Also consider a used Cary 303 player. I listened to the Linn, and Rega gear and for my system it was a better player. |
I personally was very specific as to which Marantz.... the SA-14.
It is in a class by itself. It's performance is totally out of line with its low price. I cannot speak for the unit you mentioned.
Richard |
Some of you mentioned Marantz SACD... How would you compare Marantz DV-8400 universal player to the other 'candidates' in this thread? |
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Just another player to add to the list. |
Sorlowski I have the Ah with upsampler and 7308 tubes siemens extremely musical player,I also have the msb with upgrade power,and cec transport ,this two front end,are very musical, but when I got my sony back from Modwright I forgot this two front end, Like I said the sony in sacd mode is unbeatable,in redbook according to Tvad agoners it became closer to the electrocompaniet 5k,Do I believe him yes, without a doubt,the piano on my andra with sony 9000es ITS LIVE,Eva Cassiddy rise from the dead,I get scared sometimes, I can only play her cd during the day eh ehe ehe..Its also the sweetness and naturality that I like.Well maybe the reason why my sony sounds very good ,because I use it direct to amp,Dan put volume control,and for $1700 it sould perform, It did, beyond my expectation.The only reason I like to share this experience, so we dont have to apply for second morgage to finance our crazy hooby. |
I'm still using Arcam ALPHA 6 and have SONY 9000ES (unmoded) and Arcam is better them SONY in SACD mode, and I'm going to upgrade too, but now I will be more cautious (SONY was supposed to be upgrade) :(. |
Ok My last post last June that I will send my sony9000es to Dan Wright (Modwright).How did it sound sooo..musical lifelike,holgraphic sound,voices are with lust and sweet, the redbook is very good, my old cd collections sounded like never before.With the$1740 I spend, at first I felt I could have both onother unit.Out of the box, I felt it is worth it,A month later I felt the money I paid Dan is so cheap, In my system this cdp especially in Sacd mode is unbeatable, I heard expensive sacd player like the 5k consonance, the nuvista musical fidelity,even the sony777es. the decision is yours.Good Luck |
easy- the Naim CD5 or a Rega Jupiter. The Jupiter sounds like a 3-4k player, competitive with the Linn Ikemi- the CD5 is the way to go especially if you want to upgrade- spend 900 more and buy a Flat Cap II power supply. |
I know you have $ 2500 to spend, save yourself $1600 and audition the Jolida JD100.It might be the right CD for you, Or buy old sony 9000es and Let Dan Wright modify it for you.I have not done it, I am almost 80% sure my sony will be ship to him.Go to his web site www.modwright.com |
Lots of great choices listed above. I just want to add that I've owned the Genki for a few years, and it never really worked for me (perhaps a bad match for my system). However, I recently purchased a used Naim CD5 ($2500 CAN) and absolutely love it. Even if I upgrade, I don't think I'll ever sell this player. Note that I'm not a Naim freak, I hate the DIN connectors, and the stupid puck. But, the sound is exactly what I was looking for...
Difficult decision for sure, but the reward can be great if you get it right! Good luck! |
Hi Dave,
I would second the Obsession II cd player. I had an Arcam 72T that I sold when I upgraded. You still have the detail and it is more analogue sounding so you can listen to more cd's instead of your reference ones. If you would like more info, just e-mail me. |
Carin Fog at $1695.00 US Dollars This player puts to shame many higher end players. |
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I guess you could call the Linn a record player.(LOL) My mistake, forgive me. |
Marakanetz, am I reading you right? The Capitole (Audio Aero?), just barely better than the Cambridge? I don't know where to go with that. Gots to be...forgedda 'bout it. I admire your courage to post that. You are one confident listener, and I, truly, admire that. I still maintain that the Audio Aero Prima is, hands down, one rocking, beautiful, sweet, very expensive sounding, cdp. I would put it up against ANY cdp out there, and it would hold it's own---AT THE WORST! You think I love this baby? No stock in the company. Just a very happy audio-camper. I wish more audiophools would listen to this baby. I know they'd freak. First by the sound, and then by the price. peace, warren |
I agree with Lafish. I sold my old Krell and bought the Marantz SA-14 SACD player and placed it on the Nueance platform. The sound is fantastic, especially on CD's!
Richard |
I wisper, but don't tell anyone...
I listened in direct comparison Cambridge D500SE($449 list $300 for demo) and CapitoleII players and they sounded very identical with exception that Cambridge was sounding a-little thinner than CapitoleII so for now just assume that it will be almost the same as Prima but for alot cheaper. I made the listening test through the active Avantgarde Solo speakers and Placette passive preamp. This system reveals any tiniest sound effects very close to headphones realy and there the difference was between directly two made on one of the excellent recordings of NYJG(New York Jazz Guerilla www.nyjg.de). I simply accidentally asked dealer to demo me Avantgarde with "cheaper" source and than to swap back to expencive and three of us(including my friend) heard either none or very tiny-little differences.
You can invest the rest of your budget for good used Pass Ono outboard phonostage to get much more buck-return. |
Before you spend $2500 on a CD player, listen to a DVD-A and SACD player.
I think that the inherent superiority of the new disc media, even when played on an inexpensive universal player like the Pioneer DV45A ($400 to $500), more than equals the audio improvement possible through the esoteric circuitry and electronic components in High End CD players. There is a good argument that the 24-bit highly oversampled playback of regular CD's (that comes for free with the DVD capability) also improves the sound of these regular CDs.
Invest the extra $2000 wisely, and when the market settles down you can replace the inexpensive player with something from a High End manufacturer, so as to impress your audiophile buddies.
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Rwwear, I may be wrong, but I do believe that a Linn LP12 is a record player! |
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You would benefit from a tubed player, I'd suggest a Shanling. |
roksan caspian,sonoteer(either model) boyh brands are keepers |
Audio Aero Prima. The Capitole MKII's baby brother. List for $2300. This player goes tete a tete with players for more than twice the price. Those little tubes make all the difference. I can turn you on to a good place to purchase one. I love mine. peace, warren |
why not try any Marantz SACD models or Consonance Opera? |
Add the Arcam FMJ DV27 to your list for auditioning. It has gotten outstanding reviews from a number of high-end audio mags, and sells for $2600 (MSRP). |
Audiomeca Obsession II at CDN-$2700 list price.
The Candian distributor is Blue Circle Audio. |