JVC Optima 4s xl-z1010 vs. Optima 5s xl-z1050

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cburbank

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Joined 2011
#1
Hello!

I like older JVC stuff and would like to get a CD player with the K2 in it.

I have been told that the older xl-z1010 DAC sounds better because of the PCM56P, whereas the xl-z1050 has proprietary JVC chips. Has this been confirmed or is this an isolated opinion that I read?

The other difference I noticed was the xl-z1010 has an optima 4s, and the xl-z1050 has the optima 5s. Which one is better?

The primary role of this device may be a transport, so if one is better than the other, that will help my choice.

Any information is appreciated!
 
#2
cburbank said:
Hello!

I like older JVC stuff and would like to get a CD player with the K2 in it.

I have been told that the older xl-z1010 DAC sounds better because of the PCM56P, whereas the xl-z1050 has proprietary JVC chips. Has this been confirmed or is this an isolated opinion that I read?

The other difference I noticed was the xl-z1010 has an optima 4s, and the xl-z1050 has the optima 5s. Which one is better?

The primary role of this device may be a transport, so if one is better than the other, that will help my choice.

Any information is appreciated!
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Hi,
I don't owned the 1010 but I have 1050 and z444 with pcm56 withoptima4 not the 4s one, the sound is much better with 1050 compared with z444, but for the laser optima 4 is much better ( it can read any scratched or dirty disc without skipping). I also owned z411with optima 4s, I guess this unit has the same mechanic and laser with 1010, but this one used MASH dac from Matsushita. I hoped my info would help.
 
#3
If the "cd/dac list" is accurate, your z444 uses a single PCM56, and therefore has a demultiplexer in analog domain, to separate L/R channels after the dac. This pretty much kills any chance for smoothness in the top end, and probably effects other areas. The 1010 uses individual L/R dac chips, and it should sound better than the 1050(fairly primitive version of MASH 1-bit) if everything else in each unit is equivalently done.

Also, there is no quality difference between the jvc optima 4 & 4s at all. The difference you experience is simply due to precision of alignment & health of mechanics.
 
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