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Best Tube CDP for $2000 Budget

Want to try a tube CDP in my system, have always owned solid state and currently have Rega Saturn and Meridian G08.
Looking for that smooth relaxed sound that minimizes any faults/digital hardness in average recordings while still preserving decent detail. I know this is the paradox of an audiophile, but I want to relax and feel the music and not worry about maximum detail presentation.

Am looking at Raysonic CD 128 and Cayin CD 17T, can anyone comment on these or have any other favorites?

Also please compare them to other CDPs you have heard, thanks.
128x128megasam
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
hi bartokfan:

i saw and heard the prima luna cd player at the 2007 ces. it will be available towards the end of may, so i have been told.

as for the cayin. i have requested a review sample of this player several times. he tells me that he hasn't any in stock and when they arrive from china, they are sold.
acoustic sounds informed me that the sacd player and the the cd player sound almost the same. i wasn't impressed with the sacd player using stock tubes, so i'm not sure that i would want to pursue the cd player.
bartokfan
664 posts
 
Well don't then. "almost the same" but indeed they are NOT EXACTLY THE SAME PLAYER. Stock tubes its a great sound, Sovtek tubes even better. Prima Luna is the lower end line of cayin, ASFAIK. The only other player that interests me is the Melody, which i hope to own one day, in spite of the fact that a guy in HK told me he's heard both and prefered the Cayin.
bartokfan
664 posts
 
Raed the specs on the dealer's web page here on audiogon. The 17 are SACD 50 do in fact have more than one component difference. Your "i've heard the SACD 50 and was not impressed' holds little value. The quad of Sovtek 6922' s only cost me $150 and suggest you roll the stock chinese tubes when ever you do eventually get the 17. Then post a comment. the 4 opamps pop out easily, but hold off on that tweak as you critque the 17.
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bartokfan
664 posts
 
look at the german web site for Cayin. trust me all their designs are top notch. The guts of the 17 are stunning!!!!
Prima Luna is NOT Cayin. dream on.
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