2. analog
  3. 1246580521

Where to go from here

I've got to rave about my setup. I started upgrading my system about a year ago after years of raising kids, etc. Had an old Denon 75 turntable with a Luxman arm, Adcom GFA 55 amp, Vandersteen 2ce speakers, dumpy little Sony CD player, Hafler preamp that I built years ago.

Started by changing out the speakers to Quad 22L2, then bought a Rega P3-24 with Elys II, Cary SLP-94L preamp, Cambridge Audio Azur 640 CD player, bought another GFA 555 and am running a vertical bi-amp to the Quads. Then started tweaking, mostly with the turntable because one of the reasons I stopped listening critically to music over the years is because CDs always sounded wrong to me. So, got a Herbie's mat, TTPSU, built a vibration platform with two hardwood boards and squash balls in between with a timbernation maple 2" slab (with adjustable spikes) on top then turntable, changed out the subplatter with a groovetracer and the counterweight with the Mitchell.

Also, got Morrow Audio connectors for the CD and Aurelex Subdudes for the speakers.

Holy Moly, the analog sounds incredible, especially after switching out the subplatter and counterweight. I'm begging people to come in and listen to vinyl. Even my old vinyl, cleaned up on a VPI 16.5 sounds great. I'm in analog heaven. But, even though my CDs now sound better because of the addition of the Cary tube preamp and Morrow interconnects, it still doesn't sound right a lot of the time.

My question: I've spent about 2k on the analog setup. If I spend that much on a CD player, what can I expect? Can I approach the quality sound I am getting from my analog rig?

Thanks for any help you can give me.
gmsasso
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,172 posts
 
I think you should be able to with the 640. I've heard it done well with the 840c and I think the 640 is supposed to be sonically equivalent.

I guess it would help to know more about what sounds good with the vinyl and wrong with the CDs to you?
gmsasso OP
33 posts
 
Hi Mapman:
Some of the technical stuff would be compression, etc. But, what I hear a lot of the time from cds sounds mechanical, like it is not quite human. Sometimes it is very bright sounding and uncomfortable. I guess the main thing I notice is that I get listener fatigue pretty quickly with cds but not with analog.
It is not the case with all cds. Steely Dan's Gaucho sounds great on cd, but the analog copy of Aja is much better than the cd version. The cd version of Van Morrison Astral Weeks and Moondance sounds awful compared to the analog versions.
I have been buying analog lately that includes a cd copy along with it, and that allows me to make really direct comparisons. Rilo Kiley "Under the Blacklight" sounds great on analog, bright with no bass on cd.

I'm not sure if it is just my ears, or what. But, Analog seems more involving and less tiring. I've tried to factor out the whole ritual of playing analog that might effect how I hear it, and I think I have been able to do it.
artemus_5's avatar
artemus_5
1,926 posts
 
Footers. That was the ticket for my cdp. First I used pumice stone. Then i discovered roller balls. The improvement was more than subtle. Soundstage increased tremendously. Go to AA and look in the tweaks section for diyumas
It is simply a 1" copper cap with a convex cabinet handle atop the open end of the cap. Place a roller bearing on top of the convex handle and set the cdp on top.
A new cdp may be better than the 640 but the diyumas should help a lot
kyomi_audio's avatar
kyomi_audio
63 posts
 
Most of the time 2K analog beats 2K digital, unfortunately. There are very few exceptions, almost none.
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