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upgrading CD player results

After recently upgrading my amp to a Conrad Johnson MF2250, I decided the front end needed a facelift. I was running a Marantz CD67SE into a musical Fidelity X10D (with upgraded ecc85 tubes), feeding an Adcom GFP750 preamp and Paradigm Studio 60 speakers biwired. VHAudio Pulsar interconnects all over and a flavor 1 PC on the preamp.

After much thought and research, I bought a Cary 303/200 to replace the Marantz/X10D front end.
Much to my disappointment, it really isn't an improvement!
It sounds a tad cleaner, the instruments are a little better defined in the soundstage, but the difference is really very small. I thought going from a circa 1999 player to one with upsampling and HDCD would be significant, but alas this ain't so. Maybe the preamp is unable to pass the improved signal? The reviewers call the Adcom a giant killer, that punches way above it's price.
I auditioned HDCD disks, redbook discs with and without upsampling, tried running the Cary throught the X10D (it sounded almost identical to the Marantz then) and have concluded that I actually prefer the old setup, it's not as clinical sounding.
Also tried the Cary directly into the amp, didn't find that sounded very alive.
Guess I'll be selling the Cary, really suprised that this wasn't a quantum leap forward.
richmon

Showing 1 response by newbee

newbee
4,751 posts
 
Richmon, I'm also surprised that a $3000 player didn't cream (as you say) a $630 set up.

Perhaps the Marantz/X10 sound better to you is because it is just synergistic with your present set up (speakers, amp and preamp), not because it is intrinsically better.

With different equipment downstream of a "$3000 CDP" you might find you would have a more natural, musical, resolving, etc sound. You would no longer need the X10 to round off the edges of the CDP to make CD's more listenable.

IMHO the more add on's (buffers, cables,etc) the less resolution you will get and the greater the potential for adding distortion and other undesirable gremlins to the signal. Just food for thought!
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