NAD C541i vs Music Hall CD25

I believe NAD and PSb share the same US distributor...at any rate...I have never been impressed by NAD cdps(although their amps are very good for the money)...they seem a bit flat and lack upper "air"(dark?) for my tastes...I would checkout Audioadvisor...they carry MusicHall and a few others in your range...you should be able to find a very good player....Cambridge Audio also comes to mind....

Yesterday, I heard the the new Rotel 1072 cdp and for once the hype is justified,For $700. new this player had jaw dropping sound.I may have to sell my Cary 308 !

JR:

The Music Hall MMF CD25 is the way to go. I have owned the NAD 320BEE for about 15 months now and for the first 12 months, I had the NAD paired with a Pioneer PD 65 and the system sounded fine. A few months ago, I swapped the Pioneer with the Music Hall that I using in another system and the difference in system performance is literally like comparing night and day ... and I have always been skeptical of these types of claims.

There is a synergy between the NAD and the Music Hall that just did not exist with the Pioneer. If this makes any sense ... the music just sounds sweeter. There is an enhanced richness to vocals ... especially male vocals. This was particularly evident with the new Mavericks recording, as well as the Jayhawks "Rainy Day Music." Music with acoustic properties and/or a stripped down quality sound more exciting (Beatles "Let it Be ... Naked" and Pete Townshend "Scooped"). Even a 1st generation CD pressing of CSN&Y's "DeJa Vu" sounded pretty good. It was a real surprise.

Regards, Rich

I have owned a MH CD-25 ( the Shanling CD-S100 form of it ) and I've listened to the NAD 541i in my favourite store. I understand your hesitation, they both sound good. I was surprised by the 541i, it was the first NAD player I thought was smooth enough in the highs that I might be able to live with it. IMHO a lot more musical than earlier NADs. The Shanling player OTOH was a lot more energetic, had better dynamics and rhythm, and a power cord upgrade improved ambience, detail and bass. Can't make your decision for you, but I would lean towards the Shanling/CD-25.

Since I've upgraded I really miss my NAD541 (it never stopped working and I sold it for $50 less than I'd paid for it). Now it's going for $350-375 new from a dealer! I'd add a pair of $200 ICs (Blue Heaven, Harmonic Tech) depending on the type of sound you want to get. The ICs really make a difference with this player. Good luck...