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Product Reviews
Digital Recordigs' products receive high marks
from both customers and reviewers. Below are excerpts from various
audio magazine articles that featured our products. For customers' comments
refer to the individual product pages.
AUDIO-CD review
"Digital Recordings Audio-CD" by Kalman Rubinson,
"Stereophile" magazine,
January 2000, pages 136 - 138 (also referenced on the magazine's
cover page)
"... AUDIO-CD permits useful evaluation of hearing thresholds with only
a CD player and a pair of headphones. ... Within our little world of
audiophilia, it is important for each of us to have some idea what
our ear-brain mechanism is doing. Only then can one have any idea
of how capable one is of assessing to say nothing of offering opinions
about, sound quality. ... Don't you know someone who just keep turning
it up, louder and louder, to no avail? Do you really want to know why?"
Runner Up
The 2000
CD-CHECK and
DED review "Digital Recordings' CD-CHECK and DED" by Erland Unruh, "Audio Electronics" magazine, 1/2000, pages 46 - 48 (also referenced on the magazine's cover page) "Have you ever wished to perform a health checkup on your CD player or an objective comparison between players based on lower-level digital performance? Then CD-CHECK and DED may be the tools for you! CD-CHECK is a test CD that tests a player's error correction capabilities. It contains five tracks of signals with increasingly difficult tests. The higher the level at which a player passes the better error correction capabilities it features. ... DED (Digital Error Detector) is a small device that connects to a player's digital S/PDIF output. Featuring a red LED that flashes when a data error is signaled on the S/PDIF line, it provides a visual cue that is easy to detect when the error intensity is low. You can also use it for error detection when playing normal music, or for lab purposes when your player isn't connected to an amplifier. It's designed so that even a single data error generates a flash long enough for the eye to detect. Now also available is a DED Pro device that features a six-digit counter, making it possible to see the exact number of errors. ...
While the DED is good for visualizing
CD-CHECK errors, it's possibly even more useful in detecting the Verany
errors, which are harder to identify. ... I found the test results of CD-CHECK
to correspond well with those of the Pierre Verany discs. ... For quick health
checks and player comparisons, my experience is that CD-CHECK is easier to
use. ... CD-CHECK is easy to take to the hi-fi shop if you wish to test a
new player. ... Even though the DED is expensive in comparison to the test
discs, it's handy companion when performing tests, as well as for
everyday use."
CD-CHECK used by "Sensible Sound" magazine during the testing of NAD Music System: L40 CD Receiver and PSB Alpha Minis "NAD Music System: L40 CD Receiver and PSB Alpha Minis", "Sensible Sound" magazine, Number 79, Feb/Mar 2000, page 25
"... Digital Recordings' CD-Check was used to test the error correction
capabilities of the CD player. As RT explained in exquisite detail in
Issue 72, CD-Check's five tracks are designed to reveal the ability of
the CD player to correct for loss of digital data. If too many data are
lost, then compensatory recovery mechanisms, such as interpolation, data
substitution, or signal mutling, try to make the loss inaudible. However,
when these mechanisms fail, the result is often altered and / or distorted
sound reproduction. ..."
CD-CHECK review "Digital Recordings CD-CHECK" by James W. Durkin, "Ultimate Audio" magazine, Winter 1999, page 18
"CD-CHECK, a recent offering from the Canadian acoustics R&D firm Digital
Recordings, offers an interesting and well thought out CD playback
evaluation tool for audiophiles less trusting of digital audio's perfection
than your average Joe. You see, CD's aren't perfect beasts and their
playback isn't without difficulty. There are errors created by the
manufacturing process, dust, fingerprints, and scratches on the disc surface,
and problems with the player's laser pick-up and mechanical tracking system,
all of which must be handled to assure proper, error-free data retrieval.
... All in all, CD-CHECK is a recommended accessory for those skeptical
souls who want to objectively evaluate the CD playback system they own
or are considering purchasing."
CD-CHECK and DED / DEDpro review "Digital Recordings CD-CHECK and DED/DEDpro" by Monte McGuire, "Recording" magazine, June 1999, pages 94 - 95 (also referenced on the magazine's cover page)
"CD-CHECK and the Digital Error Detector (DED) are a pair of simple but
ingenious devices from the Digital Recordings, a Canadian firm specializing
in audio test and calibration tools. They are useful for anyone who works
with compact disc players and other digital devices. ... While CD-CHECK
and the DED were originally designed for audiophile use, they have a wide
range of applications in any modern recording studio. If you produce CDRs,
play CDs, or make any sort of stereo digital transfers, I would heartily
recommend one or both of these devices, as they'll allow you to monitor
the error rate of your devices and effectively perform quality control
on any digital transfers you make."
CD-CHECK review "RCA RP-8065 Carousel CD Player" by Joseph M. Cierniak, "Sensible Sound" magazine, Number 74, April/May 1999, pages 28 - 30
"... I happened to serendipitously come upon a nifty device that is called
the CD-CHECK. ... CD-CHECK is a special CD that enables the average audiophile
to evaluate (objectively and easily) his or her CD player's error correction
circuitry. It is possible that the CD player may be negatively affecting the
resulting sound because of problems with the CD player's error correction
system. These error corrections may not be as severe as to cause audible
popping, clicking, skipping, or muting; they can, however, cause a slight
but audible
degradation of the sound. The CD-CHECK test CD has five test tracks that
impose errors to check for the error recovering ability of your CD player. ...
A great way to go for putting objectivity (not woodoo!) into your evaluation
of sound reproduction"
AUDIO-CD review "AUDIO-CD" by Jesse W. Knight, "Audio Electronics" magazine, 2/1999, pages 50 - 51 (also referenced on the magazine's cover page). This article was reprinted in "Voice Coil" magazine, Volume 12, Issue 3, January 1999, pages 43 - 45
"AUDIO-CD is a hearing test CD that requires nothing other than a good
pair of headphones and a CD player in good condition. For many people,
hearing is not a constant. Exposure to excess noise, the presence of
allergies, and changes in blood chemistry can have significant effects on
our hearing. ...
A self-calibrating
CD seemed too good to be true. Frankly, it did not seem likely that it
would be possible to dispense with test equipment. ... I was amazed
to find that the setting was within 1dB of correct. I repeated the AUDIO-CD
calibration step several times, and it was within 3dB each time ...In
conclusion, I highly recommend this disc ... unless you have already built
a hearing tester. Even then, its case of use on site is worth considering. ..."
CD-CHECK and DED review "Digital Audio", "Audio Ideas Guide" magazine, Volume 18 #3 January 1999, page 120
"... CD-CHECK disc, ... contains 5 levels of a proprietary signal to test
the tracking ability of CD players. ... DED is a quite useful tool during
this whole process in that it indicates all errors, even those that are
crrected by the transport electronics and are therefore inaudible. ... DED
substantially increases the usefullness of the CD-CHECK CD, allowing a
visual reference for dropout detection and thereby supplementing the
information for our reviews. ..."
CD-CHECK and DED review "How to evaluate CD players - and how NOT to enhance their performance" by RT, "Sensible Sound" magazine, Number 72, Nov/Dec 1998 "... CD-CHECK has quickly proven itself to be every bit as useful -- in fact, more so-- as my previously mentioned CDs. This CD has uniquely engineered tracks designed to evaluate CD, DVD, and CD-ROM players for their error correction and concealment capabilities as well as a player's laser-servo tracking abilities. The truly nice thing about CD-CHECK is that its use is not contingent upon other test equipment beside that which God gave us two of -- our ears. ... The DED is a small, palm-sized electronic box designed to hook up to a DVD or CD player's digital output. In brief, the DED is able to visually show errors visually as they occur during playback. On the consumer model, errors are shown via a red LED, while on the professional version a 6-digit LCD counter has been added to "count" the total errors detected. ...
Digital Recording's CD-CHECK proved to be an outstanding tool for checking
the quality and serviceability of CD players. It has found a welcome home
in my bag of tools when evaluating players. Highly recommended! DED is a
unique and useful product as well. The nicest thing is that it can be used
with any audio CD, be it music or a specially constructed test disc. ...
Another plus is that DED can detect errors with DAT players as well. I
therefore give an enthusiastic "two thumbs up" to DED as well. It's a super
product ..."
AUDIO-CD and CD-CHECK review "Fringe with Greg Smith / This is only a test" by Greg Smith, "SoundStage" magazine, July 1999 "I've always thought that error-correction abilities were underemphasized in high-end CD-player reviews. As I see it, if the digital data isn't read correctly in the first place, no amount of D/A magic will make it sound right...I'd really like to believe that this superior error-detection scheme will catch on...I've become quite fond of CD-CHECK. The test is so simple and quick that I can get good results in a matter of seconds....CD-CHECK offers an unparalleled CD-player evaluation tool. Nothing else I know of works quite as well for really ferreting out which players correct errors well and which don't. ...
... Designed as a way to run an audiogram test of hearing ability
that can be used in the home with inexpensive headphones, this
CD lets harried audiophiles too busy to schedule an appointment
with a professional audiologist find out useful information
about their ears...AUDIO-CD lets you check your own ears at your
convenience....Anyone who would like to find out more about how
they hear under various conditions should find the $39.95 [now $24.95]
AUDIO-CD costs to be an investment well worth making. ..."
AUDIO-CD review "Home test can asses possible hearing loss" by Kevin Hunt, Los Angeles Times News Service, "Staten Island Advance" newspaper, February 22, 1999, page B3. The same article was reprinted in "The Hartford Courant" newspaper under the title "Home test can asses damage from all those loud concerts", April 30, 1998
"Even in this Viagra days of second chances, hearing loss from extended
exposure to loud noise remains irreversible. Because it occurs gradually,
most people suffer in silence. ...
Digital Recordings of Halifax, Nova Scotia, has put a hearing test on CD.
'Audio-CD' has a series of 24 test tones from the lowest frequency (20 Hz)
to the highest (20,000 Hz) that humans can hear. To take the test, you'll
need a CD player, headphones and a quiet room.
It is important to know your noise limits. Ringing in the ears after
exposure to loud sound is a sign of demage. Some of it might be permanent.
'Audio-CD' could be the next-best thing to a doctor's examination. ..."
CD-CHECK and DEDpro review "What really matters in CD/ DVD Player Performance. Part III: Does price really matter?" by RT, "Sensible Sound" magazine, Number 73, Jan/Feb 98, pages 14 - 18 "... rank ordering was determined by their performance with the CD-CHECK disc due to each of its errors, as counted by the DEDpro device, correlating perfectly with an audible "chirping" sound or the player's "muting" their output temporarily. This same fact was not true for the Pierre Verany test disc simulated error tracks, i.e. errors could register on the DEDpro device yet they were not always audible until they became more severe. This last fact highlights the clear superiority of CD-CHECK over the Pierre Verany test disc for users not owning a DED device and / or for players lacking a digital output. ...
"... It makes sense to look at the error correction / concealment and
laser-servo tracking capabilities of any player you plan on purchasing,
because your significant other, kids, and klutzy friends will often handle
your discs as well. The second reason has to do with the wear and tear
that occurs with any device that use mechanical moving parts. The many
moving parts in a player can wear with time and the periodic use of a
test CD to check your player for this sort of failing is a good idea to
ensure it is working up to par. Why settle for half the pie when you can
have it all? ... Armed with the information from this series, a CD-CHECK
test disc, and a good set of ears, you should be able to select a reasonably
priced player that meets all your expectations, and which performs well to
boot. Happy hunting."
AUDIO-CD and CD-CHECK review "Notes from the editor's desk", "Innear Ear Report" magazine, Volume 10, #2 1997, pages 70 - 71 "... CD-Check allows potential buyers to check out the player before they buy it. Those who already have a CD player can check the performance. Reviewers can use it as well, by the way. I have often stated that the quality of a CD-player's sound reproduction is directly related to its ability to read the complete digital signal stored on the disc. ... There are five test tracks on the disc and if you have a wonderful player you can track all five. The disc is a great tool and TIER is going to use it in future tests. The other disc helps to test your hearing. You can find out how your perception of the frequency spectrum corresponds to real world listening.
The AUDIO-CD provides anyone with an easy to use,
self-administered hearing test. The test is performed over a range of 24
frequencies - from 20 Hz, the lowest frequency humans can hear, to 20,000 Hz
the highest frequency humans can hear (maybe). All you need to perform the
test is a CD player and a set of headphones or good loudspeakers."
CD-CHECK used by "Innear Ear" magazine during the testing of Onkyo Model DX-7911G Integra's playback system "Onkyo Model DX-7911G Integra", "Innear Ear Report" magazine, Volume 10, #2 1997, page 45
"... Next, we tested the Onkyo's playback system with the help of the CD-Check
disc. This disc is designed to test the signal transfer capability of CD
players. The disc includes five tracks of tests and only the best CD players
will handle all tracks. Some really expensive players have failed to handle
all tracks and it is quite acceptable for lower priced players to handle
just two or three. ... We have discovered that players with quality
transports resolve the musical information more completely. This is usually
quite discernible and, as mentioed above, we heard it immediately."
CD-CHECK used by "Innear Ear" magazine during the testing of Polyfusion Audio CD Transport & DAC Models 920 & 805 "Polyfusion Audio CD Transport & DAC Models 920 & 805", "Innear Ear Report" magazine, Volume 10, #2 1997, page 43 "... For one of our tests, we played a test CD called CD-Check to find out if the 920 transport has any shortcommings. This disc checks the silence buffer, tracking accuracy, error correction, data transmission, etc. The best performance is achieved when the transport handles all five levels without stalling. ..." |
![[ AUDIO-CD ]](audiocd_pr.jpg)
![[ DED ]](ded_pic_pr_1.jpg)
![[ CD-CHECK ]](cd_check_pr_2.jpg)
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