Rhydon
MOT: Symphones
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2005
- Posts
- 791
- Likes
- 73
I decided to pick up a new connector for my HP-2's, the cardas 1/4" stereo plug looked really cool. Found out the main parts dealer for Cardas was right in my area, Parts ConeXion, up in Oakville.
First problems. Broken door: opening the box, the transport door was not closed, it was slid out of the unit slightly. Now, when the door opens, it is very unstable, one can wiggle it from side to side, it has a lot of play. NOT PROFESSIONAL FEELING. When it closes, you can hear something rubbing on the door as its in its final 1/10th's of closing. Almost as if a part has broken off inside.
Wont turn off: yep, thats right. Theres a 'power' button on the remote, but it dosent work.... you have to turn the units main power switch off if you want to leave the CD player. Boy this one just about did it for me. It gets better tho:
Sound: Yes, well this is the Music Hall CD25.2- one of the highest rated CD players in its category surely its sound would be unrivaled. Wrong. On my GCHA and HP-2's im hearing what sounds like as follows:
Lows: No presence here. No deep bass what so ever. Very week and almost nonexistent. Sloppy, uncontrolled, weak. I dont know how else to describe it: BAD.
Midrange: This is the worst part.... One thing i love about my setup is its ability to sound true in the mids. The HP-2's do a wonderful portrayal of midrange, both lifelike and precise. But thru the Music Hall, everything sounds fake. The mids seem to have a peak, i cant tell where, but i have yet to hear this in any other peice of equipment. It just sounds unnatural. Like a hole in the lower mids. Very unpleasant and nowhere near natural sounding or preserving the recording.
Highs: nothing special. Actually i wish they were a bit more extended. They seem to lack that LAST sparkle. They are detailed yes, but detailed only to a certain point. Ive heard better on my Denon 2910.
Sound-stage: Ugh! overexagerated to the extreme. I can see how some players like to boost sound-stage just a tad, but this one is to the point of annoying the listener. Instruments have far to much air around them, again pushing the Music Hall even further into the realm of digital mistake and less natural recording.
Im just typing this quick review to give an example of how unhappy i am with the Music Hall. Its looks are GREAT. I mean its a very nice looking player. But the sound is awful. I prefer my cheap 100$ sony DVD player's analog outputs over the music hall, my denon 2910 is in a completely different league in terms of quality.
Overall; me= disappointed.
I know upgrades do exist for this unit. Many people recommend them. but at 600$ US, i just want a player that sounds decent. I dont want to add another 350$ worth of upgrades just to have it sound "comfortable".
If your looking for a good stock unit, the CD25.2 is not a winner. But if your looking to add upgrades and completely overhaul its inner workings, then maybe you should consider the CD25.2, because that is the only way i could possibly recommend it.
First problems. Broken door: opening the box, the transport door was not closed, it was slid out of the unit slightly. Now, when the door opens, it is very unstable, one can wiggle it from side to side, it has a lot of play. NOT PROFESSIONAL FEELING. When it closes, you can hear something rubbing on the door as its in its final 1/10th's of closing. Almost as if a part has broken off inside.
Wont turn off: yep, thats right. Theres a 'power' button on the remote, but it dosent work.... you have to turn the units main power switch off if you want to leave the CD player. Boy this one just about did it for me. It gets better tho:
Sound: Yes, well this is the Music Hall CD25.2- one of the highest rated CD players in its category surely its sound would be unrivaled. Wrong. On my GCHA and HP-2's im hearing what sounds like as follows:
Lows: No presence here. No deep bass what so ever. Very week and almost nonexistent. Sloppy, uncontrolled, weak. I dont know how else to describe it: BAD.
Midrange: This is the worst part.... One thing i love about my setup is its ability to sound true in the mids. The HP-2's do a wonderful portrayal of midrange, both lifelike and precise. But thru the Music Hall, everything sounds fake. The mids seem to have a peak, i cant tell where, but i have yet to hear this in any other peice of equipment. It just sounds unnatural. Like a hole in the lower mids. Very unpleasant and nowhere near natural sounding or preserving the recording.
Highs: nothing special. Actually i wish they were a bit more extended. They seem to lack that LAST sparkle. They are detailed yes, but detailed only to a certain point. Ive heard better on my Denon 2910.
Sound-stage: Ugh! overexagerated to the extreme. I can see how some players like to boost sound-stage just a tad, but this one is to the point of annoying the listener. Instruments have far to much air around them, again pushing the Music Hall even further into the realm of digital mistake and less natural recording.
Im just typing this quick review to give an example of how unhappy i am with the Music Hall. Its looks are GREAT. I mean its a very nice looking player. But the sound is awful. I prefer my cheap 100$ sony DVD player's analog outputs over the music hall, my denon 2910 is in a completely different league in terms of quality.
Overall; me= disappointed.
I know upgrades do exist for this unit. Many people recommend them. but at 600$ US, i just want a player that sounds decent. I dont want to add another 350$ worth of upgrades just to have it sound "comfortable".
If your looking for a good stock unit, the CD25.2 is not a winner. But if your looking to add upgrades and completely overhaul its inner workings, then maybe you should consider the CD25.2, because that is the only way i could possibly recommend it.
