Cambridge Audio 840C

Hmm,
I just noticed a strange thing about my new player. Admittedly, I haven't scoured the few pages of the manual, nut does it contain any information about the display on the unit? I'm specifically looking for something that would tell me why it doesn't display the name of the CD or the names of the tracks..
My other older player does this...
Thanks
Rolloff

I've got an 840C. I've actually posted about it on the missing thread, and this thread. Don't know why my posts have not shown up, or why the threads about the 840c go missing? Some other company trying to squelch the enthusiasm for this player?
Anyway, my drawer mechanism works well. I'm still burning in, so I haven't given myself the time for a critical listen, but the first impressions have been favorable...
Rolloff
wondering if this will post???

So how does the 840C compare to the Wadia mentioned a few posts above?

Also, how does it compare to the Naim C5i and the Rega Apollo?

Thanks!

My transport tray is very smooth as well.
I cannot figure out why my other thread was deleted.
I do know that I had nothing to do with it.

Mdconnelly-
my transport tray is nice and smooth

Well, it seems Datonlanny's other thread has gone missing again.

I just received an 840c... too early to tell how well it'll stack up against my Wadia, but one thing I've noticed is that the transport mechanism is not very smooth... there's a slight scraping sound when it opens/closes and a bit of a clunk sound. I seem to recall a thead that mentioned this but now can't find it. I suspect it was in mysteriously disappearing thread.

If you've got an 840c, can you comment on the drawer mechanism?

So in a nutshell....do you think that I would be happy if I sold my 640V2 and shelled out the extra for an 840C?

Datonlanny - What a great explanation - You've said exactly what i have been trying to say for the last month about the unit. It is just a wonderful player for the money and is so rich and musically satisfying.

That doesn't mean as we know there aren't better machines out there - it just means that the cambridge has a lot going for it. I find myself saying as i've said before "Wow that sounds really good"

Is it the ultimate "live in concert - you are there - end all be all" - probably not - but compared to a lot of over-hyped dreck out there - it is very, very good - your right - you can listen for long times.

After exactly one week of burn-in, and using Signal Cable Silver Resolution Reference RCA interconnects into my personal reference HeadAmp GS-1 headphone amp/Sennheiser HD650/Equinox cable combination, and through my home system as well, this Cambridge 840c has to be the overall most awesome cd player I have ever heard! I can listen to it for hours without getting tired of its sound. I am loving every minute of going through my cd collection again, and rediscovering them, so to speak.
The sound is so smooth, full bodied, dynamic, detailed, transparent, spacious, involving, and REAL that I cannot believe it!
The highs are very extended without any harshness that I can detect, the mids are sweet, spacious, neutral, and very life-like, the bass is deep and extended.
I am VERY impressed with this unit to say the least.
Not so at first. Out of the box, it sounded sort of forward, thin, bright, mechanical, sort of metallic, and closed in. After a couple of days it started sounding too polite, laid-back, closed in, still mechanical, and sort of metallic.
This thing definitely goes through ALOT of changes during burn-in to say the least!
In comparison, my Marantz SA8001, with cd's, at first sounds more detailed, focused, extended in the highs, and punchier than the 840c, but its an illusion caused by a higher output level from the RCA outs, a sort of thinness in the highs, a forwardness, and a slight recess in the lower mids. The bass is looser and does not seem to extend as deep. The Marantz is still an excellent cd player, with a big, deep sound, but it can become edgy, and harsh with alot of recordings. It seems to emphasize string noises, sibilance, if its on the recording, and lacks the full body and transparency of the 840c. It seems to slightly emphasize detail and space, at the expense of the full body of the instrument or voice. To my ears, the sound of the Marantz is more "stressful", and not as involving as the Cambridge. Live recordings on the 840c sound truly LIVE! Instruments sound very detailed, but full bodied at the same time. Vocals sound natural and full bodied without becoming boomy, harsh, sibilant, or too forward. I personally do not notice any upper midrange lift, or forwardness at all.
Try Eric Claptons live 'Unplugged' cd for a truly mind blowing experience!
Compared to the Rega Saturn, the 840c is VERY CLOSE, EXTREMELY CLOSE, but as of now, I personally prefer the 840c.
The only real difference, IMHO, is the background is SLIGHTLY blacker on the Saturn, and images are very slightly wider. The Rega is slightly warmer, and a touch more laid-back, and slightly "sugar coats" the mids and highs. It is a very impressive CD player, buts it is very slightly too warm for my own tastes.
To my ears the 840c is just as transparent, focused, dynamic and extended in the bass and highs as the Rega, and to me the 840c sounds slightly more spacious, and more neutral.
I have not tried the balanced outputs on the 840c.
At its price the 840c is a TRUE BARGAIN, IMHO.
I cannot imagine it improving anymore with burn-in!
If it does, OMG!
I believe that Bob Harley may not have been exaggerating in his review after all.
Others out there may totally disagree with my findings, however.

mdconnelly,i believe is correct...i was just pointing it out to a friend only two days ago...a very good and interesting thread at that...hopefully,as more gonners buy this,more is soon to follow...
sincerely...sean

your right Mdconnelly - the thread is still "alive"
under that url you posted - i just posted a response there and it is working.

strange the original thread isn't here on the main page

thanks
smargo

I can still access it. It's titled: Cambridge 740c...comparable to Rega Saturn?

I believe this is the url: http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?ddgtl&1187551529

That thread suddenly vanishing is very strange indeed!

Daltonlanny recently started a thread related to the Cambridge Audio 840C, with very respective amount of inputs (the last one dated on 17. september)...

THIS THREAD SUDDENLY VANISHED FROM HERE...! If it happened mistakenly I hope forum's administrators will return it...

Otherwise, in order to see the thread, you must browsing the forum searching "Daltonlanny"

I'll have a chance to compare it to my Wadia 830 within a few days. I know... that Wadia is under $5k so it probably doesn't stand much of a chance *hah*

Seriously, I'm considering it because I'm looking for a solid transport and my Wadia doesn't have digital outs. As such, I'm currently running my Wadia analog into my Tact 2.0s pre which means it's doing a double D-A-D-A hop. That can't be good. It'll be interesting to see how the 840c stands up.

I have been looking at the 840C as well. I currently have the 640C Azur V2 and I am pretty happy with it, but I am always looking for an upgrade and not sure if the extra $$ is worth it in the 840C. One thing that I do not like on the Cambridge players is the display :(

it does sound very good - i have owned one for about 4 months - i have not compared it either to high priced players

there was another thread - what happen to it?