I went to audition some CDPs today, here is what I found :
The local market does not have lots to offer in my desired price range.
I got to try Cambridge Audio 640c V2, Nad 525 and 542, Rotel 1072, Marantz 5001 and Arcam cd73.
I managed to listen to the 640 and 1072, 525, 542 and 5001, and 640 and cd73 in the same conditions (system/room). All played through much higher price and quality preamp, amp, speakers, cables than the players own values.
If you do the maths, I could not compare directly (at all, in my opinion) the 640 and 1072 to the NADs and Marantz, or the cd73 to the NADs, Marantz or the 1072.
By illimination : I prefered the 640 to the 1072 for its more relax low range (Massada Ensemble contra-bass felt more natural on the 640 and too tight and dynamic on the 1072). The second was very clean but maybe too analytic for my taste.
I disliked the 5001 for its lack of musicality (sounded like a machine playing my music, and I was genuinely anoyed by Massada's violin harsh sound), and prefered the 542 to the 525 for its more natural, more musical and round, full sound. Yet I was not amazed.
I then compared the 640 and the cd73. I went back from one to another so many times and did not feel so much of a difference -- untill I put K. Jarrett's "The Cure". On this album, the piano sounds like it is miked from the inside and with the cd73, I felt like my head was inside the piano. The sound was now clearly warmer, fuller : much more naturel than with the 640 V2. Same with MMW "Tonic", recorded in a very small bar with all the instruments cramed close to each other with the audience (of too small stage, along with the crowd).
Now, my living room is far to sound as good as the listening rooms I used today.
My amplifier and (most of all) my speakers are of much less quality than those used for auditioning the CDPs.
I have a hard choice to make : the 640 is already rough on my budget, the cd73 busts it. I figure I will not hear that much of a difference at home. But I wouldn't want to regret a compromise the day I buy new, better speakers : "buy better, buy less", "cry more, but once" they say.
I think Arcam will be it -- unless I get real "reasonable" real soon.
