I have heard the two, though in similar but slightly different set-ups. My impression is that the Accustic Arts Drive has a very nice "analog" sound, a little smoother and warmer than the AN CDT-2. The build is also at a higher quality. However, the CDT-2 has better dynamics, more detail, and blacker background. At the price that they are going for used- nothing is going to touch it. Besides, you can't argue with Black Gate capacitors (the CDT-2 is loaded with them in all the crucial signal paths).
Between the two, I ended up picking the CDT-2 which I found the better value and a slightly better machine overall. I never found the bass lacking- the sound is perfect- you can clearly hear the decay of notes from the instruments. It is also quite musical. If you don't mind the rather unorthodox looks (hassle of not having a front control panel) then the CDT-2 is a really good choice.
Between the two, I ended up picking the CDT-2 which I found the better value and a slightly better machine overall. I never found the bass lacking- the sound is perfect- you can clearly hear the decay of notes from the instruments. It is also quite musical. If you don't mind the rather unorthodox looks (hassle of not having a front control panel) then the CDT-2 is a really good choice.