2. digital
  3. 128120-10135

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
mgreen27
147 posts
 

"What do you guys think of the Theta Miles? I used to have one (and loved it) but I different gear at the time. Any comments on how a Miles would sound with the rest of my gear? I have the opportunity to buyback the one I sold another audio friend a while back. He wanted a black one (mine was silver)."

I had one. The build quality was fine buy I didn't care for the sound quality. It just had no life to it. Very boring player to listen to. Some of it, I believe, had to do with Pioneer transport they used. The Wadia 830 and 301 were the only players I've heard that sounded really good with that transport.

"I've talked to the seller and he cannot confirm... only saying the original had it upgraded, or perhaps upgraded to the 3.5? So what do you guys think?"

Call Naim and give them the serial number. I think the US importer is somewhere in NY.

Post removed 
mgreen27
147 posts
 

"Why not look at the analog section of the dac as well? I think you’ll find all the players mentioned use dac data textbook I/V stage and output stages, which are just opamps."

I've owned 3 of the players on the OP's list and I have a fair amount of time with 2 others. They all sound different. Audio is hands on. If you want good sound you have to be proactive. That means listening to as much gear as you can. If you make buying decisions based on spec sheets, that's what your system will sound like. A spec sheet.

ranjan
35 posts
 
An Eastern Electric Minimax is within your price range if bought used. It is tube based and is as close to analog sounding as any single unit I have heard. Good luck on your search. 
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

mgreen27

"Why not look at the analog section of the dac as well? I think you’ll find all the players mentioned use dac data textbook I/V stage and output stages, which are just opamps."

I’ve owned 3 of the players on the OP’s list and I have a fair amount of time with 2 others. They all sound different. Audio is hands on. If you want good sound you have to be proactive. That means listening to as much gear as you can. If you make buying decisions based on spec sheets, that’s what your system will sound like. A spec sheet.

This is why most of the one mentioned have text book I/V and analogue stages, nothing special.

But if you really want to be hands on and have the ability, you can do a far better feedback free I/V stage and better output buffer than these text book ones that OP is choosing between.
Here is a link I started over at DiyAudio on a better I/V stage for dacs and cdp's which gives a far better sound than the text book stuff.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/227677-using-ad844-i-v.html

Cheers George
More to discover