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Modded Cambridge Audio 550C player. Rating??

Need some info from members who bought and still have a Cambridge 550C player MODDED BY MAPLESHADE AUDIO

Howlong does it take to burn in and reach peak performance?(supposedly outperforming CDP that are 3K and 4K in price.

The Mapleshade website did suggest that it might need one or two tweeks to reach that level( e.g. MSA's isolation platform) (Later, the seller strongly advised plugging the PC directly into the wall, not a power line conditioner)

I bought one of these units from a third party to upgrade from a Rega Apollo. Its bigger and better brother,the Rega Saturn was too much money as were several other players, even used. So, I opted for this modded CDP, so far I am somewhat disappointed in its performance, though it does have some merits over the Rega; for example, quicker transient response, and dead silence between the musical notes and without congestion in the highs Actually,the highs are much cleaner and more transparent than the Apollo.

However there seems to be LESS DETAIL ACROSS MOST OF THE midrange band. Therefore, Need some advice about getting this CDP prima donna to its A game level, before I blow a gasket. Jim
sunnyjim
dhl93449
438 posts
 
Are you perhaps expecting a silk purse from a sow's ear?

I might suggest that claims of this player (modded or otherwise) besting products 10X its price are a bit exagerated.

I have an 840C that is considerably more sophisticated and better built than the 550C, with its digital output being fed to a CLASS A analog output stage equipped Bryston BDA-1. That combination compared to a $4000 PWT from PS Audio still did not best the PWT by any margin (although close).

The IC OP amp output stages in the CA just will not compare with any $4000 transport/DA no matter how many 4" thick maple plinths you mount it on. In my experience, they tend to sound bright, sometimes really over emphasizing the upper midrange. Symbols and bells get a nice space and presentation, but high pitch female vocals, microphonics, and syllibance can drive you out of the room.

I might suggest you try feeding the digital outputs to a good D/A with a class A discrete analog output stage. You then circumvent the opamps in the 550. This may change your perception considerably. But I still doubt if it will best $4000 equipment.
chayro
1,801 posts
 
Mapleshade speaker wire, ICs and power strip sound very bright, so it's no wonder that Pierre Sprey likes a less-forward CD player to balance them out. That said, I would try putting the unit on some hard footers or cones, which Mapleshade also recommends. I've found that you usually get what you pay for - there ain't no player for a few hundred bucks that sounds like 5K. People wish it were true, but it isn't good luck.
horchai
62 posts
 
I agree with DHL. I have a heavily modded 740c. Although the the opamps have been changed to discrete burson opamps, the basic characteristic of the 740c is still there which is a little bright and thin sounding. U may say it's revealing but it's quite nasty when poor recorded female vocals cds are played.
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