Hi all, sorry it’s taken so long to respond following the helpful answers to my post regarding problems with the USB input.
I have opened up my CDM and it does indeed have the two components (resistors?) which need wires soldering across them to effectively remove them from the circuit to enable it to work with the digital output from my Apple iPhone + CCK.
This is a job I have no hope of doing myself so I guess it’s back to ALO? Unless anyone in the UK is qualified to do the work (I live in the North of England)?
To be honest it hasn’t seen much use due to the USB input being absolutely intolerable. However I have bought a couple of balanced sources recently so I’ve started using the CDM with analogue inputs, either from the balanced out of my Moon CD+DAC (now that I have a high quality custom adapter cable) or, as I’m listening to it right now from my AK240.
I was listening with my old “wood“ HE-560’s (first version with 2.5mm trs jack sockets) directly from the AK240 as the latter is still a fairly recent purchase and I just wanted to know how it performed. However, adding the CDM, even with a single ended interconnect cable (high quality pure silver), the jump in sound quality is remarkable! I think I’m falling in love with this combination... Listening to Vangelis’ Bladerunner soundtrack is always an emotional experience but the ALO CDM brings out all the micro details - the rich tone, texture and raw emotion of the Sax for instance - all with absolute clarity whilst maintaining a pitch black background. The soundstage is also much bigger in all dimensions with rock solid placements and clear space in between... such clarity! It’s hard to imagine putting an extra (tube!) component in the chain and gaining so much detail with no perceivable losses (to these ears at least)! I know the CDM is far better qualified to drive planars than the diminutive AK240 but still, quite a remarkable achievement from ALO.
So, now that I know what I’d be missing, it would be hard to live without this gorgeous sounding device for however many weeks or months it would take to get it across the pond and back -especially knowing that 90% of that time is spent just sitting in Customs!
You may be wondering, why do I need to get the work done if I don’t use the USB input? Well; a) I want to be able to use the CDM with my phone, and b) I just hate having anything that’s not fully functional!
There was going to be a c) because a) was gonna be the intention to sell. Unfortunately for those of you looking for a second hand CDM in mint condition I’m sorry to dash your hopes but now that mine is finally burning in and I’m hearing what it’s truly capable of, this particular unit is staying firmly in my possession - apart from the forthcoming journeys it will have to take on its own!
I’ll be sure to give my impressions on the DAC section when the necessary work has been done - whenever I can bear to part with my ALO Continental Dual Mono - however temporarily!