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Comparing these CD players with my gear...

Hi folks, 

I'm always messing around with CD players. A longtime audio friend of mine says I have a CD fetish... well, he's probably right. In a medium that is slowly dying, I'm still spinning discs more than ever. I stream too, but there still something awesome about taking a CD or LP and placing it in/onto a machine to play the sweet music we all love. 

Anyway, in my latest jaunt for something new, I've put together my latest list of players that have caught my eye for one reason of another. My gear consists of a Creek 4330SE integrated amp and Vandersteen 2C speakers. Cables are DH Labs Q-10's and Air Matrix interconnects. 

So what are your thoughts/impressions/comments on the synergies of the following CD players and how they would sound with my gear. I'm most curious about the Naim, Cambridge Audio and Myryad. 

Naim CD3.5
Cambridge Audio 840c
Myryad MCD600
Cal Audio Labs Icon mkII Power Boss
Marantz CD6006 (or CD6005)
Rotel RCD-1072




jsbach1685
jsbach1685 OP
96 posts
 
Hi George, 
I think the Miles has both. In fact, I've read the advantages of using 1-bit, multi-bit and DSP. It's all prefence I guess--as well as how well designed the analog stage is. I've had great sounding players that have used each type.

Here is what the Miles has:

2 x PCM67P-J - Motorola DSP

From what I read, the PCM67 is a hybrid 1-bit COSM and 18-bit multibit DAC. Then add Theta's DSP and the Miles has it all. :)
jond's avatar
jond
3,400 posts
 
Two things:
 I think the Naim has a DIN output and not standard RCA connectors, can you accommodate that?
Also pretty sure I've read that the Miles sounds far better using the balanced outputs, does your amp have a balanced input?
 
jsbach1685 OP
96 posts
 
The Naim comes with a chord din to rca cable.

No, the Miles is non-xlr.

mgreen27
147 posts
 

georgelofi

I was responding to this statement.

"I think you’ll find all the players mentioned use dac data textbook I/V stage and output stages, which are just opamps.I think you’ll find all the players mentioned use dac data textbook I/V stage and output stages, which are just opamps."

Just because the players use the same types of parts doesn't mean the analog sections will all sound the same. Different brands, different design, build quality, etc... It all makes a difference.

georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
4,966 posts
 
Just because the players use the same types of parts doesn’t mean the analog sections will all sound the same. Different brands, different design, build quality, etc... It all makes a difference.
To a small point, if you’ve work on and modded as many as I have they are very similar, only when you get into the esoteric stuff (non data sheet) like what I and others do with feedback free inplementation stacked AD844/discrete/transformer based I/V stages can you hear a real difference, as for the output buffers again very similar opamps used.

To give an example, even the mighty $20k Linn CD12 that I have here at the moment, just has PCM1704 data sheet text book opa627 as the I/V stage and again a opa627 as the output buffer. Just classic dac text book stuff.

Cheers george
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