Audio Research Ref: CD8

I just recieved my CD-7 back from ARC with the upgrade. Will was right on in his assessment.

I only had time to listen to a few "cuts" before I had to leave, so anything I say here was with less than an hour on the player. Its operating on "repeat" until I get home tonight.

The improvement is NOT subtle at all ... in fact, from my limited time listening today, what occured to me was ... this is like going from a mid-grade Grado cartridge to a very good moving coil. In comparison, inner-detail is much improved, like hearing around the notes of a classical guitar. Dynamics are much more explosive ... try the Jessica Williams "Live at Yoshi's" piano trio, both Vol-I and Vol-II. Amazing.

My contact at ARC tells me that the modded CD-7 gets you about one-quarter to one-forth of the way to a CD-8. All I can say is, the CD-8 must be something speciall indeed.

I'd recommend the upgrade mod to anyone who has a stock CD-7. Original owners get the mod for free.

Take care guys and happy listening.

I also got my CD 7 back from ARC a few days ago. If you read WSILL and OREGONPAPA's comments they have hit it right on the "head" with the new performance achieved. It really is a new listening experience. I highly recommend any original owners to upgrade their players. The turn around time was only two weeks. Great service from a great company. The only thing I can't figure out is why they didn't include a power off button on the remote like the Ref 3 has??? I wish I could turn it off from my chair. Does the CD 8 include one on that remote?

Great to hear that the CD-7 upgrades gives a nice sonic improvement. I'll be sending mine in soon.

To continue ...

I had two friends over to hear the upgraded CD-7. To say that I had to pry their jaws off of the carpet is an understatement. Both are very familiar with my system. One arrived late, and as he walked into the room and after hearing only a couple of notes, he immediatly said: "Now there's a tweak that is amazing!" I put on the Bach Tocata on the EMI Classic disc and that's when the jaws hit the floor, mine included. Does this revamped player play bass? In a word ... YES! I put on another disc on the Brainbridge label, Stephen Kates on cello. None of my previous players; CD-III, CD-IIImk-2, or the stock CD-7 could handle the lower register of the cello on this disc. They simply crapped out. The modded CD-7 not only handled the low notes, it put them right through my chest! I'm still in disbelief over it. I had always thought the amp was running out of power on this disc, even though I have 100 watts and 94db efficient speakers. Looks like the majority of CD players just aren't up to the job on these Brainbridge CDs. Same thing with the lower registers of a well recorded piano. I have some simply miked piano recorded at local concerts ... and let me tell you, THIS is a piano! A piano right in the room!

This is like having an entirely new CD collection. Now I'm thinking ... Do I dare sell this player and get the CD-8? I'm kind of thinking, if, as my contact at ARC says, the modded CD-7 gets you 25% of the way to the CD-8, and I get the CD-8, will I ever leave the house again? Will I sell all of my thousands of records, dump the turntable and phono-stage ... and just be done with the whole vinyl thing?

Save me! I'm lost!

Man, that's good news. I'm excited about the better bass that the CD-7 update apparently provides!