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Musical Fidelity A3.2 v. tubed CD players

Hey-
I have recently made some changes to my system & have moved from seperates to an integrated. I now have a McIntosh MA 6900 and a Musical Fidelity A3.2 CD Player. I used to have a Rogue 66 tube pre & Conrad Johnson MF 2500 amp. Now that I no longer have tubes in my system i've realized the 3.2 is a little too bright - dont get me wrong, its a wonderful & detailed player, just a little too harsh for my tastes. So now im beginning to ponder getting a tubed CD player, i've checked out the Jolida JD100 and that looks like a nice unit... My goal is to eliminate some brightness without losing much detail. Id like to saty under $2K and would prefer a unit with a sliver face. The new Cary 303/300 tube & SS outputs looks sooo tempting! Any suggestion on some warm CD players?

Musical Fidelity A3.2 CD player
Tara Labs ic's
Mcintosh MA 6900 integrated
Luminous Audio Renaissance speaker cables
B&W N804 w/ Sound Anchors

i've swapped the Tara Labs ic's for some various Luminous Audio ic's and havent noticed too much difference between the two...

thanks for reading!
jclyle
robm321
932 posts
 
I have the Cary 308T, and with Mullard tubes, it is as close to the Jolida CDP, but with better detail. Very musical.

If you have the funds though, I'd assume the 303/300 would probably be a step up. I'm just assuming that, so check into it.
philbrady
89 posts
 
Jcyle, I have not heard the A3.2 but have heard the new A5. It is a nice player but the presentation is not as relaxed as others I have heard. The a5 is very detailed and spacious but lacks warmth. I assume the a5 is similar to what you have. The cary 308t would be an excellent choice for a stand alone player. If interested, a non o/s dac would give you a very musical presentation. Many are available for less than $1k that have a more analog presentation than the Musical Fidelity. Check out my setup and cd players I have tried. I was looking for what you were looking for and got there in a roundabout way, (older dac with dvd player), after auditioning the A5, 308T, Marantz 8260, Classe ? (newer model), Jolida 100, Arcam and NAD models. Phil Brady.
jclyle OP
35 posts
 
Phil-
Thanks for your input. I have a Jolida JD 100 on the way that should be here today. The only mod that has been done to it is some soundcoating being added. It has some RCA tubes that come with it & I have some Ei gold pins on hand so im looking forward to swapping some tubes. If the Jolida doesnt work out i'll look for a Cary 308T, maybe even a CD/DVD player to minimize some space on my rack, I had HDTV hooked up this weekend & need to squeeze the converter box in...
foster_9
1,638 posts
 
Congrats on the Jolida. It's a solid player and tube rolling can make for a warmer presentation.
cruz123
586 posts
 
I can echo the findings of Robm321. I upgraded from the JD100 to a Cary 308T and the Cary has much better detail - in my system - than the Jolida. That being said, the Jolida is a great piece for half the money. FYI, I liked 5751 tubes in the Jolida, as opposed to the stock 12AX7's. There's a lot of tube recommendations for the JD100 in the archives. Good luck!

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