Want to experience tubed CDP?

Some relatively affordable tube CDP's options: Audio Aero Prima, Shanling CDT100, Super Tjoeb, Jolida 100A, Heart 6000 OSE LE, Cary. Not sure if all of these would best your Cairn Fog.

Another route to consider... a NONOS design DAC (unfiltered, no oversampling) coupled with an affordable transport or quiet pc hard-drive (possibly SACD so that you have the best of both worlds). These DAC's include 47 Labs Shigaraki, Audio Note, Ack! Dac, Scott Nixon, etc) or a NONOS CDP such as Audio Note. Sound is supposed to be natural, linear with good PRaT and an absence of digital glare.

I would also recommend the Eastern Electric Minimax CDP. I have one. Great reviews on 6moons and Audio Circle.

The Minimax is one of my favorites in price performance, but the Lector just doesn't sound digital. It's much more coherent with more analog type air surrounding the instruments. Once you get familiar with the sound, it's difficult to go back to even very expensive and well regarded players. The .5 is a real sleeper.

It's also very unexpectantly un-tubey sounding for a tubed player. That's also the case with their Zoe linestage.

I'm a dealer so take what I say with a grain of salt. But I also sell other players at other price points. The Lector is unique.

Well, I brought home a Jolida JD100a and have spent quite a bit of time with it. It is a great player and portrays a very warm presentation. It soundstages like a champ, expanding the soundstage beyond the speakers; my Cairn seems to take it to the speaker edges only.

Both players have precise imaging, but the Cairn seems to portray a more precise tonal accuracy. It also has a bit less background noise coompared to the Jolida. The Jolida is so seductive, but it does give up some detail to the oh-so refined Cairn. The Cairn is definitely pulling more detail off the disc.

The Jolida adds a little height to the soundstage, while the Cairn is definitely deeper. If the soundstage could be diagrammed from above, the Cairn would have a tigher arc than the Jolida, where the Cairn goes deeper, and the Jolida goes wider.

As far as bass goes, the nod goes to the Cairn, it is juut tighter and punchier. The Cairn wins with PRAT, but the Jolida IS seductive. The Cairn has always pulled me into the music, and I am impressed with how much so the Jolida does this as well!

I am curious what a mod or tube change would bring to the table for the Jolida? I am using EH tubes right now. I love the seduction of the Jolida, and I think it has given me insight into what a tubed CDP can bring to the party, I am just curious if I can give up all the things that the Cairn does so right?

Both players are impressive and I could live with either - almost depending on mood, deciding which one to pop a disc into?

Decisions, decisions...

Triode and Larry, I was simply floored by the BAT/Focal/Shunyata room at HE put on by Sounds by Singer! I would love to bring home a BAT CDP, it's simply out of my range at the time being. Someday...