[smuh]

Hi Guys,

I am in search for a new source and came down with this litte list:
NAD C521BEE
Cambridge Azur 640C
Harman Kardon HD 970

I know there might be some players with an even better value, but since I am located in germany, most of them won't be an option.

It seems that the nad and the cambride are units, that are highly recommended for their price. I am not so sure about the hk unit. Which one would you recommend and why?

Amp: Corda Aria

Thanks,
Andre

 

[imported_dom_]

never heard any of them but in most reviews of budget cd players the cambridge always beats the nad to top spot

 

[clatter]

I've got the NAD and my dad has the Cambridge, so I've listened to both of them a fair bit. As far as I can tell they sound about the same, possibly the NAD is a little brighter. I've never heard the HK, so I can't help you there. I opted for the NAD myself purely because I got a better price on it.

As dom_ pointed out, the Cambridge always wins the reviews so that's the one I'd recommed if you're unable to audition them.

 

[JiiEf]

You have done your research pretty well, since those are IMHO really the three best players in the <500e price range.

Both the NAD and the Cambridge have had some issues (NAD with the the transport, Cambridge with a buzzing transformer, but Cambridge updated their design a while back - so if I were buying Cambridge, I'd cough up the extra for a new piece instead of buying used.)

The H/K won the EISA award this year, but was criticized for it's somewhat cheap and plasticy finish - and I agree on that. OTOH, the display on it is really nice looking, I'd rank it as the top one in the three, followed by NAD and third by Cambridge (Does cambridge still use a different display for it's black models? I've only seen the "black on silver" one used in the silvers). For general looks, it's a matter of taste, with the Cambridge being all-metal and the two others using plastic (NAD for the faceplate).

Soundwise, I've heard the Cambridge briefly and own the 521Bee. According to press reviews, the Cambridge would be the brightest and the H/K darkest with the NAD in the middle. The NAD as a nice, fairly rich sound that I like. Probably slightly rolled-off at the top, though.

For those with multiple digital sources (ie. a computer) the H/K has both an optical and a coaxial digital input - if I were building my budget delight setup, that's almost definitely the one I would go with today.

All in all, I'd say it's very hard to pick a clean favourite among the three. They all have definite qualities which I hope to have illustrated to some level. I think it boils down to personal musical preference, connectivity and the fact the appearance-wise neither the NAD or H/K mix that well with other equipment (The H/K maybe better, but a question of taste).

Personally, (I'm pulling the traditional head-fi "If you spend double, you'll get something slightly better) I'm waiting for the Cambridge 740c to come out, as it would seem to combine the best parts of the H/K (AD Blackfin based asynchronous re/oversampling and external digital inputs) with the Cambridge minimalist appearance and good review tradition.

Hope I was of some help at least,

/JF

 

[smuh]

Thanks JiiEf! Now I am goint to wait till the Corda Aria arives and take it to a local hifi store. I am sure they won't have the H/K, but at least I will be able to give the nad and the cambridge a try.
I don't know about the prices in Finland, but the H/K and NAD 521 cost nearly the same, the Cambridge Azur 640c costs 100-150 Euro more. I will try to find out if the 640 is worth the higher price

Another option would be to buy a shanling, xindak or bada player while I am in new york city next month, but I currently don't know of a store that has holds those brands and if I really want to take a player with me, customs will for sure be curious

 

[JiiEf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by smuh Thanks JiiEf! Now I am goint to wait till the Corda Aria arives and take it to a local hifi store. I am sure they won't have the H/K, but at least I will be able to give the nad and the cambridge a try. I don't know about the prices in Finland, but the H/K and NAD 521 cost nearly the same, the Cambridge Azur 640c costs 100-150 Euro more. I will try to find out if the 640 is worth the higher price Another option would be to buy a shanling, xindak or bada player while I am in new york city next month, but I currently don't know of a store that has holds those brands and if I really want to take a player with me, customs will for sure be curious

I paid 290e for my NAD (list price 320e), and the list prices are 399e for the H/K and 490e for the Cambridge.

I'd say it really is a question of emphasis, whether you can live with the way the NAD looks, if you like/dislike the remote, if you want the additional connectivity of the H/K.

By the way, the corresponding Cambridge model really is the 340C, but I'm not positive whether it got the transformer upgrade the 540c and 640c got. The 340c has received very respectable reviews as well, but I can't comment on it otherwise. What I DO know was that there was a MASSIVE difference between the 340A and 640A amps in user-friendliness (the 340a has a BAD volume potentiometre, and, tbh, the one in the 640A is barely tolerable). The 340c is supposed to use the same transport as the other Cambridge CDPs, but uses the CS4338 DAC instead of the Wolfson DACs the more expensive models have.

/JF

p.s. I just heard that the designation for the upcoming Azur series has been changed to 840, and I fear that the price is going to rise correspondingly from the original 900-1000e range. Sigh.

 

[Lerman]

CD5400. Widely avail. in Europe, I think.

In choosing between NAD and Marantz I went with Marantz due to slightly lower price ($300 vs $400 or something).

Slightly different sound. Marantz warmer, NAD maybe crisper. But that's just my ears.

Was nervous, but do not regret decision.

 

[smuh]

I have read some (rare) about the HD 970 and finally came to the conclusion that I will give it a try

Seems that H/K is not the head-fiers first choice. From what I have read about H/K history and the HD 970 it might not be a bad choice on my side.

Of course I would prefer a player with a higher end finish, but I simply can't afford a Chord cdp

Thanks for your help and recommendations guys!

 

[chungsoi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JiiEf Soundwise, I've heard the Cambridge briefly and own the 521Bee. According to press reviews, the Cambridge would be the brightest and the H/K darkest with the NAD in the middle. The NAD as a nice, fairly rich sound that I like. Probably slightly rolled-off at the top, though.

I own the NAD c521bee and my impressions are in line with JiiEf. It is a very smooth and musical sounding source. It leans slightly towards the dark side, due to a slight treble roll-off but otherwise the bass is detailed and has the perfect amount of impact.
Oh and I love the NAD remote! It looks a bit ugly, but really user-friendly!!

 

[kontai69]

I had the Cambridge 640C in my system for a couple of weeks. I found its sound to be a bit on the bright side when used as a player or transport. Constructionwise, it is a very solidly built player. It had nice touches like copper shielding over vital internal parts. However, I had several issues with it. 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/closed rapidly with no "finesse." The digital output jack was wobbly. The remote was also ergonomically lousy.

 

[RJW1138]

I moved up to an Azur 640C from a NAD C521Bee. In my system, the Cambridge is more tonally balanced, a bit more detailed, and has a larger soundstage. The NAD is warm, lacking in the upper midrange and treble. Perhaps the only area where the NAD might have a slight edge over the Cambridge is in attack. It may be a smidge punchier in the low and mid frequencies.

These differences aren't huge, but are still there. I feel that they are both great products for the money, but because the Cambridge costs more, you get more. I still have the NAD and am going to A/B the two for a few more days for the fun of it before I sell it. If my opinion changes, I'll let you know.

 

[yo2tup2]

for cd players in that price range. i'd say skip it, go for one of the chinese dac's and a dvd/cd player. that's what i did. had the c521bee and wasn't that satisfied.....so i got a chinese dac used it w/ my dvd player, sold the c521bee and never looked back

 

[mysticaldodo]

Check the Cambridge forum. Make sure you get the second revision.

The Cambridge, I described it as being forward and punchy and a good sense of weight to the sound, kind of like a poor man's NAIM.

I have one now and I'm please with it. However, its best not to pair it with a bright amp since the Cambridge is a little on the bright side.

 

[JiiEf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mysticaldodo Check the Cambridge forum. Make sure you get the second revision. The Cambridge, I described it as being forward and punchy and a good sense of weight to the sound, kind of like a poor man's NAIM. I have one now and I'm please with it. However, its best not to pair it with a bright amp since the Cambridge is a little on the bright side.

AFAIK, the Cambridge Audio forum no longer exists. Which annoys me to no end, since I forgot to copy the remote codes for the Azur series from there. Duh.

Quote:

Originally Posted by smuh I have read some (rare) about the HD 970 and finally came to the conclusion that I will give it a try Seems that H/K is not the head-fiers first choice. From what I have read about H/K history and the HD 970 it might not be a bad choice on my side. Of course I would prefer a player with a higher end finish, but I simply can't afford a Chord cdp Thanks for your help and recommendations guys!

I think the main reason for lack of recommendations on the HK is the fact that it's not available in the US.

/JF

 

[smuh]

The hd 970 is here! And I have to admit, it doesn't look _that_ worthy. I like its design, but it does not look as good as the Cambridge Azurs. OTOH it might be that they really spend most of the money on the soundquality, because the hd 970 really sounds great. At least to me. Neutral and _very_ clear and detailed. I noticed details and nuances that were never there before. I was finally able to enjoy the music as I ever wanted to

And as many people noticed before, it is really possible to hear and notice quality differences in recordings and "tell" if it is a bad or good quality recording.
So far, I am very satisfied!

The hd 970 might not look like a higher end cdp, but it surely is. Of course it is not compareable to those audiophile players that cost as much as a car does, but it does a good job and brings you a step closer to be a pure audiophile