Never mind. I have ended the audition. What a huge disappointment! After running the MF kW SACD for a few hours, it would lock up if I tried to play an SACD disc after playing a CD. Instead of just starting with track 1 after the SACD was inserted, the player would flash "Play" and then start scrolling through the tracks on its display screen -- 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. The first time this happened, I grabbed the remote and keyed in the track I wanted. This worked the first time. However, the next time I went from a CD to an SACD disc and had the same lock-up, I could not coax it to play even with the remote. I tried powering the unit down and restarting it, and it worked (what is this, a Microsoft op system???). BUT, the next time I went through the CD to SACD sequence, neither the remote nor the power-down efforts could convince the player to play. Despite the fact that the kW SACD sounded pretty good, I won't get it. At this price point, it is just unacceptable to me that the unit is so finicky that it cannot play a disc. The search continues....
Linn Unidisk or Musical Fidelity kW SACD or ???
OK, at the risk of starting a fire I can't control, I am looking for thoughtful advice and input before I buy my next digital source.
I am driving B&W 803Ds with McIntosh (SS) gear. I am in the market for a new CD/SACD player and have scoured the net for reviews, specs, etc. I have been focusing on the Linn Unidisk 2.1 (maybe the 1.1) and the MF kW SACD. My local dealer expects to have audition samples of each in the near future for me. Obviously, I will give both a try and see how they sound in my system. Nonetheless, at the risk of coloring my own perceptions, I am interested in hearing reactions from others to help sharpen my critical listening. For example, some have commented that Linn's Unidisks tend to be smooth, but a bit weak in the bass. This is useful for me to know because it helps to focus my attention.
I am also interested to hear if there are other players that other members think I should seriously add to my list (Accuphase? dCS? Etc.). SACD is a must; DVD-A is a plus, though I wonder whether these universal machines are trying to do too much. My budget is around $7K, but I will go up to $11K if performance justifies it.
This does not have to turn into a "my cdp crushes everyone else's cdp." What I am hoping to get here are "reasonably" objective comments -- based on first hand listening -- about the strengths and weaknesses of the Linn, Musical Fidelity and other CD/SACD players.
Thanks, in advance, to any who jump in and share their thoughts.
T
I am driving B&W 803Ds with McIntosh (SS) gear. I am in the market for a new CD/SACD player and have scoured the net for reviews, specs, etc. I have been focusing on the Linn Unidisk 2.1 (maybe the 1.1) and the MF kW SACD. My local dealer expects to have audition samples of each in the near future for me. Obviously, I will give both a try and see how they sound in my system. Nonetheless, at the risk of coloring my own perceptions, I am interested in hearing reactions from others to help sharpen my critical listening. For example, some have commented that Linn's Unidisks tend to be smooth, but a bit weak in the bass. This is useful for me to know because it helps to focus my attention.
I am also interested to hear if there are other players that other members think I should seriously add to my list (Accuphase? dCS? Etc.). SACD is a must; DVD-A is a plus, though I wonder whether these universal machines are trying to do too much. My budget is around $7K, but I will go up to $11K if performance justifies it.
This does not have to turn into a "my cdp crushes everyone else's cdp." What I am hoping to get here are "reasonably" objective comments -- based on first hand listening -- about the strengths and weaknesses of the Linn, Musical Fidelity and other CD/SACD players.
Thanks, in advance, to any who jump in and share their thoughts.
T
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- 23 posts total
- 23 posts total