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So I decided not to use a dvd player to listen to CDs.I am now looking for a relatively innexpensive player in the sub-600$ range (around 600cad).
I have heard good and not-so-good things abot Cambridge Audio's Azur series, have had a look at NAD C521BEE.
I am also tempted by the MHZS cd-33 tube player everybody here must have seen on ebay.
I would like to have some good deals suggestions.
Follow Ups:
The more I read about it, the more I change my mind...After waht I have read (and seen) about NAD players having hardwear problems, I do not have much trust in it.
I considered the CA 340c, than figured I would be better to go for a better DAC and settled on the 540c.
Than I read the Marantz 5001 is the best there is in that price range.
But since the 540c V2 is not in that price range, it may still be better.
But that was before I found out about the Onix CD5 (formerly known as the cd-99). Great reputation, low price. WOW!
But is it any good without the OPA627 ?
I know you will tell me to trust my ears and to get on with it. But most of these are to be listen to in different stores and in different systems, hence difficult to compare. As for the Onix CD-5, it is to be ordered -- can't even hear it.
One thing I might not have said : I often feel my speakers a bit heavy on the bass and would like to give a lighter feel to my system.
Hey for $50 and the usual 30 days 'no questions asked' return policy from Circuit City etc.. Really silly to not at least try.
Funny you say that :As I said in an earlier post, I just bought a cheap Toshiba DVD player until I get a good cd player... The dvd player turns out to be te much discussed about sd-3990 -- discussions I was not aware of until *after* I bought the unit.
I am now thinking of using it as a transport and log it to a DAC.
The new question would now be : if I am willing to spend something between 400 to 500 dollars, should I look for a DAC or a cd player (CA Azure 340C, AMC cd8b, NAD521, etc.)?
The thing that turns me off about those Toshiba DVD players is that they do not support gapless encoding. Try listening to Sgt Peppers with gaps between the tracks, or Dark Side of the Moon. Wow, how annoying! If they didn't do that, I would totally buy one.
The "gap" in the SD-3990 appears to have been fixed but the good sonics remain the same...
...is the build quality. The transport is way to noisy for the flimsy chassis. A very heavy book and vibrapods are almost mandatory, at least in the sample I got (3960).That said, it's a great sounding player for no money.
I own a 3960 and am still in the market for a new player in the same price range as the original poster. I listen to vinyl 90% of the time, so I can't justify the expense of an Apollo or anything like that.
I might just go with an inexpensive NAD as I've been happy with their products in the past.
---James
I have used mine a bit since my last post.I almost went mad trying to listen to Strawinsky's "Sacre du Printemps" with interuptions between tracks -- you will agree that the Berliner Philharmoniker did NOT stop untill the very end...
Hence however happy I may be with how it sounds (when you play loud enough to cover the transport's noise), I will need a good afordable CD player.
I have been looking at Marantz'z cd5001 and Cambridge Audio's 540c -- leaning towards CA since my system already has lots of bass prensence (I read that CA 540c is clearer than Marantz, with good yet lighter bass definition).
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