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Cambridge Audio Azur 650C & Other Budget CD Players

JohnVF said:
I found my Cambridge 640c to be very system dependent. I loved it with my tube system, and found it a bit too analytical/forward in very-revealing systems. When it's was well matched to other gear, however, it's a nice player. My other 'budget hi end' CD player is an old AMC CD-6b with the optional tube output. It is quite the opposite in sound to the Cambridge. Not nearly as open/detailed but maybe a bit more dead-on as far as timbre of instruments. It was replaced because I felt it way too warm/rolled off sounding. Nice in the right context, however. I should roll some tubes into it now that I'm thinking about it.
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I'd agree with this assessment. Being the owner of a "warm" B&K EX-442 Sonata amp and speakers like the soft domed a/d/s/ L1290II, Thiel CS 2 (an uncharacteristic soft dome Thiel), early Vandersteen 2Cs, AR 9LSi, and Dahlquist DQ-10s, it was a nice match for my system.
 
My experience with CA is limited. I like my 550T tuner a lot. Like Art says, attractive, slim, well laid out. Nice build quality for the money. Had a 650BD that simply did not stack up to Oppo for picture quality, or an entry level Denon BR player that I used briefly for audio quality. But, a Blu-ray player and a CD player are different animals entirely.

Dual DACs in the price range of the 650C I take it are rare, so hopefully the CA punches above it's weight.
 
Not hearing anything that would make me think bright, at least not yet. New and cold out of the box it sounds pretty good. As yet the instruments don't have quite the organic timbre (piano and violin in particular) as with the NAD, but there is a bit more resolution especially at the bottom end. Still warming up. I really think my wife will be pleased with 550C.

John and Paul, this unit is quite a bit better than the 640v2 which I've heard on a number occasions. The C550 is more comparable to that unit and even it has a bit more get up and go. The Marantz you referred to is the one up from the one I'm selling. I still have my favorite Rotel of all time the RCD971, modified by NW Audio Labs and although it's a fine unit the NAD and Cambridge units outperform it. Love opening up that old Rotel because the build quality is something to behold.

The match up with the NAD C326BEE is better than I thought it would be...the player has a decidedly smooth sound with good resolution...creates a room filling soundstage which is nice and the bass is very good.

Written an hr later than the first paragraph the piano is beginning to fill in quite nicely. It appears that this player will be fine for the time being.
 
I´ve got two Cambridge Audio units: I first had a used CD 4 SE and later on I bought a new 640 C V2. Both units sounded great in my two systems (I tend to favor speakers that yield a sound in the class of the AR3´s, for example). I listen mainly to classical music. I replaced the 640 in my main rig only recently, when I bought a Astin Trew 3500+, which in a different league. Both units gave lots of clarity to chamber music and piano recordings, yielding a very transparent sound but a soundstage limited in wide and depth.
 
guiller said:
I´ve got two Cambridge Audio units: I first had a used CD 4 SE and later on I bought a new 640 C V2. Both units sounded great in my two systems (I tend to favor speakers that yield a sound in the class of the AR3´s, for example). I listen mainly to classical music. I replaced the 640 in my main rig only recently, when I bought a Astin Trew 3500+, which in a different league. Both units gave lots of clarity to chamber music and piano recordings, yielding a very transparent sound but a soundstage limited in wide and depth.
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What was you amp, because soundstage width and depth are specialties of this unit.
 
thedelihaus said:
I kept the player close by- 2 feet- and I could hear the transport, but it was mild- further away, it wouldn't be an issue. Or perhaps a little Dynamat.
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The original 640 was notorious for the noisy transport. That's one reason that Cambridge went to work on a new transport and the 650 is silent...which after the NAD's is a blessing.
 
Art K. said:
What was you amp, because soundstage width and depth are specialties of this unit.
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Preamp is Audio Research LS-3
Power Amp is Bryston 4B

The soundstage with the Astin Trew is beyond limits, as well as that of my vynil rig. It was the main issue that prompted me to replace the 640. Then I discovered that the Astin Trew is so much better in many aspects, but costs three or four times the CA.
 
guiller said:
Preamp is Audio Research LS-3
Power Amp is Bryston 4B

The soundstage with the Astin Trew is beyond limits, as well as that of my vynil rig. It was the main issue that prompted me to replace the 640. Then I discovered that the Astin Trew is so much better in many aspects, but costs three or four times the CA.
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Never heard the Astin Trew. I did have the Rega Saturn and it was pretty special. Generally soundstage and air aren't important to me which is probably why I tend to prefer some of the British gear that I do. I have been quite pleased at how much this Cambridge is filling my little room, though.
 
I thought the imaging on the 640cv2 was decent- favoring placement of instruments over a big, open sound. One isn't better than the other, just a preference thing. I've gotten both in spades out of more expensive players...but the Cambridge wasn't bad in either department.
 
As the evening proceeds the timbre is improving with every CD and that is very good news to me.

Art & Sherilyn's Musiquarium will be seeing some changes in the coming year...ain't no Leben but the integrated that I've been lusting over is just a couple of weeks and a hair more saving from in my reach. Literally should have it before January is out and that is the Rega Brio-R.
 
Wow I don't know how I missed this thread until tonight. Don't have experience with any of the CD players you've owned Art, but incidentally I did just fix my Rega Planet today, which has been on a shelf for about three years - but I'm starting a separate thread about that.

Your Saturn is the one that intrigues me the most, but as you've told me recently, it seems the new breed of "entry-level" hi-fi CD players offer most of what the Saturn did for a fraction of the price.

I really look forward to reading more about your new CA CDP. I suspect things will get better once it's been in broken in a bit more.
 
Art K. said:
Never heard the Astin Trew. I did have the Rega Saturn and it was pretty special. Generally soundstage and air aren't important to me which is probably why I tend to prefer some of the British gear that I do. I have been quite pleased at how much this Cambridge is filling my little room, though.
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Probably I wasn´t clear enough: the soundstage becomes important to me only when listining to symphonic music and opera. In my experience, the CA did better the chamber music and solo instruments soundstages. The Astin Trew (I had a thread on it a few months ago) is superb in reproducing both chamber music and symphonic soundstages.
 
guiller said:
Probably I wasn´t clear enough: the soundstage becomes important to me only when listining to symphonic music and opera. In my experience, the CA did better the chamber music and solo instruments soundstages. The Astin Trew (I had a thread on it a few months ago) is superb in reproducing both chamber music and symphonic soundstages.
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I read your comments on the Astin Trew thread and enjoyed that thread very much. It was good to read first hand impressions of a unit that very few people know about.
 
Have a friend on another forum and when I asked about the 650C...I was pretty sure he had experience with it, this was his reply.

"Hey Art,

I have the 650C and I'm quite happy with it. One thing to consider is that, the 650C has dual Wolfson DACs whereas (I believe) the 550C has only the single DAC. For whats it's worth, just a couple of weeks ago I put my 650C up against my Bryston BDA-1 in an A/B test, and the the 650C was left only slightly wanting.

Here's a brief write-up I did on the 650C if you are interested:

http://audioreview.ca/default.aspx?pagename=review&reviewID=19"

He repeated that statement later in thread. The Bryston DAC is one of the most highly regarded over 2K DAC's on the market...pretty high praise.
 
Is that site his Art, or is it something a bunch of people contribute to? I like the reviews, they're concise, right to the point.

I came so close to buying one of the CA CD players a couple years ago, and only didn't in the end because the used MF A3.5 came up on A-gon and I just couldn't resist. Front what I've read about the CA players, and your initial impressions here, it seems like probably have two very different sounds, both of which appeal to me, strangely.

I'd really like to hear one of the CA players though, that's for sure.
 
Mr. Lin said:
Is that site his Art, or is it something a bunch of people contribute to? I like the reviews, they're concise, right to the point.

I came so close to buying one of the CA CD players a couple years ago, and only didn't in the end because the used MF A3.5 came up on A-gon and I just couldn't resist. Front what I've read about the CA players, and your initial impressions here, it seems like probably have two very different sounds, both of which appeal to me, strangely.

I'd really like to hear one of the CA players though, that's for sure.
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The VdH Mainstream power cord and VdH The Orchid interconnects might be contributing to the overall satisfying sound, and it doesn't hurt being plugged into a FIM 880 wall outlet on a dedicated circuit...just sayin'!
 
Art K. said:
The original 640 was notorious for the noisy transport. That's one reason that Cambridge went to work on a new transport and the 650 is silent...which after the NAD's is a blessing.
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Good to know. I keep my CD player close to me as once I'm settled into my listening chair, it's frustrating to transfer back into a wheelchair to flip a disc.
 
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