Mid Fi Cd Player with the Most Bass

I too have an original Cal Icon which I had upgraded to the Power Boss and the difference is amazing. The difference between the stock unit and the upgrade are not even in the same league. Plus you get HDCD, depending on how old your unit is you might have to get the laser and possibly the draw mechanism replace I know I did, that will cost you a few extra bucks but at this point I have a player that will compete with the best of them, and you don't have to rush into anything until they figure out what the next format will be (DVD or SAD). By the way the bass is way improved over the stock unit and will hold its own with far more costly players. Best-Gary

I've had an Adcom GCD750, matched with a Krell 300i and Aerial Acoustic 6s. It retails for $1250 and is a great deal at that price. I compared it to a number of other sub $2000 cd players and found it to be the best. It's quiet with good low level detail and bass. It can be bright in some systems, but I haven't heard a cd player that is'nt. It is HDCD compatible and has balanced inputs. Definately worth checking out. Another less expensive player that might be a good choice is tha Arcam Alpha 7SE.

Denon 1650.Listen to one if possible.I might have one for sale.

If your speakers do not have a reputation for great bass then a cd player can only deliver what you can play it through. Better amps and pre amps, each will also contribute to better bass,so will upgraded speaker cable,interconnects and power cords.A better cd player alone can help but is not the total answer,unless you are looking for just a little extra bass in a well matched system.Proper speaker setup and room acoustic treatments will also contribute strongly to bass response.

Another possibility would be the Denon 1650AR which should run around $750 new.

As a fellow CAL Ikon MK II owner, I say send your unit back to CAL for the Power Boss upgrade. I bought my unit with the Power Boss, and it rocks in the bass dept. Everything I've read places the Ikon MK II P.B. as one of the best one-box players out there for deep bass performance. Plus, it should only cost you a couple hundred bucks for the upgrade. Incidently, the Power Boss adds over 4 farads of capacitor voltage storage, which should produce a noticable difference in bass performance over the unit you currently have. Best of luck!