I'm back now to my CDP

Just when I thought had discovered the joy and improvement of my iMac as my source, I'm back to my TEAC PD-H600 as my primary way of listening.

All it took was the puzzlement I was going through as to why my CDP didn't measure up, sound wise, to my iMac, which led me to rummage through some of older ICs. (I can hear/feel/sense the wry acknowledge of those who have gone before me).

Initially, I've been using the same make of wire for the speakers, power cords, and both sets of ICs (between CDP and integrated and between DAC and integrated) and was quite content with the full bodied sound. They are Zu Mission and are quite nice.

My only caveat was the clarity, detail and extension that I was getting over my iMac set up compared to my CDP, which now came across as denser, unable to unravel the intricacies and equal the extension in the upper regions.

With a 5 week layoff and not much to do, I went through my collection of wires and first tried the RS Audio Cables silver ICs with Eichmann Bullet contacts. Gone were the clouds that masked the upper regions. Cleaner was the midrange. But what happened to the body? Bass was there, taut, defined and tuneful but more than several rows back from the upper mids and highs.

Next up (and thankfully last) were an old set of Mapleshade copper ribbon ICs sheathed in a kind of cellophane. Epiphany time! Now my TEAC is back at the top of my food chain.

iMac convenience be damned. Everything at my fingertips phooey. Back to old school. What I now have is the most realistic, convincing playback I've had in my rig. Right now I'm driving my neighbors nuts playing this and that.

The sound experience is akin to what I felt at the Newport Audio Show in the Brooks Berdan room when their TTs took me back all those years to the beauty of LPs and what is possible. Right now I have it all.

Call it what you will: synergy, symbiosis, happenstance, Dickensian. It all applies.

I've now called off my search for anything digital be it amp, integrated, music server. This is delicious. I'm so impressed. I want to marry Melody Gardot.

I couldn't understand why in two reviews at 6moons both reviewers preferred their CDPs over the server but one ended up buying it himself for the convenience (my take on it). The letters section had some whining (my take, again) responses: you didn't take this into consideration, you didn't try this, how dare you, etc.

Now I understand. Digital can be what it's cracked up to be but I'd have to invest more to better what I'm hearing right now: a new room (out of the question), shorter iMac path to rig, better music app, etc. Or I could buy a music server, an expensive remote (iPod Touch, Pad). Why bother?

The only downside is reverting back to getting off my lazy ass and rearranging my CD collection and getting used to CDs lying around where they shouldn't be.

Looking forward to it.

I know this part should be in the cable section but thank you, Pierre Sprey, for making these ICs.

All the best,
Nonoise