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Naim CD2 vs CD3 ?

S

say it as it is

pfm Member
ok excuse my ignorance apart from a bigger case what is the difference between the CD3 and CD2? I have always been told the slim cases were the budget made to a price models.

looking at the specs the players seem fairy similar?

as I have a CD3 any benefit in a CD2?
 
The CD2 is basically a one-box version of the CDS..:
  • The output I/V and analogue stage is all split-rail (-/+ regulated supplies throughout)
  • The layout around the digital filter and dac is actually significantly-better than the CDS;
  • There's a voltage reg for every single thing/sub-system;
  • - and the SAA7220 digital filter has a double-regulated supply ( a reg, fed from a reg)
  • The analogue and digital sides each have separate twin-rail supplies, with dedicated secondary windings/rectifiers./reservoir caps
  • The mains transformer, other than being really pretty big c 250va, even has a proper inter-winding shield(!)

That's a brief summary; there are other refinements too.
tl;dr CD2 vs CD3 - even though the transport, digital filter and dac are 'the same' - the outcome is not, by a long chalk. In fact I bought my CD2 over a CDS... then set to it...

[ I am biased; I have one; it's no longer quite standard (ahem) - and no plans to change to for CD replay for anything I have, or have heard ]
 
CD2 is significantly better than a CD3. If you get lucky and find one with a CDM 9 Pro mech it's even better. As I understand it (and recollect) only 100 CD2s were made with the Pro mech; I had one for quite a while and it was an amazing sounding player.
 
Bob Edwards said:
CD2 is significantly better than a CD3. If you get lucky and find one with a CDM 9 Pro mech it's even better. As I understand it (and recollect) only 100 CD2s were made with the Pro mech; I had one for quite a while and it was an amazing sounding player.
Click to expand...
Agreed, I had one of those with the Pro mech as well. So good it was that the 'upgrade' to CDS2 was downright disappointing.
 
A very happy guy with the CDS / CDPS such an analogue sounding machine staying with me, I don’t feel I have an itch to scratch.

Regards,

Martin
 
AFAIK all CD2s were fitted with the CDM9 Pro mechanism. The CD3 is a cut-down version with the plain CDM9 transport. The lasers are interchangeable but very hard to find now.

The CD2 was also the evolution of the original CDI, in fact the PCB says so. If you have a Hicap it can be made dual-polarity and the analogue sections of this, and the CDI and3 can accept an external PSU like the 3.5 did. This takes it near to CDS territory.

PS. I did this to my CDI, as well as most of Martin's enhancements. Still haven't gotten round to the flea and clock yet but it punches way above a normal CDI and it was pretty good to begin with.
 
Sorry I meant the CD3 and the amps if that era in the slim cases I was told at the time they were built to a cost to make them more affordable. Of course that could just be urban myth
 
It's funny, because although I have over two thousand CDs, I tend to play mostly vinyl. The other day though, I picked a CD at random from the racks and I was really taken aback at the sound quality coming from the CDS/CDPS. I had a CD3 many years ago and it was by far the best CD player of those that I auditioned, but in the context of a high end system, it was quite bright, to the point where there were some CDs that were just too uncomfortable to play. Enter, the CDS/CDPS, which is an altogether different animal; you can play anything on it without worrying if your going to have to reach for the volume control. The CDS2 is similar, albeit not quite as good as the CDS IMHO. I have also tried the CDX at home and that was good too and I would expect the CDI and CD2 to be pretty much in the same league too.
 
say it as it is said:
Sorry I meant the CD3 and the amps if that era in the slim cases I was told at the time they were built to a cost to make them more affordable. Of course that could just be urban myth
Click to expand...

Right
The slimline 3-series were meant as entrylevel.

Later Nait 5 was finally too expensive build, so Nait 5i was born
 
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