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difficulty finding CD player match for Magneplanar

I have a California Audio Labs Mk II CD player (CAL) that has one channel going out. I might be able to get it repaired (if I'm lucky), but I wanted to listen to the latest CD players to see if I could find a replacement.

I home-trialed an Arcam FMJ-something at around $1000 U.S. Too bright, not enough bass, not enough "power" to drive rock and jazz/fusion.

I home-trialed the much-vaunted Rega Saturn. Not enough "power" or bass for rock/jazz fusion, upper midrange and highs OK, but lower midrange sounds like being in nosebleed section of concert hall (very distant and hard to understand).

I've got Magneplanar MG-IIIa speakers, original Adcom preamp and 60w/ch. amp.

It seems to quite troublesome to find a CD player for the Maggie's in my listening room that isn't too bright or too distant and has enough power/drive/authority and solid bass to really drive electronic music.

Neither player was really involving. They seemed to present information off the disk, but just didn't grab my interest. Pretty boring. Good detail, good this, interesting that, but in the end, not enjoyable.

Others have raved about Arcam players and about the Rega Saturn, but they haven't worked for me in my system.

Anyone had similar experiences with the Maggies and found any players that worked better with the Maggies?
timoteo
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mapman
15,679 posts
 
" If I were underpowered, why would it only show up with the Saturn or the Arcam CD players?"

The DACs in different players sound different.

You probably won't realize what your missing in regards to driving those speakers better with a better suited amp for better balance, impact, slam and all around low end authority, until you hear it.

Go to a dealer that might have Maggies set up optimally if you can and give a listen there to hear what you might hear.

You might find more CD players suitable with more juice driving those speakers.

A Cambridge Audio 640c or 840c is one player I have heard perform fantastically on larger Maggies properly driven and set up well.
guidocorona
4,114 posts
 
Timoteo, find yourself a few players that you really like. . . play with them for 6 months with your Maggies.. . . after you throw in the towel when that your Maggies suffer of dry bass and turn glassy or tense at the 1st appearance of dynamic excitement no matter what CDp you use, consider revisiting the amp power issue.
jylee
306 posts
 
That's right. You don't know what you are missing until you hear it. A side story but I thought I was getting full potential of my JM Labs speakers until I heard them driven by Pass. After hearing the truly dynamic sound I couldn't go back to other amps. I thought I was getting full range sound, but compared to what's capable now the sound was anemic.

The sounds are all relative. What you thought was full could have been due to bloated bass combined with underpowered amp. I agree with the others, the amp is the one needing an upgrade. A decent digital front end is cheap compared to decent amps. Get the amps first then look for the front end.
philjolet's avatar
philjolet
2,262 posts
 
Timoteo

after dozens (if not hundreds) of posts saying Maggies need tons of power and my own experience, I know 1000 watts can be a wonerful thing. About 90% of posters agree.

If you need a CD player and use it with 60 watts I am sure you can enjoy them too!

have fun.
cajunpepe
254 posts
 
Timoteo,
borrow a high powered amp from your dealer and run it for a week or so---I promise, you will hear a big difference. Maggies eat watts.
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