Naim CDS
- Thread starter worz
- Start date
Does it not reproduce sounds up to CDs 20k limit? Is it rolled off at the top end? What 'modern' developments in 16 bit digital replay have improved? If I buy a new player tomorrow, will I get more 'sparkle and air'? Are only Naim players afflicted with this 'modern' problem or does it apply to digital in general? Is it related to 'over bright'?
Steven Toy
Accuphase newbie
What resolves 'sparkle and air' is an absence of phase errors.
The be-all-and-end-all to 'transparency,' if such a thing exists, is not just 0.01% THD and flat from 20 to 20,000 Hz.
Tony L
Administrator
Please show your workings! Genuinely interested to see the evidence to back this one up - I assume you are talking about filter differences as there is little else in a digital front-end that can impact such things.
PS a good condition CDS and PSU for £700 has to be a good buy, it's a very nice CD player by any standard.
JemHayward
pfm Member
I'm glad I sold mine when I did, as I got nearly four times that for mine, and I really struggled to find a CD player that sounded better - I certainly didn't like the CDS2 but I'd admit the CDS3 and 555 were better, but the CD3 was just a bit to polite for my tastes, so really the only CD player that I personally was worth the upgrade, was the 555 and that was never going to be economically viable. I rapidly sold my CDS when I realised that streaming offered me everything the CDS delivered and more at a fraction of the cost.
There are also a few CDs out there that the CDS won't play as they have information below 20Hz, which it (correctly) rejects! Puck slip can be frustrating, but if you listen to CDs to move your soul, the CDS has few peers.
Also, a CD player with a PSU heavier than most power amps, is a talking point.
There are also a few CDs out there that the CDS won't play as they have information below 20Hz, which it (correctly) rejects! Puck slip can be frustrating, but if you listen to CDs to move your soul, the CDS has few peers.
Also, a CD player with a PSU heavier than most power amps, is a talking point.
colasblue
pfm Member
The main issue with them is that if the mechanism fails it becomes a boat anchor. The laser is replaceable but the rest of it generally isn't, though it is fairly robust.
That's the thing that really pulls down the used prices. The CDPS is worth about £500 on its own since it can be used to power other Naim CDP's as a substitute for the XPS or XPS2 so not much of a financial risk at £700.
Never thought there was much to choose sonically between the CDS and CDSII personally and I used to own a CDSII.
What I would say is a used Benchmark Dac 1 + suitable PC is similarly priced and likely to substantially outperform that sort of old school player.
That's the thing that really pulls down the used prices. The CDPS is worth about £500 on its own since it can be used to power other Naim CDP's as a substitute for the XPS or XPS2 so not much of a financial risk at £700.
Never thought there was much to choose sonically between the CDS and CDSII personally and I used to own a CDSII.
What I would say is a used Benchmark Dac 1 + suitable PC is similarly priced and likely to substantially outperform that sort of old school player.
wylton
Naim and Mana member
I have a CDS/CDPS and I love it TBH; it's an excellent sounding CD player IMHO. I didn't think much of the original top hat puck though, and abandoned it in preference to one of the later magnetic types to prevent the disc slippage that often used to occur.
£700 is a great price too!
£700 is a great price too!
rontoolsie
pfm Member
I've used a CDS1/CDSPS, a CDS2/CDSPS, CDS2/XPS, CDS2/XPS2, CDS3/XPS2 and would have to say that the CDS1/CDSPS has overall the best sound with a slightly dark but very colorful (and maybe a tad colored) sound. But the way its projects is unmatched. I also preferred the CDSPS to the XPS, the latter of which had a cool and bright tinge. The CDS3 (until it received some hefty mods) was pleasant but quite languid.
For 700 UKP in full working order snap it up. The black Burndy on the CDS1 is far far better than the gray one.
And yes, I have also compared directly the CDS1 with a CDX (leagues behind) and an early Linn CD12. Unfortunately my CDS1 was in the early stages of transport failure and was not sounding representative, but still was preferred to the CD12. For months before the transport did totaly fail, the CDS1 sounded abysmal with a hard, pinched and very compressed sound. So do have a listen to it before you buy. If it sound anything less that quite special, then something may be wrong. But the transport is robust and can be serviced instead of binned, something that I didn't have done.
I would say the CDS1 is the equivalent of the NAC12. Although replaced by bigger, better and far more expensive models it had a unique balance of tone and musicality that may seem lacking in later models.
For 700 UKP in full working order snap it up. The black Burndy on the CDS1 is far far better than the gray one.
And yes, I have also compared directly the CDS1 with a CDX (leagues behind) and an early Linn CD12. Unfortunately my CDS1 was in the early stages of transport failure and was not sounding representative, but still was preferred to the CD12. For months before the transport did totaly fail, the CDS1 sounded abysmal with a hard, pinched and very compressed sound. So do have a listen to it before you buy. If it sound anything less that quite special, then something may be wrong. But the transport is robust and can be serviced instead of binned, something that I didn't have done.
I would say the CDS1 is the equivalent of the NAC12. Although replaced by bigger, better and far more expensive models it had a unique balance of tone and musicality that may seem lacking in later models.
Dowser
Learning to bodge again..
Not sure on the early CDM4 based mechanisms, but the CDM9 based mech in my CDI only has the spin motor that is different to other mechs (well, apart from the swing arm laser, that is all there is on the mech). If that ever failed, I would need to source a CDM9 Pro donor host, a PIA but achievable - it does get expensive if you are paying a 3rd party to do the work for you though.
I bought my CDI faulty from Italy, and was scared when I received it - I assumed a faulty laser, but some bright spark had tried to prise off the metal CD platter from the spin motor, warping it hugely. I was concerned the spin motor shaft was bent, or the bearing mangled. Once I got the old platter off, I realised there was no need for concern - much thicker than normal shaft, and a huge solid bearing assembly.
New laser grafted in and it has worked fine since - albeit with a plastic rather than metal disc platter now, I could not true up the original well enough.
Great players, I'd love to try an original CDS to compare it to my CDI.
Richard
