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Which CD Player /DAC From The Following...

Hey. I'm gonna purchase a used CD player / DAC shortly and would like to hear people's experience with the following players:

CAL Icon mkII
CAL CL-5
Cambridge Audio D500se
Denon 1650AR

I've only heard the Icon player because I know someone who has it and I like it but I don't have the ability to demo any of those players and almost always buy used so I can sell it if I don't like it. I was also considering getting one of the CAL DACs and leaving my Sony CDP-CA9ES as the transport.

System is Rotel Pre, Adcom amp, Thiel 1.5s, MIT cabling.

Whachya think?

Thanks! leo.
leoturetsky

Showing 1 response by psychicanimal

psychicanimal
1,738 posts
 
I would get a DAC and keep the CDP, if it has digital coaxial out. If you plan to get a new deck to be used as transport, then the Cambridge D300SE would be a good way to go. That's what I use with a Soundstream/Krell DAC-1. The difference between the Cambridge 300SE and the 500SE is the upgradeable D/A board.

Another option would be the Granite Audio CDP with tube output. Try to talk to Steve Monte of Quest for Sound or search the threads to find more about it.

You can also get really decent D/A boards and clock boards to upgrade your unit from www.lcaudio.com/ The US distributor is Kevin Haskins (www.diycable.com).
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