Relief? The New Digital Players

hi dekay, i know there hsa been some contentiousness about this on another thread, but what preamp are ewe using? it's possible, that upgrading your preamp another $1500 instead of upgrading your cd-player another $1500, might give ewe an overall better sound. added benefit is that it gives ya some time to see how the digital format-wars shake out, & then, when ya upgrade yer digital source, ya *really* got something! meanwhile, w/an upgraded preamp, yer vinyl/tuner/tape/? will also be upgraded, not yust yer digital. one person's opinion. doug

Hi Sedond: I have a bare bones system. A Musical Fidelity X-A1 integrated now with the X-A50 mono blocks on order in Canada that should arrive in a couple of weeks to bi-amp a pair of Castle Isis moniters. The player is a CAL Icon MkII with vibropods and an HT power cord as well as the Monster 2000 power conditioner. Speaker cable is Kimber 4VS which will be addressed when I bi-amp. Interconnects are Homregrown Super Silver's and HT Truthlinks. This is our living room system. I have thought about halting my plans for the MF gear (the power amps will be around $800.00) and going with your suggestion, but I really want to finish this system as it was first imagined. The snag was that the X series power amps were no longer available in the US after I picked up the X-A1. Now that I have located a pair I am compelled to complete what I started out to do in the beginning. I suspect that I will eventually end up with a tube preamp SS amp combo in the living room someway down the line but am having fun with the MF gear and would like to work it to the bone before I go into something else. I have also been unemployed the past year and will wait until I get back on my feet before I drop big bucks into equipment (by big bucks I probably mean half of what most of the people at this site spend on gear). Out of boredom I am planning a little SET system for the spare bedroom that we may move the computer into. This is where I will need a second player and figured that I may as well upgrade the CAL in the living room system when I buy it. The CAL will go into the bedroom system. Curiously enough if I buy Reynaud or Coincident for the SET setup I will have my better speakers in the bedroom which bothers me for some reason. Also of interest are the DIY personal nearfield planar speakers noted at the Decware site which would eliminate the need for expensive speakers in the SET system if the computer goes into that room, you should check them out if you use computer speakers. Anyway I totally agree with your suggestion and hopefully will be able to implement it at a future date. I have a nice little list of tube preamps and their characteristics (prepared from the posts at this site) tucked away for when that time comes. I really enjoy the "Top Ten" threads.

Dekay -- on the "inexpensive" side of the high end CD players.....I experienced the Arcam Alpha 9 last year and was REALLY surprised. I then recently auditioned the Arcam FMJ23 briefly (my local Arcam dealer who is an @%%hole). It was so nice that I seriously considered buying it (but again...my local dealer is such an @%%hole that I couldn't bear to give him my money) I ended up spending considerably more money to get more sound, however, the Arcam is a nice inexpesive high end CDP....well worth an audition...or available used to try out.

Got to agree with Robert, Mfgrep, and Carl above-- buy the best 16 bit rig you can afford NOW. In fact I did exactly that based on the fact(s) that I'm 57 years old and have over 1000 CDs-- and those are just the "keepers". I get rid of CDs I don't like. Craig.

I guess that I stopped auditioning to soon with the Arcam players, they did have the model 9 in stock. The 8SE had more detail than my CAL and almost as much bass, it just did not sound as musical. I do not know how to desrcibe what it missed that I am looking for. I have the same problem with describing cables. Sam at this site once used the word "organic" when reviewing something and that seems like a good word for it. Though I would still be unable to describe in other words what "organic" sounds like. I have noticed that they get a little stressed out at the shops when I end an audition after a cut or two. But at least I know what I am looking for, I just don't know how to desribe it. Craig, we only have around 100 CD's to date 75% of them from flea markets and thrift stores. I buy both music that I am familiar with and like as well as stuff that looks interesting that I do not have a clue about, since the price is right. Yesterday I picked up a Forever Tango CD that turned out to be a "keeper" as you say. I am fortunate in that I am less than an hours drive from Uscale Audio that I read about at this site. I have not gone down there yet, but will do so before I commit to a SET or new player. I get the impression that he has gobs of good used gear on a continuous basis. Anyway I thank you all for your different viewpoints on this subject and now feel much clearer in my perspective. I am certain that you have also helped a lot of lookylous that read but do not write.