Cambridge Audio D500SE CD player

Received my d500 yesterday and ran it all night and all day, Mr. Tallyman. I suppose it's that 3/10's volt (output is 2.3 volts) but this player is far more dynamic than the Parasound 1000 it replaces. As did Trelja, I find the soundstaging very good, even sounds on pop music that have been panned to the speakers sound like they're coming from in front of, but not directly from. The entire soundstage has moved a foot or so further forward of the speakers.Perhaps its the sampling or the lower jitter but there is more of the recording coming through: breathing, hall ambience, secondary vocal and instrumental lines and especially 12 string guitar overtones. I differ from Trelja about the bass, there is great impact from the drum kit as well as clearly audible attacks and bowing of orchestral double bass. This could be system dependent (SFL-1 and Sonographe 250 with Silver Solution IC's and DH 14 cables bi-wired to Kestrels). Interestingly, my silver colored model has an aluminum faceplate and although Cambridge says no cheap cables, there they are, and are they ever. The loading drawer mechanism is very solid and fast, the remote is good but the controls are in strange, to me, places. Now, can someone 'splain me the function of the toslink input for"dacs that have a clock output"? Huh?

Trelja, Kitch29, does this unit have a digital INput as well as output? If so, I wonder if you could run a digital out to an upsampler, then an input (even, ugh, Toslink) from the upsampler (or for that matter, a DVD player with a digital out that passes a 24/96 signal) back into the unit to take advantage of the 24/192 DAC. That would be a possible further advantage for this player.

Trelja: So, are you saying that this is a better all round player than the original planet?? I have Friday off work to continue my search for a new CDP, but as you say, for the price, this might be a no brainer. Kitch, what did you compare this to?? Thanks

Miked, I am saying that in my opinion, the sound is at least as good(to me, better) than the original Planet. My dealer carries NAD, Jolida, Cambridge, Rega, and Electrocompaniet. He told me to forget about the new Rega, in favor of this new Cambridge. I did not even audition it. My girlfriend was paying, and I refused to let her pay that much(although she wanted to). But, when he talked to me previously on the phone, he told me he liked the sound of the new Cambridge better than the new Rega. He also said he is very disappointed with the new Rega's build quality, but I cannot comment on that one(haven't seen it in person). He said he wouldn't stop me from buying the more expensive player, but he does not BS me. That's why I try to buy from him. If a cheaper piece is better, he is honest with me. I was never that big a fan of the old Rega. Nice, but... Kind of.. bland??? I thought I would buy a MF A3 CD, but that player always seemed less in terms of sound than it reads on paper. Lightweight. Fast. Open. Detailed. But, lightweight. Seems better on the outside(gorgeous cosmetics) than on the inside. Cambridge seems to be the opposite. The Cambridge sounds good. And to back up Kitch29, the bass is pretty good. I just compare it to two killer players I have heard, and it does not have the impact that they do. But, they are much more expensive. With the requisite parts to have that sound. The Cambridge is $450. Right now my system consists of the Cambridge w/HomeGrown Audio Silver Lace into a Jadis Orchestra Reference Integrated(surprising bass), connected to Coincident Technology Digital Masters via Coincident speaker cable, Coincident Troubass subwoofers via AudioQuest Midnight. I feel that double bi - wiring with these thick gauge speaker cables allows me to extract every last drop of sound, detail, bass.

Miked- keeping in mind just 24 hours so far, I compare it to Audio Refinement Complete, which was similar but not nearly as dynamic and the combination of my Parasound 1000 and MBS DAC III which was even more laid back than the Parasound alone, although come to think of it I was using an MIT digital cable, see: carl eber, et. al. What comes the closest in a very strange audition is the Classe' .3 but if you read my "Big Adventure" post the point was how can you tell where the cd player leaves off and the $15,000 amplifier and $10,000 speakers begin? Oh, I also heard one of the better Sony's, ES-7??, the Cambridge, which still sounds edgy is still more musical. Guys, and Elisabeth and Angela, the Cambridge is $399, money back 30 day guarantee, why not listen to it instead of me?