I will e-mail you Rcprince. Thanks for the heads up. I know that a good amount of the SACD are hybrids, so they will be backward compatible. Read it in the initial Sony ad for SACD. It seemed like they want it that way. |
Hello Mike. I will post a bit more on this player in the future. Yes, the sound has improved. But, still not to the point where I could be considered happy. Or that it is very much better than my old Pioneer. A bit off putting, considering all the rave reviews this player garnishes. In my opinion, it is equal to or better than the previous generation Rega Planet. My dealer prefers it to the Rega Planet 2000(which he also sells - but I did not audition). That factors in sound, build quality(which he finds the Planet 2000 poor), ergonomics, and price. And at least as good as everything I have heard from the Planet's price point downward. The reason I have not upgraded before is that no player seemed to improve the sound of my system enough to justify its cost. But, my old player was starting to act wacky, so I decided to make my move(I waited for 3 years). Currently, I have been running the player on repeat(with a different CD every day - different types of music) since midday Monday. I will continue to do so until this coming Sunday or Monday. Then, I feel I will be better able to discuss the sound quality. I would like to comment on the areas I usually see the product being trashed in. That would be the build quality, fascia, controls, jog shuttle, display, and remote. In short, the ergonomics. I have been very pleasantly surprised by these areas. Unexpected, especially in light of all I have read. Build quality seems fine. I know a lot of mass - fi players that have been rolling on for 10 - 15 years, with no problems. This player seems as well built, if not better as those products. The fascia is plastic. That is a fact. It's a $450 player, and most everything in this world is built to a price. They chose to cut corners on the outside, rather than the internals(which supposedly compares to players even 3X its price). Smart move in my book. An audiophile would favor that tradeoff. I know I do. I am interested buying a player for its sound; I don't need a piece of audio jewelry. The controls are fine. At least as good as anything else I have used. I LOVE the jog shuttle. It is simple(also quite handy and effective) to work, despite what I have read. I shivver to think I am sharing the highways of this country with people who do not feel comfortable with this control. I would hate to see them operate a motor vehicle if they cannot twist a knob one way or another. While I cannot say the display is as bright as a beacon, I have no trouble reading it. There is no time remaining feature on the display. I cannot defend that. But, I am sure they are not the only ones who have left this off. There is no keypad on the player itself. So you cannot program the player by using the front panel. That is not uncommon(maybe even dominant) in the high end. You can, however do all of that and more on the remote control. I find the remote as good as anything else I have been around. The remote has always been trashed. This remote is wonderful, in my opinion. Perhaps they have upgraded it from previous models. And you can open/close the transport from the remote now. To sum it up, I find the ergonomics of the player to be very good indeed. I will try to purchase a SACD this weekend to address the issue of playback of that format. Although my dealer was steadfast in his assertion it will, I do not believe it. If it did, it would be marketed that way. And maybe they would charge a lot more for this machine. I just hope the player becomes worth the price of upgrade to me. As of yet, I would have to recommend waiting until universal players become available. |
Dekay, thanks for your advice. The player is sitting on a 2 1/2"(I think, or more) maple butcher block, which Brulee sent to me last week. To say it is stable would be an understatement. I may use some more things in concert with this(I have been told Redkiwi is an expert in this area). Such as another layer of material, or some type of different feet(polymer or metal cones), etc. I haven't even taken the stock cord out of its plastic bag. The power cord I am using is a 13 awg silver model from Delta. It consists of three sets of three wires(hot, neutral, ground). Each of the 9 wires is teflon insulated 99.999% 22 gauge, solid core silver(analogous to HomeGrown Audio Super Silver, but with much thicker teflon insulation). The three sets of three wires are braided ala Kimber/Home Grown Audio. I also have other power cords, another from Delta which is 8 gauge copper(I use it on my amp), and two Coincident CST power cords. I could try one, after the player has broken in. Interconnect is HomeGrown Audio Silver Lace. My experience has shown me no superior cable to this product on my tuner or CD player, in my system. A very dynamic, bass rich, detailed cable. I also have a Coincident CST IC, which I will try after the player is fully broken in. As you can see, I am hesitant to make any changes until after the player has had the opportunity of a full break - in. I want to establish a baseline for comparison of ancillary factors. Will keep everyone posted, as there is probably a fair amount of people who may be interested in the purchase of this player. I think we are in a no man's land. One in which it is not wise to buy an expensive player, as the new formats are on the horizon. Yet, they are not here yet. And some people may be in need of replacement of older machines. |
Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions. Lots to think about, and try. I can relate to the feelings of those around us thinking we are nuts. One thing I noticed last night was a really high noise floor with the player in place. Almost a hum, but not as loud as that. It basically happens when the interconnects are plugged in to both my amp and the CD player. Originally started playing with RFI blockers, as I blamed the Home Grown Audio cables(moving them around heightens or deadens the volume). But, I soon realized that any interconnect gave me the same result(and I do have a fair number of cables to try). After almost pulling my hair out trying to find the cause, it turned out to be the power cord(I looked at every cord - speaker, IC, PC in my system...) I was using on the player. It is not shielded. Didn't have this problem with my old player, with its captive power cord. When I tried a Coincident power cord, the noise floor dropped a great deal. I guess it has a fair amount of shielding, although I am not certain of its construction(don't really want to be cutting open expensive power cords...). My father will give me a braided shield to slip over the silver power cord. In theory(famous last words), that should help. I also want him to install a 4 outlet receptacle box(he is an electrician/technician/electrical engineer - worked his way up the ranks with increasing experience and education), to which he refused. Instead, he went and got one of those cheap, horrific things that let you turn a 2 outlet receptacle(plugs into the outlet) into a 6 outlet job. Uuggghhhh! Said he didn't want to go in the wall. Funny about those not really involved in our hobby - they refuse to pander to a lot of this stuff. Would be even funnier if I attempted it myself. |
I have tried a SACD only disc in the Cambridge, and it DOES NOT PLAY SACDs! I was pretty sure this was the case, but needed proof. My dealer's insistence on its SACD capability I am sure was based on dual layer discs. It seems that the companies other than Sony produce these dual layer discs. Although the player has a 24 bit/192kHz DAC, I am not yet sure what that buys me. Perhaps, the benefit will be realized in playing 24 bit CDs. I have to give this all more thought, but I think I will try to sit back and enjoy this player for a while. It has rounded out pretty well during this break - in period. Getting better in all areas. I actually prefer it in to the previous generation Rega Planet(have yet to sit down and listen to the Planet 2000), MF A3 CD, and Linn Genki. All of which I am familiar with. I always thought I'd be buying an MF. Those players seem a little lightweight to my ears. I wanted a player that did not sound like that. While this player is no powerhouse, it is at least as good as those players in the area of weight. That is not to say that I think this player is better in all areas to those listed above. Just the overall ratings, in my opinion. Factoring in the price makes it a no brainer. In light of the Sam Tellig article and other stuff I have read in the past few weeks, I feel I have made a nice purchase. Especially, in light of the price. If SACD/DVD-A do fall the fate many are predicting, this player will be a great match for a good upsampling setup. And the fact that it costs half as much as the other CD players one would use as a transport makes me feel better all the time. And that is a major reason I feel it to be a smarter move than the other players. My former player was starting to go down hill, and this new player gives me a digital out(my old player did not). Otherwise, for those who have a nice player, I am of the opinion that you might as well give the dust more time to settle. I think the end result will benefit those who do not act hastily. |
Miked, I am saying that in my opinion, the sound is at least as good(to me, better) than the original Planet. My dealer carries NAD, Jolida, Cambridge, Rega, and Electrocompaniet. He told me to forget about the new Rega, in favor of this new Cambridge. I did not even audition it. My girlfriend was paying, and I refused to let her pay that much(although she wanted to). But, when he talked to me previously on the phone, he told me he liked the sound of the new Cambridge better than the new Rega. He also said he is very disappointed with the new Rega's build quality, but I cannot comment on that one(haven't seen it in person). He said he wouldn't stop me from buying the more expensive player, but he does not BS me. That's why I try to buy from him. If a cheaper piece is better, he is honest with me. I was never that big a fan of the old Rega. Nice, but... Kind of.. bland??? I thought I would buy a MF A3 CD, but that player always seemed less in terms of sound than it reads on paper. Lightweight. Fast. Open. Detailed. But, lightweight. Seems better on the outside(gorgeous cosmetics) than on the inside. Cambridge seems to be the opposite. The Cambridge sounds good. And to back up Kitch29, the bass is pretty good. I just compare it to two killer players I have heard, and it does not have the impact that they do. But, they are much more expensive. With the requisite parts to have that sound. The Cambridge is $450. Right now my system consists of the Cambridge w/HomeGrown Audio Silver Lace into a Jadis Orchestra Reference Integrated(surprising bass), connected to Coincident Technology Digital Masters via Coincident speaker cable, Coincident Troubass subwoofers via AudioQuest Midnight. I feel that double bi - wiring with these thick gauge speaker cables allows me to extract every last drop of sound, detail, bass. |
