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Advice needed please.

My Cary 303/100 cdp remote control recently stopped working and I'm tired of having to get up from my listening position and manually switch tracks. I contacted Cary about my problem and they mentioned that they would search for another remote or remote code for my 303/100. Well, they couldn't find another remote, but they mentioned that they would post the remote control code on their website once they found it. 2 months later and no remote code for a 303/100 on their website. I've had upgraditis of my cdp to something like a Meridian 508.20,508.24, or 588. I'm looking for a smoother sound without sacrificing details. I tried the Audio Aero Prima cdp and liked the results with jazz, classical,and the like, but with rock and similar music, it just didn't cut it for me. Should I stick with another one box cdp or go with a cdp and dac? Recently, I've really been interested in hearing dacs such as Audio Mirror, Scott Nixon, and Ack! dac. The rest of my system consists of Rogue 99 mag pre, Innersound esl amp, and Magnepan 1.6. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
128x128bradz
bradz's avatar
bradz OP
229 posts
 
My thoughts now are possibly doing a shootout with the Cary used in conjunction with the Audio mirror dac and the Audio Sector dac. Another consideration is comparing the Esound cd-e5 to the Cary with and without the listed dacs. Is the Burr Brown 1704 dac in the Cary Still considered good compared to the Cirrus 4390 dac in the Esound cd-5? Should I also consider sending the Cary to be modded from a modding company? The tube technology fusion sounds like a good suggestion, but it is out of my budget, if it is above $1500. and is hard to find used. Please keep the advice coming. Thanks again Agoner's.
jond's avatar
jond
5,824 posts
 
Well Bradz, the Fusion is unfortunately not currently available. I checked with Canadian HiFi the North American importer/distributor and they told me that Tube Tech was going to be replacing the Fusion with a new model. However he also told me that this new model was just going to be a cosmetic makeover, the internals would remain exactly the same and thus I wouldn't need to upgrade. I found this to be refreshing honesty on their part. Anyway the final retail price on the player was $4000.00, I've seen it used for around $2100-2500. I got mine by trading a mint Cary 303/200 for it, the deal of the century in my opinion. The Cary was an excellent player but the Fusion is just in a different ballpark sound quality wise. Keep an eye peeled, you never know when a used one might pop up.
bradz's avatar
bradz OP
229 posts
 
Sounds like you did get the deal of the century Jond! I posted this same post over on audioasylum, and someone suggested that the Cary could be sent to a company that specializes in modding. Is there a company that anyone can suggest for possible future mods? TIA.
clio09
3,355 posts
 
Tube Research Labs (TRL) has modified my digital gear, including the Audio Mirror DAC. They have an extensive amount of audio experience (building tube and solid state gear, as well as cables) and have modifed several CDPs (see the TRL Sony595 and TRL Marantz SA-14 threads as examples), DACs, amps, etc. The nice thing about their mod service is the price to quality ratio. Mods are $550 per unit (or box). The quality you get in return is significantly better than what you pay. I am confident they could improve the sound of the Cary and would recommend you contact Paul Weitzel to discuss your needs.
bradz's avatar
bradz OP
229 posts
 
Thanks again Clio09 for your reply. I'm going to call Mr. Weitzel today and see what he thinks about modding the Cary. It makes sense to upgrade the Cary first and then possibly trying a dac later on. Thanks to you all for your insights and suggestions!
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