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Posting just a few pertinent comments on the CXC not exactly a full review I'm not that well versed at reviewing.Purchased through Crutchfied at the going price of $500 free shipping it was here in 2 days. Return privilege in 60 days. Let me say the shipping packaging is very good with attention to detail like the way it's wrapped and the way they packed the documents etc. No plastic bag stuff here. I mention this only because I was impressed with the care they used.
This purchase came about because I was using my Marantz SA15S2 ltd as a transport for my Chord QuteHD. At 30lbs this player is no slouch in build or sound. As a transport it was very good too but came down to a waste not using it to it's full capability, that is the SACD capability included I only have like 8. The Chord was purchased to get into Computer audio which I had been putting off for a long time.
I did run the CXC on repeat for around 24 hours if concerned about break-in at all.
The CXC weighs in at 13lbs and is finished very nice. I do not detect any case vibration although it sits on 4 Herbie's tall tender feet. I think I read the case is dampened, It is servo controlled to protect the bit integety from jitter.
Front panel is a thick piece of engraved aluminum, plain and attractive. You can dim the readout and shut it off. it has minimum front panel controls that duplicate the remote. The remote is more than adequate but not like your solid metal remotes you sometime see in a costlier unit. It's about the same as the Marantz remote and that's a 2k unit. Only the bottom third is for the CXC since it is universal to their CX stack of equipment.
There are no direct numbered track buttons on the remote so you have to ping through the tracks. All very quiet no pops or ticks of any kind. You can turn the unit on and off and open and close the drawer from the remote. A little clunky sounding but smooth, consider the price. Reminds me of a Cary 308T or CAL Icon MKII CD I had. It has a nice "standby mode" that will shut down after 20 minutes of inactivity. So it will also cut the connection off to the Chord. Nice!You can check my system is members area, The CXC is Red book CD only but that is what I bought it for. Your requirements may be different. The sound well surpasses the Marantz to Chord combo. The Chord alone surpasses the Marantz DAC. Connection is via a WyWires SPDIF Litsepeed cable and a Juice II Power Cable. Chord makes an outstanding DAC and of course you pay for that and it should sound outstanding. The sound with the CXC and Chord is wider deeper with excellent PRAT nothing lacking there. It surprised me on some older CD's I have not played in some time. Separation of instruments in space, a quiet background makes things really involving, slam is all there. Female voice nice, drums and bass VERY good.
I listen mostly to jazz. Paul Brown, Spyro, 4Play, Diana Krall, Joe Sample, Peter White, Mindi Abair, Fleetwood, big band, Michel Buble' to get a flavor of what I'm taking about. Extremely pleasurable also since I added the Cable Asylum discussed Belden 8402 Interconnects Jeff Day recommended. The best digital I have had here. Actually remarkable is the choice of words of what I am hearing. Maybe mostly the Chord DAC.A nice purchase and worthwhile addition to my system. You will have to be the judge if it is right for your system and tastes. Spending upwards of 1k on a transport you might as well get a whole Player for that cost and that is what I got away from. I purchase everything used So the purchase $$ was right for me. The CXC came out in Jan CES and timing was perfect for this situation. Most places have the return policy for this item.
There was a MF M1CD but no longer available. It was slot loaded and I hate slot load CD I hated it on the Mac's too. Ever get one stuck? You get my point.
I say check it out if you are in the market for a transport.
Edits: 07/06/15 07/06/15 07/06/15 07/06/15Follow Ups:
I took this transport home to try out as a replacement for my ancient Rotel player. I didn't have high expectations given its midfi status but was very pleasantly surprised at its performance and so am keeping it. Hope it lasts as long as the Rotel which still works perfectly. By the way, the Cambridge remote works perfectly with the Rotel, as does the Rotel remote with the Cambridge. The Rotel remote gives direct numerical access to individual tracks when using the Cambridge transport!
Edits: 11/06/15
I got one as well. Already had the CA 751BD which as a transport I really liked when listening to CD's but wanted a spinner without the video and Dac electronics stuffed inside. First impressions were only so so and thought the 751BD still sounded better, then after a 100 hrs or so it really started to open up. Now I only play all my Cd's through this unit as I feel when fed through my Musical Fidelity M6DAC it surpasses the BD player in sound quality. Also like that it displays album title and artist when disc is first inserted or when player is turned on to remind you of what you left inside of it as well as the title of the song at the beginning of each track, a cool feature in my book. All in all, quite happy with it and at it's price point, a real bargain.
So... it there any difference between using the CXC transport and one of their CD players?
'I have a very good dac (Chord 2Qute) and am choosing between the Cambridge CXC and a 651C CD Player to be used as a transport.
Used ONLY AS A TRANSPORT does the CXC over any sonic advantage over the 651C CD Player used as a transport? In other words, is the CXC sort of a 651C with the DAC ripped out, but no other sonic advantage as a digital source? Thanks for any info or suggestions.'
"A lie is half-way around the world before the truth can get its boots on."
-Mark Twain
Nice of them to get back to me so fast.
'Dear Mike,
Thank you for contacting Cambridge Audio. Technically, with no DAC in it, the CXC is a 'quieter' digital source than the 651C but I wouldn't be prepared to bet on telling them apart blindfolded, especially as the Chord reclocks all inputs.
Regards
Ed Selley'
"A lie is half-way around the world before the truth can get its boots on."
-Mark Twain
It's a good honest answer.
Now can you heard the difference (blind) in your system between having the reclocker in your system and not having it there?
Why are looking for a new transport?
It's a good, honest 1/2 answer.
Almost the ENTIRE Cambridge series of CD players from the 300 series to the 800 series use the SAME transport.
That would be the SANYO SF-P101N.
My 840 had it. Your 651 does, too.
Cambridge has, over time, used a smattering of transports from Sony (KSS series) to some Phillips stuff, which is my personal favorite. Phillips is now out of the market.
Now, the question is which is the better DAC? That supplied with the CA player or your external DAC?
Also, I'd find out from CA what mechanism the stand-alone uses. It is just possible they went in another direction here.
Too much is never enough
Yes - It would be good to know if the transport in the CXC is the same as those in the CD players.
I have an 840c that has a "pass through" setting that can be used with the digital out. If they are the all the same, I could un-box the 840c if needed rather than buy the CXC.
It is NOT SUBTLE.
I'm not a big 'everything makes a difference' guy. For example 24/96? I could care less, 16/44 sounds fine to me (on identical masterings).
IC's? Maybe. Power cords not so much. But this remedy re-clocker is a huge improvement to a digital system.
"A lie is half-way around the world before the truth can get its boots on."
-Mark Twain
n
.
"A lie is half-way around the world before the truth can get its boots on."
-Mark Twain
Actually, 'ALL CAPS' is not better, it's just louder.
I have a USB REGEN on order but probably won't see it until later this summer. I'll give it a try on the Ayre QB-9 DSD DAC and the PS Audio NuWave to see if it makes a difference in my system.
Sounds wonderful with my Chord QuteHD that's what it was purchased for.
It(neurosis) will never end if you let it. LOL!
No AES/EBU. How can you call it a transport when all it has is coax and toslink? Deal breaker.
My guess, they obviously took a look at the range of products out there:
1. no AES/EBU because 98% of DACs don't offer that kind of input anymore and its inherent benefits are questionable. Pro equipment may use it, but no one would use a CD transport with pro equipment.
2. They abandoned BNC because almost all consumer equipment has abandoned it also, even though it is arguably a bit better than the RCA SPDIF connection.
3. The piece was designed to be used with their amplifier with a built in DAC.
Each additional type of output/input requires a different circuitry. Maximizing sound quality would require reducing compatibility even further, which goes against the grain for most manufacturers at this price point, or most any price point really. All pro audio uses a word clock in/out, this technology could be used for consumer digital, as well, and has been (some digital players use a separate cable for the clock) but again, the marketing people don't want to sacrifice universality for better sound.
Getting any digital to sound right is still an expensive and difficult engineering feat, regardless of the price point.
My Audio Note transport only has coax output. Best transport I have ever owned
Alan
No track numbers? If you want to hear track 21 you have to hit the next track button that many times?
That might be a deal breaker, I'll have to think on it.
Thanks for the detailed write-up, it's very helpful.
"A lie is half-way around the world before the truth can get its boots on."
-Mark Twain
That's what I thought - at first.The Woo Audio transport does not have direct access and I almost wouldn't get it for that reason.
After I got it, I saw that when you put on the disc, the display shows the Last track. Then:
1)If you press PLAY, the first track shows in the display and plays.
2)If you press FAST FORWARD (FF), it displays the first track, and so on. You then press PLAY.
3)If you FAST REVERSE (FR) it displays the last track, then the next to last track, etc. You then press PLAY.If you like song 24 on a 25 track disc, you just press FR twice and play. If you like song 4 on a 25 track disc, you press FF 4 times and play.
It's not as bad as it first seems.
Edits: 07/07/15
Looks like they no longer offer the WTP1 Transport either.Just got a reply from Woo it is offered on special order.
Edits: 07/08/15
I'd wondered what happened to the Woo transport, as it looked to me like
one of the best options for someone looking for a "no nonsense" transport !
Great news. I did not know this.
I have had mine repaired once. If it gets to where it can't be feasibly repaired I would definitely get another.
One thing though. The earlier ones had RCA for the coax out; the later ones had BNC in lieu of RCA. I did not want to use an adapter or get my cable re-terminated or another cable, so I didn't get one at the time. I got a used one that had the RCA. I would hope that if one ordered it you could specify how you want it.
Thank you for posting your observations. I am not surprised by the results. So far, the dedicated transports I have heard are better than players used as a transports.
I am interested in this because I have 2 transports. I had one repaired recently (the better sounding of the two) and it is starting to make odd noises when the lens moves into position to begin playing. The other is a little older. If one or both go bad, I do not want to pay 2K for the Simaudio Moon Neo 260D.
This sounds promising.
I dislike drawers and slots.
Yes probably less to go wrong on a top loader too. I had a Raysonic 128 topper and drove me nuts hanging on to the cover. It needed to be on a top shelf too or wide spaced shelf.
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