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Is my dealer lying to me?

This past weekend I went to listen to some speakers. I've been planning to buy CD player also, but that was not this weekend's purpose.

At first we were using a YMB player, McCormick amp, and Soliloquy 5.3 speakers. The speakers is what I was auditioning.

The CD player he is trying to sell me is the Cambridge Audio D500ES, I beleive. Price:400

Big difference I know between the YMB ($2500)and the Cambridge ($400). But it wasn't $2100 in difference in sound I can tell you that. What concerns me is the difference between his comments and the perceived opinions of people on this board. In other threads, there are quite a bit of "ditch the Cambridge" comments.

The dealers comments were "best player under $2000"... "chris sold his $2500 Theta and picked this one up because it's that good, and pocketed the money"... etc.

I'm not asking if this is the best player under $2000. But how does it compare to Arcam and Rega models at $500-700?

Obvisouly, he recommends the Soliloquy 5.3 also. I liked them but wasn't as impressed as much as I thought I would be. The guy has a small shop and seems honest, but it seems this cambridge is not very well respected in this forum.

I've gotten rid of alot of my gear. What I have left to use is a Yamaha RXV-995 receiver. An amp will come, hopefully sooner than later, but I need speakers and a CD player now unless I want to continue to use my DVD player for CDs.

Any comments?
gunbunny
59 responses Add your response
cornfedboy
1,645 posts
 
it's like the old lawyer joke. how can you tell when he's lyin'? his lips move. -cfb
ultrakaz
187 posts
 
I agree with the above posts that high end cd players are grossly overpriced and that your money is way better spent on speakers and amplification.

Like with all components there is a point of diminishing returns, where you have to expend significantly more to get a little bit better sound. With cd players this point seems to be around $500. To be sure there are differences between players in this price range and up to $2000, but they are minor.

What you are really paying for in a more expensive player is better construction (hopefully), hype (likely) and lack of efficiency (the smaller the company or production run the more it costs them to build the player). I've heard cheap dvd players from mainstream manufacturers sound better than "megabuck" cd players from small high end companies.

The most important thing is to satisfy yourself and not follow blindly what you read in the magazines or this or any other discussion forum. Therefore, it really should not matter what your dealer says, simply trust your ears. And if you are lucky you will not care about the minor difference in sound that a $2000 player will give you.
argent
245 posts
 
Musical Fidelity A3CD. I don't see how you can go wrong with this one. $995 new online (only place to buy it). I don't own one, but from what I've read I believe you should take a listen. Others here might agree. Most online stores have a good return policy.
gunbunny OP
43 posts
 
well, the D500SE is supposed to be considerably better than the D500. The dealer is going to come to my house with it and let me compare it to whatever else I can get my hands on then. Sounds reasonable.
thsalmon
348 posts
 
I think the Cambridge is a very nice player for the money. I friend of mine has one, and I really can't think of any budget players that sound any better. In my opinion, you should get the very best source components that you can reasonably afford, because no future upgrades to your speakers or amplifier will be able to improve its' sound downstream. You can probably find a used Rega Planet 2000 (a huge improvement over the original planet) or a used Arcam Diva CD 72 for around $600 to 650 on Audiogon or eBay.
seandtaylor99
1,262 posts
 
I think I agree with Sdcampbell ... I have not been able to hear much difference between my Marantz CD67SE and an expensive Meridian player I borrowed, and certainly not a $2k difference. In my experience the interconnect makes more difference than the CD player. I have a modest system of Densen B-100 amp and Spica Angelus, similar in price to the Soliloquys. Therefore your dealer could well be truthful .... I too have long suspected that high-end CD players do not justify their price tags, but I have never heard a dealer say so. On the other hand putting more money into the amp and speakers (and room treatment and cable) makes a profound difference (again my experience).
Patmatt is also correct that you should go with your ears.

Sorry I can't help with comparisons with the Arcam and Rega ... and at that price point I would also consider the Creek CD43 (not because I've heard it, but because lots of people seem to like it). I also wouldn't rule out Marantz ... I've been very happy with the sound and build of mine, and it only cost me $250 at a sale ... leaving plenty of cash for the rest of the system, and for a later DAC (if it makes an audible difference)
photon46
1,082 posts
 
I'm not so sure that Cambridge has recieved the degree of disdain in this forum you describe. Many here have recommended them as a decent budget player. Sure, the cosmetics, programming, and ergonomics aren't the greatest, but they hold their own sonically in comparison to the Regas and cheaper Arcams (not the 9's & fmj's.) Like Patmatt says, demo them at home and form your own opinion.
sdcampbell
2,136 posts
 
At the risk of drawing the wrath of fellow audiophiles that own megabuck CD players, I personally think that most high-end CD players are grossly overpriced. I used to work for a laser manufacturer, so I have a pretty good idea what it costs to build a CD player. To look at the prices of high-end CD players, you'd think they were manufactured with parts made of the mystery element, unobtainium.

If you don't own a good DVD/CD player, you might want to consider buying that rather than buying a CD-only unit. I previously owned a Rega Planet CD player, and replaced it with a Pioneer Elite DV-37, which I bought new for $650. The DV-37 not only produces a superb video image with DVD's, but it also has better audio quality with CD's than my old Rega player. A number of other people on this forum have also had a very good experiences with the DV-37. The DV-37 has a very large power supply, solid chassis, and excellent build quality.

To the extent that reviews matter, the DV-37 received a 5-star rating from one of the major review mags. Just my 2 cents......
patmatt
86 posts
 
I don't think your dealer is lying to you. Remember, no one says "rotten fish" for sale. That is not an excuse for lying, but remember he could carry alot of different products and chose the Cambridge on it's merits and profitability as well. Also, you can bypass all of this stress by bringing the unit home for an audition on your system and keep it if you like it. If you don't, return it for refund or store credit. At any rate, make up your own mind and don't get hung up on the opinions of others. Even mine!
Good luck!
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