need help - Cd players

The Norh comes from the same Thai manufacturer as the CAL players and is supposed to be the same transport and DAC as the Delta models. It adds a tube to the circuit which could be quite nice. I don't know how it compares to the Tjoeb or Heart, and I'm not sure how long it takes to receive one. I've never heard anyone rave about an AMC, so I'd stick with one of the others.

As far as tube versus SS...that would probably depend on the rest of your system.

First you have a possibility to audition few of listed if you call upscale audio or audioadvisor for 30 days. Among your list I would vote for AH! and you can buy it from upscale and audition for 30 days. There is a digital volume control which you would probably want to keep at its highest level for the best performance.

I hope you'll get more answers and more options.

I would add a Rega Planet to your list. Original or 2000 model. Very musical.

I recently was asking myself the same question. I had a AH!Tjoeb '99 in my main system for about two years (now still pulling duty in the bedroom) and like it just fine, especially for the price. The Tjoeb 2000 is similar in design, but built from a better stock Marantz player and, purportedly, sounds better than the '99. As I understand it (and I could be wrong alltogether), all of the Tjoebs use their tubes as a buffer on the output stage, instead of yanking the op-amps all together and replacing them with the tubes (which is how the Heart CD6000 does it). The Heart CD6000 starts with a much better stock Marantz player and the modifications and design concepts they use to modify it are a lot more aggressive than the Tjoeb (and it costs >$200 more for their efforts...). Many I have heard from consider the Heart CD6000 an upgrade from the Tjoeb, and, although I haven't had the chance to compare them, I was going to get one to compare myself when I decided to bite the bullet and get a Meridian 508 instead. I was also very tempted by the Nohr, but after doing all the reading I could, had tentatively settled on the idea of getting the Heart. Anyway, as I got the Meridian (which I love), I never had the chance to answer your (or my) particular question. From the literature I could find, I ended up most excited about the Heart in theory, but I really can't say how they all stack up sonically. I hope someone else has more in-system experience to offer -- I'd be interested to hear from those with more practical experience. Cheers.

Read the review on the Sony DVP s9000es DVD/SACD/CD player in The Absolute Sound a couple of issues ago. You can pick up a used one for $700 or so. The s9000es is not the very best but it does so much so well. You would be hard pressed to find a better value at this price. Aslo is well built and weighs about 38 lbs.