haven't heard the CD1 but i did audition the CD2 and was not impressed at all. i felt it lacked detail and involvment. for less money you can do much better. if you can find a Resolution Audio CD50, check it out. This is what I ended up with and it's fantastic. For me it does everything well, great detail and clarity without being at all analytic, sweet midrange, extended bottom end. Just very musical.