Cambridge Audio Azur 650C & Other Budget CD Players
- Thread starter Art K.
- Start date
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
So far the NAD C545BEE still has the edge for harmonic richness and timbre and as a matter of opinion is better at that than is the Rega Apollo or Saturn. The C545BEE is the least digital sounding player I've heard at any price. Niggles, the NAD did a very poor job with cymbals, couldn't tell one from another. Tended to get confused the busier the music got, still extremely well organized for a CD player but if we are going to pick it apart....Also has bass that while detailed wasn't all there.
The Cambridge so far is just a hair more digital sounding, for better or worse. It has better resolution and has an easier time with complex music. Both have PRaT in spades with the NAD winning that by a hair. Amazingly the CA isn't any more digital sounding than the Apollo and in many ways is more honest than any Rega player I've heard. There are no parlor tricks to cover up the signal and/or no extra thickener in the gravy to give the impression of analog when it really isn't there. So far, and not broken in, the CA is a fine player and one of the better I've heard at under 1K...the NAD C545BEE remains the benchmark for timbre while the CA wins in most other ways.
Much more listening to do as the CA hasn't begun to open up yet. Also I've tried the filters and will comment on them as well.
The Cambridge so far is just a hair more digital sounding, for better or worse. It has better resolution and has an easier time with complex music. Both have PRaT in spades with the NAD winning that by a hair. Amazingly the CA isn't any more digital sounding than the Apollo and in many ways is more honest than any Rega player I've heard. There are no parlor tricks to cover up the signal and/or no extra thickener in the gravy to give the impression of analog when it really isn't there. So far, and not broken in, the CA is a fine player and one of the better I've heard at under 1K...the NAD C545BEE remains the benchmark for timbre while the CA wins in most other ways.
Much more listening to do as the CA hasn't begun to open up yet. Also I've tried the filters and will comment on them as well.
Mr. Lin
Lunatic Member
I like this, but...
This would be a deal-breaker for me.
You mean like a Rega Planet?
The really interesting part will be how you feel about the CA in a few weeks, I think. I'd really like to hear about your experience with the different filter settings, btw - just ask Guiller, I wouldn't leave him alone about it when he first got his Astin Trew, and all he wanted to do was listen to music.
In a nutshell, how does the 740C compare to the 640C?
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
Today the sound of the CA continues to fill out nicely and it is certainly opening up. I shipped the defective NAD's back to the dealer and sold my other player (have enough for now) and will be ordering the Rega Brio-R by this weekend. Should be a spectacular amp and I hope not to buy another one for quite some time.
I like this, but...
This would be a deal-breaker for me.
You mean like a Rega Planet?
The really interesting part will be how you feel about the CA in a few weeks, I think. I'd really like to hear about your experience with the different filter settings, btw - just ask Guiller, I wouldn't leave him alone about it when he first got his Astin Trew, and all he wanted to do was listen to music.
In a nutshell, how does the 740C compare to the 640C?
Heavier unit.Up-sampling improves the soundstage and clarity, can also up-sample the 640C with it. I really like it.
To each his own.. It works 4 me..
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Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
True dat.
Mr. Lin
Lunatic Member
Wow that should be a sweet setup for sure, can't wait to hear about that too.
Well that's a relief, huh? I guess this is the silver-lining to NAD's quality control issues: you ended up with a better unit.
Yeah I noticed this in the last couple years, some people swear by it, and (as you guys probably already know), some companies - like Audio Note - only make NOS (non-over/upsampling) CD players. I'm very interested in hearing one to find out which I prefer.
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
Been enjoying the CA player all day as it continues to become more organic sounding. It's far more open than the NAD which at first seems a bit tippy on the high end but further listening results in me not leaving the room and continuing to spin more discs.
At first I preferred the sharp roll-off filter as the slow roll-off filter setting appeared too bright and it seemed as though the pace slowed down. Instruments had a more natural timbre and decay was also more natural with the slow roll-off so I was disappointed about the other shortcomings. It was the attack (lack of) and brightness that bothered me.
Last night I turned on the slow roll-off again with the intent to leave it on until I had to run out of the room screaming and tearing my hair out...didn't happen. The player had sufficiently run in that it just sounded great. Open, fast and dynamic with a far more natural timbre than the sharp roll-off setting. This is a pretty darn good player and big step up for CA in this price range. My guess is that the 651C is outstanding. Keep in mind that I paid 469.00 for the 650C and 299.00 for the 550C.
Also been running my wife's 550C in repeat mode and checking on it every couple hrs (turn the volume up). It's less detailed than the 650C and quite smooth sounding. I also must note that the system is much different as well. I think my wife is going to love it. She's in Seattle visiting her daughter...she'll be home Saturday.
At first I preferred the sharp roll-off filter as the slow roll-off filter setting appeared too bright and it seemed as though the pace slowed down. Instruments had a more natural timbre and decay was also more natural with the slow roll-off so I was disappointed about the other shortcomings. It was the attack (lack of) and brightness that bothered me.
Last night I turned on the slow roll-off again with the intent to leave it on until I had to run out of the room screaming and tearing my hair out...didn't happen. The player had sufficiently run in that it just sounded great. Open, fast and dynamic with a far more natural timbre than the sharp roll-off setting. This is a pretty darn good player and big step up for CA in this price range. My guess is that the 651C is outstanding. Keep in mind that I paid 469.00 for the 650C and 299.00 for the 550C.
Also been running my wife's 550C in repeat mode and checking on it every couple hrs (turn the volume up). It's less detailed than the 650C and quite smooth sounding. I also must note that the system is much different as well. I think my wife is going to love it. She's in Seattle visiting her daughter...she'll be home Saturday.
Mr. Lin
Lunatic Member
Re: filters
It's like you once told me, you have to choose your compromises.
That's strange because normally I would associate the lack of attack thing with a warmer sound. Strange outcome with that setting.
Yes same here. What a lucky wife you have, getting her own hi-fi system with such a fancy CD player as the source.
Here's a somewhat unfair question but I'll ask anyway: From memory, how would you compare the sound of your new CA so far to that of the Saturn?
It's like you once told me, you have to choose your compromises.
That's strange because normally I would associate the lack of attack thing with a warmer sound. Strange outcome with that setting.
Yes same here. What a lucky wife you have, getting her own hi-fi system with such a fancy CD player as the source.
Here's a somewhat unfair question but I'll ask anyway: From memory, how would you compare the sound of your new CA so far to that of the Saturn?
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
The Saturn was in a different system for most of it's life and it was quite good in that setup though some of what plagued it in it's second life was evident then as well. The Saturn has a very fat sound. Full and rich with a bit less rhythm and bounce than the Apollo but a hell of a lot more swagger. Sometimes that works and at other times it just sounds too big. In it's second life in this system it usually sounded a bit bloated and occasionally bright. As I type I'm putting the CA through the torture test of sounds both bright and dull and it passes nearly all of them. It can be a bit tipped on really bright recordings that have also been bright on every CD player I've had except the C545BEE and on that CD player the music was muddled enough to be less bright but also made less sense.
Overall the CA 650C is better than the C545BEE...even though the BEE has great strengths (reliability not being one of them) the CA has more of them. I put the CA on par with the Rega Apollo, though it sounds different for sure. The CA is a bit less ragged on the top and fuller on the bottom with a drier midrange that is no less accurate than the Apollo. The Saturn is better but requires the right setup and room to be at it's best. In this room both the NAD and CA bettered it.
Overall the CA 650C is better than the C545BEE...even though the BEE has great strengths (reliability not being one of them) the CA has more of them. I put the CA on par with the Rega Apollo, though it sounds different for sure. The CA is a bit less ragged on the top and fuller on the bottom with a drier midrange that is no less accurate than the Apollo. The Saturn is better but requires the right setup and room to be at it's best. In this room both the NAD and CA bettered it.
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
Indeed.
Mr. Lin
Lunatic Member
And those are speakers I'd love to have, but I don't think it's likely to ever happen, because when I have the money to purchase speakers in that price range in the future, I just cannot justify buying another pair of small monitor speakers, since five of my six pairs of speakers fall into that very category. It's my style. 