GRANITE 657 CDP anybody heard it?

Trelja-

Give the #657 an audition, I feel it is in an entirely different league than the #650 that you need to re-audition it. I listened to the output stage for the #650 just for fun one day, and I quickly switched back. The difference is that dramatic, and I'm not saying that the #650 doesn't sound good. However, the difference in sound is so substantial that I now understand why there is a price difference between the two players.

I completely agree with the sentiments that the Granite Audio CD player is warm and forgiving, but not slow. Nothing bright or analytical sounding about it. Very much analog lover's CD player. It blends in well with the rest of my system.

Regards,
Eric

Valid point, Racerx90.

I am not in the market for a CD player in the price range of the Granite 657. However, if the opportunity ever presented itself for me to audition the player, I would certainly take advantage of it.

My opinion is that over the past two years, it has been the fruition of the promise of CD that has been realized. Not the anticipated ascendance of either SACD or DVD-A. Players that I have mentioned in my previous post have demonstrated superior sound to me than SACD from Marantz, Philips, and Sony, as well as DVD-A from Toshiba and Technics I have come across. Further, as the DVD-A format requires a tv in the loop in order to program it, I think the audio world should turn its back on it in kind.

The point I am taking too long to make is that it appears upsampling offers much of what we have all sought out. To date, the lion's share of the upsampling equipment have been more upmarket in terms of price. But, technology always runs downhill. I am predicting that over the next two years, the "it" that makes these special players so special will be infused in the forthcoming generations of players in the sub - $1K price range.

In the meantime, the player at hand, the Granite 657. At the suggested price range Tweekerman is working in, this player definitely needs to be on the short list. In any system up to one that verges on the overly warm and sweet, I feel it would probably make its owner very happy. I would also include the Electrocompaniet. YBA players have also struck me as magical, although their current lineup is seriously long in the tooth, and is in need of an injection of all that has happened over the past 3 - 4 years.

I had the pleasure of going to the granite room at CES at Alexis Park in January and had the real please of meeting Don and his tube output stage CD player. I spent approx 45 min in the room comparing different CDs. He also had a pair of hand made granite tube amps which were simply beautiful.

The CD was connected to a preamp that had the ability to switch between the tubed and non tubed (digital I think) outputs of the CD player. And it was very clear when the tube output stage was on.. warmth is first and foremost in my discription as well as mid range bloom and detail. Top end was softned off, which is a very very good thing especially in a bright environment.

To my ears, the granite, in a perfect enviroment with a great pre-amp and proper ICs like the granite XLRs(which I own) and Granite Power cords (which I also own BTW)comes close to SACD.

Again, even though my gear is racked and behind a oak door

http://www.angelfire.com/mn2/mzn50/

I would of liked to see a top ctrl panel..my logic is, Im there already, I poped in the disc, why not press play or select a track !

I think that would just add to an already superb product

Matt