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Parasound CD-1

I know this is a recent release but has anyone heard this yet?
It sounds like a poor mans (comparatively speaking: $14,000 vs. $4,500) Laufer Memory player. It reads until it's correct and not a pS sooner, playing from a memory buffer. It's Linux based Intel chip is devoted to music only. And its VCXO clock can go <1pS though it measures at <6pS. Femto clocks come in at 0.140pS so that's not too shabby for a CDP.

I've always wished for someone to combine the best of a CDP with a PC and maybe Parasound has pulled it off. Hopefully others will follow and prices should come down in a couple of years.

All the best,
Nonoise
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milpai's avatar
milpai
2,318 posts
 
$4500 CDP without DAC or SACD, is probably hard to sell. I did a double take in the Audioadvisor catalog. Could not believe the price, especially coming from Parasound for a CDP without any INPUTs. Maybe some others can justify the price.
chayro
2,927 posts
 
I'm sure it's decent, as is all Parasound stuff, but it looks like another case of a manufacturer attempting to sell a piece of gear based on some angle - the dac chip, the memory buffer, diamond tweeters, whatever. I can certainly appreciate the concept of loading all the info into a buffer where it is "cleaned up" before replay, but, AFAIK, few, if any of the best-sounding players use this technique. As with everything, a purchase decision should be made by listening and the maker's reputation for quality and service. Fortunately, I believe AA does offer money-back, so you can decide for yourself. Who knows, it may be a killer, but if it is, the memory-buffer stuff is just a part of the sound.
calvinj
2,280 posts
 
I know in these responses you guys sound skeptical but I've heard this player and it is the real deal it has absolutely no digital glare and it has a lot of analogue like qualities. It has a full bodied sound. Sound like vinyl. Best CD player I have ever heard.
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