[slwiser]

daltonlanny, sorry to hear about your families accident.

I had a chance to compare my Lavry DA10 to SK138's 840c about two weekends ago. The comparison was very extensive and I came away knowing the 840c is something very special. I would say it is a little bit better than the Lavry DA10 overall on most things. Some thing I could not tell the difference. SK138 and I have a thread about our micro-meet if anyone want to read about it. SK138 mostly wanted to compare his balanced system with my single-ended Yamamoto setup. There are definitely differences going balanced. It is easly to tell those differences with SK138s setup. Here is that thread:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f45/october-2007-va-usa-micro-meeting-265874/#post3382592

For myself you will see that I am quite satisfied with my single-ended setup.

 

[Sdipiet]

Hi folks - I'm new here and have enjoyed reading all the posts about the cambridge players (I too am sorry to hear about your having to sell your 804 and wish speedy recovery to your family and you). I recently was trying to decide on either the 840 or 740 (I would NOT use the 840 balanced) and wrote to Cambridge and asked their opinion. They told me the 804 really shines in balanced mode, and if not using it that way, to go with the 704. Now I also noticed that the 804 was dc coupled at the output and that it didn't mention the 704 was so I wrote again, and in fact only the 804 is dc coupled. That had me inching toward the 804 until I then had email contact with Douglas from a mod company (Resoultion mods) who was very helpful in answering questions. He has modded many 804's and has begun doing 704's now. He said that the fact the 704 isn't dc coupled wouldn't be an issue if you mod the 704 since his analog stage mod basically replaces all kinds of parts with a transformer which basically makes it a player with no caps in the signal path. Now this is not a cheap mod - it is almost the cost of the 704 player (I'm seeing them at $995 online) so it would be something I wouldn't do for quite some time as it is out of my budget now.

Now, here's what happened. I saw a good deal on a tube player I've been reading a lot of good stuff about, the Raysonic 128 and although a couple hundred more than the 704 I decided to go for it and thought if I didn't think it was really super I would sell it and go back to the 704, save up the money and get it modified at a later date. Douglas (the modder) told me he can do some mods to the Raysonic but because it's a tube output, he felt the 704 with the total output stage mod would go further than the Raysonic (even after the mods he could do to it) since he couldn't make it as clean in the signal path.

Any chance anyone here has or has heard the Raysonic 128. any idea how it would compare to the 704 (if both are stock versions?)

Wow, sorry for going on so long. I wont make it a habit.
samuel

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SK138 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I never head DAC-1 but if it's detailed as I been reading, I think 840C is right up there. My motive was to buy a unified system that can function as transport and DAC. Since it's getting really popular, it's hard to get one. Many vendors said they can't get it stocked until late November. Silver model was very hard to find...I got luck

I will definitely be getting the silver model to match my Opera.

And you should get an Opera to match your 840c.

 

[SK138]

Silver 840c is harder to get but the search is worth it if you like silver gears like I do

Nice try IPodPJ, but I listened to Opera and I like the double VHP2/VAC combo better

I am going to try convincing Justine (at Headamp) to make a silver GSX for me..hehe.


Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif I will definitely be getting the silver model to match my Opera. And you should get an Opera to match your 840c.

 

[NMyTree]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daltonlanny /img/forum/go_quote.gif The reason I am selling the 840c is to help pay some bills due to an accident in my family. I am still very happy with the sonics of this player, and will miss it dearly, but I must preserve my credit which is more important to me right now. I also had to sell my GS-X, my balanced cables, as well as one of my automobiles, to raise some funds for the unforseen accident and the resulting bills. I will not be able to buy anymore cd players, headphones, cables, or any other audio gear for a long time to come. Sorry if this caused any confusion.

Best wishes to you and your family, Dalton. Wishing you well.

We've been going through a similar situation with our family. My father-in-law was hit (from behind) while waiting at a red light; by a drunk driver doing 90+ mph (in Feb. 2007). His car was hammered and rolled. The injuries were severe and extensive. He was in ICU for over two weeks. By April he needed our financial help. Both of our moms have been through some very serious and critical heath problems over the last 15 months and we've been helping them out, too. As well as traveling back and forth between New Jersey, South Carolina and then back home, here in North Carolina. If I wasn't for tha fact that I am able to work from anywhere that has an internet connection; I would be financially screwed as well.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SK138 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Silver 840c is harder to get but the search is worth it if you like silver gears like I do Nice try IPodPJ, but I listened to Opera and I like the double VHP2/VAC combo better

What do you mean double?

 

[SK138]

I have two VHP2/VAC1 combos in a balanced configuration. The two Lunchbox II amps were loaned to me by fellow head-fier.

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif What do you mean double?

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SK138 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have two VHP2/VAC1 combos in a balanced configuration. The two Lunchbox II amps were loaned to me by fellow head-fier.

Crazy. I remember looking in the CI Audio amps before I got my Opera and it just didn't seem to have the same quality reviews. Besides, it doesn't have Meier crossfeed so it would serve me about as much purpose as a toadstool.

And I was actually even more recently looking to the CI Audio DAC but then came across the 840c and well, you can fill in the rest.

 

[SK138]

You got the right idea...source first

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif Crazy. I remember looking in the CI Audio amps before I got my Opera and it just didn't seem to have the same quality reviews. Besides, it doesn't have Meier crossfeed so it would serve me about as much purpose as a toadstool. And I was actually even more recently looking to the CI Audio DAC but then came across the 840c and well, you can fill in the rest.

 

[IPodPJ]

Yes, I can't wait until I buy one.

Rant: To go off tangent for a second, I just got my new Coax cable in the mail. I have to test it out. I'm not expecting any difference at all. I keep arguing with my neighbor who thinks his $1,000 Coax cable sounds better than my $60 cable. Digital cable should make no difference at all. Digital bits can't be affected through cable transmission since they get translated after they are transmitted. A bit either gets transmitted or it doesn't (and if it doesn't, DACs have error correction), but a cable isn't going to change the sound quality of a digital bit. Theoretically, minimal amounts of jitter can potentially be introduced but in any test ever conducted (that I've read about), the maximum for any coax cable with a proper 75 ohm impedance is 3 picoseconds, and it isn't known if it was caused by the cable or somewhere else in the chain. And if someone thinks they can hear a 3 picosecond difference (3 trillionths of a second), I'd tell them to put down the crack pipe.

Analog signal transmission is a different story, but I don't even want to go there except to say that most of these companies are snake oil salesmen. That's what I like about Cobalt Cable's philosophy. Most cables that people think sound better are actually altering the sonic attributes being transmitted. If a cable company doesn't actually test and compare the output of a device directly at the source and then again at the end of the cable length, they are blowing smoke up your arse. Good cables are important, but to spend thousands on them? It's nuts. I'd rather hardwire my amp and DAC together. Cobalt Cable custom makes all of their cables to order and they give you 90 days to use and compare them to any other cable on the market. With only a 3% return rate, I'd say that says something not only about the quality of their cables but the lack of "magical" quality that people hear as a result of emptying their bank account for something that must be worth it.

End rant.

 

[Hellenback]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asr /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well I was recommending based on price and tech specs only, not sound quality. The two CA players are ones I'd personally avoid if I were CDP shopping right now - as I said, their prices are too high for what you get. And I've heard the 640C V2 which the 740C is nearly identical to on specs alone, so the sound signatures are likely very close. I never liked the 640C V2's sound that much. And if the 640C V2 is supposed to be representative of CA's entire line of digital sources (it was their flagship model until last year when the 840C and 740C came out), then I'll never be buying a CDP from them. Maybe if I find a local dealer for CA, I'll go spend some listening time with them just for the experience, but neither is a machine that I'd buy - again, the 740C just seems overpriced for what it is, and the 840C doesn't look like it's been optimized in the balanced output stage. It does fulfill the dual differential DAC requirement necessary to achieve true balanced, but none of the other designs and technologies that I've seen in other balanced CDPs.

Wrong place to post. Sorry

 

[milkpowder]

Detailed Internal Photos of the Azur 740c:

Click here!

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder /img/forum/go_quote.gif Detailed Internal Photos of the Azur 740c: Click here!

Wow! That thing has got a lot of beef! Gets me all warm and tingly inside.

My neighbor was telling me about the review of the 840c in the September edition of Absolute Sound. He said he can't remember the last time he read such glowing reviews about a CD player. Apparently the article says it fits just as well in a $100,000 system as it does in an inexpensive system. It just goes to show you that you don't have to spend $20,000 to get an extremely nice transport/DAC.

I want one NOW! But I have to buy gifts for family and clients before I can get another toy for myself. Hopefully in January or February.

 

[milkpowder]

If the 840c is better than the 740c (which no doubt it is), then it must be pretty darn impressive. The only thing that doesn't really look right inside the 740c is the relatively flimsy transport mechanism. It's all plasticy except for the solid metal base.

I wonder what upgrades can be done to the player? Maybe a discrete balanced class A output stage instead of the cheapo OP275 w/ balanced outputs.

 

[IPodPJ]

I guess I never really asked what "discrete input/output" is. Can someone explain it? I've looked all over the internet and all these audio manufacturers use it in their terms but no one defines it anywhere.