Anybody heard a LECTOR CDP-7t ?


This is the Italian tubed CD only player that Harry Pearson raved about in the most recent issue of The Absolute Sound.

I could almost buy one based on The Absolute Sound description alone, but I guess I better do a little more research and there is not a lot of info out there.

One internet retailer says the player was a big hit at CES 2004. Anybody know if the player lives up to TAS review and the hype?
tedvan
I am getting mine today. I will post a response after I get a chance to listen. I bought this player without hearing it based on a dealer's recommendation.
I think you got a winner. Heck, if the thing is half as good as Harry Pearson says, you still got a winner. I don't believe I have ever read a more glowing, gushing review on an audio component.

Looking forward to your response. Can't wait. Maybe I can give my turntable a rest in the near future and reinvestigate those dusty old CDs.
I've heard there's a long wait for them and that no one is discounting them. That's what one rave from a prominent reviewer will do. I'm sure it's a very good machine, but probably not quite as good as Harry Pearson makes it out to be. Remember the original VPI JMW tonearm? Pearson gave it a rave review originally. Several issues later it was demoted to 2 stars. Many issues later Pearson described it's sound as muddy. A purchase based solely on a rave review can be a big mistake.
A purchase of especially a CD player- without listening first-is a big mistake. make sure you can get a full refund.
Hey Y'all,

I've had extensive listening time with both the CDP-5T and '7T and I can tell you, for my ears, they are quite good. I owned a Metronome CD2V Signature and compared it side by side with the '7T and it was no contest, the '7T was the winner. It had much smoother highs, very neutral and open mids and much more bass presence then the Metronome. I have not read the review but I recommend both the '5T and '7T very highly. To put it in perspective, I would say, from the high end CD players I've heard, which include Audio Aero Cap II, Audio Note trans and dac, not sure which models, Audio Mecca Mephisto, not sure what Mk, and the Metronome, the only player, from those I've mentioned, that is clearly better then the '7T is the AA Cap II. I feel the '7T either matches or betters any of the others. YMMV.........John
I went from a Sony XA-777ES and Electrocompaniet ECD-1 to the Lector 7T. The Lector is far superior to both units, particularly the Sony. HP was accurate in his views on this one. Both rags considered the Sony to be an "elite" level player, and the Lector just destroys the Sony in terms of musicality and three-dimensionality. This pertains to SACD as well as redbook on the Sony.
After doing some listening over the last two days I would have to say that the review in The Absolute Sound is consistent with what I have heard from this player. It is smooth, refined, and detailed with excellent bass. The player gets strings and horns right and the soundstage is very three dimensional. It is the best CD player I have owned to date. To my surprise, it is better than my current setup (a Camelot Round Table mk III and a modified Kora Hermes DAC). At the current price I do not think you can go wrong with the Lector. Is it as good as the mega dollar players currently out there? I can not answer that but my guess is that anything significantly better than the Lector is going to cost a lot more than $3300.
I heard the lector 5 at the HE in NYC. Very open sounding and three dimensional. Bass however sounded quite tubby and full. Highs and mids are incredibly detailed for cd playback. Very unusual to hear extended highs out of cd.
I have hear CDT-7 with some I believe Alon speaker. It sounded very muddy and dark, but it could be speakers fault.
Hey Y'all,

Hey Y'all,

It was definitely the speakers. Whether it was the placement or the speakers themselves is debatable. I thought, for the size of the speakers, they were set up much too close to the back wall. I understand that every exhibiter at the show had to make do with what they had as far as room, but these speakers probably would have sounded much better if they could have been set up about four to six feet out from the back wall. I have my monitor speakers about seven feet from my back wall. I've heard the Lector in three systems, including my own, and I've never experienced that muddy, dark sound mentioned above.........John
>I've never experienced that muddy, dark sound mentioned above

this is what I wanted to hear :) because I'm seriously considering it among used Wadia as successor to my SACD mistake.
Anybody compared it to Wadia 861 ?
Jwr:
When I was there, on Sunday, the speakers were clearly that far out from the back wall. How can I be sure?
Well, there was a para- or quadra- plegic gentleman there in a wheelchair, a specialized one that he needed to blow into the tubes to change direction. He went behind the speakers to check them out from the back, and he wasn't even close to the walls.
When I heard them, they were around 7-8 feet from the back walls. Still, interestingly enough, I thought the sound a bit dark, too. I don't think it was "muddy," but then my definition of "muddy" may be different than that of others.
I had expected a more dazzling sound, however. It sounded very good, but -- or should I say, considering -- they were using the Lector and some other components of high worth, I am sure that was not the best that that system can sound. I have Alon -- I mean, Nola, their new name, speakers, and they sound quite a bit more lifelike than what I heard there.
Show conditions! The poor manufacturers must be frazzled at what they (can't) achieve. I was surprised that there were no Tube Traps on the wall behind the speakers. They make a considerable difference, even though, supposedly, with dipolars, there's no need for that. That certainly isn't my experience, although I'd say it's more a case of improving the sound rather than that it's bad in an untreated room.
I wouldn't be considering a Lector based on that experience, but I heard the smaller model, the .5 upstairs in the Divergent Technologies room, where Scot Markwell had set it up; it sounded very good, but, again, it was the smaller verison.
I CAN see how someone who was there on Sunday could see it as "muddy," though.
Hey Y'all,

I arrive at the show before the doors opened on Friday and I'm sure that many of the exhibitors had to have done many things to their systems by Sunday. I went to almost every room that I thought was worth a listen and I was not very impressed with any of the systems. I just wrote it off to it being the first day, not having the rooms and systems tuned properly and maybe some miss matching of components. I've never heard the Nola speakers before but what I've been told by others is very mixed at best. If you where impressed by the sound of the CDP-.5T, then you will not be disappointed with the .7T. Everything that the .5T does well, the .7T does better and it is sweeter on the higher frequencies and more solid and musical on the low frequencies. I've had intimate exposure to both the .5T and the .7T and I would recommend them both. The only question is how much you want to pay. You cannot go wrong with either of these CDPs........John

Just got a Lector CDP-7t and I must say this is a heck of a player.

Yes, what HP said in his review is true and consistent to
what I heard. It has the most glorious high ends I've ever heard from any digital setup. Lots of air from top to bottom (yes, even the lowest register is full of air). The
strings, horns, cymbals, all sound crispy and with real-life
body. It's solid, and articulated bass keeps the lines of music flowing freely.

Compare to the Burmester 001, which I had in my system for
a short while, Lector bettered it with more liquid, yet more
authoritive sound. I am not surprised why HP think it can
compete with the digital setup cost 20X of Lector.

the sound is very good and high price to sound performan ratio.
so i buy this cd player waiting 90days.
cdp07t sound like playing a LP disc, very analog and musical, easy to listen and fall into music detail and texture.
best regards