Bits is bits.

sksfreund June 10, 2006 20:12

Bruce30,
Don't worry about offending me, you won't. I just want to get the best out of my stereo system, even if that means being told my system isn't set up properly. But first, I have some questions for you. How do you know that the surface the Maverick was sitting on was "vibrating in time with the midbass - exciting a resonance in the player's shell, which in turn constantly engaged the uber-sensitive skip protection circuit - causing the player to consistently sound "cheap & BAD." ? Second, were you using the same technique to compare the sound of the two players (i.e. connecting them both to a preamp and playing the same cd on both players, switching back and forth between the two via the remotes imput selector), because that is really my question. Is this method of comparing cd players flawed? It seems to me that this is the only viable way to compare source electronics. The lag time from one source to the other is zero. I can switch from one player to the other instantaneously, so I can compare instantaneously. If I instead tried to play one cd player, unhook it, plug in the next cd player, and play the same song on the new player, that lag time would be about 2 mins or so. That is a long enough time to forget the exact nuances of the player, at least it is for me.

sksfreund March 12, 2006 20:02

I have stated before that I agree the setup is less than optimal, however it is a necessity. However, my point is that if the Musical Fidelity player is more than $1000 more expensive than the Cambridge player, even in a less than optimal setup I should hear SOME difference. I, on the other hand, hear no difference what so ever. I toggle back and forth between the two players and there isn't even so much as an infinitesimily small difference in volume, sibilance, bass, soundstage, etc. I must say in the players defense, the build quality is awsome and I love the way it looks and feels (heck I am in love with their 3.2 amp and pre-amp), but if it doesn't sound better than it's just audio jewlery and I am not one for jewlery. I am torn. I want so badly to hear a difference, so trust me, if their where one I would almost definitely hear it.

sksfreund March 02, 2006 06:07

I finally went for it and purchased a Musical Fidelity A3.2 CD player, hooked it up yesterday, and I have to say I don't hear a difference between my old Cambridge Audio D300se and the MF. I love the way it looks, and I can use the same remote that I use for my preamp, but is this worth the extra money? I mean, my cambridge is a $250 dollar unit originally, and the MF is $1600 originally. Shouldn't I hear an imediate difference? Maybe it's the way that I am comparing the two. I plug them both into my MF3.2 preamp, one through the cd input the other through the tuner input. I gave every advantage to the MF player (i.e. I gave it the better interconnects, I gave it the CD input on my preamp even though this should have no bearing on the sound, I gave it the better power cord, and I gave it the more solid surface to sit on). I then play identical cd's, switching back and forth during playback to see if I can hear differences. This method should give me the best chance of hearing a difference since there is no time lag to switch to the next player. I don't understand it. Either my comparison method is flawed, or I just became a "bits is bits" person overnight.

sksfreund February 21, 2006 22:44

Ok, I feel like I am comitting some kind of audiophile sin by even asking this, but I am considering replacing my dvd player now also, and was wondering if anyone knew of a cd/dvd player that would be worthy of my system that I might be able to find under 1200 dollars or so. So far I have looked at the Marantz line with great intrigue (i.e. dv7600, 8400, and 9500)and would love to hear anyone's input. You can find many of these on the internet at great discounts right now. Basically this is where I stand: I really want to get the A3.2 CD player I have been talking about in this thread, but if I can have the same or better success with a dvd capable machine, I figure I should kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Although I would probably still try to find a used A3.2 somewhere down the road. So, tell me what you think. I look forward to hearing responses, as long as no one tries to condemn me for my audiophile sins.

sksfreund January 21, 2006 05:35

Thanks for the suggestions Oakiris! Just to let you know, I have even further reduced my list (which I now realize was kind of lengthy before) to just the Musical Fidelity A3.2cr or the jolida. If for some strange reason I come across enough money to purchase the A5 it will be on the top of my list, but other than those, that is my list. It will probably be a while before I purchase any of these though.

sksfreund October 23, 2005 21:42

Ok, I hate to do this because it seems so desperate, but I am going to list the final few CD players that I have narrowed it down to. Some I have had the ability to hear, some I haven't. Before I list them let me lay out what I want from a new player. First of all, the new player can't do ANYTHING worse than what my D300se can do, which from what I have heard isn't going to be too hard. Aside from that, I am a sucker for detail retrieval. If a player can retrieve detail, yet lacks in other departments, I may tend to forget about those things it doesn't do so well with. Next, I have never had a very large soundstage with "pinpoint imaging", so if the player could excell at that, that would be rad. (yes, I said rad) Finally, a tad more bass wouldn't hurt. Not muddy bass though. Ok, so here is my list. Tell me what you think:(these are kind of in order of how likely I am to get them, but not really)

-Jolida JD100

-Musical Fidelity A3.2cr(or 3.5 if I can get one used for a good price and I have the funds)

-Rega Planet 2000 (or jupiter used)

-Any Arcam around $1000 new or used (to many to name)

-Audio Refinement CD Complete Alpha

I would consider things above my price point if you guys think that the ones on my list aren't up to par, but that would probably mean years of saving up as opposed to just months(i.e. I have heard great things about some Cary players, Musical fidelity A5 CD, etc., but those are up there in price)
Thanks!

sksfreund October 09, 2005 06:44

System edited: Minor changes, but I took off the foam surrounds on the bottom of my speaker stands and added some new bolts to mount the spikes and put some neoprene washers in between the spikes and the bottom plate. MUCH more sturdy and looks a LOT better (it looked pretty tacky before). They used to have a little wobble in them, but not anymore. Also, I put a little thread tape on the threads of the adjustable spike tips. This really helped to eliminate the small amount of looseness that was still present. Also, while rapping on my speaker stands to test stability, I noticed a rattling noise coming from the rear of my left speaker. I lifted the speaker binding post plate off and to my suprise a wire coil on the crossover was loose. I promptly reglued it in place and replaced the plate. Finally, I found some spare spikes lying around and put three of them under my TT. I was having some major vibration problems (if I tapped on the shelf that my TT was on, the woofers on my speakers would go CRAZY) and the spikes helped some. Not perfect, but a fun tweak to try.

sksfreund September 14, 2005 03:40

Mostly not so fond though, right? Yeah, moving around to so many different kinds of houses really makes it hard to have a "perfect set-up" but I do ok finding the best place for my system in every house we move into. The thing is, without being able to dedicate an entire room to music listening, I often have to comprimise. That's the only reason you see the T.V., Tivo, and DVD player in my system pictures. It's also the reason that I don't want to get a better turntable right now. The way it is, my MMF 2.1 gets beat up every time we move, and then I have to readjust everything. Still, an MMF-7 or a VPI Scout are in the plans for me. But dispite all my complaining, I fair pretty well, and I love my system. I think it sounds great and I hate to admit it, but the only reason I will upgrade is because I know that better equipment exists, not because I am not satisfied with what I have.

sksfreund September 12, 2005 04:59

If it were only that easy. I am military, so my housing options are pretty limited. Also, I have a wife and kids, so certain things have to stay put. Trust me, if I had the money for a plasma tv, I would own one. In Fact, everything you mentioned is in the works sometime in the future. I didn't mind your irrate tone, in fact sometimes I get that way when I realize the limitations being placed on my stereo setup.

sksfreund September 05, 2005 06:23

I just found a used Arcam cd 72t for a great price. Would it be a worth while improvement over the Cambridge d300se?

sksfreund August 22, 2005 05:09

I forgot to mention, I was also looking at getting a Tripp Lite surge protector, probably the ISOBAR6 (http://www.tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=105). Was wondering if anyone could give me any info on if this is a worth while purchase. They can be found for very cheap, and I have read some articles saying they are a good idea.

sksfreund June 28, 2005 21:11

How about signal cable PC's? I have heard nothing bad about them, only good, and they are definitely in my price range. (No one in my family could justify buying me a 200 dollar PC as a gift, it just wouldn't happen) Will PC's even make that big of a difference with the MF's choke regulation? I already have a pretty black background, but is there more to be done?

sksfreund June 28, 2005 20:19

mimberman, my intention wasn't to imply that I would upgrade the PC's before the CD player, but I could ask for PC's as gifts if they were inexpensive. Thanks for the CD player recommendations, though. I will definitely be saving up for the CD player, I just don't know which one's to audition. I still would really like to know if anyone has experience with this Jolida JD100a, specifically if you think it would match well with my system. As I said earlier, I am going to audition the usual suspects (rega planet/jupiter, Musical fidelity A 3.2, Music Hall Maveric/cd25, Arcam FMJ??, etc.), but I really want to know how to narrow my list because I have to travel a long distance to listen to anything. Dlwask, thanks for the advice, I will definitely look into the anticables and flavor 4, they sound perfect for what I want.

sksfreund June 19, 2005 16:10

Yeah, I've been wanting to replace my Cambridge Audio D300se for quite some time to bring my source components up to par with my amp and preamp, but like I said in my description, I don't have the money right now. As far as the turntable goes, I move around a lot and really don't want to put too much money into a turntable untill I will be staying in one place for a while. Has anyone had any experience with the Jolida JD100a? I haven't had a chance to audition cd players yet, but I am compiling a wish list that I hope to audition. My list includes the usual suspects, but the reviews on this Jolida have really caught my eye. Any thoughts? Also, I have not been fortunate enough to do a A/B comparison of power cables, but does anyone have any suggestions for inexpensive (i.e. less than $200) for my system?

sksfreund June 14, 2005 19:04