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Which CD Player /DAC From The Following...

Hey. I'm gonna purchase a used CD player / DAC shortly and would like to hear people's experience with the following players:

CAL Icon mkII
CAL CL-5
Cambridge Audio D500se
Denon 1650AR

I've only heard the Icon player because I know someone who has it and I like it but I don't have the ability to demo any of those players and almost always buy used so I can sell it if I don't like it. I was also considering getting one of the CAL DACs and leaving my Sony CDP-CA9ES as the transport.

System is Rotel Pre, Adcom amp, Thiel 1.5s, MIT cabling.

Whachya think?

Thanks! leo.
leoturetsky
jvr
105 posts
 
i say go with a cal tube dac. good and not very expensive. this will add a great deal of flexibility in future upgrades. i think the cal will add some synergy to your current system. (there are a lot of other good dacs out there too!)
sedond
1,387 posts
 
if your present cd-player has digital coax out, i'd get an art di/o for $130 shipped, then spend ~$140 on it to have it tweaked. check the threads on the a-gon forum & on the audio asylum digital forum. this is an outstanding piece - combined w/my cheap nad cd-changer, it's a significant improvement over an $1800 alchemist nexus & $3k resolution audio cd-50 i have auditioned...

doug s.

ramesh23
55 posts
 
Hi,
I had the Cal Icon Mk II cdp used as a transport and hooked up to a MSB Link III dac with good results! I also know someone using the Cal Icon Mk II with a Orelle dac! Both sound was good!
Rgds,
Ramesh
audiotomb's avatar
audiotomb
1,112 posts
 
I have Cal ICon as a transport and EVS Millenium II as a dac
(blows away dacs 5 times as expensive)

for $1400 total this is a killer combo

tom
wccoe
75 posts
 
I had a Sony CDP-CA8ES and upgraded to a Cal Labs CLD-10. One of the best upgrades I ever made!! I also upgraded to an EVS Millennium II DAC. It makes music sound REAL!!
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