2. digital
  3. 1070629089

CDP Help Rotel 1070, Sony 333 or Music Hall CD 25

I sold my Audio Analogue Puccini Amp and Rotel 971 CDP and Got a Classe CAP100 Amp and have temporarily been using my Toshiba DVD player as my CDP. I have Sonus Faber concertino speakers and a PSB subwoofer. The Audio Analogue and Rotel had a great midrange presence, warmth and image size that I miss. It did lack drive, slam, resolution and transparency that the Classe now gives. Now my vocals seem a little recessed. I like the vocals life size and at the plane of the speakers not recessed.
I can only spend about $350 and the above CDP seem available in the used market. Which do you think can do the job until one day I can get an even better CDP?
Also has anyone tried the Rotel's balanced outputs to sucess? The Classe amp has true Balanced inputs that supposedly will improve sound if I get a CDP with balanced outs. I thank you in advance for reading this and any helpful input.
Thank you very much.
gregg

Showing 2 responses by gregg

gregg OP
4 posts
 
I really appreciate your observations and your time to write. I have heard in a review, that the Music Hall has a somewhat smallish Vocal image size. Seems like when I went from my Rotel 971 to my DVD player my image size for vocals went small or recessed. Could you comment on the Sony and Music halls image size, presence or placement of vocals? At plane of speaker or recessed?
Thanks
gregg OP
4 posts
 
Trelja, thanks for your input - I got the Shanling (Chinese Version of the Music Hall CD 25) It looks great, sounds great! Similar to my Rotel 971, but the pacing is a bit better and the HDCD seems to make a bigger difference than it did on the Rotel. Vocals are now Life Size and have presence. Overall my system is just about the way I like it! Sonus Faber supposedly warm, Classe supposedly warm - although when Stereophile rated the CAP 100 with a 'A' rating it said it was on the bright side. My CAP 80 definitely was warm. With the Music hall the system is transparent, detailed, rich, at times almost could be warmer. Cables are supposedly on the warm side: PS audio power for the Amp, Audio Power for the CDP, MIT for the Speakers. But maybe it's the Nordost on the interconnects....I suppose I should call it quits now.....
More to discover