Used Classe CDP 0.3 or new Music Hall CD25?

p.s. I have heard these both (but not side-by-side) and they are both to my taste. The Music Hall is surprisingly non-digital for an inexpensive player. I'm afraid that doesn't help, but I would personally be happy with either one.

If cost were similar, I would go for the Classe to match your preamp, on the thought that since you can't audition in your home, you can trust that the Classe people have done some system matching.

Ehart,

I agree with your comments to some degree but still- it is better to leave politics out of the equation especially when the person is asking about the merits of an audio product- not where one's political alliance may lead to. For example, given the recent tension between the US and France, does that mean I should bypass French audio products just because there may be a political problem here? Likewise should the French audio consumers avoid US products because of some anti-American propoganda?

If a product mates well with my system whether it is Krell from the US, Jadis from France, or Red Rose manufactured in China, then that is what matters most. Besides, half the products out there is already made in China. The statement that Chinese work in conditions that are horrendous is not necessarily true- it is not comparable to sweatshop labour in some parts of Central America. In fact, China is very modern- in some ways (certain industries) even more so than many Western countries- that is why so many large multi-nationals have a manufacturing base in China because of the higher quality control at a lower labour cost. Rotel products are made in China; so are Red Rose etc. Yet they do sell quite well. It is always great to support a home-grown product, but if it doesn't match, then one must make other decisions. Speaking of Classe, if someone was anti-Canadian, would it be wrong to recommend it to him? After all, it is up to the person to decide whether he chooses to buy the product, and it is not up to us to decide for him where his political or economic preferences may be. He may share our views, but we have no business to tell him which country he should avoid buying from etc.

Happy Listening!

Zenaissance

zenaissance are you for real? politics aside 98.4567% of stuff coming out of china cant touch the high end stuff coming from the states.this is coming from a canadian whos owned lots of chinese,british or whatever.the guys rigth but for the wrong reason.i can get a paper wieght made in china for $6.99{canadian that is}why would i pay $700.

Let me add to this discussion because I've actually owned a Music Hall MMF CD25 since late February of 2002. It's in a McIntosh system and a great player.
Brand new and right out of the box it sounded smooth and non-fatigueing. And it's smoothness and dynamics have improved with use. For the price point new, I think it's a great value. Much better build quality than the similarly priced Cambridge players; and capable of playing back HDCD discs as well. If you buy one, I would suggest you upgrade a bit and get a decent power cord for the Music Hall. It does make a modest difference.
As for the Classe, I haven't heard the .3 model - but have heard the .5 and really liked it. Again - smooth, detailed sound with none of that digital "edge" - not to mention build quality that's hard to beat.
Both the Classe and Music Hall are very decent "buys" for their respective price points. And I doubt you will have regrets if you get either one.
As for "Bianchi27" - please be aware that there are other forums better suited for political type discussions.
It's fine to express an opinion here, but don't bash a worthwhile product based purely on it's country of origin.

I forgot all about this thread since it is 6 months old. I ended up buying a CDP1.5 for $800. It rocks!!!! Smooth and detailed, it rivals my analog rig in sound. Soundstage is deep, imaging is solid and none of that "digititis" that gives digital playback a bad name