[padi89]

I was wondering if someone could help me out with a new CD player.I am going to be pairing it up with most likely a Corda Aria and a pair of HD650.I say likely as regards the Corda Aria as the Headfive looks pretty good too,but its another couple months away.
The two CD players i am looking at are the
Cambridge Azur 640c V2
NAD C542
There is only a 30 euro difference between the two with the NAD being the more expensive of the two but it is also reduced by 70 euro. They are pretty much the only ones available to me as i would prefer to buy local.Any help would be greatly appreciated as im planing to order over the next few days.Thanks

 

[Puffin]

I have a Cambridge 640cV2. I like a very detailed and crisp sound, which the Cambridge has. I have never owned, nor heard the NAD, but I suspect that the NAD would give a warmer presentation. It depends which you prefer crisp and detailed or warmer and less detailed.

 

[padi89]

I listen to such a wide variation in music that to be honest for me to pin point the exact sound im looking for would be impossible.I guess i want it to be pretty universal (if there is such a thing) i currently have a HD595 and an MS1 and these do get the most use,but i really cant choose one over the other because they both compliment each other well,both will be upgraded some time in the future with the Senn being the first inline.So its pretty much a solid CD player im looking for out of the two thats going to last me as its unlikely il have the chance to splash out again for a while.Anyone else?

 

[boodi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Puffin I have a Cambridge 640cV2. I like a very detailed and crisp sound, which the Cambridge has. I have never owned, nor heard the NAD, but I suspect that the NAD would give a warmer presentation. It depends which you prefer crisp and detailed or warmer and less detailed.

I've had a listen to the first 640 and I preferred the Shanling s100 mkII ..
I modded it step by step , and now it is a super(b) machine now imo hard to beat

Anyhow I quote the sound signature of the Azur . The Shanling was bit more neutral sounding . With the mods it has a very nice analguish sound and grip .

I advice a Shanling s100mkII to anyone who wants a great player to go with and mod , as still now that I have ( heard ) Meridians and Wadias I consider the Shanling one of the most under rated product ever on head-fi and worth multiple times his price

everytime I look on profiles I try to find a Shanling s100 mkII and it's weird I've found only 1 person in head-fi owning it other then me .

 

[padi89]

Thats one sweet CDP Boodi but its above my budget,im really stretching with the NAD and the Cambridge.

 

[mrarroyo]

I have the NAD C542, it feeds a Mapletree Ear Purist + HD100 via DiMarzio ICs. The sound is fantastic, specially with Grado's (RS-1 or RS-2) and AKG K701. I am very happy with the selection.

 

[jpr703]

I have the NAD 542 and have enjoyed it quite a bit. Unfortantely, I haven't heard the other player so I can't really compare the two, but if you have any questions about the NAD, just shoot me a PM.

 

[jpr703]

Oh, I did want to mention that the NAD seems to love Chord interconnects. I tried several in their lineup with each sucessive one sounding better on the 542. I finally settled down with the Chorus interconnect which just has amazing synergy in my system.

 

[SiBurning]

Cambridge may have build quality issues. Do some additional research on all parts before you buy. I had to send a 640C back. The drive would occassionaly start about 3 seconds into a track, especially when moving around or on the first track. This is how it starts, to judge by what I read online. The unit also sounded a bit odd even after about 200 hours, and had some realy weird sound changes in the first week or two. Maybe some troublesome capacitors? All in all, it looks like some units might be trouble. At least make sure you buy it with a generous return policy. I suppose this is the tradeoff for the low price of a (mostly) very good sounding unit.

 

[dj_mocok]

C'mon join team C542!

 

[demasoni]

I have the C542 and I love it. I can't really say it does anything wrong either - very musical and non-fatiguing. I haven't heard the Cambridge, but I am real happy with my current setup.

 

[padi89]

Cheers for the replys guys.Having read around a bit more over the last few days there does seem to be a few owners with build quality issues regarding the Azur.I had pretty much decided on the Azur but these issues seem to be unsettleing.Gonna do a bit of a readup on the NAD and make my decision then,seems from you headfiers its a good choice.

 

[dj_mocok]

Read this review already?

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dj_mocok Read this review already?

Link is not working, would you please check it. Thanks.

 

[kontai69]

I had the Cambridge 640C (V1?) in my system for a couple of weeks. I found its sound to be a bit on the bright side when used either as a player or transport. Constructionwise, it is a very solidly built player and sleek looking to boot. It has an all metal exterior. It had nice touches like copper shielding over the vital internal parts.

However, several things about it annoyed me. The transport mechanism makes an annoying "click-click" when skipping tracks. The backlit LCD display was hard to read at angles and was too bright at night. The drawer was flimsy and opened/slammed closed rapidly without the "finesse" typically of expensive players. The buttons were small and hard to press. The digital output jack was wobbly. The remote was also ergonomically lousy because the buttons were tiny and hard to use by feel.

I've also have heard and used the NAD c542 for some time. However, it was in different system (dad's) so I can comment on how it compares sonically. The NAD does look kind of cheap with its plastic faceplate.

Another player to consider in the price range is a Music Hall CD25.2.