Creek! This is a link to my in home comparison of the Creek CD50, Cary 308, Rega Planet 2000, Roksan Kandy MkIII, Cambridge Azur 640c, and Arcam 73t.
http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=digital&n=85793
I thought that the Rega was a wonderful piece but that it just didn't 'fit' in my system tonally. That being said the Creek had atleast as much PRAT, if not more, but I found it to be all around better in my system.
Another, and lesser known option, is an Italian brand called Bluenote. http://www.bluenote.it I have heard the Stibbert and it is the most magical organic PRATy CD player I have ever encountered. It has a 'baby' brother called the Koala which launched late last year. It is supposed to maintain most of the characteristics of its bigger brother, but be around $2k CDN.
It also may be worth looking into the Scott Nixon DACs as well, not all of them are Tube based and what little I've been able to dig up on his Sarudac+ sounds like a winner.
Feel free to e-mail me with any questions,
Nathan Klassen
http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=digital&n=85793
I thought that the Rega was a wonderful piece but that it just didn't 'fit' in my system tonally. That being said the Creek had atleast as much PRAT, if not more, but I found it to be all around better in my system.
Another, and lesser known option, is an Italian brand called Bluenote. http://www.bluenote.it I have heard the Stibbert and it is the most magical organic PRATy CD player I have ever encountered. It has a 'baby' brother called the Koala which launched late last year. It is supposed to maintain most of the characteristics of its bigger brother, but be around $2k CDN.
It also may be worth looking into the Scott Nixon DACs as well, not all of them are Tube based and what little I've been able to dig up on his Sarudac+ sounds like a winner.
Feel free to e-mail me with any questions,
Nathan Klassen