I did audition an FMJ cd33 in the store and at home. In the store I ran it against its sibling the cd23. The cd33 edged the cd23 in dynamics, bass, sparkle and precision. When the cd33 was auditioned at home with my own system, it really excelled in clarity, sparkle, transparency, precision, dynamics, bass a lower noise floor, less digi-hardness more resolution and a beautiful midrange. However there was a touch of clinicality which showed up as over precision and lack of meld which may have been caused by the fact the component had not been burnt in. The touch of hardness on one or two tracks was solved by two foam tubes behind the speakers. The cause was probably the room. If the over precision is not cured by the burn in then a more musical cable like the Taras should do the trick. 99% of the music I listen to is jazz. My system is as follows: Magnepan 1.6qr (speakers),
Copland CTA305 (tube preamp)
Odyssey Stratos (amp)
Van Den Hull CS122 speaker cables (to be upgraded)
MIT interconnects (to be upgraded)
The cd33 is rather light in physical weight and maybe shakti stones will make a difference. My analogue system an Oracle Alexandria turntable with a Alphason HSR100 arm and a Benz Micro Glider cartridge was more liquid. Burning in components and cables do make a difference. I have ordered the cd33 in black and recommend it.
Copland CTA305 (tube preamp)
Odyssey Stratos (amp)
Van Den Hull CS122 speaker cables (to be upgraded)
MIT interconnects (to be upgraded)
The cd33 is rather light in physical weight and maybe shakti stones will make a difference. My analogue system an Oracle Alexandria turntable with a Alphason HSR100 arm and a Benz Micro Glider cartridge was more liquid. Burning in components and cables do make a difference. I have ordered the cd33 in black and recommend it.