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Comparing these CD players with my gear...

Hi folks, 

I'm always messing around with CD players. A longtime audio friend of mine says I have a CD fetish... well, he's probably right. In a medium that is slowly dying, I'm still spinning discs more than ever. I stream too, but there still something awesome about taking a CD or LP and placing it in/onto a machine to play the sweet music we all love. 

Anyway, in my latest jaunt for something new, I've put together my latest list of players that have caught my eye for one reason of another. My gear consists of a Creek 4330SE integrated amp and Vandersteen 2C speakers. Cables are DH Labs Q-10's and Air Matrix interconnects. 

So what are your thoughts/impressions/comments on the synergies of the following CD players and how they would sound with my gear. I'm most curious about the Naim, Cambridge Audio and Myryad. 

Naim CD3.5
Cambridge Audio 840c
Myryad MCD600
Cal Audio Labs Icon mkII Power Boss
Marantz CD6006 (or CD6005)
Rotel RCD-1072




jsbach1685
nordicnorm
313 posts
 
jafant,

I'm using Teo Audio GC liquid metal interconnects and Grant Fidelity MSC-2.5 Pure Copper Reference speaker cables.

My digital coax cable (from S9000ES -> DAC) was Canare (forget which model now).

cheers,
Norm
jsbach1685 OP
145 posts
 
The Naim CD3.5 has arrived. I've been listening for a couple days now and my initial impressions can be summed up in three words: MUSICAL and RHYTHMIC. The third word, DETAILED, I noticed later as I was listening to more complex material. I have a test disc that contains everything from Smashing Pumpkins to Mozart's Requiem, and the 3.5 played both very well. Even my harsher sounding CD's sound great on this machine.  

As for cables, the 3.5 came with a Chord Company Cobra (Original Series) DIN to RCA. Since there is DIN on the Naim side, I have no way to test cables to see what my DH Labs Air Matrix interconnects would sound like with the Naim. My speaker cables are the matching DH Labs Q-10's.  

More listening this weekend... 

jafant's avatar
jafant
20,007 posts
 
TY- Norm
jafant's avatar
jafant
20,007 posts
 
Good to read- jsbach1685

I look forward to a proper review soon.  A few years ago, I heard a Naim system and really enjoyed the "sound".

Keep me posted and Happy Listening!
jymc
94 posts
 
Hmm mgreen....you mean I can resurrect my old Rotel CDP out of storage in my garage and achieve the same level of sound as out of a Linn CD12 or an Esoteric K1?  Thanks for the tip.  

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