Audio Research Reference CD-7

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.

I just received my Audio Research CD7. Out of the box it sounded already fantastic but now after 2 days of playing the sound even improved more. So holographic, musical and fun to listen. The details are also very good on this player.

I compared side by side with the Wadia 581 and I prefererred the CD7. Two of my friends prefer also the CD7 and another one prefers the Wadia.

Try before you buy. It must match the set. But in my set the matching is wonderful and I am a very happy owner now.

In this price range I think the ARC is the best. If cost is no object than the DCS Scarlati is still better. I heard this one besides the Wadia and it totaly smashed the Wadia.

Peter

I'm resurrecting this thread because I am curious to know how many people who owned this player two years ago still own it today?? I read some of Branimir's post, looks like he'd moved on to Esoteric.

I recently took home the CD7 for a quick audition, I thought what it does best is to put the listener in a 'relax' mood. The trade-off is, it's not as 'aggresive' and 'tight' and 'high resolution' than a typical Esoteric house sound. But I can live with such 'trade-off'. The only problem with CD7 is that it generates big hum that can be heard through my speakers. I tried lifting the ground, changing interconnect, rearranging the placement of the gears but couldn't cure the hum. My preamp accept only single ended RCA so I can't try the balanced connection which was a pity.

The next CD player I want to audition is a Marantz SA-7S1, from what I read, it's more musical than Esoteric, but perhaps still not as 'relaxing' as the ARC CD7.