Cambridge Audio D500SE CD player

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions. Lots to think about, and try. I can relate to the feelings of those around us thinking we are nuts. One thing I noticed last night was a really high noise floor with the player in place. Almost a hum, but not as loud as that. It basically happens when the interconnects are plugged in to both my amp and the CD player. Originally started playing with RFI blockers, as I blamed the Home Grown Audio cables(moving them around heightens or deadens the volume). But, I soon realized that any interconnect gave me the same result(and I do have a fair number of cables to try). After almost pulling my hair out trying to find the cause, it turned out to be the power cord(I looked at every cord - speaker, IC, PC in my system...) I was using on the player. It is not shielded. Didn't have this problem with my old player, with its captive power cord. When I tried a Coincident power cord, the noise floor dropped a great deal. I guess it has a fair amount of shielding, although I am not certain of its construction(don't really want to be cutting open expensive power cords...). My father will give me a braided shield to slip over the silver power cord. In theory(famous last words), that should help. I also want him to install a 4 outlet receptacle box(he is an electrician/technician/electrical engineer - worked his way up the ranks with increasing experience and education), to which he refused. Instead, he went and got one of those cheap, horrific things that let you turn a 2 outlet receptacle(plugs into the outlet) into a 6 outlet job. Uuggghhhh! Said he didn't want to go in the wall. Funny about those not really involved in our hobby - they refuse to pander to a lot of this stuff. Would be even funnier if I attempted it myself.

I have tried a SACD only disc in the Cambridge, and it DOES NOT PLAY SACDs! I was pretty sure this was the case, but needed proof. My dealer's insistence on its SACD capability I am sure was based on dual layer discs. It seems that the companies other than Sony produce these dual layer discs. Although the player has a 24 bit/192kHz DAC, I am not yet sure what that buys me. Perhaps, the benefit will be realized in playing 24 bit CDs. I have to give this all more thought, but I think I will try to sit back and enjoy this player for a while. It has rounded out pretty well during this break - in period. Getting better in all areas. I actually prefer it in to the previous generation Rega Planet(have yet to sit down and listen to the Planet 2000), MF A3 CD, and Linn Genki. All of which I am familiar with. I always thought I'd be buying an MF. Those players seem a little lightweight to my ears. I wanted a player that did not sound like that. While this player is no powerhouse, it is at least as good as those players in the area of weight. That is not to say that I think this player is better in all areas to those listed above. Just the overall ratings, in my opinion. Factoring in the price makes it a no brainer. In light of the Sam Tellig article and other stuff I have read in the past few weeks, I feel I have made a nice purchase. Especially, in light of the price. If SACD/DVD-A do fall the fate many are predicting, this player will be a great match for a good upsampling setup. And the fact that it costs half as much as the other CD players one would use as a transport makes me feel better all the time. And that is a major reason I feel it to be a smarter move than the other players. My former player was starting to go down hill, and this new player gives me a digital out(my old player did not). Otherwise, for those who have a nice player, I am of the opinion that you might as well give the dust more time to settle. I think the end result will benefit those who do not act hastily.

Received my d500 yesterday and ran it all night and all day, Mr. Tallyman. I suppose it's that 3/10's volt (output is 2.3 volts) but this player is far more dynamic than the Parasound 1000 it replaces. As did Trelja, I find the soundstaging very good, even sounds on pop music that have been panned to the speakers sound like they're coming from in front of, but not directly from. The entire soundstage has moved a foot or so further forward of the speakers.Perhaps its the sampling or the lower jitter but there is more of the recording coming through: breathing, hall ambience, secondary vocal and instrumental lines and especially 12 string guitar overtones. I differ from Trelja about the bass, there is great impact from the drum kit as well as clearly audible attacks and bowing of orchestral double bass. This could be system dependent (SFL-1 and Sonographe 250 with Silver Solution IC's and DH 14 cables bi-wired to Kestrels). Interestingly, my silver colored model has an aluminum faceplate and although Cambridge says no cheap cables, there they are, and are they ever. The loading drawer mechanism is very solid and fast, the remote is good but the controls are in strange, to me, places. Now, can someone 'splain me the function of the toslink input for"dacs that have a clock output"? Huh?

Trelja, Kitch29, does this unit have a digital INput as well as output? If so, I wonder if you could run a digital out to an upsampler, then an input (even, ugh, Toslink) from the upsampler (or for that matter, a DVD player with a digital out that passes a 24/96 signal) back into the unit to take advantage of the 24/192 DAC. That would be a possible further advantage for this player.

Trelja: So, are you saying that this is a better all round player than the original planet?? I have Friday off work to continue my search for a new CDP, but as you say, for the price, this might be a no brainer. Kitch, what did you compare this to?? Thanks