Make way for the future....

Was not familiar with that Boulder unit. I bet it is the bomb!

NAD m33 gets similar rave reviews supposedly upping the ante from prior models. I wonder how the two compare? Or the CA evo if anyone has heard one yet. Same league at least?


FWIW I own and concurrently run BEl Canto c5i integrated in my second system and the much beefier ref1000m monoblock amps in my main system. Both are very good, in the same league I would say, but the 60w/ch c5i cannot match the ref1000ms in terms of overall muscle and authority, at least in larger rooms.

Also the c5i is a true digital integrated amp like the NAD I believe whereas I run an Audio Research tube pre-amp with the ref1000m’s. The two do not sound radically different but the tube pre-amp with the Class D amps is a good pairing I would say and many agree. There is a difference, but not night and day, and both sound very good and hard to fault on their own. I am happy listening to either though the c5i and its 60 w/ch does impose some limits in terms of spl in a larger room but nothing that would matter most likely for many.

There is a nice comparison a review of three excellent streaming amps.  It is from Chris Kelly for the Ear Sept 24, 2020 where he reviews and compares the NAD M10, NAIM Unity Atom, and the Lyngdorf 1120...  

Not sure how this Cambridge unit would compare but this review is very informative.

After 50+ years of separates, many brands and many price points I moved to a simpler set up this year with a NAD M33. Sold the preamp, the two monos, the DAC, the phono stage, the laptop storage, the transport, an equaliser, a tuner, the Revox A77...

Now it’s a Rega P6, M33, a NAS, an Oppo player, wires and a pair of GoldenEar Triton Ones.
LOVE it!

It suits my trimmed down lifestyle and the fact that I’ve had my years of playing with heavy ’boxes’ and while I enjoyed it all, it's now, "been there, done that". So, I guess it depends on where you are and the depth of your pockets - it’s the future for me (what’s left of it) but maybe not for everyone.
Now I’m going to borrow a ripper and transfer the CDs to the NAS to sell the Oppo - that will take time. Happy camper.

I love my Devialet Expert 400 not just for the sound but also for its numerous features. Flexible MC/MM phono section, built-in Roon compatible streamer, bass management with four different slopes for both hi-pass and lo-pass along with time delay, and adjustable-frequency tone controls. The Expert Pro models have a multi-band parametric equalizer that, while not as convenient as you find in true room correction devices (e.g., Lyngdorf or Anthem), can ameliorate some room problems. The multiple and flexible analog and digital inputs and outputs are second to none, although there are no balanced connections. The remote is a joy to use and can be programmed to allow for phase inversion, subwoofer on/off, and other features to alter and tailor the sound. 
You can get a used D200 for around $3000 USD. 

..and now for something completely different ....

That’s no moon: veteran Apple designer unveils $1,799 Cell Alpha speaker - The Verge

These are the kinds of clear new innovative products  FBOFW that interest me and I would want to audition. Not the latest nebulous/magic tweak product of the month that is always being shilled around here that nobody should even care about in most cases if you just do things right to start with. You know, the things most anybody can come up with that are pitched to neurotic consumers that cost a fortune to solve what are otherwise the simplest and most mundane issues out there that knowledgeable people resolve easily and cost effectively, like fuses, wires, contacts, isolation, etc.