Audio Research Reference CD-7

Last month I decided to buy a US$6.000,00 (Red Book) CD PLAYER to replace my GAMUT CD-1. This was my $$$ limit. Nevertheless, it took no longer then a 15 minutes audition to the REF-CD7 to make me double the investment... and i bougth it. Am i happy? You can bet. Regrets? None.

Last month I decided to buy a US$6.000,00 (RB) CD PLAYER to replace my GAMUT CD-1. This was my $$$ limit. Nevertheless, it took me a 15 minutes audition to the REF-CD7 to make me double the investment... and i bougth it. Am i happy? You can bet. Regrets? None.
Good Luck!
João - Brazil

I have about 300 hours on my CD-7 now. To me, it sounds like listening to an ultra high end turntable and cartridge. This was a wonderful upgrade from my CD3 MK 2. Voice, piano, strings, guitar, horns all sound very natural and involving. Quite honestly, I would never have believed that digital could sound so natural. I'm still not ready to dump my several thousand record collection yet though. The CD-7 has proven to me that BOTH mediums can be truely great.

This is a bit off topic, but I feel I have to comment on the following: I think the looks of the CD-7 is boring, cheapish, in short: it sucks. It doesn't have the looks of a CDP but one of an traditional ARC preamp or poweramp. Why didn't ARC design a CDP which doesn't share the similar looks of their pre- and poweramps? This is design for the sake of design itself and not in service of functionality.

Chris

Chris,
I agree with you to some degree...
But, ARC REF CD7 is together with REF3 the best ARC component in last ten years IMHO. REF CD7 is wonderfully music Cd player and is a natural choice is all ARC system.
BTW, I changed my REF210 to HD220. To my ears HD220 is better... But, this is topic for another thread.