CD Player Reviews
12 November 2023
I only just recently heard the dCS Puccini CD/SACD Player and DAC and Paganini Master Clock/USB Interface in the context of my own system. Since many people are shopping in the second-hand market, I thought it would be worth sharing my Quick Impressions of these products.
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30 October 2022
Aqua La Diva M2 – Part 3
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Of late, ongoing changes on the streaming front have led to my reassessing the CD medium. But more pertinently, I have made a very interesting discovery that led to a newfound admiration for the Aqua M2 drive.
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16 October 2022
The DAC2-Mk3 can be seen as the successor of the DAC2 Signature that I reviewed in December 2019 and the CDT3-Mk3 is Jay's Audio's new Flagship CD transport. Read on to find out how they perform individually and as a pair.
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4 February 2022
Aqua La Diva M2 – Part 2
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After my review of the La Diva M2, Marco of Hexagon Audio was so kind to leave both La Diva models with me for some time. This has allowed me to carry out some more comparisons.
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1 December 2021
Aqua La Diva M2
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Ever since I was aware that a new model was coming, I had been awaiting its arrival with immense anticipation. Fortunately, the M2 delivers on its promise. It is not only a successor with a different CD mechanism but indeed a wholly different player.
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27 March 2020
Ayon CD-10 II CD Player
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The CD-10 II impressed me enormously. Regular readers will know that I am used to listening to very esoteric gear but somehow Ayon always manages to stir my music-loving soul, and, as it turns out, even with their entry-level products.
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27 February 2020
The CDP-707 is an integrated Tube CD player, powered for this review by the company's best PSU-707 unit. The Digicode S-192 is a Tube DAC, powered by the company's best PSU-DC 192 unit.
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6 December 2019
Chinese-made products have not always enjoyed the same reputation as well-known western brands but, based on recent experiences in general and based on how these Jay's Audio products perform in particular, I am confident in stating that it is about time to change our collective minds about this.
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1 March 2018
There is no way around it. The Ayon Stealth DAC/Preamp and CD-T II transport play with a level of musical involvement not matched by any solid state combination that I tried so far.
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16 January 2018
Bryston BCD-3 CD Player
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Never less than fully engaging and always ready to boogie, the Bryston BCD-3 CD player is a sure bet!
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16 April 2017
Truly excellent CD transport with S/P DIF and i2S connections
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18 October 2015
Wadia 861 CD player
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A true reference player, but one that divides opinion. There are people who say it's the most real sounding player and there are those who find it square and "digital" sounding.
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21 July 2014
Wadia 581 SACD Player
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Successor to the famous 861, the 581 uses a more basic transport, but is the first Wadia to offer SACD playback.
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2 June 2014
Accuphase DP410 CD Player
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Successor to the popular DP400, the DP410 promises improved sound and adds USB input.
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10 February 2014
Esoteric X03 SE SACD Player
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CD/SACD player with VRDS-NEO drive and tank-like build.
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15 November 2013
Much like the Sonic Frontiers Transport 3, the CD12 is a real eyecatcher.
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16 July 2013
The T3 looks amazing with its unique lense-like CD loader on top, but the mechanism isn't exactly quiet...
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21 October 2012
A beauty to look at, with pretty good sound to match.
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9 September 2012
Emotiva ERC2 CD Player
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Highly affordable player that performs admirably well.
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23 June 2012
Sooloos products had me hooked right from the start
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5 April 2012
Naim NDX, CDX2, DAC and XPS2
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After being so enthusiastic about the UnitiQute and Uniti, I was curious to find out how much more there would be in the Naims higher up on the scale.
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1 April 2012
Wadia S7i CD Player
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Wadia S7i is compared to the Wadia 861, PS Audio PWD MKII and Linn Klimax DS/0.
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2 August 2011
Ayre CX7 CD Player
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The CX7 was meant as a temporary replacement for my defective Levinson 390s. Soundwise the two players couldn't be more different.
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21 May 2011
Accuphase DP400 CD Player
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No doubt the DP400 is a fine looking unit. But how does it compare to the Mark Levinson no.390s?
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10 October 2010
This is the first 'S' category Levinson that I've had in the system and I have to say that it seems to really make a difference.
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10 December 2009
This player reminded me strongly of the Weiss DAC2/Minerva da converter for its clean, tight, fast, open, business-like and dry sound.
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21 October 2009
Although this player was just visiting and was only listened to briefly, it was immediately evident that it has a very different character than the resident Mark Levinson no390s.
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11 October 2009
A very different animal from the 506-24!
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11 October 2009
Very natural and neutral player with plenty detail and pace.
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11 October 2009
Very relaxed, fluid and creamy sounding players.
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6 October 2009
Average as a CD player but not bad with SACD's...
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2 October 2009
A very special CD transport, developed by Pierre Lurne in cooperation with Rene Boonen...
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2 August 2009
How does this beautifully crafted player stack up against the Audiomeca Enkianthus and the Mark Levinson 390S?
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26 June 2009
Mark Levinson no.390s, CEC TL1x and Audiomeca Enkianthus
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30 May 2009
Wadia 861, Meridian 508.24, Krell KPS20i, CEC TL1x and Audiomeca Enkianthus X.
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17 October 2008
A very affordable player that turns out to be much better than you would give it credit for.
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18 August 2008
CD Player Transport Comparison.
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15 June 2008
Odd but interesting CD transport.
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14 June 2008
A Beautiful Classic Even though this was a reference combo-player, I was disappointed by its sound. The transport uses a Philips swing arm mechanism which is usually a guarantee for musicality but in this case, I found the transport-dac combo decidedly gray and lacking vitality. Sure, there was no grain, hardness or other nastiness to […]
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15 May 2008
Fast forward 3 years – Later addition to the original review – July 2011 Three years after the review above was written, after moving house and having quite a different system, I have bought a Marantz CD80. A little later I also came across a Marantz CD74 and CD85. Because I also still have the […]
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15 May 2008
THE ORIGINAL 2008 REVIEW A more detailed comparison of the CD11LE, CD12LE, CD74, CD85, CD80 Marantz players that are added later can be found at the bottom of this review. For now, let’s move on to the original review. POWER All players showed sensitivity to the position in the (serial wired-) extension block. The first […]
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15 May 2008
The Marantz players: Marantz CD16 Exclusive 1993. CDM-4 transport, TDA1547 Bitstream DAC. This player doesn’t really belong in this review because I didn’t review it at the same time. Nevertheless, I have a very good memory of how it sounded compared to the Audiomeca and Wadia players I had at the time. In retrospect, it […]
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15 May 2008
These oldies perform way beyond expectation and even have some special qualities that are rare in digital!
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9 March 2007
This three-piece collection together formed a Nakamichi reference CD player, so expensive that few people purchased it.
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25 November 2006
Technically better than the Planet but still somewhat masked compared to the Sony XA50ES.
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2 November 2006
Incredibly lucid and airy sounding player that has a tube output.
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15 October 2006
Natural, lively and entertaining player.
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30 August 2006
Pretty standard DVD player that is still musical and enjoyable playing CD's.
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30 August 2006
Very clean, dynamic and lively player.
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30 August 2006
Difficult to say if it's the Feickert I'm hearing or the intrinsic sound of the CD14...
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30 August 2006
ot highend by any stretch of imagination but neutral, rhythmic, lively and fast.
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27 October 2005
Very fluid, creamy-warm and relaxed player.
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17 October 2005
Even more accurate and dynamically expressive than even the XA50ES with LC Clock...
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30 August 2005
For the secondhand money this is simply a brilliant player.
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15 January 2005
It has the same transport as the XA50ES but its dac is less open sounding.
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15 October 2003
Sounds a lot like the XA50ES but more natural and fuller, perhaps thanks to its discrete output stage?
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