[Ticky]

Good brief reviews. Great timing too. I've been looking for a CDP upgrade at the $500-600 price range. The Azur 640C seems to be high on the list right now.

Would love the silver, but I think i'll stand out too much from the rest of my black boxes.

As for transport noise. my old $300 AMC CDP suffers from loud transport noise as well, especially on higher tracks I could hear the disc spinning. But it never got too loud to interfere with music listening. I suspect many "cheaper" CDP suffer from this fate.

 

[TMC]

Yeah I can understand it would look a bit weird having a silver cdplayer when the rest of your audio equipment happens to be black. I just have the player sitting alone on my desk and the silver version just appeals to me a lot more with the light grey display background with dark grey text that really match the silver/grey colour of the player itself. Well I think I've dwelled enough on the looks, back to listening to the enjoyable sound instead

 

[CalvinQ]

Have to agree, delightful cdp.

 

[plainsong]

It's not weird at all. My nad is a dark silverish titanium color, and I think it goes nicely even with the less-than-sexy Perreaux.

Team silver source.

 

[TMC]

Quote:

Originally posted by CalvinQ Have to agree, delightful cdp.

For sure, and the blue LED is so right with the silver chassi

 

[TMC]

Quote:

Originally posted by plainsong It's not weird at all. My nad is a dark silverish titanium color, and I think it goes nicely even with the less-than-sexy Perreaux. Team silver source.

Yeah I was eyeing the titanium version too if I was going with a NAD, also a very attractive player with that color. Sign me up as a newbie member in Team silver source

 

[Riordan]

thanks TMC, the comparison was just what i needed, very helpful indeed

now if only someone could compare the older cambridge models (d300 and d500/se) to the azur line - i'd have to know if it's enough of an upgrade for the price before adding myself to team cambridge azur

 

[bundee1]

Im down with team Silver Source. Ive got my NICE Music Hall MMF CD25 baby! Its paired with a silver Jolida 1501RC and a Sansui t-60 tuner. Im waiting for a silver 5 disc carousel universal player to come out this summer and Ill be set.

 

[lant5]

I have spent the last 3 weeks with the Cambridge 640 and sonically it is very good but the flimsy drawer and LOUD transport mechanism just did it in for me. It is going back to the dealer for a credit.

 

[Robert Seletsky]

Hi,

I'm new, so I guess I'm late getting in on the Azur-athon.

Cosmetics: I would have loved the titanium with black LEDs, but the white function labeling on the silver unit made it invisible. Curiously, trhe original idea was black lettering, but someone wanted to be "chic." The black unit has legible lettering but a slightly cloudier readout. Both have somehat overly bright blue power indicator LEDs when viewed from the front.

Mechanical noise: I can hear a slight click when skipping to another track, but only with my ear right up against the unit--not a customary listening position. In that position, one can also hear the whirring transport, and if the room is silent, and no music is on, there is a very slight transformer hum. But unless I glue my ear to the player, I don't think there will be a problem.

Yes, the Azurs have less bass presence than the NADs, but they are so controlled and balanced that I could only conclude the NADs are overdoing it. To my ear, the NADs don't quite compare to the Azurs in any department. The NAD players have a stiffness of sound, and slight tightness in the treble that is simply unappealing after the liquid, open sound of the Cambridge Azurs.

As I wrote elsewhere, after auditioning both a well played-in 640c and 540c, I guess I am in the minority in preferring the less intense sound of the 540c--at least with my equipment and the range of musical material to which I typically listen.

Robert Seletsky

 

[Robert Seletsky]

Hi,

I'm new, so I guess I'm late getting in on the Azur-athon.

Cosmetics: I would have loved the titanium with black LEDs, but the white function labeling on the silver unit made it invisible. Curiously, trhe original idea was black lettering, but someone wanted to be "chic." The black unit has legible lettering but a slightly cloudier readout. Both have somehat overly bright blue power indicator LEDs when viewed from the front.

Mechanical noise: I can hear a slight click when skipping to another track, but only with my ear right up against the unit--not a customary listening position. In that position, one can also hear the whirring transport, and if the room is silent, and no music is on, there is a very slight transformer hum. But unless I glue my ear to the player, I don't think there will be a problem.

Yes, the Azurs have less bass presence than the NADs, but they are so controlled and balanced that I could only conclude the NADs are overdoing it. To my ear, the NADs don't quite compare to the Azurs in any department. The NAD players have a stiffness of sound, and slight tightness in the treble that is simply unappealing after the liquid, open sound of the Cambridge Azurs.

As I wrote elsewhere, after auditioning both a well played-in 640c and 540c, I guess I am in the minority in preferring the less intense sound of the 540c--at least with my equipment and the range of musical material to which I typically listen.

Robert Seletsky

 

[Trogdor]

I love my Azur but I must say it seems to be very sensitive to CDs with scratches - more so than my DVD player and other sources I've tried.

Also, another annoying thing about the Azur is that if you shut it off before it displays "no disc", the motor keeps on running. I talked to Cambridge Audio and they said that's normal! I think its kind a dumb.

Right now, the Azur is my main CDP until I upgrade...

 

[Robert Seletsky]

I love my Azur but I must say it seems to be very sensitive to CDs with scratches - more so than my DVD player and other sources I've tried.

Also, another annoying thing about the Azur is that if you shut it off before it displays "no disc", the motor keeps on running. I talked to Cambridge Audio and they said that's normal! I think its kind a dumb.
---------------
What?! Does that mean if you shut off the power with a disc iin stop mode but still in the player that the motor is running when the player is in standby (sleep) mode and the display is dark? That makes no sense. And I tried shutting it down before the "no disc" display and I don't hear even a whisper of motor noise. I'm confused. Please explain. Oh yeah, I have the 540c, not the 640c, but I doubt that makes a difference.

Robert Seletsky

 

[oneeyedhobbit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trogdor I love my Azur but I must say it seems to be very sensitive to CDs with scratches - more so than my DVD player and other sources I've tried. Also, another annoying thing about the Azur is that if you shut it off before it displays "no disc", the motor keeps on running. I talked to Cambridge Audio and they said that's normal! I think its kind a dumb. Right now, the Azur is my main CDP until I upgrade...

I have experienced that once--it also gave me the heebie jeebies, but it was a one time occurence, and Cambridge tells me its fine. Still, I do agree--they could've fixed a stupid glitch like that...

 

[Trogdor]

Yea, they really should. It freaked me out as well. It happens on a consistent basis. Just press eject, press eject again (it starts scanning), and hold down the power button. Bam, the motor still keeps going.

Other than that, the CDP is a fantastic value (the NAD I hear is nice as well though most seem to prefer the Azur).