Best Tube CDP for $2000 Budget


Want to try a tube CDP in my system, have always owned solid state and currently have Rega Saturn and Meridian G08.
Looking for that smooth relaxed sound that minimizes any faults/digital hardness in average recordings while still preserving decent detail. I know this is the paradox of an audiophile, but I want to relax and feel the music and not worry about maximum detail presentation.

Am looking at Raysonic CD 128 and Cayin CD 17T, can anyone comment on these or have any other favorites?

Also please compare them to other CDPs you have heard, thanks.
megasam

Showing 5 responses by undertow

Raysonic CD 128 hands down nothing else comes close. The Doge 6 as mentioned above is not a bad suggestion, and you can get it cheaper, but I live 5 miles from pacific valve and have tried many of their units, this one is nice, but nowhere near the build quality and parts(although pretty good), and not as versatile DAC convertor in the unit as the raysonic.. The Raysonic has Upsampling optional via button, so your not stuck and can hear HDCD also, which is worth it over the Doge.

The raysonic is Superior to almost all machines in build, it has Balanced XLR which is not on the Doge,
It only takes 4 tubes opposed to having to get 6 like the doge, also the 4 tubes are all accessable without opening up the unit... user ergonomics far better

The Raysonic is a Top load vs. drawer, less mechanical parts, making its operation quieter and of course more reliable in the end....

Raysonic, Also has american Dealer Quest for sound which does warranty work, and Canada is the origin of the machine and easy to get customer support on it, the Doge is chinese, and anything thru pacific valve they do not support direct, and offer very short warranty time 90 days I believe, and all stuff has to go back to china. I say this out of personal experience with them.

Also anything from the pacific valve chinese knockoffs are totally unknown brands and suffer badly from this on the used market... Raysonic holds high value.

Take a look at raysonic here, you will be very intrigued to try this machine before you go to look any further. see link
For 6 moons endorsment, and very detailed review, features, with value on this machine.

http://www.raysonicaudio.com/reviews/6moons_audio_reviews_Raysonic_CD128_01.htm
Audiofeil,
First i will appoligize if that post seemed to be far beyond driven.
What I mean by origin is you have local support, thats all and its fact.. Both quest for sound, and in canada where the company is based can be repaired..

The FACTS or data you wish to have on Chinese brands, nobody has heard of Doge, or Lite audio, okay some have and the ones that have know that USED value suffers.. ANd yes I owned SEVERAL of the units which I have sold here, but for less than you will get for name brand. Mainly this statement was about if you end up not liking it, maybe invest in a decent name to get some money back.

These were not statements made to discount others at all, they are facts.. Have you heard of or care to put 1800 dollars into a unit called " Doge " and re-sell for possibly 600 bucks? vs. something that is recognized as the Raysonic which will get back about everything but 500 bucks if you don't like it? It was just a broad stroke statement, which was meant to prove a point.. Kinda like buying a Carver amp for 3000 vs. a Mcintosh amp for 3000, whos gonna win the used value contest?

By the way I was not saying Wadia or any drawers are bad at all, That DRAWER mechanics statement was made as a follow up to stating since if SOMETHING happens in the Doge or Pacific Valve Distributed machines which I have owned, you will be forced to let them deal with sending in and out of China for any support, if a Wadia goes well you have local support.. Their might be another dealer for these brands I am not aware of that can repair in the states, so I will not say I am 100% on that, but I was specifically pointing out the statements made about Pacific valves Doge machine...

This is not a hit at the companies involved, they got some cool products, just the way it works, and with being you save some money with them great, However I was pointing out at the 2000 price range you can do a little better than if you look at the Raysonic and its features, and Support...
Oh sorry another clarification, Superior in build to most of these machines, meaning in that PRICE range… yes Wadias, TEAC, ETC.. we can go on for days about at 7000 to 40000 dollars.. that was not my intended post however.. Sorry again, it was best for the money and I will be more careful firing off quick posts.
Audiofeil, by the way, no big deal but you did pull out all direct downside points, without the body of my reasoning as to why to look at the slight negative against the positive.. Such as support if you have a mechanical problem at least you have a chance better with the top load and even if it does have issue can be corrected here, over shipping a unit back to china for support… And like the DAC flexability in a 1800 dollar raysonic with XLR outs, HDCD, and Upsampling options vs. NO options on the other units in question for the same pricing. Please realize I am trying to help with solid points, not general "Audioworld is just like this period knowledge"..  Only as we are all not lucky to find every good piece for the applications we seek, some have run the gamut quite a bit and like to pass on some good things to chew over before making a decision.    
I Stated ORIGIN of the company designing the Unit that speaks english and handles the main support on the unit, is U.S. and Canada based... I simply said DOGE does not seem to have this, and pacific valve does not repair them, and if you call them with an issue they would probably have no idea what your talking about accept to send the unit elsewhere... Please re-read post and read the line "FROM MY EXPERIENCE" With a couple units I owned... Yes the All the units from just about every company are Assembled in China including raysonic, I simply said in a previous thread my unit stated Made in canada on the back and that was my mistake.. Excuse me for not having the crystal ball on the product originally. Thank you