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- Apr 12, 2004
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Intro
So in a quest to find a possible CDP alternative to my current Arcam FMJ CD33, today I started with a series of auditions I'm planning on over the next couple weeks. Since I'm not completely sure which one I'm going to end up buying (if any), I thought I would write a mini-review of each one that I audition.
The Primare CD31 was on my list for a few reasons. (1) It already has analog balanced outputs, (2) It's in my target price range, (3) It's black, (4) It has a nice sleek look not too dissimilar than Arcam units, though admittedly a bit more flashy.
Dealer/Experience
The local dealer I found for Primare is Magnolia Audio Video, actually a full retail outlet, which operates "Home Theater" stores within some Best Buy stores, but also runs a separate line of stores specifically for the higher-end market. I visited their Santa Clara location near Santana Row. It was loaded up with some brand names I hadn't heard of before, but most were familiar - Denon, Audioquest, and others that are a blur right now. And of course Primare. They had the full line-up of products on display, including all their players, integrated amps, DVD players, etc.
Very professional staff, and they were obviously experienced with the market too. I think they stood up a little straighter when I said my current player was an Arcam.
One guy also seemed very familiar with AudioQuest's product line and recognized my Python at a glance, and relayed a bit of history with another IC they made called the Coral. They were also very accommodating to me and my headphone equipment, and pretty much gave me an entire room to myself for my listening session. One guy also set up my cables for me, so kudos for that too.
The store also let me listen for about an hour and a half, though I was interrupted a couple of times.
Equipment
Obviously I wasn't able to control every component in the chain apart from the CDP. It was already plugged into a hefty power conditioner which probably affected the sound. That said, I was able to control the rest of the chain. I took my HeadAmp GS-X, AudioQuest Python, Signal Cable Silver Res Analog IC, Signal Cable Silver Res Reference power cord, and Mogami-balanced K701 (with [AK]Zip 1/4" cable adapter).
The store also supplied me with the AudioQuest King Cobra XLR so I could use the CDP's balanced outputs to the GS-X directly, and evaluate a fully balanced system!
Sound - Unbalanced
Right off the bat I could tell that the Primare did not have the same sound as my Arcam. It wasn't the calm, relaxed, almost cool nature of my Arcam - but it wasn't brash, forward, or energetic either. It was about halfway in between - elements of relaxed cool in the upper regions, but from the mid-range down, it was a definite increase in the energetic factor. I wouldn't use the word energetic to describe it though, maybe more the word "spirited" since it wasn't completely lively. With eyes closed, it was like the musicians had their rhythmic drive and were swinging along with the music, but not really into it.
Soundstage was quite a bit different than my Arcam too. It didn't have the pitch-black depth, nor was it as wide, but lest that sound like an unfair criticism, it was still very 3D and very convincing, and very realistic. It made the Arcam sound unrealistic. There was still a sense of space of course, just not as much as on the Arcam. I quickly ran through my torture battery of electronica to test its positioning and layer tracking (Orbital's Middle of Nowhere and Laika's Sounds of the Satellites) and the CDP didn't skip a beat nor miss anything major - it easily pinned down every instrument as I've grown to hear them and brought out every layer with stunning vibrancy. There was however a slight lack of attack/upper treble - however, I attribute this primarily to the K701 I was using, since this one hasn't been my reference for a while (the one I was using before was just sent out last week for Loaner #3). Cymbal impacts didn't really get the very initial hit of the stick onto the metal.
The CDs I spun the most were Alison Krauss' Now That I've Found You, KT Tunstall's Eye To The Telescope, and Zero 7's When It Falls. The CDP kept up with everything with a very deft, accomplished sound, as if it was running along with the beat. It did seem like there was a tendency to bring out the upper mids more than the lower mids though. Overall though, it was more of an intimate presentation rather than an open, airy vibe that my Arcam CDP tends to exude.
Sound - Balanced
I switched the GS-X to XLR using the aforementioned AudioQuest King Cobra XLR, and unplugged the cable adapter to hook up the Mogami-bal K701 directly.
HOLY SCHMOLY!
Now I wouldn't say the sound transformed into something completely different, because that would just be hyperbole. But it was a definite step up from anything I've heard before. This configuration definitely opened up the soundstage, and allowed the music to sound more open, more wide, and just plain MORE. It also seemed to track down left-right positioning better too thanks to the wider scope - left channel percussion and guitars sounded that much more distant from the center.
Dynamics also noticeably improved, as quieter passages were that much quieter, and louder parts had better contrast. I wouldn't say it exploded with the sound of fire (the K701 is pretty limiting in that aspect due to its lack of bass frequencies), but it definitely helped separate quiet and loud layers too - percussion became that much more subtle, while vocals primarily were almost in-your-face.
However, the CDP didn't exactly wow me with its balanced operation - considering the raving about balanced configs on Head-Fi, I was expecting more wow factor. I guess that's just something that's been overhyped here.
Major Gripes
I have two really, really big beefs with this CDP. First is the complete lack of Fast Forward and Rewind buttons on the front panel. They're on the remote of course, but that really just looks lazy on the part of Primare.
The second gripe is that its low bass seemed to have a noticeable sinkhole. Yeah, I could tell even with a K701. It didn't exactly fare so well with my test Crystal Method tracks. I know what to expect from a K701 with TCM (Cambridge Azur 640C V2 and CEC CD3300 gave me that info), the Primare did not deliver.
Conclusion
Although I wasn't entirely satisfied with the Primare CD31, I still feel like it's worth exploring and might end up being the replacement for my Arcam, simply because it didn't sound neutral, subtle, or have a cool reserve. It did lack the CD33's overall refinement though - but I could live with that.
Next up in my audition mini-reviews: probably the Arcam FMJ CD36.
So in a quest to find a possible CDP alternative to my current Arcam FMJ CD33, today I started with a series of auditions I'm planning on over the next couple weeks. Since I'm not completely sure which one I'm going to end up buying (if any), I thought I would write a mini-review of each one that I audition.
The Primare CD31 was on my list for a few reasons. (1) It already has analog balanced outputs, (2) It's in my target price range, (3) It's black, (4) It has a nice sleek look not too dissimilar than Arcam units, though admittedly a bit more flashy.
Dealer/Experience
The local dealer I found for Primare is Magnolia Audio Video, actually a full retail outlet, which operates "Home Theater" stores within some Best Buy stores, but also runs a separate line of stores specifically for the higher-end market. I visited their Santa Clara location near Santana Row. It was loaded up with some brand names I hadn't heard of before, but most were familiar - Denon, Audioquest, and others that are a blur right now. And of course Primare. They had the full line-up of products on display, including all their players, integrated amps, DVD players, etc.
Very professional staff, and they were obviously experienced with the market too. I think they stood up a little straighter when I said my current player was an Arcam.
The store also let me listen for about an hour and a half, though I was interrupted a couple of times.
Equipment
Obviously I wasn't able to control every component in the chain apart from the CDP. It was already plugged into a hefty power conditioner which probably affected the sound. That said, I was able to control the rest of the chain. I took my HeadAmp GS-X, AudioQuest Python, Signal Cable Silver Res Analog IC, Signal Cable Silver Res Reference power cord, and Mogami-balanced K701 (with [AK]Zip 1/4" cable adapter).
The store also supplied me with the AudioQuest King Cobra XLR so I could use the CDP's balanced outputs to the GS-X directly, and evaluate a fully balanced system!
Sound - Unbalanced
Right off the bat I could tell that the Primare did not have the same sound as my Arcam. It wasn't the calm, relaxed, almost cool nature of my Arcam - but it wasn't brash, forward, or energetic either. It was about halfway in between - elements of relaxed cool in the upper regions, but from the mid-range down, it was a definite increase in the energetic factor. I wouldn't use the word energetic to describe it though, maybe more the word "spirited" since it wasn't completely lively. With eyes closed, it was like the musicians had their rhythmic drive and were swinging along with the music, but not really into it.
Soundstage was quite a bit different than my Arcam too. It didn't have the pitch-black depth, nor was it as wide, but lest that sound like an unfair criticism, it was still very 3D and very convincing, and very realistic. It made the Arcam sound unrealistic. There was still a sense of space of course, just not as much as on the Arcam. I quickly ran through my torture battery of electronica to test its positioning and layer tracking (Orbital's Middle of Nowhere and Laika's Sounds of the Satellites) and the CDP didn't skip a beat nor miss anything major - it easily pinned down every instrument as I've grown to hear them and brought out every layer with stunning vibrancy. There was however a slight lack of attack/upper treble - however, I attribute this primarily to the K701 I was using, since this one hasn't been my reference for a while (the one I was using before was just sent out last week for Loaner #3). Cymbal impacts didn't really get the very initial hit of the stick onto the metal.
The CDs I spun the most were Alison Krauss' Now That I've Found You, KT Tunstall's Eye To The Telescope, and Zero 7's When It Falls. The CDP kept up with everything with a very deft, accomplished sound, as if it was running along with the beat. It did seem like there was a tendency to bring out the upper mids more than the lower mids though. Overall though, it was more of an intimate presentation rather than an open, airy vibe that my Arcam CDP tends to exude.
Sound - Balanced
I switched the GS-X to XLR using the aforementioned AudioQuest King Cobra XLR, and unplugged the cable adapter to hook up the Mogami-bal K701 directly.
HOLY SCHMOLY!
Now I wouldn't say the sound transformed into something completely different, because that would just be hyperbole. But it was a definite step up from anything I've heard before. This configuration definitely opened up the soundstage, and allowed the music to sound more open, more wide, and just plain MORE. It also seemed to track down left-right positioning better too thanks to the wider scope - left channel percussion and guitars sounded that much more distant from the center.
Dynamics also noticeably improved, as quieter passages were that much quieter, and louder parts had better contrast. I wouldn't say it exploded with the sound of fire (the K701 is pretty limiting in that aspect due to its lack of bass frequencies), but it definitely helped separate quiet and loud layers too - percussion became that much more subtle, while vocals primarily were almost in-your-face.
However, the CDP didn't exactly wow me with its balanced operation - considering the raving about balanced configs on Head-Fi, I was expecting more wow factor. I guess that's just something that's been overhyped here.
Major Gripes
I have two really, really big beefs with this CDP. First is the complete lack of Fast Forward and Rewind buttons on the front panel. They're on the remote of course, but that really just looks lazy on the part of Primare.
The second gripe is that its low bass seemed to have a noticeable sinkhole. Yeah, I could tell even with a K701. It didn't exactly fare so well with my test Crystal Method tracks. I know what to expect from a K701 with TCM (Cambridge Azur 640C V2 and CEC CD3300 gave me that info), the Primare did not deliver.
Conclusion
Although I wasn't entirely satisfied with the Primare CD31, I still feel like it's worth exploring and might end up being the replacement for my Arcam, simply because it didn't sound neutral, subtle, or have a cool reserve. It did lack the CD33's overall refinement though - but I could live with that.
Next up in my audition mini-reviews: probably the Arcam FMJ CD36.
