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"Analog" = bloated, rolled off, soft and mushy?

I don't have much experience with many CD players, but with the few that I do, it's been my experience that tube output stages that supposedly give an "analog" quality to CDs, really sacrifice transparency and excitement. They sound euphonice, but ulitmately, kind of boring.

The last high end player that I owned and loved was a Wadia 860x. I'd like to find a universal player that gives me the Wadia excitement and neutrality, and have considered one of the APL, Exemplar and Modwright modded units, but the best of them use tube output stages, and this really makes me hesitate. Are they "analog" sounding and excellent, because they give you that tube sound, but sacrifice the detail, clarity and drive that I loved in my Wadia? Don't get me wrong, I love tubes, but I'm not so sure they belong in CD players. Am I wrong?
128x128dennis_the_menace

Showing 2 responses by newbee

newbee
4,751 posts
 
If you don't like what you hear from tubed CDP's you don't like it and you have a fair amount of company. As to right or wrong this is nothing more than the continual argument about SS v Tubes. Personally, I think most of the SS digital units I have heard sound thin, overly bright, glassy, etched and unmusical. Am I wrong?
newbee
4,751 posts
 
IMHO most of the comments made about the "sound" of any component are dependent on the system into which they are incorporated. If you have a system which leans toward warmth, as opposed to neutrality, then it would be expected that having a CDP which was also warmish in tone could be objectionable. Conversly if you have a system which is on the "fast" and "bright" side of neutral as many are, especially when they are all SS systems, the addition of a SS CDP can produce too much "detail" (call it what you will). It all depends on YOUR expectations and YOUR system.

I think your subsequent questions are valid in that they at least allow for a comparison between pre-modded and post modded units. I also think it would be interesting to hear opinions about what most folks percieve to be the "sound of analog". To me, the term always suggested the opposite of "digital", that is thin, glassy, etched, bright, and unmusical.
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