The Hunt for the ULTIMATE CD Player < $1000

[crazy]

Here's the list I've compiled so far (prices after dealer discounts; sorted based on price):

1) Music Hall CD25.2 (~ $550)

http://www.musichallaudio.com/

2) Cambridge Audio Azur 640C v2 (~ $550)

http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/summary.php?PID=99&Title=Azur+640C+%28Version+2%29

3) Rotel RCD-1072 (~ $600)

http://www.rotel.com/na/index.htm

4) Arcam CD 73 (~ $700)

http://www.arcam.co.uk/prod_diva_CD73_intro.cfm

5) Creek Evo (~ $800)

http://www.creekaudio.co.uk/main_content.asp?content=home

6) Rega Apollo (~ $900)

http://www.rega.co.uk/html/apollo.htm

7) JD 100A - Vacuum Tube CD Player (~$900)

http://www.jolida.com/

Over the next 2-3 week's I'm hoping to audition most of the CD players listed above. This Thursday, I'm checking out a place that carries the Rotel and the Arcam. Next week I plan to visit this place that carries the Rega and the Rotel. Finally, I plan to head to Boston (Cathy maybe you can help with this one) to compare between Rotel, Music Hall and CA - I'll post my findings on this thread.

Ultimately, music is subjective - some like it warm, some like it bright; some like earth shatterring bass, others like well defined bass. So there's no "perfect" CD player or receiver or speaker. The objective is to enjoy music and have fun :cool:

[zombie boy 2000]

Best of luck to ya Crazy... and happy hunting!!

Be sure to report back after all your auditions. I'll be in the market for a new CDP in the next 6 months, and would love to hear what you have to say about all these units.

[cfrizz]

Hi Crazy. I am on vacation this week, so it would be possible to meet you @ Spearit Sound in Boston. I can help you evaluate the CD players & you can help me evaluate the Rotel digital amps!

Just let me know what time you are going to be there.

Cathy:)

Finally, I plan to head to Boston (Cathy maybe you can help with this one) to compare between Rotel, Music Hall and CA - I'll post my findings on this thread.

Ultimately, music is subjective - some like it warm, some like it bright; some like earth shatterring bass, others like well defined bass. So there's no "perfect" CD player or receiver or speaker. The objective is to enjoy music and have fun :cool:

[venomclan]

Crazy,
Check out www.audioadvisor.com, I think I saw the Cambridge 640 v.s on demo for $395-. In my research, the Cambridge is the best bang for the buck. The Rotel is nice also but expensive.
Venom

[F1nut]

Is there a reason you haven't included any tube cdp's in your hunt?

[2+2]

How do you compare CD players in the shop? I mean, you will be hearing each player in a different system with different speakers, amps, preams, etc. I would think it would be extremely difficult to come to any conclusions.... ?? I suppose this can be said for most audio products.... this hobby is rather strange, any way you cut it....

[Zero]

Crazy,

2+2 is right. Auditioning CD players anywhere but in your home and on your system is almost a complete waste of time. If it takes you longer to find what you want - than so be it - but if I were in your shoes... I'd do home auditions.

[crazy]

Hi Crazy. I am on vacation this week, so it would be possible to meet you @ Spearit Sound in Boston. I can help you evaluate the CD players & you can help me evaluate the Rotel digital amps!

Just let me know what time you are going to be there.

Cathy:)

Ah! I wasn't planning on going there this week since I'm traveling to NYC. I can make the trip next week or any week after that.

Is there a reason you haven't included any tube cdp's in your hunt?

I have no experience with Tube CD players and Tubes scare me :eek:

No, seriously, I'm open to all ideas and will certainly add to the list. I'll add the Jolida for starters since that's < $1K

How do you compare CD players in the shop? I mean, you will be hearing each player in a different system with different speakers, amps, preams, etc. I would think it would be extremely difficult to come to any conclusions.... ?? I suppose this can be said for most audio products.... this hobby is rather strange, any way you cut it....

Not really, the shops I've selected all have B&W, Rotel setups and hence I plan to use that as a baseline. Of there there might be a few places which might not have this setup, which might make things tricky.

2+2 is right. Auditioning CD players anywhere but in your home and on your system is almost a complete waste of time. If it takes you longer to find what you want - than so be it - but if I were in your shoes... I'd do home auditions.

I agree - but that's wishful thinking! I think it's just so much fun exploring and experimenting than actually buying the product. I personally think that you can't go wrong with any of the products listed above but it's the journey that's so much fun.

The journey begins ...

[cfrizz]

Ok. I'm also on vacation the week of the 4th of July, so if you want to check them out then, let me know.

[steveinaz]

Break the mold:
These are wonderful CD players, especially for hyper-active systems ($1099):

[audiobliss]

Just what exactly is a 'hyper-active' system?

[steveinaz]

over-analytical---too sterile.

[audiobliss]

Ahh. So CEC's signature is generally a bit warm? I knew I always like CEC...:p

[cfrizz]

Snort! You send me a check for that $1099 Steve & I'll be happy to be "Bold & different."

[halo]

My Sheng Ya CD-S10 is available in th cpfm. pm if interested. Am I allowed to promote my own stuff outside of the cpfm. New rules got me confused :confused:

[steveinaz]

Ahh. So CEC's signature is generally a bit warm? I knew I always like CEC...:p

Like a digital turntable baby. I'm keeping mine till it falls apart.

[steveinaz]

Snort! You send me a check for that $1099 Steve & I'll be happy to be "Bold & different."

Ok, ok he can go the CD-3300 for $499, but he said he had a grand to blow...

[venomclan]

Hi Crazy,
Check out this thread if you havent already:

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=20730

Venom

[cfrizz]

The best way to compare cd players is to bring music that you know very, very well. If you know the music, than you will know how it should sound no matter what cd player is playing it.

The player that plays it the way you know it should sound, or even better brings out details that you never heard before, than you've got a winner!

[dragon1952]

FWIW, the Jolida JD-100 can be had for a lot less than $900. You could probably get one delivered for around $775 from Underwood Hi-Fi.

[crazy]

Hi Crazy,
Check out this thread if you havent already:

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=20730

Venom

Sure have! I'm "audiojunky" on the HTGuide forum - but as I've said before, this is a way cooler place to hang out :)

[venomclan]

Sure have! I'm "audiojunky" on the HTGuide forum - but as I've said before, this is a way cooler place to hang out :)

Hi Crazy,
Sorry I forgot, for some reason I thought you were audioqueso on that site. Nevermind. I agree this place is a lot cooler. There are too many a$$holes over there, including the tyrant-like owner. I post there on occasion.
Venom

[Roy Munson]

Does anyone know what the difference between the CEC CD3300 and the CD3300R is? AudioCubes has the 3300 for $429.00 and the 3300R for $469.00. Is the 3300R a newer model? I assume that shipping is extra.

And has anyone here done business with AudioCubes before?

I've tried several CD players lately and I have yet to find the one for me and I'm still looking.

[steveinaz]

Yes, a little different styling (look at the display) and I think a minor change in DAC's. The "R" is avalable in black and (I think) in silver. The CD-3300 is gold. Click my link and you can see the CD-3300...

I haven't ordered thru audiocubes, I grabbed my CEC for the short time that Audio Advisor was carrying them.

[halo]

I've tried several CD players lately and I have yet to find the one for me and I'm still looking.Roy - see post #15 ;) :) Or go here: link (http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41838)

[audiobliss]

Hmm. I'm very intrigued by CEC's CDP's, or transports, rather. I need to stop looking at them, as I already have the CDP department taken care of!`

[Roy Munson]

Roy - see post #15 ;) :) Or go here: link (http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41838)

If this were a Jolida or a New Tube I might be real interested!

[steveinaz]

I really like the CEC TL51 series. the 51Z is a CD player, the 51 is a transport. Both the CD-3300 and 5300 are CDP's (built in DAC's).

[Roy Munson]

Steve, I'm thinking real seriously about trying a 3300. I've tried several CD players lately including a NAD C542 that I am currently using. But I still prefer [now don't laugh] my Denon 1500 mkII that I bought new back in the 80's. LOL For $429.00 plus shipping the 3300 seems like a decent deal but it would be a blind buy..no one around here carries it, so I can't audition it.

Decisions, decisions????

[halo]

If this were a Jolida or a New Tube I might be real interested!To each his own. Good luck! :)

[Roy Munson]

I'll check it out.

[steveinaz]

Steve, I'm thinking real seriously about trying a 3300. I've tried several CD players lately including a NAD C542 that I am currently using. But I still prefer [now don't laugh] my Denon 1500 mkII that I bought new back in the 80's. LOL For $429.00 plus shipping the 3300 seems like a decent deal but it would be a blind buy..no one around here carries it, so I can't audition it.

Decisions, decisions????

I'll try to give a synopsis:

Build is very good, about 11.5lbs and front face is metal and about an 1/8" thick. It has analog outputs of RCA, AES/EBU; digital outputs of Coaxial, Toslink, and AES/EBU. The AC cord is an IEC variety (removable/upgradeable). The 3300 doesn't use muting circuits but rather relays, which are said to be better for fidelity. When you press buttons you'll hear a solid relay *click*. I'm not sure of all the benefits of "LEF" "Load effect free" circuitry you'll have to search that. As a comparison to the Cambridge D500SE it replaced, I found that the CEC had a little sweeter treble, slightly more nuetral midrange, and a more solid/deeper bass. The CEC sound has more depth to it than the D500SE, more 3-dimensional soundstage. I would say it's a touch more "warm" than the D500SE in tonal character---wether that means it's less "accurate" I don't know, it definitely makes it more listenable. It's a little kinder with poor recordings--but still tells it like it is; a poor recording is a poor recording.

As a transport it stomped all over my $699 Denon DVD-2910. Much smoother, articulate, and far less glare. It just sounded more "musical."

Some short comings:

- Repair support is in Canada (Mutine Corp)
- Don't lose the $45 remote (personal experience)
- Be careful loading CD's, the drawer doesn't open completely

Highlights:

- Very quiet in operation
- Build quality, smoothness of controls/drawer
- Nice display
- Every connection (sans AT&T fiber) known to man
- Wonderful sound

NOTE: Because of the relay operation, when you load a CD wait until you hear the *click* and the display shows track 1, this lets you know the player has read the disc contents and is ready. If you jump the gun and hit play before the CD is read, it'll just sit there, confused--which is remedied by opening/closing the drawer again. It's not a flaw, it's the way the design works.

A review: http://202.186.86.35/audio/story.asp?file=/2004/3/25/audiofile/25cec&sec=audiofile

Hope this helps.

[Joey_V]

D-

I wish you luck in your search for your CD player!

Any luck so far though?

Joey

[LuSh]

If you can, you'd be better off buying a used Museatex Bitstream off audiogon.com and then sending it off to get modded. I use a Krell 400xi with Museatex Transport (Heavily modded) and Moray James connect between the DAC and transport. I'm not the only one that uses an older Meitner Designed DAC. By buying the DAC and upgrading in stages you can spend money as you please and when your done...proper transport, modded DAC, Moray digital or other high end cable...you'll have truely a reference front end that can not only match your amplification and speakers but can be used further down the road if you ever upgraded to 802D's or Krell separates.

[Roy Munson]

Thanks Steve, that really is a big help!!

[steveinaz]

Roy,
Later down the road run the CEC into a Benchmark DAC...it's magical. Use the AES/EBU digital out for the "warmest" sound. The Benchmark adds some serious pace and punch, cleans up the bass, and balances out the midrange/treble. On the CD-3300 the headphone section can be unplugged from the main circuit board, a tweak some swear by--I never tried it.

If/when mine ever dies on me, I'll be getting the CEC TL51 to replace it.

[crazy]

D-

I wish you luck in your search for your CD player!

Any luck so far though?

Joey

Joey - my timeline for picking up my CDP is September 1, 2006 (b'day :) )

Right now, I'm just trying to get educated and do some research more for the fun of it. If I had to pick up a CDP today - it would either be the Rotel RCD-1072 or the ARCAM CD 73. I heard the upconverting Arcam today and it sounded heavely. Might even get that - as you folks know I'm CRAZY!!! I went way over budget in my quest for speakers and pre-amp/amp combo. Way, way over budget, so no saying I won't do the same this time around :D

[Joey_V]

Joey - my timeline for picking up my CDP is September 1, 2006 (b'day :) )

Right now, I'm just trying to get educated and do some research more for the fun of it. If I had to pick up a CDP today - it would either be the Rotel RCD-1072 or the ARCAM CD 73. I heard the upconverting Arcam today and it sounded heavely. Might even get that - as you folks know I'm CRAZY!!! I went way over budget in my quest for speakers and pre-amp/amp combo. Way, way over budget, so no saying I won't do the same this time around :D

D-

I really think you're fully invested in this hobby of ours.... methinks you're going to go overbudget on this quest also.

BTW, my brother is playing your CD!

JOey

[crazy]

Disclamer: This review is based solely on personal preference and I'm not expert so don't take this too seriously :)

I did my first A/B comparision today. As I'd mentioned earlier, I will try to use gear that is close to my current gear for all these auditions. As the auditioning CD, I've been used a compilation called "The Great Audio Experience"

http://www.greataudio.com/home.aspx

This is a great demo CD and almost all stores carrying B&W and other hi-fi gear usually have this CD.

The gear that I was using to audition the 2 CD players were B&W 804s speakers and a Mark & Levinson pre-amp and amp (I'll post a picture soon)

So without going too much into detail about the listening process, here the outcome IMHO:

The Rotel had warmth but it lacked clarity. The Arcam CD 73 on the other hand won hands down on clarity - it was a lot clearer and the sound was crisp. However, it definitely lacked the warmth of the Rotel. Sometime the music felt ... not sure how to describe this ... a little mechnical, not smooth.

My wife (who has a better ear for music than I) and I felt that the Rotel wasn't upto the mark compared to the Arcam. I thought that the Rotel was not a LOT better than a Denon CDP that I had auditioned earlier. Yeah, it was better, had better bass and soundstage - but not what folks have praised about it. I thought it was only marginally better than the Denon.

I did make the mistake of listening to the Arcam 192 which took the Arcam CD 73 clarity to the next level, but also added the warmth that was missing in the Arcam CD 73. What else would you expect from a player that is $1K more than the Arcam CD 73.

The good thing is that the Arcam CD 73 can be upgraded to the CD 192 through the Arcam factory.

If I had to make a decision between these 2, I would give the thumbs-up to the Arcam, which was clearly a superior sounding CDP.

Here's a break-down:

Looks ------> Rotel
Clarity -----> Arcam
Warmth ----> Rotel
High/Mids --> Arcam
Bass -------> Tie (Arcam had better defined bass, but Rotel had deeper bass)
Value ------> Arcam
Overall -----> Arcam

[steveinaz]

Rotel or Arcam, good choice either way...I figure the Arcam would be in the finals.

[polkatese]

Crazy, I want to see the Levinson's!

[crazy]

Here are some pictures from my Arcam/ Rotel audition session.

Rotel RCD-1072, Arcam CD73, Arcam CD192

[RuSsMaN]

Great setup. I chose the CD73 over the 1072, and I've been very happy with it's performance thusfar.

[audiobliss]

Wow. Those look like some nice rigs. I like the atmosphere soft lighting like that can create.

[polkatese]

very nice!

[Demiurge]

Nice looking set-up you got there.

[crazy]

Wow. Those look like some nice rigs. I like the atmosphere soft lighting like that can create.

He!, he! - I had to adjust my camera quite a bit to take the first picture since I wanted to capture the "mood".

The second and thurd pictures uses a flashlight - just to capture the details around the actual electronics. However, the 1st picture was taken without a flash with some minor settings on my camera.

Just to clarify things - this setup was at the store I visited.

[dragon1952]

What was the outcome of all this? Did you ever compare the others?

[steveinaz]

Add this:

Marantz SA8001: http://us.marantz.com/Products/1644.asp

[AndyGwis]

And these:

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64419