High End Red Book CD Player Opinions? - Page 14

eyeteeth, thanks for your thorough review. Pls post more on the effects of your aftermarket power chord on the Naim CD5i.

take a look at this player.i have heard some of those players and this one is evey bit as good as those for less than half the price


http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/stello_cda320.htm

they also sell a 15000.00 player as well if you like to spend money

www.aprilmusic.com

good luck looking

Did you compare the Stello to the Ayre CX-7e? If so, in what was it better, and in what ways was the Ayre deficient?

the ayre is a good sounding unit but i think i remember it being a little light on the bottom end.

even without that i think that the stello is a better value.it does all the same stuff its just not as much money and you could use the extra money to use somewhere else in your system that might need a little help.

Welly,

You do realize people will have a different opinion on the same piece of gear?

As for your $2K price point, even though I buy a ton of high end gear, I think personal prefernece comes into play much before the $2K price point. Did you pick that aribitrarily or b/c it is what you are willing to spend on a source?

no i don't own it but have listened to it many times before and have listen to the ayre on vandy 5's and from what i recall it didn't have that much low end

i not looking at a pissing match here i'm just saying what i heard

i have heard some players that cost more that i would get over the stello its just that i wouldn't get the ayre.

Well, FWIW, I've spent the last 24 hours doing more reading on the Ayre, and I have yet to see any criticisms of its bass performance; in fact, that seems to be one of the key areas singled out for praise, so krusty's comment seems atypical (so far).

None of that is to say I wouldn't find the bass deficient in my system, or the Stello's better, though.

I wasn't the author of that review. I like it though. Short 'n sweet 'n focused on a specific part of a specific piece of music, none of the usual too general prattle.

I only just browsed through this thread (slow poke) and saw interesting names Wadia, Densen from Kuma. I listened to a Densen a month or more ago but don't know it. All the references to Wadia and Welly's mentioning of HIFI+'s editor bring me back to the 2600 Euro ($3,300 USD) EERA DL1 which he reviewed.

"I've already mentioned the astonishing power, substance and intent the EERA delivers from the Gladiator soundtrack, and this is one disc where its sheer energy and seemingly limitless dynamic range make it preferable to the Wadia 861SE. Sure, the big American player has detail, subtlety and textural nuance to burn, but it simply can't match the muscular dynamism and sheer excitement that the EERA provides: the Wadia is impressive, but the DL1 is enveloping." "it sits so far above the competition at its price point that it will remain unmolested for a long time."

I copy it out because it reminds me of questions I have about the apparent different musical/audiophile priorities of North American versus European component makers with each serving up what their native customers want. Americans are more hifi, British and Europeans more about dynamics than imaging? I'm just speculating and maybe much to generally, but getting to listen will be the education. I remember Welly once having as his signature his "All-American Reference System" meanwhile every piece I had at the time was British and I wondered if these were or were not fundamentally different musical perspectives. I know I recently had an epiphanous experience where the more dynamic presentation of a title enthralled me, while a less dynamic presentation of the same title disgusted me and I knew where one of my priority lay in my search for a CDP, maximum macrodynamics.

Looking around headfi I'll see stuff like:

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showp...73&postcount=8

"Just got done comparing ARCAM CD73, CD192, Ayre Evolution, and Naim CD5i at home and in the shop with headphones and speakers. Also threw in my Philips DVP642 for fun. In the end, I decided to spring for the Naim as it had to my ears the best combination of soundstage width, detail, timbral signature, and dynamics."

"Ayre: Very smooth midrange, much smaller soundstage, sounded more like my analog setup, no hard edges, pleasant vocals, not much punch.

Naim: Wide soundstage of the ARCAMs but better instrument/performer positioning, with some of the smoothness of the Ayre; very tight bass, slightly less of it than with the ARCAMs."

I think I'm obligated to take a visit to a dealer nearby who'll happily lend me a Naim CDP. In description after description they seem to have what I seek. I need "punch."

This seems to be the one criticism I consistently read on the Ayre (or at least have noted 2 or 3 times). I'd like to get Welly's honest take on how soundstage height, width, depth compares to his other previous player.


What I've read on the Naim player makes it sound very aggressive and driving (but that's the typical description of the Ayre as well), though some have noted in head-to-head that the Naim was harder and more powerful.

Can you get an "honest take" if totally infatuated?
And I'd add that infatuated is something I can suffer from as well (who doesn't, temporarily?).

The criticism of this particular Naim the CD5i ($1700), which is the subject of my quotes, is that it overdoes drive. The CD5x ($2900) doesn't overdo it.

I've submitted my request for auditions so I'll find out for myself. In the end I don't think I'll care what anyone deems to be better, truer, best..er. Even if incorrectly, I just wanna rock!

Well, the Naim may be just what the Dr. odered for you, it sounds like a monster. I've looked into the Naim, but the knock on it seems to be that highs are muted/rolled, and it lacks the "air" of the Ayre.

But, I'm also biased against British gear from the off because their cost of manufacture is double what ours is, so I'm always questioning the value. That said, I'm also biased against the flood of cheap Chinese gear because of my concern that build quality (and maybe design) is sub-par, even if labour costs are so low.

Ideally, I'd opt for Canadian gear; you know, it's just like the USA, but at a 20% discount!