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CD player recs under $2000 to replace Jolida

Looking for a single box CDP new or used under 2k for the long haul. Replacing a Jolida JD100, and it will be matched with the current Bel Canto Evo2 integrated and either Meadowlark Kestrel 2 or Equation 25 speakers.

A few preferences:
>Fast, dynamic and compatible with most styles of music- not only acoustic or vocals-- most important for me
>Kind to poorly recorded discs- need not be hyper-detailed but should still reveal some ambience
>Tonally rich/warm with good bass- current components are fairly neutral and the room is lively- CDP should not be too lean or edgy
>Balanced a plus, but not essential- no need for volume control

A couple CDPs I'm considering are a used Cary 303/200, Naim CD5 or used CDX, Opera consonance 2.2. Opinions on these or others appreciated.
nzera
mijknarf
266 posts
 
Nzera, you will likely get a lot of advice here, all not necessarily experienced with the Jolida. Just a suggestion...it would be great to ask if anyone has experiecnce with their offerings vs. the Jolida and what their experience is in the difference. For the record, I have no problem with people making recommendations, I'm sure the CDPs mentioned here so far are great units, just would like to know how they compare to the Jolida, make sense?
mlauner
250 posts
 
naim cdx is an awesome cdp in a different league than the jolida.
abb9ae7
60 posts
 
I recently sold my Cary 303/200 and purchased a Jolida jd 100, stock. Did a few mods myself, dampeneed the inside, changed the tubes to Electro Harmonix and added Herbie Lab tube dampers. I let the player run for about 100 hours. This is when the bass finally came in. It was pretty thin sounding until today, at 100 hours of play time. I have to say, the Jolida is a damn sweet sounding player, different from the Cary, not quite as detailed, smoother and warmer, very NICE. At a much lower price than the Cary 303/200, the Jolida is a great machine. I may miss some of the detail, but I will get over it.
ozzy62's avatar
ozzy62
3,132 posts
 
I think Mijknarf has a good point.

So far, I have compared the Jolida to three digital front ends. One being my old Theta Data Basic II/ Audionote 1.1 rig, a Cal Audio Delta/Sigma combo and the stock BAT VK-D5. I preferred the Jolida to varying degrees every time, and so have many of my friends. The other systems were warmer overall, with the BAT being slightly darker. The Jolida has more transparency and detail than all of them, and a slightly cooler midrange with the Electro Harmonix tubes I am using. I may look at some GE longplates in the future, and possibly do some of the upgrades as well, but in stock form with better tubes, it is a tough machine to beat.

Oz
milindks
32 posts
 
Hi,

I currently own Jolida JD 100 with level-1 modifications from parts connexion other gears are odyssey and speakers are paradigm ref 100 v2, I have to agree with NZera that even though this is a nice player it is doesn't have the attack or dynamics of some other players, before buying this I heard Arcam FMJ-32 in my system its a nice player and is fast and dynamic, still I prefered Jolida JD 100, but it would be nice to have a CD player like Jolida and have a speed and dynamics of Arcam. (By the way I have sylvania glod plated triple mica in JD 100 - nice tubes)

Thanks,

Milindks
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