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"Analog" = bloated, rolled off, soft and mushy?

I don't have much experience with many CD players, but with the few that I do, it's been my experience that tube output stages that supposedly give an "analog" quality to CDs, really sacrifice transparency and excitement. They sound euphonice, but ulitmately, kind of boring.

The last high end player that I owned and loved was a Wadia 860x. I'd like to find a universal player that gives me the Wadia excitement and neutrality, and have considered one of the APL, Exemplar and Modwright modded units, but the best of them use tube output stages, and this really makes me hesitate. Are they "analog" sounding and excellent, because they give you that tube sound, but sacrifice the detail, clarity and drive that I loved in my Wadia? Don't get me wrong, I love tubes, but I'm not so sure they belong in CD players. Am I wrong?
dennis_the_menace

Showing 1 response by fatparrot

fatparrot
1,314 posts
 
Robm321, how do you fit those ducks in your CD player :-)

The tubes are MULLARD not Mallard (a duck). Also, be careful of people selling "mil-spec" Mullards in the white boxes circa 1980's (tubes are not branded Mullard, but will have a month and year date code). These are modern junk, and will not come close to the genuine NOS Mullards from the 1970's and earlier.
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