Rega Planet vs Cal Audio Labs Icon MK II

Klender: The Icon MK II (without the Powerboss/HDCD upgrade) should sell used and in very good condition for around $400-$450. That said it is a much better player than the Planet in musical accuracy while still maintaining a smooth analog quality. The CAL is laid back and the Planet is laid down and died, IMO (sorry Planet owners). I use the CAL now as a transport with a Bel Canto DAC. and would highly recommend that you also make a basic isolation platform for the player from MDF and Vibrapods. The Pods are $24.00 and the piece of MDF should only be a few dollars or better yet use a piece of maple instead. You should probably make the platform for whichever player you decide on and Craig @ Vibrapod will give you good advice on how to do it. Players without isolation components only sound half as good as they can from my experience. That said the extra $30.00 or so spent (at the least) is money well spent.

Sorry Gthirteen and not sorry Naimbrain. I should have been a little more PC in my comments about the Planet. This was just my take on it after auditioning it in two shops when I was looking for a player for my stepson. And it does depend on the associated equipment (I knew that and was just not thinking of the whole picture at the time - excuse me)! Klhender - there was an Icon -w- the Power Boost and HDCD upgrade listed at this site by Ambrosia Audio for $400.00 which is a steal, if it's still there. But by all means you should audition both these and other players as well if at all possible before you laying your money down. Others to look into in your price range might be the Audio Refinement Complete (which I owned for a short while and would recommend). I would also check out the new revised Cambridge models as they have had time to fine tune them, hopefully for the better. Search the site under CD and you will find a lot of user info on reasonably priced but high quality CD players. In regard to the descriptive terms that I used (and use), I was an amateur and later a professional musician for twenty years and "those" are some of the terms that are used to describe the tonality of instruments (music) including voice. I don't know what Planet (get it) you grew up on Naimboy but most popular music is amplified in some manner and the same terms apply among musicians with the exception of "visual" terms such as imaging and sound stage (the recording and sound tech's are the ones that worry about that part of it). In addition, I was talking about a CD player not your mother and it would do you well to lose the snot nosed little attitude that you bring to your post. You might also restrict your comments to things that you know something about, unless your sole purpose here is to amuse myself and others. Well, so much for my New Year's resolution.

Hi Axomoxa: I have been away with computer problems and just came back on line. If the Dx-2 has a coaxial/digital out I don't see why it would not make a nice transport. Yes, replacing the existing feet with Pods is an option, or if the Pods have a higher profile than the existing feet you may try placing them just to the inside of the stock feet. I have been doing more experimenting with a combination of Pods, Cones, and various platforms and it is getting a little mind boggling, to say the least. I still feel that the initial installation of the Vibrapods added major improvement to the sound of the player and that if you can only do one thing then damping the component from external vibration (with Pods) is a good place place to start. The second thing to do at a later time would be to "draw off" vibration from the component with the aid of cones, when more vertical space becomes available. Anyway, just try the Pods and if you do not here the improvement, send them back. Good luck with it. David.

PS: I meant to say/write coaxial/digital input (not output).