hello, i have since a couple of weeks the CD-7 in my set. And really, it's amazing what i missing before! Before i had the CD-3 because of his very natural and lifelike presentation. So smooth... Then when the Mk-2 introduced i deside to upgrade my CD-3 to the CD-3Mk3. And i have not have any regrets of this. Because i never tried before. Just believe the story of Audio Research. This spring my reseller ask me if i want to test the CD-7 at home. When i connecting it at my set, feel wow, what happen here... So beautiful, so airy, so black, so transparant, so wide and deep. I had regret to test it because i thought the CD-3Mk2 is for me the best. When i must bring him back to my reseller, i feel miss him. After 3 months i bought the CD-7. And i'm very happy with this buy. The only thing is sometimes it's sounds a little bit more "warm" because of his tubes. Maybe i must upgrade my speakercable. Now i have TaraLabs prime 1800 biwire. The rest of my set is" preamp: LS-25 Mk1 and VT-50 poweramp; interlink between player and preamp: ZEN aqoustics Reference, between pre and power: TaraLabs Air1. All XLR balanced. Speakers: Audio Physic Avanti 3.
Review: Audio Research Reference CD-7 CD Player
Category: Digital
I have now made the progression through Audio Research cd players. I started with the CD-1. Then the CD-2. Next came the CD-3 Mk II. At each step along the way, there were marked improvements soundstaging, realism, low level detail. Most recently, I upgraded to the ARC Reference CD-7. While the others were measured steps in improvements, this was not. It was a giant leap.
My musical tastes run mainly to rock and jazz, with a little of everything else thrown. The CD-7 seems to handle it all with equal aplomb.
To me digital has never been able to get the bass right. There was always something missing on the drums. Analog has always seemed to get the timbre right, but it lacked that last little bit of oomph. Not so with the CD-7. There is an almost analog "rightness". And there is loads of oomph. And the rest of the signal spectrum has that same rightness to it.
The CD-7 comes with 7 vacuum tubes. Which may explain some of the improvements I'm hearing. Yet, even after extended playing, the top doesn't get uncomfortably hot.
I have it hooked into the ARC Reference 3 preamp. The literature says they shae the same input stage. There does seem to be a certain synergy there. My next step will probably be to upgrade to one of the new Reference power amps.
The only weakness I've noticed is the outrageous price. Still, if you have the wherewithal to afford it, I highly recommend.
Associated gear
Click to view my Virtual System
Similar products
ARC CD-1
ARC CD-2
ARC CD-3 Mk II
I have now made the progression through Audio Research cd players. I started with the CD-1. Then the CD-2. Next came the CD-3 Mk II. At each step along the way, there were marked improvements soundstaging, realism, low level detail. Most recently, I upgraded to the ARC Reference CD-7. While the others were measured steps in improvements, this was not. It was a giant leap.
My musical tastes run mainly to rock and jazz, with a little of everything else thrown. The CD-7 seems to handle it all with equal aplomb.
To me digital has never been able to get the bass right. There was always something missing on the drums. Analog has always seemed to get the timbre right, but it lacked that last little bit of oomph. Not so with the CD-7. There is an almost analog "rightness". And there is loads of oomph. And the rest of the signal spectrum has that same rightness to it.
The CD-7 comes with 7 vacuum tubes. Which may explain some of the improvements I'm hearing. Yet, even after extended playing, the top doesn't get uncomfortably hot.
I have it hooked into the ARC Reference 3 preamp. The literature says they shae the same input stage. There does seem to be a certain synergy there. My next step will probably be to upgrade to one of the new Reference power amps.
The only weakness I've noticed is the outrageous price. Still, if you have the wherewithal to afford it, I highly recommend.
Associated gear
Click to view my Virtual System
Similar products
ARC CD-1
ARC CD-2
ARC CD-3 Mk II