[zeplin]

ok, that's it, i need a new source. seeing as how much my sony dvp 400 made a difference from my pcdp, i can only imagine how much a 400$ source upgrade will provide me with. i listen to all genres of music and don't really want to go above 400 (maybe 450), and i'm definitely going for used on audiogon. you can't go wrong with that. i went with a used head amp, and it was one of the best decisions i've evr made! i love the sony sound, and if i can get a 222es (i think it is called...or the next model up), that would be great! i like the sony sound for getting everything from neutral to dynamic into the sound all at once. i want a source that will bring me a little bit more deep bass extension that is powerful, as my budget sony falls a little bit short of. at the same though, i want sound that leans more on the warmer side, but with delicate treble. in other words, i want to stay away from overly bright players and want that rich, warm mid range. i have two tone controls (bass & treble) on my arcam pre amp, so if the treble is slightly lacking, i can always turn it up. all in all, i want a strong, dynamic, punchy player. i would like to try to get into SACD, but it is not a must. here are some that i've been reading about. the lower end sony es models seem to be highly regarded. the music hall cd25 seems a good fit. the philips 963, i've heard good things about, but have recently read that it slightly lacks that bass slam and extention i'm looking for...john jcb has observed this with a certain track on the gladiator sndtrk (and i remember reading about this observation a number of times that some other head-fiers have noticed). there also might be an arcam out there, but i'm not sure how dynamic they are because their products tend to lean towards neutrality. what are some other players that i'd like? i would prefer to stay away from the philips because i will still be using my old dvd/cd sony for dvd's only. so i want to try to go with cd only players (redbook), preferably single disk players. remember, the players that provide the best bass extention and are slightly warm in the treble and mid region would best fit my needs. thanx to all for helping me begin this long journey of searching for "my" perfect player! i look forward to reading all the responses!

 

[TimSchirmer]

Do you listen to mostly SACD's or mostly Regular CD's?

 

[zeplin]

mostly regular cd's, but i wouldn't mind getting into some SACD's, or to at least have that capability.

 

[bundee1]

Ive got an Arcam A65 plus with Music Hall MMF cd25 cdp. I love it. I think the Arcam amps provide enough bass for me. You can find a lot of Music Halls used on Audiogon for around $350. You cant lose if you dont like it you can sell it for around the same price.

 

[zeplin]

thanx bundee1,
would you say the music hall has that punchy characteristic sound? or better yet, what would you characterize the music halls main type of sound to be (i.e. punchy, warm, neutral, fast, bright, etc.)?? i just want that extra little umph of deepness that none of my components have ever seemed to have. thanx again guys/gals! keep em coming

P.S. this new cd source will also be used with my main speaker rig. just thought i'd add that in in case it affects decision making.

 

[pigmode]

The Planet 2000 (used) is just above your range. It's a good solid player.

 

[bundee1]

Id call the Music Hall's bass tight and fast. The overall sound of the player is smooth with good detail. I think the combination of Arcam amp and Music Hall cdp is good because the Arcam has good bass that might fatten up the Music Hall a bit. What kind of speakers do you have? I also find the Music Hall to be affected by I.C.'s so you could change the sound with cables if you wanted to.

 

[zeplin]

but not only is the music halls bass tight and fast, is it also full and deep. and would you describe the CD25 as a musical player...not really neutral, or in other words has its complete own sound characteristics?

anyone else that can offer other suggestions is welcome to reply. i urge all of you to throw anything out there that you think might fit my needs. how are the rotel, and rega planet, rega planet 2000's? what are their sound characteristics?

thanx again everyone so far for all the input

 

[bundee1]

I dont have much else to compare it too. It is more musical than my old Yamaha 656 cd changer and Its more musical than my Sony NS500V DVD/SACD player. The Yamaha was brighter with tight bass and pronounced vocals. The Sony has a nice midrange but the music isnt very detailed and sometimes sounds mechanical. The most striiking characteristic sof the Music Hall IMO are its smoothness and detail. The bass is accurate not overpowering or sluggish. To me it seems just right. Hope that helps.

 

[screwdriver]

i have not seen a bad review on the Rega planet 2000 - i used to own one and it is an excellent player for the price .

i sold mine to go up higher - i bought the naim cd 3.5 .

 

[zeplin]

bundee, that is exactly what i'm looking...that type of description regarding the sound.

as for the other recommendations, they are nice, but what do they all sound like? what are the characteristics? are they warm, musical, or kind of bright and neutral...things that i do not want as my arcam already takes care of neutrality. i know it's kind of demanding to ask these things, but i know nothing about high quality cd players, and do not have the chance to audition these music hall type players that aren't found in big brand audio chain stores. thanx

 

[zeplin]

alrighty, i've been searching the net, mostly the used market on audiogon, and have come up with three choices...
1. Music Hall CD25
i have a few questions regarding this one. how long have they been around and how can i tell the difference from the older models (model number) and the newer ones...and is there any diff in sound quality and or features between the two? here is a new one i found on audiogon with some type of modification done to it.
http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.p...9051&demo&3&4&

i would like to buy one used like this with some type of upgrade mod, but would anyone think this is a great deal? what does this upgrade in the op amp component do? and how much would it cost me in the future to upgrade my op amp and power supply? i know those are a lot of ?'s, but i can't buy what i don't know about.

2. next is the Rega Planet 2000. this seems to be in my price range...used that is. how would the Rega Planet 2000's sound compare to the music hall? darker, warmer, brighter, etc.? as for biuld quality, i don't think there's any problems there. i just would primarily like to know about the sound...i've never heard a Rega Planet, ever!

3. and the last i've been looking into are various Sony ES cd players. i like the sony sound and can only assume that the higher end models will prove to be even better! can everyone agree or dissagree to this assumption? any ES model used, under 500 will do...i haven't exactly narrowed down any model in particular yet. although there are a few 9000es used models on the AVSforums for sale that are under or around 500$. anyone care to comment?

overall, i think i will get better quality and simply more for my money if i go with the Rega Planet or the Music Hall. the Music Hall is leading right now, but only because i've been reading non-stop good things about them! anyone who has direct experience, please help me out as i do not want to make a "wrong" purchase and have to deal with the re-selling and re-buying. again, i know there are quite a few questions, but i hope you all can help me with as much as possible! thanx again guys/gals

all the help is greatly appreciated!

i can't wait to hear what it sounds like to have finally upgraded my source and hear a REAL improvement!!!

 

[screwdriver]

i have been reading before here about these players - ;

the musichall is a tad on the bright side and a few members here had problems with their units as if i recall correctly .
it can be an excellent player if you do the modification .

the rega planet - there is the original planet and the 2000 .
get the 2000 as this is the player with raving reviews - it is very transparent .

dont know much about sony es models under $500.

 

[zeplin]

screwdriver,
thanx for informing about the Music Hall! i really can't have a bright cd player...another bright component in an already "on the bright side of things" setup. can anyone tell me about a darker cd player? will the Rega Planet be right up my alley?

how about the NAD and Outlaw cd players? i seem to remember reading about them being darker and more of a warm sounding player?? thanx for the input screwdriver, anything else you suggest to me that might fit the profile i'm looking for?

 

[screwdriver]

zeplin ,

if you want a to the dot description of the musichall and the rega planet 2000 - PM tom hankins as he has owned both players for a while and he has first hand experience with them - dont count any player out yet as i just read about the musichall and just relaying info.