter ripple is reduced and so is the amount of high frequency noise from the DAC. This design philosophy is certainly not unique to Onkyo (with this player) but is also employed by Cambridge Audio, Teac and Marantz (to name a few) all of which use some type of analog filtering in their "low-end audiophile" cd-players e.g. CA-Topaz, CA-Sonata, CA-Azur 350C and Azur 550C, Teac CD-P650 or Marantz CD-5004. The Wolfson recommendation for the WM8718 analog filter is a unit-gain multi-feedback (MFB) low-pass filter with differential input and single ended output, and this seems to be the route taken by the C-7030 designers. A quick back-of-the-envelope analysis reveals that the cut-off frequency of the Wolfson recommended filter is about 144.6 kHz. This value is improbable for this cd player, since it would require 32x oversampling in order to provide enough octaves for the necessary -47dB filter gain between the cut-off frequency and the noise-band. (On a quick side note, the WM8718 was designed to fully support the implementation of the DVD-A format, 96kHz/24bit and thus it may be that the Wolfson filter recommendation is designed to address that application.) The WM8718 (with its 37MHz maximum clock rate) is certainly more than capable of 32x oversampling of a data stream coming in at the RedBook 44.1kHz sampling rate, however the S/N gain at 32x oversampling is 15dB, which if added to the theoretical RedBook CD S/N (of 96dB) would result in an actual S/N ratio of 111dB (or just about max out the DAC's S/N capability). Since the listed S/N ratio of the cd player is 107dB, it is much more likely that the oversampling rate used in this player is 16x. With that, the S/N gain by oversampling is 12dB which, when added to 96dB gets us to 108dB. Now that's much closer. To practically realize the listed noise level of the player one needs to implement an analog low-pass filter at the DAC output capable of at least -47dB gain (or 47dB attenuation) within a frequency range having the first oversampling image of the audio band as the upper bound (this is a somewhat simplistic way of looking at things, as there are also some random, modulation and quantization noises which have been pushed out of the pass-band by the DAC's noise shaping filter, but it will have to do here). Assuming this oversampling rate (16x) the first image of the audio range will be pushed to 705.6kHz (that's center, with the image starting at 705.6kHz - 22.05kHz = 683.55kHz) and the cutoff frequency of the analog filter may be something just under half the cut-off in the Wolfson recommended filter, let's say 67kHz. Assuming, further, a second order Butterworth filter implementation (-12dB/octave) we'd get -3dB gain at 67kHz, -12dB at 134kHz, -24dB at 268kHz, -36dB at 536kHz, and -41dB at 683.55kHz. The remaining -6dB can be easily taken care of with a simple (first order) passive RC filter tuned to a very high cut-off (e.g. 268kHz) placed in series with the output. The Butterworth MFB is in fact the ideal low-pass filter for this application since it provides high gain, a high quality factor and a superior high frequency response. The high cut-off frequency of the MFB filter (e.g. the 67kHz considered here) ensures that the response of the analog filter is completely flat for the entire audio spectrum, maintains linear phase, has negligible ringing and (practically) a constant group delay. Nevertheless, the performance of any analog filter will depend on the tolerances and quality of the parts used and the stability of its power supply. Here the Onkyo does not disappoint either. Power is supplied by a large, well shielded EI type transformer (not some cheap switching power supply), the amplification duty is performed by JRC/NJM4580 dual op-amp chips and the caps seem of very good quality. The 4580 op-amps used to implement the analog filter, (again) are not the best out there but reasonably good for the task at hand (15MHz gain-bandwith, 0.0005% THD, 5V/us slew-rate). The typical group delay of the DAC with the analog low-pass filter is provided by Wolfson in their application notes for the WM8718 and is around 0.6msec. This is about twice as low as the threshold of audibility of group delay distortions at 2kHz, more than 3 times lower at 8kHz, and negligible above. The output of the analog filter (ah! and there is that VLSC circuit somewhere in there too, but let's just move on) is then reduced to single ended for each channel. Clearly, Onkyo could have easily provided a fully balanced analog output for this player but I guess they decided to not go too overboard with it (and surely they must have also considered that users in the market for a cd-player in this price range are less likely to consider amplifier gear with balanced inputs).
A couple of notes: First - from a purely technical standpoint the C-7030 should be superior to both the Cambridge Audio Topaz and Azur 350-C as these use inferior Wolfson DACs (WM8761 and WM8728 respectively). On the other hand, the CA-Sonata or Azur C-550 players with their WM8716/WM8740 DACs (which have higher attenuation digital filters i.e. -80dB and do allow for the implementation of a Bessel transfer function in their analog filters) should provide marginally improved transient response. I've not listened to any of those to know for sure, but factor in the price and the C-7030 is still the best bet. Second - there are people out there that buy a CD player (like this one) or like the Cambridge Audio players, etc., and then use it as a disc transport with some receiver or external DAC that can take that optical or coaxial 44.1kHz/16bit output and "up-sample" it to 192kHz/24bit. Now, that may just be one of the least recommended things that anyone can possibly do. As argued above, the actual analog output of this player comes from a simple 705.6kHz/24bit or (16x) integer oversampling or symmetrical up-sampling/interpolation of the signal by the internal DAC (i.e all original samples are preserved identically in the new signal). So unless your external DAC can do better (i.e. has significantly better interpolation filters, better low-pass filters etc.) conversion to 192kHz is not going to do anything good. For starters, to convert from 44.1kHz to 192kHz the external DAC has to do interpolation by approximation with rational numbers i.e. it needs to oversample 640 times to get to 28.224MHz and then it must apply an anti-imaging filter, and then it must decimate 147 times and apply an anti-aliasing filter to get to 192kHz. Or it could go 160x oversampling/interpolation + anti-imaging filter (to get to 7.056MHz) followed by 147x decimation + anti-aliasing filter (to get to 48kHz) followed by 4x interpolation again + anti-imaging filter to get to 192kHz. Ludicrous! By converting from 44.1kHz base frequency to a 48kHz base frequency signal (such as up-sampling/interpolation to 192kHz) few or none of the original samples are preserved, and are instead replaced by approximate values at the new sampling intervals. Symmetrical up-sampling by an external DAC to 176.4kHz, 352.8kHz, etc., should be okay as long as the external DAC is higher performance than the WM8718. However, note that this cd player does not output the data in I2S externally (just coax and optical) and thus, if the external DAC cannot strip the source clock coming with the data and re-clock internally, the connection jitter may deteriorate the output quality. So, considering that the C-7030 has a pretty good internal clock (about ten times better than other cd players at its price point) personally, I would not bother with an external DAC (... and don't, don't, don't even think of a run-of-the-mill AV receiver!)
Now, going back to the other Onkyo player, the C-S5VL. This player is a SACD/CD player (not an universal player, which was something I did not want) and that (from a clocking point of view) was fine, since the two do operate at sampling rates which are integer multiples of each other (the SACD samples at 64 times the CD) and as such they can be properly timed from the same clock. The most attractive feature of this player is its state of the art WM8742 Wolfson DAC. But that is where the good things sort of come to an abrupt end. On the side of less desirable features: the player uses a relatively cheap DVD type servo and (the thing that was the real deal breaker for me) it has a switching power supply. While switching power supplies are okay generally, they are not the thing to have in an "audiophile quality" player. The main problem with switching power supplies is that they are extremely high-frequency noisy, so noisy in fact that their output needs to be very well low-pass filtered. Nevertheless, some high frequency switching noise always remains. And maybe that is okay with the digital side of the player but it is hardly recommended for the analog side. In any case, personally I've never been too taken with the sound of SACD despite the extended frequency response. Perhaps the problem (with SACD) is that since 1-bit DACs cannot be properly dithered, the only recourse to moving the noise out of the pass-band, is to subject it to some absurd levels of noise shaping. Thus, while some take it to be the true revelation, others believe the extra nuances and "new things" many have sworn they hear on SACD's are in fact nothing more than the nonlinear ringing (induced by that brutal noise shaping filter) and aliasing of that not-quite-random high frequency noise leaking into the audio band. In fact, it is this (modulated high frequency) noise problem that limits the useful frequency range of SACD to about 50kHz, way short of its theoretical limit of 100kHz. But I digress. Some people like their sound, others don't, well... not my problem. Another interesting feature of C-S5VL as a RedBook/CD player is the choice of several different types of digital filters, of which, of-course the most talked about are those of the apodizing variety and Meridian fame. The apodizing filters, or in loose translation "without feet" are filters that implement a transient transfer function (impulse response) without the pre-ripple i.e. they remove the pre-ringing sometimes discernible with inadequate implementations of the linear phase filters - or the filters that do have little feet in their impulse response. The belief is that if the ripple occurs only after the actual sound then it is more natural (it becomes an echo, a reverberation, etc. - this may, in fact, artificially enhance the feel of spatiality of the sound stage). Be that as it may, the use of such a filter e.g. the minimum phase apodizing does come at a high price: a doubling of the post-ringing effect, slightly higher roll-off of the high end spectrum, and non-constant group and/or phase delays, etc. (or all those things that determine spatial separation, staging/imaging, etc.) Again, all things considered, interesting but not enough to sway my decision to steer away from this player.
Of course the next thing was to read the comments of the other reviewers. Except for a few that have experienced various "burn-in phase" type of problems, the reviews of the C-7030 are largely positive. One reviewer did point to some early "high frequency roll-off" and "lack of sharpness" of the leading edges of the notes. This, at the time, intrigued me although the reviewer in question did seem to think that the two problems he noted are somehow related and caused by a systematic (and somewhat universal) bias of the equipment manufacturers toward a certain type of sound. Now, technically the two issues (where present) would be caused by different things. Early high frequency roll-off would be the result of the (wave amplitude) attenuation in that part of the audible frequency range by the use of, for instance, a filter. The second issue is somewhat more involved as (it regards the player's transient response and) it could be caused by a variety of factors, such as: insufficient component bandwidth, low slew-rate of the active components (such as op-amps), improperly designed low pass-filters, gross variation in group or phase delays, etc. All these things, were they to be present, would bias the true signal rate of change (would change the attack if you will) at the leading edge (and the resolution at the trailing edge as well) and would result in noticeable distortions of the sound. But, considering what I've already surmised about the player (see above) I found it very hard to believe that these issues would be at work here. Regarding the former issue, attenuation at high frequency is possible in theory but technically there is nothing to force the implementation of an early roll-off. For instance, the analysis of the Wolfson published digital low-pass filter response (for WM8718) shows -0.05dB attenuation at 20kHz, a cut-off frequency (i.e. the -3dB point) of 21.6kHz, a gain of -8dB at 22.05kHz and full gain of -60dB at 24.5kHz. This response is quite typical of a cost effective, interpolated finite impulse response filter (IFIR) designed to achieve full gain within a very short transition band, here 21-24kHz. The analog low-pass filter (as argued above) has an even higher cut-off (e.g. the 67kHz worked out above). Clearly, an early roll-off on technical grounds is quite remote. A voluntary roll-off before the RedBook's own limit? What would be its purpose? The latter issue also did not seem to track well. Take for example the instantiation of the analog filter. The 4580 op-amps have a nominal slew-rate of 5V/usec. Even at 705.6kHz (the rate the DAC would be updating the D/A conversion at 16x) the rate of change (voltage swings) these amps are capable of with sufficient rail voltage is 7V. This voltage swing is about two times larger than the overall peak-to-peak analog output at any frequency. The group delay? Certainly not a problem, according to Wolfson. The DAC bandwidth? The DAC is a 37MHz device. That's hardly insufficient bandwidth. The op-amps bandwidth? The op-amps are operated in unity-gain mode or as impedance converters and perhaps as small gain amps (say 10-20dB or 3-10x amplification) The gain-bandwidth of the 4580 is 15MHz. At a gain of 10, the bandwidth of the amps is 1.5MHz. Fast enough. The issues described, though, may occur (potentially) by some sort of unfortunate pairing (or non-optimal matching) of the player with the rest of the audio system or, quite simply, they may be caused by bad interconnect audio cables.
So, with all that in mind I ordered the C-7030, which I have now been listening to for about a week. But first things first - the fit and finish: out of the box, the most striking features of the player are its size and heft. The thing is heavy (having a transformer the size of Texas and extra thick steel framing will help do that). Then comes the overall appearance. The player has a minimalistic design, and a utilitarian, almost industrial look with a brushed aluminum face-plate and a centrally mounted cd tray framed by the control buttons and some subdued lettering. But somehow, the addition of that large glass screen with the green display and the inwardly recessed power button makes the whole appearance of the player work well... very well, indeed. Frankly, the thing is quite stunning, which brings us back to the omission of the USB input. Mounting a USB plug on the face of the player would really have detracted from its appearance (even if it could be hidden by something) and positioning it in the back would have made it quite useless. So, I'd venture to say that this must have been the reason the designers have opted to leave the USB out. Functionally, the player passed all the tests I threw at it. It tracks well both CDs and home made CD-R/CD-RW (either in RedBook format or MP3/WMA) The test CD-Rs were recorded for the purpose of these tests on my old MacBook using Roxio's Toast 7 and a LaCie DVD/CD external DVD/CD RW drive (through FireWire). For mp3/wma the player can display all sorts of info (e.g. track titles, sampling rates, track time etc.) with a scroll-across type of motion on the display. It will support 32-320kbps at either 44.1kHz or 48kHz, and the files can be mixed. The remote, is made of plastic with a thin brushed aluminum face-plate, is large and is somewhat sparse (the buttons are small and there is a lot of unused real estate) but it works well and so far no glitches. With the Audio Technica ATH-A900 headphones (40ohm impedance) the C-7030 headphone amp is arguably a little better than the headphone amp on my old RCA STA-3900 stereo amplifier (although the RCA has better bass detail) but falls short of the Matrix M-Stage headphone amp by every measure. The conclusions below describe performance with the headphones and the M-Stage. With the RCA amplifier and the Sony SSF-5000 floor-standing speakers, the sound does get some coloration but maintains the spirit of the player's presentation. [Note: The Matrix M-Stage has two analog (line, 47kOhm) inputs and a face mounted switch which toggles between the two and allows for direct comparison between two sources playing the same material at the same time. The test CDs were duplicated (x2) by direct transfer on some Imation brand CD-Rs using the LaCie drive and the MacBook computer. These copies were then used rather than the original CDs. The connections were made with the RCA cable supplied with the player and two other similar RCA cables (same length 2 - 3ft, appearance: color, cable size, end connectors etc.) sourced from a local store. Nothing fancy there.]
The sound of the player can perhaps be best described as coherent, with little unnecessary harmonic coloration and good overall balance or, in short, remarkably musical. Compared to the Teac PD-80, the C-7030 bass seems somewhat softer (at times, especially with older AAD recordings) but has a better extension and a slightly better definition. Also compared to the Teac, the mid range shows better focus but is slightly emphasized resulting in a somewhat forward placement of vocals in an otherwise well defined stage. The treble is clean and (again compared to the old Teac) it has what could probably be described as more precision without being harsh. Treble extension (as much as CDs permit it) is also superior. Separation (e.g. of instruments in classical music) is good to very good, and the individual instrument signatures are essentially free from ringing, noise, intermodulation distortions or group/phase delay induced time or spatial smearing. Compared to the XMOS USB Audio 2.0 Reference Design asynchronous DAC, the Onkyo performs on an even plane with the XMOS DAC playing the same source tracks symmetrically up-sampled (by a custom program) to 176.4kHz/24bit and played back in iTunes on a MacBook-Pro. With the up-sampled tracks, the XMOS is perhaps marginally superior in the treble extension (likely due to a more sophisticated interpolation filter I've implemented in a custom up-sampling program) however, compared to the Onkyo, the XMOS DAC presents a mid range a tad less focused and a somewhat recessed bass - no doubt the results of its being powered from the USB. Similarly, the XMOS gains the upper hand in the high frequency range when playing native HD 24bit 88.2/96kHz or higher tracks. On the S/N - THD front, the Onkyo is the clear winner with a lower (overall) noise floor than both the Teac and the XMOS DAC.
[Note: The Teac PD-80, a decent player in its time, features a three beam tracking/reading system and a very interesting 16bit/176.4kHz laser trimmed resistor string CMOS D/A converter, the SANYO LC7881. This segmented DAC uses the r-string for the first 9 most significant bits (MSB) combined with pulse width modulation (PWM) for the middle 3bits and dynamic level shifting (DLS) for the lower 4bits. Also, the Teac is equipped with two processors, the SANYO LA9200NM for beam-tracking and servo control and an YAMAHA YM3805 digital signal processor for oversampling (2x) and digital filtering. In addition, the output analog low-pass filter is implemented with discrete components. Is the old PD-80 in the same league with the Onkyo? Perhaps not, but it is a remarkable machine nevertheless. Aside from still being operational today, it was good enough to keep the desire to upgrade at bay for two decades. It remains to be seen if the Onkyo will prove that resilient.
The XMOS USB DAC features the 24bit/192kHz Cirrus Logic CS4270 audio codec (differential multi-bit sigma-delta conversion, switched capacitor) and the 32bit, 500MIPS/8threads, XMOS XS1-L1 event driven processor. It supports all sample rates from 44.1kHz to 192kHz and uses two dedicated on-board clocks (for 44.1kHz and 48kHz and their multiples). In addition, the XMOS DAC uses the SMSC USB-3318 high-speed USB 2.0 transceiver, clocked separately by a 13MHz reference crystal and the NCP699SN18T1G low quiescent current LDO voltage regulator from ON Semiconductor. The XMOS D/A solution is largely considered one of the best implementations of the "asynchronous" USB Audio currently available although a pricey one, see for instance the 6moons review of the April Music Stello-U3.]
In my opinion, both the Onkyo and the XMOS DAC (and to a good extent the Teac as well) are at a level where the deficiencies in the source material e.g. unnecessary dynamic range compression, clipping, mastering artifacts due to improper transfers, etc., are laid bare (especially with the headphones) well before one begins to question the limitations of the RedBook standard. (Note: I've also listened carefully for the early high frequency roll-off and the transient response issues (as mentioned in the paragraph above) but could detect none. Could have done some tests, but in the end I just preferred to listen to it rather than waste time running unnecessary tests.)
Perhaps the best way to summarize this (most ridiculously long review of a less than $200 piece of equipment) would be to say that the Onkyo C-7030 is a great example of a system where good design and proper execution raise the whole a cut above the sum of its parts. If you are in the market for a dedicated, single tray, entry level "audiophile" CD player, look around at the many options out there but do consider the C-7030: it may surprise you. Unequivocally - 5 star.
UPDATE 09/28/2012: I've uploaded graphs of the player's frequency response. For test description and discussion see posted comment.
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2012
The short version? It looks good, it sounds good and it is reasonably priced. Highly recommended.
The long version? well... I have been looking for a dedicated, single tray cd-player ever since my Teac PD-80 (an early '90s cd player) had developed a transformer overheating problem. In the interim I have not bothered with using one of the DVD players I have laying around (they are rubbish as far as playing CDs is concerned) and instead I've been scouring the web with the goal of finding a decent player for no more than half a grand. While there are quite a few choices in this price range from Cambridge Audio, Teac, NAD, Marantz, etc. for some reason or other (e.g. the info available, overall look of the player, other customers' reviews) in the end I down-selected to two units from Onkyo, the C-7030 reviewed here and the C-S5VL SACD/CD player, and finally I settled for C-7030. The choice became clear once other reviewers posted some pictures of the inside of the two players on this forum. A picture is worth a thousand words. Well, there were a lot of pictures posted, and of-course, when you factor in the various component data sheets from manufacturers, you can really learn a lot before buying something. So, first let's see what one could learn about C-7030 by looking at some pictures.
The C-7030 uses a fairly good quality cd-servo/processor (Toshiba TC94A92FG) which is capable of 1x and 2x CLV (constant linear velocity) and outputs data in I2S format. This would imply that the player is using a Philips, rather than a less desirable Sony transport. [The player uses a SF-P101N, Philips type transport manufactured by Sanyo - see info provided in a comment below by Noway.] Aside from providing tracking, error correction, etc., the Toshiba processor contains a 24bit DSP core with 1MB of memory and is capable of processing data from the cd-transport and from USB mass storage devices (sticks, SD cards, MP3 players etc.) The USB input section, however straightforward to implement, was not pursued for this cd player. We'll come back to this omission a little later. In addition, the processor provides the MP3/WMA decoding and S/PDIF signals for the optical and coaxial outputs of the player. The Toshiba chip is in fact a complete cd player solution and as such it also features a two-channel/stereo DAC. Nevertheless, the Onkyo engineers have paid no attention to this (somewhat nondescript) Toshiba DAC and neither shall we. From the processor, the digital data makes its way to a WM8718 D/A converter. This is a high performance switched capacitor DAC (of the sigma-delta variety) from Wolfson, but while certainly not their top of the line (it was in fact designed to bridge the performance gap between the lower high-end WM8728 and the state-of-the-art WM8740 and launched sometime back in 2002) it does have some very attractive features, such as: fully differential multi-bit digital processing (up to 192kHz/24bit), differential analog output, and a linear-phase low-pass digital filter good for 60dB (attenuation or -60dB gain). The CD player's listed S/N ratio is 107dB so if you are wondering how you get from 60dB to 107dB the answer lies with oversampling and with the fact that the DAC is followed by an analog low-pass filter. This filtering scheme is actually one of the reasons I ultimately preferred this player to Onkyo's C-S5VL SACD/CD player despite that player's use of an unquestionably superior DAC. More on this later. Now let's return to the issue of filters and more specifically to guessing at the analog filter implemented on the C-7030.
The question of which type of filter is better in the context of audio equipment: analog or digital? is an old one, and will probably not find a definitive answer any time soon. In the end (for the consumer) is just a matter of personal preference. Personally, I think analog filters help smooth-out the output of D/A converters and (if properly designed and implemented) provide better high frequency response, especially in lower cost gear. In addition, by using a less aggressive digital filter, the filter ripple is reduced and so is the amount of high frequency noise from the DAC. This design philosophy is certainly not unique to Onkyo (with this player) but is also employed by Cambridge Audio, Teac and Marantz (to name a few) all of which use some type of analog filtering in their "low-end audiophile" cd-players e.g. CA-Topaz, CA-Sonata, CA-Azur 350C and Azur 550C, Teac CD-P650 or Marantz CD-5004. The Wolfson recommendation for the WM8718 analog filter is a unit-gain multi-feedback (MFB) low-pass filter with differential input and single ended output, and this seems to be the route taken by the C-7030 designers. A quick back-of-the-envelope analysis reveals that the cut-off frequency of the Wolfson recommended filter is about 144.6 kHz. This value is improbable for this cd player, since it would require 32x oversampling in order to provide enough octaves for the necessary -47dB filter gain between the cut-off frequency and the noise-band. (On a quick side note, the WM8718 was designed to fully support the implementation of the DVD-A format, 96kHz/24bit and thus it may be that the Wolfson filter recommendation is designed to address that application.) The WM8718 (with its 37MHz maximum clock rate) is certainly more than capable of 32x oversampling of a data stream coming in at the RedBook 44.1kHz sampling rate, however the S/N gain at 32x oversampling is 15dB, which if added to the theoretical RedBook CD S/N (of 96dB) would result in an actual S/N ratio of 111dB (or just about max out the DAC's S/N capability). Since the listed S/N ratio of the cd player is 107dB, it is much more likely that the oversampling rate used in this player is 16x. With that, the S/N gain by oversampling is 12dB which, when added to 96dB gets us to 108dB. Now that's much closer. To practically realize the listed noise level of the player one needs to implement an analog low-pass filter at the DAC output capable of at least -47dB gain (or 47dB attenuation) within a frequency range having the first oversampling image of the audio band as the upper bound (this is a somewhat simplistic way of looking at things, as there are also some random, modulation and quantization noises which have been pushed out of the pass-band by the DAC's noise shaping filter, but it will have to do here). Assuming this oversampling rate (16x) the first image of the audio range will be pushed to 705.6kHz (that's center, with the image starting at 705.6kHz - 22.05kHz = 683.55kHz) and the cutoff frequency of the analog filter may be something just under half the cut-off in the Wolfson recommended filter, let's say 67kHz. Assuming, further, a second order Butterworth filter implementation (-12dB/octave) we'd get -3dB gain at 67kHz, -12dB at 134kHz, -24dB at 268kHz, -36dB at 536kHz, and -41dB at 683.55kHz. The remaining -6dB can be easily taken care of with a simple (first order) passive RC filter tuned to a very high cut-off (e.g. 268kHz) placed in series with the output. The Butterworth MFB is in fact the ideal low-pass filter for this application since it provides high gain, a high quality factor and a superior high frequency response. The high cut-off frequency of the MFB filter (e.g. the 67kHz considered here) ensures that the response of the analog filter is completely flat for the entire audio spectrum, maintains linear phase, has negligible ringing and (practically) a constant group delay. Nevertheless, the performance of any analog filter will depend on the tolerances and quality of the parts used and the stability of its power supply. Here the Onkyo does not disappoint either. Power is supplied by a large, well shielded EI type transformer (not some cheap switching power supply), the amplification duty is performed by JRC/NJM4580 dual op-amp chips and the caps seem of very good quality. The 4580 op-amps used to implement the analog filter, (again) are not the best out there but reasonably good for the task at hand (15MHz gain-bandwith, 0.0005% THD, 5V/us slew-rate). The typical group delay of the DAC with the analog low-pass filter is provided by Wolfson in their application notes for the WM8718 and is around 0.6msec. This is about twice as low as the threshold of audibility of group delay distortions at 2kHz, more than 3 times lower at 8kHz, and negligible above. The output of the analog filter (ah! and there is that VLSC circuit somewhere in there too, but let's just move on) is then reduced to single ended for each channel. Clearly, Onkyo could have easily provided a fully balanced analog output for this player but I guess they decided to not go too overboard with it (and surely they must have also considered that users in the market for a cd-player in this price range are less likely to consider amplifier gear with balanced inputs).
A couple of notes: First - from a purely technical standpoint the C-7030 should be superior to both the Cambridge Audio Topaz and Azur 350-C as these use inferior Wolfson DACs (WM8761 and WM8728 respectively). On the other hand, the CA-Sonata or Azur C-550 players with their WM8716/WM8740 DACs (which have higher attenuation digital filters i.e. -80dB and do allow for the implementation of a Bessel transfer function in their analog filters) should provide marginally improved transient response. I've not listened to any of those to know for sure, but factor in the price and the C-7030 is still the best bet. Second - there are people out there that buy a CD player (like this one) or like the Cambridge Audio players, etc., and then use it as a disc transport with some receiver or external DAC that can take that optical or coaxial 44.1kHz/16bit output and "up-sample" it to 192kHz/24bit. Now, that may just be one of the least recommended things that anyone can possibly do. As argued above, the actual analog output of this player comes from a simple 705.6kHz/24bit or (16x) integer oversampling or symmetrical up-sampling/interpolation of the signal by the internal DAC (i.e all original samples are preserved identically in the new signal). So unless your external DAC can do better (i.e. has significantly better interpolation filters, better low-pass filters etc.) conversion to 192kHz is not going to do anything good. For starters, to convert from 44.1kHz to 192kHz the external DAC has to do interpolation by approximation with rational numbers i.e. it needs to oversample 640 times to get to 28.224MHz and then it must apply an anti-imaging filter, and then it must decimate 147 times and apply an anti-aliasing filter to get to 192kHz. Or it could go 160x oversampling/interpolation + anti-imaging filter (to get to 7.056MHz) followed by 147x decimation + anti-aliasing filter (to get to 48kHz) followed by 4x interpolation again + anti-imaging filter to get to 192kHz. Ludicrous! By converting from 44.1kHz base frequency to a 48kHz base frequency signal (such as up-sampling/interpolation to 192kHz) few or none of the original samples are preserved, and are instead replaced by approximate values at the new sampling intervals. Symmetrical up-sampling by an external DAC to 176.4kHz, 352.8kHz, etc., should be okay as long as the external DAC is higher performance than the WM8718. However, note that this cd player does not output the data in I2S externally (just coax and optical) and thus, if the external DAC cannot strip the source clock coming with the data and re-clock internally, the connection jitter may deteriorate the output quality. So, considering that the C-7030 has a pretty good internal clock (about ten times better than other cd players at its price point) personally, I would not bother with an external DAC (... and don't, don't, don't even think of a run-of-the-mill AV receiver!)
Now, going back to the other Onkyo player, the C-S5VL. This player is a SACD/CD player (not an universal player, which was something I did not want) and that (from a clocking point of view) was fine, since the two do operate at sampling rates which are integer multiples of each other (the SACD samples at 64 times the CD) and as such they can be properly timed from the same clock. The most attractive feature of this player is its state of the art WM8742 Wolfson DAC. But that is where the good things sort of come to an abrupt end. On the side of less desirable features: the player uses a relatively cheap DVD type servo and (the thing that was the real deal breaker for me) it has a switching power supply. While switching power supplies are okay generally, they are not the thing to have in an "audiophile quality" player. The main problem with switching power supplies is that they are extremely high-frequency noisy, so noisy in fact that their output needs to be very well low-pass filtered. Nevertheless, some high frequency switching noise always remains. And maybe that is okay with the digital side of the player but it is hardly recommended for the analog side. In any case, personally I've never been too taken with the sound of SACD despite the extended frequency response. Perhaps the problem (with SACD) is that since 1-bit DACs cannot be properly dithered, the only recourse to moving the noise out of the pass-band, is to subject it to some absurd levels of noise shaping. Thus, while some take it to be the true revelation, others believe the extra nuances and "new things" many have sworn they hear on SACD's are in fact nothing more than the nonlinear ringing (induced by that brutal noise shaping filter) and aliasing of that not-quite-random high frequency noise leaking into the audio band. In fact, it is this (modulated high frequency) noise problem that limits the useful frequency range of SACD to about 50kHz, way short of its theoretical limit of 100kHz. But I digress. Some people like their sound, others don't, well... not my problem. Another interesting feature of C-S5VL as a RedBook/CD player is the choice of several different types of digital filters, of which, of-course the most talked about are those of the apodizing variety and Meridian fame. The apodizing filters, or in loose translation "without feet" are filters that implement a transient transfer function (impulse response) without the pre-ripple i.e. they remove the pre-ringing sometimes discernible with inadequate implementations of the linear phase filters - or the filters that do have little feet in their impulse response. The belief is that if the ripple occurs only after the actual sound then it is more natural (it becomes an echo, a reverberation, etc. - this may, in fact, artificially enhance the feel of spatiality of the sound stage). Be that as it may, the use of such a filter e.g. the minimum phase apodizing does come at a high price: a doubling of the post-ringing effect, slightly higher roll-off of the high end spectrum, and non-constant group and/or phase delays, etc. (or all those things that determine spatial separation, staging/imaging, etc.) Again, all things considered, interesting but not enough to sway my decision to steer away from this player.
Of course the next thing was to read the comments of the other reviewers. Except for a few that have experienced various "burn-in phase" type of problems, the reviews of the C-7030 are largely positive. One reviewer did point to some early "high frequency roll-off" and "lack of sharpness" of the leading edges of the notes. This, at the time, intrigued me although the reviewer in question did seem to think that the two problems he noted are somehow related and caused by a systematic (and somewhat universal) bias of the equipment manufacturers toward a certain type of sound. Now, technically the two issues (where present) would be caused by different things. Early high frequency roll-off would be the result of the (wave amplitude) attenuation in that part of the audible frequency range by the use of, for instance, a filter. The second issue is somewhat more involved as (it regards the player's transient response and) it could be caused by a variety of factors, such as: insufficient component bandwidth, low slew-rate of the active components (such as op-amps), improperly designed low pass-filters, gross variation in group or phase delays, etc. All these things, were they to be present, would bias the true signal rate of change (would change the attack if you will) at the leading edge (and the resolution at the trailing edge as well) and would result in noticeable distortions of the sound. But, considering what I've already surmised about the player (see above) I found it very hard to believe that these issues would be at work here. Regarding the former issue, attenuation at high frequency is possible in theory but technically there is nothing to force the implementation of an early roll-off. For instance, the analysis of the Wolfson published digital low-pass filter response (for WM8718) shows -0.05dB attenuation at 20kHz, a cut-off frequency (i.e. the -3dB point) of 21.6kHz, a gain of -8dB at 22.05kHz and full gain of -60dB at 24.5kHz. This response is quite typical of a cost effective, interpolated finite impulse response filter (IFIR) designed to achieve full gain within a very short transition band, here 21-24kHz. The analog low-pass filter (as argued above) has an even higher cut-off (e.g. the 67kHz worked out above). Clearly, an early roll-off on technical grounds is quite remote. A voluntary roll-off before the RedBook's own limit? What would be its purpose? The latter issue also did not seem to track well. Take for example the instantiation of the analog filter. The 4580 op-amps have a nominal slew-rate of 5V/usec. Even at 705.6kHz (the rate the DAC would be updating the D/A conversion at 16x) the rate of change (voltage swings) these amps are capable of with sufficient rail voltage is 7V. This voltage swing is about two times larger than the overall peak-to-peak analog output at any frequency. The group delay? Certainly not a problem, according to Wolfson. The DAC bandwidth? The DAC is a 37MHz device. That's hardly insufficient bandwidth. The op-amps bandwidth? The op-amps are operated in unity-gain mode or as impedance converters and perhaps as small gain amps (say 10-20dB or 3-10x amplification) The gain-bandwidth of the 4580 is 15MHz. At a gain of 10, the bandwidth of the amps is 1.5MHz. Fast enough. The issues described, though, may occur (potentially) by some sort of unfortunate pairing (or non-optimal matching) of the player with the rest of the audio system or, quite simply, they may be caused by bad interconnect audio cables.
So, with all that in mind I ordered the C-7030, which I have now been listening to for about a week. But first things first - the fit and finish: out of the box, the most striking features of the player are its size and heft. The thing is heavy (having a transformer the size of Texas and extra thick steel framing will help do that). Then comes the overall appearance. The player has a minimalistic design, and a utilitarian, almost industrial look with a brushed aluminum face-plate and a centrally mounted cd tray framed by the control buttons and some subdued lettering. But somehow, the addition of that large glass screen with the green display and the inwardly recessed power button makes the whole appearance of the player work well... very well, indeed. Frankly, the thing is quite stunning, which brings us back to the omission of the USB input. Mounting a USB plug on the face of the player would really have detracted from its appearance (even if it could be hidden by something) and positioning it in the back would have made it quite useless. So, I'd venture to say that this must have been the reason the designers have opted to leave the USB out. Functionally, the player passed all the tests I threw at it. It tracks well both CDs and home made CD-R/CD-RW (either in RedBook format or MP3/WMA) The test CD-Rs were recorded for the purpose of these tests on my old MacBook using Roxio's Toast 7 and a LaCie DVD/CD external DVD/CD RW drive (through FireWire). For mp3/wma the player can display all sorts of info (e.g. track titles, sampling rates, track time etc.) with a scroll-across type of motion on the display. It will support 32-320kbps at either 44.1kHz or 48kHz, and the files can be mixed. The remote, is made of plastic with a thin brushed aluminum face-plate, is large and is somewhat sparse (the buttons are small and there is a lot of unused real estate) but it works well and so far no glitches. With the Audio Technica ATH-A900 headphones (40ohm impedance) the C-7030 headphone amp is arguably a little better than the headphone amp on my old RCA STA-3900 stereo amplifier (although the RCA has better bass detail) but falls short of the Matrix M-Stage headphone amp by every measure. The conclusions below describe performance with the headphones and the M-Stage. With the RCA amplifier and the Sony SSF-5000 floor-standing speakers, the sound does get some coloration but maintains the spirit of the player's presentation. [Note: The Matrix M-Stage has two analog (line, 47kOhm) inputs and a face mounted switch which toggles between the two and allows for direct comparison between two sources playing the same material at the same time. The test CDs were duplicated (x2) by direct transfer on some Imation brand CD-Rs using the LaCie drive and the MacBook computer. These copies were then used rather than the original CDs. The connections were made with the RCA cable supplied with the player and two other similar RCA cables (same length 2 - 3ft, appearance: color, cable size, end connectors etc.) sourced from a local store. Nothing fancy there.]
The sound of the player can perhaps be best described as coherent, with little unnecessary harmonic coloration and good overall balance or, in short, remarkably musical. Compared to the Teac PD-80, the C-7030 bass seems somewhat softer (at times, especially with older AAD recordings) but has a better extension and a slightly better definition. Also compared to the Teac, the mid range shows better focus but is slightly emphasized resulting in a somewhat forward placement of vocals in an otherwise well defined stage. The treble is clean and (again compared to the old Teac) it has what could probably be described as more precision without being harsh. Treble extension (as much as CDs permit it) is also superior. Separation (e.g. of instruments in classical music) is good to very good, and the individual instrument signatures are essentially free from ringing, noise, intermodulation distortions or group/phase delay induced time or spatial smearing. Compared to the XMOS USB Audio 2.0 Reference Design asynchronous DAC, the Onkyo performs on an even plane with the XMOS DAC playing the same source tracks symmetrically up-sampled (by a custom program) to 176.4kHz/24bit and played back in iTunes on a MacBook-Pro. With the up-sampled tracks, the XMOS is perhaps marginally superior in the treble extension (likely due to a more sophisticated interpolation filter I've implemented in a custom up-sampling program) however, compared to the Onkyo, the XMOS DAC presents a mid range a tad less focused and a somewhat recessed bass - no doubt the results of its being powered from the USB. Similarly, the XMOS gains the upper hand in the high frequency range when playing native HD 24bit 88.2/96kHz or higher tracks. On the S/N - THD front, the Onkyo is the clear winner with a lower (overall) noise floor than both the Teac and the XMOS DAC.
[Note: The Teac PD-80, a decent player in its time, features a three beam tracking/reading system and a very interesting 16bit/176.4kHz laser trimmed resistor string CMOS D/A converter, the SANYO LC7881. This segmented DAC uses the r-string for the first 9 most significant bits (MSB) combined with pulse width modulation (PWM) for the middle 3bits and dynamic level shifting (DLS) for the lower 4bits. Also, the Teac is equipped with two processors, the SANYO LA9200NM for beam-tracking and servo control and an YAMAHA YM3805 digital signal processor for oversampling (2x) and digital filtering. In addition, the output analog low-pass filter is implemented with discrete components. Is the old PD-80 in the same league with the Onkyo? Perhaps not, but it is a remarkable machine nevertheless. Aside from still being operational today, it was good enough to keep the desire to upgrade at bay for two decades. It remains to be seen if the Onkyo will prove that resilient.
The XMOS USB DAC features the 24bit/192kHz Cirrus Logic CS4270 audio codec (differential multi-bit sigma-delta conversion, switched capacitor) and the 32bit, 500MIPS/8threads, XMOS XS1-L1 event driven processor. It supports all sample rates from 44.1kHz to 192kHz and uses two dedicated on-board clocks (for 44.1kHz and 48kHz and their multiples). In addition, the XMOS DAC uses the SMSC USB-3318 high-speed USB 2.0 transceiver, clocked separately by a 13MHz reference crystal and the NCP699SN18T1G low quiescent current LDO voltage regulator from ON Semiconductor. The XMOS D/A solution is largely considered one of the best implementations of the "asynchronous" USB Audio currently available although a pricey one, see for instance the 6moons review of the April Music Stello-U3.]
In my opinion, both the Onkyo and the XMOS DAC (and to a good extent the Teac as well) are at a level where the deficiencies in the source material e.g. unnecessary dynamic range compression, clipping, mastering artifacts due to improper transfers, etc., are laid bare (especially with the headphones) well before one begins to question the limitations of the RedBook standard. (Note: I've also listened carefully for the early high frequency roll-off and the transient response issues (as mentioned in the paragraph above) but could detect none. Could have done some tests, but in the end I just preferred to listen to it rather than waste time running unnecessary tests.)
Perhaps the best way to summarize this (most ridiculously long review of a less than $200 piece of equipment) would be to say that the Onkyo C-7030 is a great example of a system where good design and proper execution raise the whole a cut above the sum of its parts. If you are in the market for a dedicated, single tray, entry level "audiophile" CD player, look around at the many options out there but do consider the C-7030: it may surprise you. Unequivocally - 5 star.
UPDATE 09/28/2012: I've uploaded graphs of the player's frequency response. For test description and discussion see posted comment.
Top reviews from other countries
Blends well with my vintage integrated amp and Advent speakers
Reviewed in Canada on February 15, 2024
Blends well with my vintage integrated amp and Advent speakers
dislike : black color