Audio Research Reference CD-7

I will audition Meridian 808 in mid January next year. More in-depth info and impression then...
Info about Lindemann in Reference DACs thread.

Last month I decided to buy a US$6.000,00 (Red Book) CD PLAYER to replace my GAMUT CD-1. This was my $$$ limit. Nevertheless, it took no longer then a 15 minutes audition to the REF-CD7 to make me double the investment... and i bougth it. Am i happy? You can bet. Regrets? None.

Last month I decided to buy a US$6.000,00 (RB) CD PLAYER to replace my GAMUT CD-1. This was my $$$ limit. Nevertheless, it took me a 15 minutes audition to the REF-CD7 to make me double the investment... and i bougth it. Am i happy? You can bet. Regrets? None.
Good Luck!
João - Brazil

I have about 300 hours on my CD-7 now. To me, it sounds like listening to an ultra high end turntable and cartridge. This was a wonderful upgrade from my CD3 MK 2. Voice, piano, strings, guitar, horns all sound very natural and involving. Quite honestly, I would never have believed that digital could sound so natural. I'm still not ready to dump my several thousand record collection yet though. The CD-7 has proven to me that BOTH mediums can be truely great.

This is a bit off topic, but I feel I have to comment on the following: I think the looks of the CD-7 is boring, cheapish, in short: it sucks. It doesn't have the looks of a CDP but one of an traditional ARC preamp or poweramp. Why didn't ARC design a CDP which doesn't share the similar looks of their pre- and poweramps? This is design for the sake of design itself and not in service of functionality.

Chris