Review: Denon APl 3910 CD Player

Amperidian,

I tried the Elrod Statement II on the APL 3910 (now with the superior AKM DACs) with great success. Adding the Statement to the rest of the system brought about a cummulative improvement. Soundstage, cleanliness, and refinement are now awesome in my all Statement system. The Statement is synergistic with the Sound Application Reference Line Stage AC line conditioner.

I also tried the standard Symposium Rollerblock 2+ (with Grade 10 bearings) as well as the upgrade 2+/G3 (with Grade 3 bearings) under the APL. I settled on the 2+/G3 in the upside-down position (base against the chassis bottom and bearing on platform). The Grade 3 bearing adds a nice element of refinement: silkier highs and improved cleanliness and micro-transients. The platform is the Symposium Ultra. In my system and to my ears, the Ultra is superior to the Bright Star Big Rock, Gingko Cloud 11 and the Aurios PRO under the APL: cleaner, more transparent, better bass (definition and extension)and truer harmonic texture. On my upgrade path, I keep learning the importance of synergy.

Best Regards,
John

I agree with you John, system synergy is key but I do find personal listening preference plays just as big a role ... needless to say that it varies tremendously in the audio world.

As regards the symposiums I use throughout the entire system with consistent results everywhere. Double stacked configuration under my AA player (w/ gr.3 balls) and under my YBA passion amp (w/ gr.10 balls)... in single stacked configuration under the whest audio dap.10 with similar results as described above by you .... they are simply the best isolation device I've come across. I do however find that an islation base underneath the rollerblocks further improves their overall performance ... especially in the bottom end.

What powercables did you use in your system prior to the elrod statements? The only obstacle in my system would be their unidirectional flexibility, which is a real problem in a narrow space between cabinet and wall, especially when you need to further bend them at the ends to reach the YBA and Hydra plugs. I use the Hydra 4 powerconditioner in my system (with additional isolation here too) with shunyata anaconda vx, a taipan alpha and a precept (from revelation audio labs). I'm looking at upgrading from the taipan as we speak but don't have any elrod dealers nearby and fear that the statement may not be able to fit in my system due to its limited flexibility ... and am tempted to go for another anaconda on the amp due to the synergy you mention above with conditioners. What I like most about the anaconda's is their transparency ... it gives me an opportunity to use interconnects and speaker cables to fine tune the overall sound of the system. The anacondas offer refinement in the highs without constriction or roll-off, have a nice organic character, are not bass shy in my system, offer wide soundstage, are very quiet and clean as well, with speed (but not quite as fast as the electraglides) ... similar to most cables in this price range ... but the elrod statement has been highly recommended to me, especially for the amp and I would love to hear one but at the moment it's not a possibility. From what I'm told, the elrod adds more weight/body to the overall presentation compared to the anaconda alpha. Any thoughts/suggestions on this topic? By comparison, the Precept is also very good. It offers excellent speed and dynamics with truly visceral bass (but that's not what I like) and is very open in the highs ... overall an excellent contender who ended up on the DAP.

Sound Applications is not new to me, and I think along with Shunyata and Transparent Audio, they are probably among the top 10 best conditioners around for sound and I think each one offers its own synergy with a particular set of powercables. For video I hear the Gray's are the best.

Thanks for your thoughts, will defintely try to audittion an elrod if I can find a dealer.

Amperidian , FWIW , I did an extensive a- b eveluation with the Shunyata Hydra 8 and 3 different Sound Applications products. The 8 was about equal to the CFX and model 12 but the Reference line Stage was far superior in virtually every category of performance. The designer Jim Weil has just released his new Video Reference Line Stage and word is that its as good as the Reference Line stage for sound and is vastly superior to anything commercially available in the video dept. I have one on order and will do a full review a month or so after getting mine installed. On pcs , i agree with John that the Statement Elrods are fantastic and in my system had no peers . They bend a little more than you might think or have heard. They are worth trying to work with... imo.

Amperidian, The Elrod Statement adds weight, body, bass definition and extention, refinement, dynamics, and a huge soundstage. If you can't find a dealer near you, you can give David Elrod a call.

Prior to the Statements, I used some cords made for me by Jim Aud of Purist Audio Design about 10 years ago. They did not have a name. I tried Virtual Dynamics Night II and Master Series. But in my system and to my ears/tastes, I strongly prefered the Statements.

I am having positive results with Symposium Rollerblocks and platforms under my speakers, amps and CD player. I'm thinking of getting additional Symposium devices for AC conditioners and crossover. What devices did you have good results with for these component?

Did you compare the double stacked 2+/G3 to an upside-down single stack 2+/G3 under your CD player? If so, what were the sonic differences?

Brainwater and Puremusic, thank you for the input ... very much appreciated. I will consider the Elrod Statement for the amp, I may be able to just pick up a used one here on a'gon and turn it around if it does not fit in my current setup ... I have heard that the elrod pc is the best out there for amps and a friend has strongly recommended it but he lives too far for me to audition it, but you guys are really twisting my arm here ... man oh man, my wife is going to kill me ... :)

As regards the symposiums, I have not tried the inverted setup mentioned above because I don't use the ultra/quantum platforms beneath the rollerblocks, but instead I use an older HRS M2 which is made of a special polymer (with a coriander base underneath) that is not as hard as the surface in the symposium shelves (and so I would lose or severely limit the rolling effect of the rollerball). I initially tried them in single stacked config. and found marginal improvement double stacking them (however I felt it was worth it in my system despite the cost/performance ratio, as were the grade 3 balls). My impression is that the grade 3 ball has a better surface to roll on if used in double stacked config. due to both contact surfaces being polished (I don't think the ultra/quantum shelves offer this yet but you should try to email symposium, they would be able to give you the best advice) ... I found the recommended lubricant does not work in my system (so take that with a grain of salt).