Cambridge Audio Azur 650C & Other Budget CD Players
- Thread starter Art K.
- Start date
dr*audio
Fish fingers and custard!
Here's a review of this player. I am definitely going to check it out! I think this may be the new Stealth CD Player.
http://hifi-reviews.com/?p=750
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
Well this system is settling in very nicely. Warming up considerably and just making beautiful music. That said, I'm pretty sure that I would not select a CA cd player were I on the open market. I would probably save a while and look upmarket. The players that my wife and I have represent great value with outstanding build, top quality parts and solid sound however the midrange and timbre are just a hair dry and lean for my taste. Not far from neutral and in fact probably no further than NAD but in the opposite direction.
Let me be clear...in no way do I feel ripped off by Cambridge and in fact I would not feel that way had I paid retail which I didn't, I paid hundreds less. Considering what happened to my NAD's I feel particularly blessed to have these wonderful players...cheers!
Let me be clear...in no way do I feel ripped off by Cambridge and in fact I would not feel that way had I paid retail which I didn't, I paid hundreds less. Considering what happened to my NAD's I feel particularly blessed to have these wonderful players...cheers!
guiller
Toscaninichus Australis
That is my feeling about the two CA CDPs I had: nice units, wonderful in their price range, but I am very happy with my decision of going afterwards for a CDP in a higher quality league (with correspondingly higher price tag).
Mr. Lin
Lunatic Member
That's a deal-breaker for me these days, period. So far every "hi-fi"-type CD player I've heard and/or owned has had at least one thing in common: an over-built power supply. With that, a skimpy little un-shielded hard-wired pc isn't going to allow you to hear everything the CD player has got to offer.
So still considering whether or not you're going to keep the CA? If not, any thoughts about what you might look towards next?
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
I'd like to try the Apollo-R in this setup as I think it would be ideal. The CA has settled out very nicely. No harshness or brightness at all and very neutral. Everyday the setup sounds better and that is really saying something. When I save enough to try the Apollo-R that will be it for a long while. All of my bills just went up this month (found out yesterday) and my pay has been reduced, like with many of us. So I'm looking to land and just enjoy the music for a long while.
I'll comment more in the near future on the CA but suffice it to say that for what you can get one for now, if you are looking for a CD player under $500 you would be foolish not to try one.
Quagh
Super Member
Do any of you have any thoughts on the Rega Planet with the Burr-Brown vs the Apollo or Saturn? I would like to get into a nicer unit as well and I think I've found one of these for well below 500 with box, etc.
Any info is appreciated. I'm trying to keep this as budget priced (sub 500) as possible. FYI, I also have a Grant Tube DAC so that's not an issue.
It's also nice to hear (in a perverted way) that I'm not the only one that has had reliability issues with NAD CD Players.
Any info is appreciated. I'm trying to keep this as budget priced (sub 500) as possible. FYI, I also have a Grant Tube DAC so that's not an issue.
It's also nice to hear (in a perverted way) that I'm not the only one that has had reliability issues with NAD CD Players.
Quagh
Super Member
This one looked promising until I discovered it doesn't play HDCDs.
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
Yeah the NAD's really sounded very nice and I hope that one day soon they pull it together with QC.
I've owned both the Apollo and Saturn but not the Planet and so can't give any detailed accounting of the differences in sound.
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
For those following this thread, the unthinkable. My wife's 550C developed a grinding sound as the CD drawer opened and mine just decided it didn't like a disc and stopped and opened up the drawer. Mine is probably just a glitch as it has only done it once. Her grinding sound is a far bigger concern. Spearit is out of 550C's in black and upgraded her to a 650C for free. They sent me their last new 650C just as a precaution, both will arrive next week...I just want a CD player that works and stays working!:scratch2:
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
To be clear I don't think CA has a major QC issue like the NAD. I called a number friends in the business today who carry CA and they were clear that they have not seen any recurring problems, none. In fact all but one had not had any returned 550C's or 650C's. This makes me comfortable that their quality is good.
Mr. Lin
Lunatic Member
I know this wasn't really directed toward me, but I think I'm very, very good on CD players at the moment.
I'm the opposite of Art as far as this is concerned, being the owner of an original Rega Planet, but not any other Rega CDP - and I also haven't even heard any of their others. I will say this: if you're looking at used Planets, they should be WAY under $500, and more like $300, possibly even less IMO. I payed ~$350 for mine nearly five years ago, for example, and you have to keep in mind they have known issues, and the transport will eventually fail (though it's replaceable).
In this forum I have a relatively new thread about repairing my Planet and using it again after not being able to use it for years. I compare it a bit to my Naim CD5i-2, and conclude - among other things - that the Planet is fun to listen to, fun to use, but inferior to the newer (and more expensive) CD player in every way as far as sound is concerned. More than anything, I think the Planets biggest fault is a warm (meaning colored), rather soft, and murky sound, compared to better CD players (of which I now have three).
Now back to Art's thread:
Geez Art, you've been really unlucky with CD players this year! Glad to hear your dealer stepped up and beyond, so you'll have a better model in the end.
What's the meaning of the "R" attached to the name of the new Apollo?
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
Funny you should ask. We know that it means "remote" as related to the Brio-R but the Apollo already had a remote so let's just say "revised" and call it a day...
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