Cambridge 740c or Rega Apollo with Linn and Sonus


Hi everyone,

I live in a 2 bedrooms apartment and my current setup(living room) is a Nad C542 with Linn Majik-I int. amp. and Sonus Faber Concertinos. I am ready happy with what I have but would like to upgrade cdp to either a Cambridge Audio 740C or a Rega Apollo or any other player around the same price range. I mostly listen to jazz, classical, soft rock, voices. I would like a cdp that can transmit the emotion from a voice, not too harsh or too analytic. I prefer warmth, rich notes over detail. Which player do you think is more suitable for my setup and the qualities that I am looking for?

Thanks!
stardust888
The Cambridge 740C is a great piece with its dual DAC's 24bit/384 clock speed. Once it settles in, very musical without loss of detail. Also on the "Stereophile Recommended" list.
I've had the Apollo for a while. It's very nice, very dynamic, but not the most 3D player I've had -- or tested. That would be the Arcam fmj 23, which is still a terrific player. However, having read Harley's review in TAS, maybe the Cambridge IS a better player!
Others to consider around or under $1000:

Marantz SA8001 Super Audio CD Player

MUSIC HALL CD25.2 24/96 CD PLAYER (<<$1000)

used Shanling CD-T100

used Naim 5 or 5i
I'm buying a Cambridge in 2 weeks, when it arrives. I'll enjoy hearing it cold out of the box, as I did with my Hurricane amps, which took all of 30 seconds to reduce me to awe. It would be lovely to repeat the experience again. Given the consistent praise given to the top 3 (maybe only two octaves), it would be surprising that it should not be a dazzler, since the top octaves define clarity and a lack of confusion elsewhere (unless they're too hot). About the only thing I'm expecting is that the Cambridge is, perhaps, a "lightweight" - sounding player. There have been mentions of that in reviews, although it has been counterbalanced by mention of a very good upper bass/lower midrange, which is where a sense of "body" imbues images with solidity.
In any case, I'll have an Apollo AND a Cambridge simultaneously, and that, in itself, should be fascinating. It would be wonderful to have a player that could even match a $3000 player (which, if you all recall, was what the Lector originally cost before the importer, after seeing TAS' rave review, hiked up the price [eventually] to over 4k.
It seems that now, more than ever, High End means "High Priced." I've never seen so many 30k speakers, and so many daft reviewers saying "this is a bargain, considering the cost." They're screwed in the brain cells to even say such a thing when only 10 years ago, the majority of speakers were in the $15-25K range if they were "awesome," and only 10K if they were merely "fabulous" (WATTS excluded).