[Pierre Lambion]

Hi,

following up on my question about $500 CDP, I'm happy to announce I bought an Atoll CD 80 (http://www.atoll-electronique.com/).

I auditioned a ROTEL, the Cambridge D500SE (briefly) , the Atoll 50 and the Atoll 80. Both Atoll were much more musical than the Rotel (very stiff) and the Cambridge.

The margin between the Atol 50 and 80 is significant, more than the price difference. Atoll is a French manufacturer so prices in US would be much higher I guess. The Atoll 50 is priced here EUR 560 and the 80 is at EUR 699. This was somewhat over my budget but anyway ...

The finish is great. The black metal front is anodized. The buttons are smooth and easy. The sound is very dynamic and detailed AND musical!

Next step will be amp and speakers but that's for next year!

Cheers,
Pierre

 

[millerdog]

hey Pierre,
Is there a link to these products? (edit) I mean English?
thanks,
md

 

[TimSchirmer]

I love the sleek look of French CDP's. Does anyone remember Micromega?

 

[Pierre Lambion]

their site have an english translation: http://www.atoll-electronique.com/anglais/cadre.htm

P.

 

[Budgie]

Nice looking equipment!

 

[lini]

Thanks for the info, Pierre. I've read a review about their PR 200 / AM 100 in a German audio mag a few months ago, which was very favourable. Since then, I'm curious and I've just spotted their IN 80 integrated amp on their site - maybe this one together with a CD 80... <drool> Did you risk a look at their amps, too? Or maybe have you even tried the headphone jacks on these?

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[Pierre Lambion]

Hi Lini,

I heard the CDPs with a Creek amp, not with the Atoll. As I had limited time, I did not try the Atoll amp.

However, I intend to start auditioning the amps in the coming weeks even if I don't plan to buy an amp before end 2003.

I will let you know!

Right now, I have my AKG 240s (thanks again for the recommandation!) plugged into the CDP via a Porta Corda II. Sounds nice, even if I guess the PC is the weak link ... It satisfies my for the moment!

Cheers,
P.

 

[Mopa]

Hi!
I have an Atoll IN100 and it's a real great stuff!
the headphone jack is Ok with a sennheiser hd 600 not with ETYS 4P (background noise level).

the Rotel cd player is Ok (dynamic, accurate, never plotting) but you've got to take care of your rca wire. I have good result with silver one (REALCABLE TOPAZE)more than with monster 400 MK

 

[lini]

Pierre: Thanks for the further info - and I look forward to your Atoll amp testing (hopefully with the K240S!

). But don't underestimate your Porta Corda (II): It's already very good - one has quite a hard time finding an integrated amp with comparable headphone output quality...

Some more greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

P.S.: Mopa, considering your experiences with it, would you think the headphone circuitry of the Atoll amps is rather designed for high impedance phones?

 

[Mopa]

That's it!
I will try my ETYs set in S with fixup's enhancement cable (100 ohm vs 27) when i'll receive it and review it.
Otherwise the Atoll has NO background noise listening to loudspeakers or regular headphones.
Those who like high end french touch could have a look on Jean-Marie Reynaud site : jm-reynaud.com
I listen my music on his Cantabile and it is equal or better (I mean better tone) than hd 600.
Good listening session!

 

[Pierre Lambion]

Hi Mopa,

nice to have a neighbour on board!
hey, if you ever come across good deals in Paris, let me know. It's kinda hard to get to audition lot of headphones ...

Sure, the Rotel was not a bad cd player. It's just that both my wife and me found the Atoll *much* more pleasant. I know "musical" is a buzzword, so let just say that tones were fuller and musicians appeared to be more enthousiastic!

The difference between the Atoll cd 50 and the 80 was very noticable on piano pieces. The violin (reference being Mendelsohn viloin concerto) was also more thrilling on the 80.
The Atoll is certainly great with classical music.

Certainly, some variations in the amp-speaker-wiring combination could lead to different conclusions ...


Lini,
I'm sure the Porta Corda can hold up to quite expensive integrated amps. It has absolutely no noise, no hiss. It is fast and dynamic. However, I guess a full Corda Ha 2 would probably be a wiser choice in the long term if was to stick with headphones in the long run.
My goal being to switch to speakers when I can afford it, the porta corda is a nice cheap temporary solution. It never hurts to have something as versatile as this little solid amp.

 

[Mopa]

yes, Pierre, I'll tell you!
à bientôt


oups, I mean see U

 

[lini]

Pierre, Mopa: Some more thanks for the further infos. And Pierre, I have the JM-Lab Opal 607 driven by a Marantz PM-8000, but I guess the newer Chorus series combined with an Atoll amp would also be a nice sounding and not overly expensive combination. And yes, the HA-2 intrigues me, too - I'm just not sure, whether my source (Marantz CD6000OSE) is good enough to show the enhancement over the HA-1, which I already have and like a lot.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

P.S.: What do you guys think of an European Head-Fi meeting? Maybe we could find a nice hotel somewhere around Frankfurt, Karlsruhe or Straßburg, so everyone from Austria, Switzerland, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Great Britain could come and join in for a few days next spring or summer...

 

[Pierre Lambion]

That could be quite an idea. Especially if we can get Jan Meier to join in with some amps and headphones!

It could make sense to incure the travel expenses if one gets to make a better/wiser acquisition (and with no shipping cost??).

P.

 

[lini]

Pierre: Maybe we should try to meet the timeframe of the HighEnd exhibition in Frankfurt - then we could start a nice little Head-Fiers' invasion there...

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini