French translations needed4Consonance R-2.2 review

French class was many, many moons ago, but I'll see what I can do:

Manufactured in China for the Opera Audio company, this hi end CD player offers excellent mucicality at a reasonable price.

The face has only two large buttons and is anodized aluminum, talk about ergonomics.... the remote is metal... The layout is ingenious and easy to use...remote fits well in the hand...

Transport is massive, and superior, made of aluminum-- there is a Phillips VAM1202 (what's this?) and proprietary circuitry from Opera

Double faced hi quality epoxy PCBs, no fewer than 4 separate circuits, Crystal DACs at 24/ 192, one of the best around, good caps, two active filters, and Burr-Brown Op-amps for the balanced outputs-- there are two symmetrical circuits on the balanced outs.

The tube output is indispensible to the musicality of the machine, and uses a Sovtek 6H30P, yada yada yada.

Test 1-- Good tonality, Ella's voice sounded sensual, as it usually does, the piano was well placed (referring presumably to soundstaging)

Test 2: Little coloration on the vioins, and instrucments were distinct (no smearing). Timbres were accurate.

test 3: This peice sounds way different on transistor based gear, it appears they like the tubes, which lent the voice realism.

test 4: Superb on the percussive instruments, again very life like, true sounds.

test 5: tone, realism, soundstaging all excellent, like virtual reality, details excellent. They like this player big time.

test 6: excellent expression of space, the grandeur of the recording venue, very focused and expressive sound. nuances were not lost, and there was an excellent sense of dynamics.

test 7: They appear to be surprised this tube CD did well here on a test that would be favoring a transistor based model.

This CD player's performance is exceptional and rare at this price point, it posesses all the important qualities of a great player.

great dynamics, and detail resolution at the extremes of frequency response so important for realism. there are many refinements in its manufacture making it so frickin' fabulous. blah blah blah.

I think they liked it. Alot. Go buy me one, please. Thanks.

Pmkalby -- I think we can all offer a general vote of thanks. I just looked at the original; not only is it LONG, it's also difficult to read (for "youngsters" like me).

A strange comment re, the tube: the writer comments "it's not for us to judge whether the tube is necessary... fact is it's there, and necessitates a discretionary tranformer.. etc, etc".

I.e. we might as well keep it since it's there...

BTW, Xtop, when you get one for Pm can you get me one too?

Hah-- I missed that sublety the first time I read the review-- good pick up.

I wonder though how much that's really a comment on design (since elsewhere they praise the player's musicality and attribute that to the tube output) or if it's just French snottiness.

Thanks alot guys, at least I have some idea about what the review says because I am torn between the Consonance 2.2 and Shangling T100.
Let me see if I can cut a deal and send both of you one by Christmas (grin).
Cheers.

FWIW, In addition to Gregm's note about the tube stage comment partway through the review, I read JPL's conclusory comments ("On pourrait toutefois...") in the sidebar at the end to suggest that the tube stage is not critical and the player would be just as (or almost as good) without. [Not clear if it's French snottiness but I love the comment...].

Nevertheless, the review is positively glowing, suggesting that for the price range, nothing else even comes close. While I don't normally trust reviews, given the price and how generally effusive the review is, it would seem to be worth an audition.