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What to upgrade from Bluenote Koala? $3500 ish

I am thinking about upgrading from my BlueNote Koala Tube CD Player. I've done A-B comparisons to Audio Reseach CD3 MKII, BAT VK-D5 and Lector CDT.7. Each of those players resolved detail in a more musical way to my ears, and had a deeper more hologaphic soundstage. The Bluenote Koala is very dynamic, but has a rather forward solid state sound to it, albeit very musical. It is wonderful, but when I did the A-B tests, it was bested. I listen to jazz, Singer/Songwriter, blues, Rock. Artists such as: Keb'mo, Nora Jones, Diana Krall, Bruce Cokcburn, Amos Lee, James Blunt, James Taylor, Sting, Aaron Neville, Larry Carlton, Rippingtons, Russ Freeman, Brian Bromberg etc. Hence my search. I'd like to spend no more than $3500 or so. Here is my short list, new and used:

Cary 306/200 (Can't afford the 306SACD)
Cary 303/300
Audio Research CD3 MKII
BAT VK-D5 0r VK-D5SE
Resolution Opus 21
Rega Saturn
Dare I consider the new Shanling CD-T1500 or Raysonic CD128

My System:
Audio Research Vsi55 Tube Integrated
Proac Response 3.5 Floor standing Speakers
BlueNote Koala Tube CD Player (Sovtek 6922's)
Acoustic Zen Satori Shotgun Speaker cables
Acoustic Zen Silver Ref II IC
Running Springs JACO Power Conditioner
Wireworld Silver Electra 5/2 PC on BlueNote Koala
Black Sand Silver Ref V/Oyaide 046 PC on ARC Integrated
Oyaide XXX AC Wall socket with Carbon fiber Mounting plate
FIM Isoltation roller blocks under components
Dedicated audio Acrylic Cable lifters
128x128groberts3
groberts3's avatar
groberts3 OP
38 posts
 
Your comment is interesting thinking the Koala will be more musical and entertaining. I've compared it directly to the BAT VK-D5 (6922 version) in a BAT VK300 system. I thought the BAT CDP was way more musical than the Bluenote. The BAT revealed a deeper soundstage, the bass was tighter, lower, with better detail and harmonic content. The Bluenote was rather 'solid state' sounding by comparison. It was more up front, forward and more focused in ways that were not as holographic as I like. I am hoping for the same results in my own living room. I'll be sure to post a review in A-B Comparison to the Bluenote.

FYI - I also bought some Herbie Tube dampers! I've read great reports that they tighten things up in a very musical way.
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
i agree with hiernote . i owned the bat player and tried amperex and mullard 6 volt tubes. alas, the player was as hiernote described. the koala was very similar.

i have been auditioning the melody cd m10 for about 2 and one half weeks. bartokfan wanted me to give a full report.
i can't do that because i am reviewing the player.

i can say that it is another choice and since it uses 6sn7 tubes in the buffer stage, and a rectifier tube, it may be possible to alter its sound by changing the tubes. the player costs $2500 and weighs about 75 pounds.
bobf
207 posts
 
I keep reading these post about the Bluenote's being digital sounding and not 3-dimensional and forward.What are you kidding?
The stibbert i have is none of these.It is smother than the Mephisto i sold as well as other cdp's.It has a beautiful soundstage that is wide and deep that also wraps around you that even my wife has noticed as she has had to deal with my audio illness for over 30 years.
I am not saying it is the end all but it is far from digital and forward sounding and as usuall each to their own.
groberts3's avatar
groberts3 OP
38 posts
 
That may be true for the Stibbert. I hear GREAT things about it. Depending on system, speaker placement, room acoustics, I'll bet it's nothing short of amazing. But the Koala is not the Stibbert. It's half the cost or greater of a price difference. All I can tell you is my experience.

I did some comparing tonight using the Koala on a different amp, and the sound was much less forward and was more natural. I was wrongfully attributing the forward sounds to the Koala, and in fact, it was the Integrated amp I was using that made things sound smaller, more one dimensional and somewhat compressed.

I also noticed that using Balanced interconnects on the Koala made a marked improvement.

Gary
bobf
207 posts
 
Hi Gary,
Bluenote does highly recommend the xlr outs and I did find it better also.
I just could not fathom the Stibbert as being digital sounding nor found it with the Koala as my ML Prodigy's would always let me know when things were sounding that way.As you stated it is always system dependent.
Regards,Bob
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