Trackmango,
Let me tell you, I love your approach.
Let me tell you, I love your approach.
The most revealing redbook/dsd player under 10k?
Following your last post, Trackmango, I'd ditto Tvad's recommendation of the APL NWO2. Source and preamp in one. I heard the previous iteration (NW01) play some Rachmaninov, and was overjoyed to actually hear each instrument remain distinct from the others, no matter how complex the music was. Not a hint of compression, or the blurring of one instrument into another, the player maintained a precise orchestration over the music itself in a way I've not heard in any other system. Best of luck! |
Considered a Cary Audio CD-306? It has been very well reviewed. I have not been able to compare mine with equivalent high-end CDP's apart from the Musical Fidelity kW. The Cary yields more detail and sounds more dynamic, but the MF sounds sweeter. That's on SACD. If you are going to listen to RBCD only, I would recommend the Consonance Droplet. Half the price of the Cary, and has the Cary's measure in dynamics and imaging. Bass is more authoritative on the Droplet but can sound bloomy on the wrong tracks. If styling is important to you, IMO the Droplet kills the Cary for looks. The other contender (which I have not had a chance to listen to) would be the Accuphase DP-78. |
I was not able to find much information on these NWO players on APL's website (aplhifi.com I assume). What are the differences between NWO1, 2, 2,5? Check the APLHiFi Discussion Forums for good info. Here is info about the APLHiFi NWO1. Here is a discussion about the APLHiFi NWO 2.5 You can also email Alex@aplhifi.com APL is located in the Bay Area. For less than $150 round trip, you can fly there and hear the NWO2 at the APL facility. That's what I'd suggest. There may be an owner in the LA area, but I'm not certain. I used to own an APL Denon 3910, but I have since sold it for financial reasons. |