DVD and CD Playback Quality

[dmw16]

I am putting together a little 2.1 home theater setup and I was wondering how DVD and CD playback quality are impacted by the components you use.

Right now I was planning on using my Xbox360 or PS3 (which I was thinking of getting as a BluRay/DVD player). However, for audio CD's I would like to get good playback quality. Will playing CD's in either of these units give me good (or bad) audio quality?

Or maybe the better question is, if my priorities are (in order):
1. DVD playback quality
2. Audio CD playback quality
3. Being able to play BluRay
4. Being able to play PS3 games (much lower priority)

Should I buy a dedicated DVD player, dedicated BluRay player, dedicated dvd player AND dedicated CD player, or a PS3? My budget is $350 (which will get my a used PS3).

 

[Oyeve]

While I prefer seperates for all my audio equipment CDs should sound pretty much the same regardless of the player. In my experiance a GOOD DVD player plays CDs with slightly better sound.

 

[spidey07]

It all depends on what is doing the digital to analog conversion. Your receiver is most likely doing all of that now and in general they're not as good as a standalone player.

I haven't checked prices yet but I'm sure a quality cd player can be had for a few hundred bucks. Just make sure your receiver has a "pure direct" or some other mode where it doesn't do anything with the analog input.

-edit-
What I mean is you'll likely get better sound by using a quality CD player and then analog connection to your receiver.

 

[biggestmuff]

One of the best CD players for the money is the Onkyo DX-C390. It has optical and coaxial outputs, but the onboard DACs are great, so most owners use the analog outputs to connect the CD player to their receivers.

 

[spidey07]

If OP could get a DVD-A, SACD/CD combo player that had quality DACS it would provide plenty of music enjoyment. The implementation is still the same - use the analog output and check if the receiver has 5.1 inputs.