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Musical Fidelity A3.2 v. tubed CD players

Hey-
I have recently made some changes to my system & have moved from seperates to an integrated. I now have a McIntosh MA 6900 and a Musical Fidelity A3.2 CD Player. I used to have a Rogue 66 tube pre & Conrad Johnson MF 2500 amp. Now that I no longer have tubes in my system i've realized the 3.2 is a little too bright - dont get me wrong, its a wonderful & detailed player, just a little too harsh for my tastes. So now im beginning to ponder getting a tubed CD player, i've checked out the Jolida JD100 and that looks like a nice unit... My goal is to eliminate some brightness without losing much detail. Id like to saty under $2K and would prefer a unit with a sliver face. The new Cary 303/300 tube & SS outputs looks sooo tempting! Any suggestion on some warm CD players?

Musical Fidelity A3.2 CD player
Tara Labs ic's
Mcintosh MA 6900 integrated
Luminous Audio Renaissance speaker cables
B&W N804 w/ Sound Anchors

i've swapped the Tara Labs ic's for some various Luminous Audio ic's and havent noticed too much difference between the two...

thanks for reading!
jclyle
12 responses Add your response
cruz123
586 posts
 
I can echo the findings of Robm321. I upgraded from the JD100 to a Cary 308T and the Cary has much better detail - in my system - than the Jolida. That being said, the Jolida is a great piece for half the money. FYI, I liked 5751 tubes in the Jolida, as opposed to the stock 12AX7's. There's a lot of tube recommendations for the JD100 in the archives. Good luck!

foster_9
1,638 posts
 
Congrats on the Jolida. It's a solid player and tube rolling can make for a warmer presentation.
jclyle OP
35 posts
 
Phil-
Thanks for your input. I have a Jolida JD 100 on the way that should be here today. The only mod that has been done to it is some soundcoating being added. It has some RCA tubes that come with it & I have some Ei gold pins on hand so im looking forward to swapping some tubes. If the Jolida doesnt work out i'll look for a Cary 308T, maybe even a CD/DVD player to minimize some space on my rack, I had HDTV hooked up this weekend & need to squeeze the converter box in...
philbrady
89 posts
 
Jcyle, I have not heard the A3.2 but have heard the new A5. It is a nice player but the presentation is not as relaxed as others I have heard. The a5 is very detailed and spacious but lacks warmth. I assume the a5 is similar to what you have. The cary 308t would be an excellent choice for a stand alone player. If interested, a non o/s dac would give you a very musical presentation. Many are available for less than $1k that have a more analog presentation than the Musical Fidelity. Check out my setup and cd players I have tried. I was looking for what you were looking for and got there in a roundabout way, (older dac with dvd player), after auditioning the A5, 308T, Marantz 8260, Classe ? (newer model), Jolida 100, Arcam and NAD models. Phil Brady.
robm321
932 posts
 
I have the Cary 308T, and with Mullard tubes, it is as close to the Jolida CDP, but with better detail. Very musical.

If you have the funds though, I'd assume the 303/300 would probably be a step up. I'm just assuming that, so check into it.
jclyle OP
35 posts
 
jaybo-
yes, i know the mac has tone controls, but i know a case of upgraditis will catch up with me after the holidays :)
reb1208
518 posts
 
MF A5 is extremely refined, never sounds harsh. Even through a passive pre. Has plenty of tube warmth IMO.
Cary 303/300 goes way too far in the direction of warmth, from both the SS and tube output IMO.
jaybo
4,478 posts
 
your mac has the finest tone controls in the industry. use them
jburidan
803 posts
 
I love my Cary 303/300, but it's not warm by any means. Formerly, I used an AH! Njoe Tjoeb 4000 with upsampling, and it can be warm depending on the tubes one uses. Also, I understand the Cary 308T is warm, but I haven't owned it.
Jay
maineiac
649 posts
 
You may consider auditioning some different speakers with the A3.2 as well. I have found the 804s to be a bit bright.
jclyle OP
35 posts
 
I loved the 3.2 while I had a tube preamp, now I see it as being too bright for my tastes. I thought about getting one of MF's tube buffers, but I want to keep my rack simple with just a CD player and an intergrated. I have thought about the A5, alobg with a Cary 308T
maineiac
649 posts
 
If you like MF, you should check out the A5 which is a very nice tubed CDP. It can be had for just a smidge over your budget if you look around. I think you will give up detail with the JD100. It is interesting that your logic flowed from the change of the preamp/amp that now makes the CDP the cause brightness where it wasn't a problem before.
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