CD player to compete with my vinyl rig?


Greetings,

I find that I have stopped buying CDs, which I regret because there is so much great new music out there.

My player is a Cambridge 640c and listening to it just doesn't do the 'suspension of disbelief' thing. It has all the right stuff: black backgrounds, dynamics, PRAT, detail, air, frequency extension, but as soon as the orchestral strings well up or the horns start, I want to turn it off. The timbral qualities are weird (especially massed strings, voices) and the sense of real people playing instruments isn't there. There's a sheen and confusion to the soundscape. My vinyl rig offers by far the more realistic experience. I have multiple copies of Mahler's 2nd Symphony on both CD and vinyl, and I never listen to the CDs any more.

I would like to find a CD player that makes me want to listen to CDs as much as vinyl!

I'm looking at reviews of the Rega Apollo R, the Teac PD H600, Audiolab 8200CD and the Decware Zen triode player. (Yes, around $1000 budget).

My rig: Pro-ject 2 Xperience/Shure V15-IV, Jico SAS, Cambridge 640c, Rogue Cronus Magnum/KT120 tubes, LS3/5a speakers, Kimber, Zu cabling.

Music tastes: Sibelius, Mahler, Bruckner, Bach, fifties torch singers.

I would love to hear suggestions from members!
Thanks
sumaato

Showing 1 response by islandmandan

My last digital acquisition is a modded McIntosh MVP 871. Its playback stands on its own, as when listening to it, it makes me not care whether the format is digital or vinyl. It is that good. It was purchased here on Audiogon, modded, and then shipped to me. I am constantly amazed at what I hear from Redbook and multi-channel.

My vinyl rig is in a state of flux, my tonearm should arrive today, from a silver rewire by Jim Howard of Applied Fidelity. I should be able to do some comparisons shortly, but I suspect I will just enjoy both formats, whichever I'm listening to at the time.

Best regards,
Dan