I'm extremely happy with my CDT200. I intend to send it off for modification this winter.
Several things that I've noticed in the 3 months that I've had it. Break-in is subtle and requires some time - mine has about 60 hours on it now. The high end has become more revealing - still smooth.
Two tweaks that I highly recommend: Western Electric 396a's
and a new power cord. I've tried the Shunyata Research Black Mamba and Python (because I have/had some), Signal Digital A/C ZU Birth and JPS Digital.
The JPS hands-down is the one for me. Blacker soundstage nearly live dynamics. The first drum whack in Carmina Burana is nearly heart stopping. The noise floor seems much lower. I'm hearing things that I never heard before in material that I've listened to hundreds of times like Stewart Copeland's brushwork on Synchronicity (Tea in the Sahara maybe...)
The tube change resulted in greater separation in treble notes, a tad tighter bass.
I had a Shanling CDT 100 for a while also thinking that it would produce better results with redbook CDs but the 200 is its equal in that dept.
For 2 kilobucks it doesn't get better than this. For me at least.
(Other equipment - Krell KSL/KST100 Synergistic Research Kaleidescope and Harmonic Technology Magic and ProSilway II interconnects, Silverline Sonata 1 speakers,Monster M2.4 cables.)
Several things that I've noticed in the 3 months that I've had it. Break-in is subtle and requires some time - mine has about 60 hours on it now. The high end has become more revealing - still smooth.
Two tweaks that I highly recommend: Western Electric 396a's
and a new power cord. I've tried the Shunyata Research Black Mamba and Python (because I have/had some), Signal Digital A/C ZU Birth and JPS Digital.
The JPS hands-down is the one for me. Blacker soundstage nearly live dynamics. The first drum whack in Carmina Burana is nearly heart stopping. The noise floor seems much lower. I'm hearing things that I never heard before in material that I've listened to hundreds of times like Stewart Copeland's brushwork on Synchronicity (Tea in the Sahara maybe...)
The tube change resulted in greater separation in treble notes, a tad tighter bass.
I had a Shanling CDT 100 for a while also thinking that it would produce better results with redbook CDs but the 200 is its equal in that dept.
For 2 kilobucks it doesn't get better than this. For me at least.
(Other equipment - Krell KSL/KST100 Synergistic Research Kaleidescope and Harmonic Technology Magic and ProSilway II interconnects, Silverline Sonata 1 speakers,Monster M2.4 cables.)