Audio Research Ref: CD8

Although it is still too early to have a definitive opinion - my CD8 has only around 250 hours continuous playing time with same breaks - it is now very different sounding from the CD7. The sound balance is different, the CD8 bass has better definition and resolution. During the last days the CD8 has become somewhat bright, sibilants seem enhanced. I hope that after burn in the tonal balance becomes fuller again!

Just got the CD-8 today.

Here are some inside images of the new design with 6550 tube in the PS:

Inside View 1
Inside View 2

The DAC chipset used is 24/192kHz capable PCM1792 from Burr-Brown:

Inside View 3

Now I'm gonna leave the player in a repeat mode 24/7 for the next 10 days or so before I start any listening. By then the player should already have around 240h of play time, although based on my expirience with CD-7, I reckon that it will need additional 200h to fully break in.

During the last days the CD8 has become somewhat bright, sibilants seem enhanced. I hope that after burn in the tonal balance becomes fuller again!

This is the same rollercoster I expirienced whan I was breaking in my old CD-7. The sound was changing from dull to bright and vice versa.

This is why I resisted the temptation to listen the the player fresh out of the box. Based on your expirience with CD-8, I may even extend the initial burn in from 10 days, to full 20 days. It will give me more time to play with the dCS Puccini I still have on loan.

Can someone tell me what the difference is between the 5881 and the 6550 tube besides the size of them? How come ARC didn't put the 6550 in the the CD 7 upgrade? Doesn't the 6550 give superior bass definition? Thanks

I think 6550 is more powerful than a 5881 (that is a smaller version of the 6L6), This tubes are being used in the PS so they are not in the path of sound, but as a part in the PS. As long as there is enough power for the audio circuits I don't think they will make any change in the sound result. But the malfunction of then (like what was happening with the two 6H30) will affect sound.

Many people here saying CD8 is better than CD7, but how manny of them had a PS CD7 fault and don't know about it. What people is saying is that a CD7 with the last update and CD8 the difference in sound is not big.