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Best CD player ever?

Blzebub said:
Not even slightly. Gilad's a nice bloke, and it was kind of him to lend me his CD12, but his company's products are very patchy. Best Linn product at the moment is the Akubarik.
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Fair enough. It is a good idea to have a listen to rival products though.
 
Yesterday I was reminded of just how good the Acoustic Precision Eikos CD player still is when I visited Anthony Mathews of Tube Distinctions in Hengoed, South Wales along with AndrewR.

The speed, attack, subtlety and texture of this player with the very best in partnering equipment from both Soul Monoblocks as well as Andrew's home-brew 300B single-ended monos into Tannoy Kensington SEs was a thrilling and engaging listen.
 
I was a big fan of the CDI and the Meridian 508-era players, but I suspect the Saturn-R would see them off today.
 
I've owned;

Karik II
Ikemi
CDX (later with CDPS)
Karik III / Numerik (both slimline smps models)

The Ikemi was better than the K2, but hadn't the 'drive' of the CDX/CDPS. The CDX is flawed though, sounding somewhat artificial compared to the more tuneful Ikemi. The K&N has the drive of the CDX and the tunefulness of the Ikemi, and then some. Someone here went from a CD555 to a K&N and never looked back.

I've heard the CD12 a few times. Probably the most analog sounding player I've heard, but a little too polite to do justice to some material. Linn's streamers leave me cold - kind of soulless to my ears.

Mr Tibbs
 
I don't like CD and just can't get on with it, have owned a Naim CD 3.5, Rega Planet, Consonance CD120, Rega Apollo-r and Audiolab 8200CD. Of all those the Apollo and the CD120 were the only ones I could listen to.
 
CD12, had one for a few years and was sad to see it go. It's maybe a bit polite at times, but I found it better than the CDS3/XPS2 at the time which sounded great initially but was a bit too edgy for extended listening.

Haven't had a CD player since Xmas 2008 mind you, all streaming since then. Haven't looked back.
 
thebiglebowski said:
I don't like CD and just can't get on with it, have owned a Naim CD 3.5, Rega Planet, Consonance CD120, Rega Apollo-r and Audiolab 8200CD. Of all those the Apollo and the CD120 were the only ones I could listen to.
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Are any of those valved CDPs, I wonder. Certainly changed my ideas about CD a few years ago.
 
Best ive heard after numerous players including Naim/Micromega-Dacaopo,Leema,Opus etc is the Vitus Scd010..most analogue player ive heard by a mile so I bought one..stopped looking around since.
 
911t said:
Best ive heard after numerous players including Naim/Micromega-Dacaopo,Leema,Opus etc is the Vitus Scd010..most analogue player ive heard by a mile so I bought one..stopped looking around since.
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They say that comparisons are odious, but yours are simply unbalanced, guessing the cost of the Vitus.:) Surely that's in Naim CD555 and other rarified territory.
 
555 is nice like a better CDS.

But the CD12 isn't like cd at all. Shame they don't make it any more.

As for the akubariks? I'd rather have a pair of ATC scm50..
 
wiresandmore said:
CD12, had one for a few years and was sad to see it go. It's maybe a bit polite at times, but I found it better than the CDS3/XPS2 at the time which sounded great initially but was a bit too edgy for extended listening.

Haven't had a CD player since Xmas 2008 mind you, all streaming since then. Haven't looked back.
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Thats the first time i've heard anyone describe a CDS3 as edgy and difficult to listen to over extended periods. Certainly not something i have experienced, quite the contrary. In fact the usual criticism against it is that it's too smooth and polite.
 
Mr Tibbs said:
I've owned;

Karik II
Ikemi
CDX (later with CDPS)
Karik III / Numerik (both slimline smps models)

The Ikemi was better than the K2, but hadn't the 'drive' of the CDX/CDPS. The CDX is flawed though, sounding somewhat artificial compared to the more tuneful Ikemi. The K&N has the drive of the CDX and the tunefulness of the Ikemi, and then some. Someone here went from a CD555 to a K&N and never looked back.

I've heard the CD12 a few times. Probably the most analog sounding player I've heard, but a little too polite to do justice to some material. Linn's streamers leave me cold - kind of soulless to my ears.

Mr Tibbs
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Very intrigued with your experience of the Karik/Numerik. As I've mentioned in an earlier post on this thread. I loved my ikemi and would swap my Akurate CD player in a heartbeat.
Your findings with the K/N has gave me some food for thought.

I've had the same experience with the Linn streamers. I've heard the Akurate DS in a couple of different set ups and felt the same. I couldn't engage with the music at all. The amount of detail they could retrieve was impressive. As for the musicality, very 'prim and proper' and sadly lacking any 'boogie factor'.
 
Mike Reed said:
They say that comparisons are odious, but yours are simply unbalanced, guessing the cost of the Vitus.:) Surely that's in Naim CD555 and other rarified territory.
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I thought this thread was about best cd player not best value for money..have also tried Wadia/DCs etc and the Vitus surpasses them too..
 
BLACKMASS said:
Very intrigued with your experience of the Karik/Numerik. As I've mentioned in an earlier post on this thread. I loved my ikemi and would swap my Akurate CD player in a heartbeat.
Your findings with the K/N has gave me some food for thought.

I've had the same experience with the Linn streamers. I've heard the Akurate DS in a couple of different set ups and felt the same. I couldn't engage with the music at all. The amount of detail they could retrieve was impressive. As for the musicality, very 'prim and proper' and sadly lacking any 'boogie factor'.
Click to expand...

Very much agree with your comments about the A-DS. The K/N I have now is a joy to listen to in comparison. I think Linn lost their way with digital after the K/N was replaced. Too much emphasis on trying to retrieve the last ounce of detail at the expense of musical flow and coherence. They are not alone here though!

Mr Tibbs
 
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