@charles1dad , nah.... it was the pricing. 😄
Glad you got the upgraded LPS. From what you and others say, it makes for a real improvement.
All the best,
Nonoise
Aqua 'La Diva' ($9k) or Gryphon 'Ethos' ($39k) versus. Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 T ($3k)?
What sensible rationale is there for buying either of the two above-mentioned VERY COSTLY CD spinners (Aqua ’La Diva,’ a CD-only transport, and the Gryphon ’Ethos,’ a CD player with built-in DAC) when we can get the same pure Red-Book CD digital output from the Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 T for FAR less money?
What is a potential buyer getting for their significantly increased expenditure other than fancy packaging and possibly a boost to their egos from ownership of a prestige brand-name item? The one component (and a crucially-significant one at that) which all three of these products have in common is the new Philips-based Stream Unlimited CD Pro 8 CD player mechanism. Aside than that, what one appears to get with the two far-higher-priced components is little more than pure window-dressing, not substantive gains in performance over the CD Box RS2 T.
It is little wonder that one reviewer of the RS2 T thinks of it as nothing less than a "giant killer," in that it makes it nearly impossible for any level-headed purchaser, even one with the means to spend lavishly, to rationalize spending thousands of dollars more on these two competing products (or on others like them) when one can get the same sonic results (which from most reports are splendid) from the humble little CD Box.
Any thoughts? Do we audiophiles finally have good reason to come to our buying senses? To me, Pro-Ject Audio Systems may have struck a true winning vein with their CD Box when prospecting for gold.
Showing 10 responses by nonoise
@acresverde, I hear you. All the best, |
I wish I had the disposable income to try them both out and see for myself. That's the part of being an audiophile that's left out of the discussion of what it means to be one: the detective work. It's the curiosity of what can be, of what lies around the corner that can make this a better and more fulfilling experience. For a true audiophile, it's not one and done. It's the process. All the best, |
I can see why someone would decry the price of the Gryphon but as for the Aqua, I've seen people spend more on Esoteric, Ayon and other brands with may have great CD sleds but operate on older disc reading tech. That, and the previous generation CDT from Aqua looks similar but used older Philips tech and still went for not much less (most likely some licensing increased the price), so it still can be seen as reasonable. Factor in the standard size, no operational quirks and the track record of the company, and it makes it all the more reasonable to those with greater resources who wouldn't bat an eye at the cost. All the best,
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