Proac D48R

zeeshanb, Over the years what cd players have you tried and liked best with your Proacs? Also speaker cables, ICs & PCs

Not much doesn't sound great on Proac's, especially with ARC driving them. If you're looking for CDP what's your budget? If you're ok buying used, an ARC CD3 is a nice player. I once owned a CD2 and it sounded nice on Proacs. I've dragged my Cambridge 851C over to my fathers system; ARC with Proacs and sounds great to me. Guessing you don't have your ARC yet. Think you'll be very happy with the combo. Congrats!

heinrichmilw, I have been mainly using the mac mini->Dac route in the last 8 or so years. The last CD player I remember was the  Cambridge 840c but that is because it had a digital input. So even that I was using it as a Dac mostly. Its just too conveniant to have all your music on the server and then have app on your smart device to use it as a remote!

After that I have tried many dacs including Benchmark DAC, Arcam, Mhdt Havana, and then Rega. I settled on the Rega DAC, and now the DAC-R, as it has the most analogue like sound. It works very well with the D series Proac. If you are looking for CD players I would suggest auditioning the Rega Apollo-R and the Saturn-R. The latter one also has the digital input that supports 24/192.

For speaker cables I use Proac cable and Ridge Street Audio Poiema!!! IC. I would not spend too much money on these ultra expensive cables. Buy the best reasonable priced cables that you can afford and enjoy the music!

I've owned nearly all the Proacs from the 90's until 2002 or so. I still have my Krell Stealth Dac that I'm going to sell. We all felt it sounded better for some reason than the DAC 32 that cost a lot more. I have the Cal Audio Labs drive for it that needs a new home too lol. I also have the CAL Terret CD player that I'm going to sell. That was a great pairing I. The day. Now digital is a different breed. Budget is most important. I own an Empirical Audio OSDE/SE DAC and run a Marantz blue ray and a totally rebuilt MAC Mini with a Haynes linear power supply and 500gb Samsung Soild state drives. Cable is an empirical solid silver hand made USB. I run fully balanced with an Ayre AX-5 Twenty integrated. I ran my ProAc Super Towers that were upgraded through ProAc and my former dealer. From MIT internal wiring to the response drivers and rebuilt crossovers with mundorf's etc. It was such an awesome system, but I upgraded to VANDERSTEEN Treo's. ProAc and VANDERSTEEN seem to have changed their corporate sound over the years but I heard the 7k proacs I believe they were and they were one of the only ribbon tweeters that I have liked. 

Personally i I feel that AR digital is their weak point. They have newer gear that sounds better but Aesthetix is making some great digital but it costs a lot. Personally I'd just spend 1500 and buy the Ayre Codex. Alex and the guys know what they are doing. It's a great DAC and can be used as the pre in a simple system with a good quicksilver or AR amp if you want to go that route or paired with that AR integrated. I do love that Ayre DAC for the price. It seems to be liked by most regardless of what they like to listen to as they get rid of the digital ringing. They understand digital filtering as well as analogue. Just some personal thoughts. 

Over the last 15 years I have owned Proac's. I had the response 5's powered by BAT tubed mono's then the BAT 250wpc SS amp. Loved those combo's but felt the 5's were a little too big so I sold everything and got the 1sc's and a Cary 300sei which was midrange magic. I lived with that combo for about 5 years and sold the Cary and replaced it with a Classe 100wpc SS amp. That combo was nice but as my music preference changed I felt the need for a deeper bottom end. One of my closest friends is a Proac dealer so I (for the last couple of months) started researching the new Proac line. I was torn between the D48r and the D30r. My room is aprox. 28'L x 17'W x 8'H. I was looking for that Proac midrange with a deep controlled bass. I finally decided on the D30r's (I was so worried they wouldn't have the bass I was seeking). I have had the D30r's now for 2 weeks and am totally blown away with them. They have the lush midrange and great soundstage of the 1sc's with the best, deepest and most controlled bass I have ever had. I have a Classe front end, Marantz preamp, Classe 100wpc SS amp with Nordost PC's, IC's and SC's. I couldn't be more happy. I think the D48r's would have been too big for me and my room. My musical tastes are R&B, jazz and some rock/blues....Ron