Hi Subaru. I think you're right on with the grittyness being in the cd player. I put a cheaper cd player into my system it displayed this exact characteristic. I'm really happy with my Sony XA7ES. It's within a wisper of my friends Levinson 36 DAC. Can pick those up used for 1100ish. The Levinson guy also had a rega planet as his transport for a while. The system sounded very good. He upgraded the planet to a dedicated (EAD 1000?) transport and found the system has greatly improved. He's got a full blown spectral/MIT setup which is the quietest and most detailed I have ever heard - so keep that in mind.
I think the nordosts aren't weak in the bass, but they do emphasize the treble. I tried some 'ace of bass' $2000 speaker cables this weekend. The treble was turned down and the bass up little. Red Dawns were a much better match for my system. Never seen such an extreme case of system compatibility. I'm trying to find some Yamamura 6000 cables to try - heard those are another 'ideal' match for pass labs/virgo's. Take care.
By the way, Subes are great! They ( and 4x4 toyota pu's :> ) were a great choice for outdoors in Colorado. On dirt road trip one time, I swear to god the Sube Outback was eating a Ford Explorer and 4x4 S-10 for lunch! It actually had better ground clearance than the trucks!
I think the nordosts aren't weak in the bass, but they do emphasize the treble. I tried some 'ace of bass' $2000 speaker cables this weekend. The treble was turned down and the bass up little. Red Dawns were a much better match for my system. Never seen such an extreme case of system compatibility. I'm trying to find some Yamamura 6000 cables to try - heard those are another 'ideal' match for pass labs/virgo's. Take care.
By the way, Subes are great! They ( and 4x4 toyota pu's :> ) were a great choice for outdoors in Colorado. On dirt road trip one time, I swear to god the Sube Outback was eating a Ford Explorer and 4x4 S-10 for lunch! It actually had better ground clearance than the trucks!