Cheap CA player wanted

[admin_exported]

Want a cheapish CA player to play CD-R + CD-RW, to digitally feed into my Dacmagic for copied cd playing?

Any suggestions of models?

cheers

dave

 

[John Duncan]

CA?

 

[Anonymous]

Cambridge Audio

 

[Anonymous]

CA

Head of Technology Delivery, ( whathifi.com ) (??????)..come on now john get a grip ! LOL

 

[Anonymous]

I suggest the Azur 550C, if it fits the budget. Decent transport at an affordable price. The Topaz CD5 is a less expensive option, but with a bit more jitter (and looks that isn't as classy).

Of course there are also older options like the 540C V2 and the 340C. However, both have a looser tolerance in terms of correlated jitter versus the 550C or even the CD5.

 

[John Duncan]

I know who Cambridge Audio are. But I'm confused because 1) why does it have to be them and 2) they only have about three, why don't you look at Richer Sounds and pick the pretty one within budget (eg the discontinued 640C v2)?

 

[John Duncan]

Oh and 3) it won't sound much different through a DACMagic. Will the Paganini not play CD-Rs?

 

[Anonymous]

i never been able to play any copied discs via the paganini....

I just wanted a cheapish (maybe a old model) ca player so sit under the dacmagic, if i wanted to play something, without using my pc.

Most of my cd's are originals, so not a massive problem..

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO TOPAZ CD5 V4
plays copied cd's and mp3 discs????

cheap !...

Through the dacmagic? surely must be ok?

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not really up with things and may be missing something, but why do you have a Dacmagic? A putative replacement CD player would already have a DAC built-in, so wouldn't that render the Dacmagic superfluous?

 

[John Duncan]

reggaedave:
i never been able to play any copied discs via the paganini....

I just wanted a cheapish (maybe a old model) ca player so sit under the dacmagic, if i wanted to play something, without using my pc.

Most of my cd's are originals, so not a massive problem..

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO TOPAZ CD5 V4
plays copied cd's and mp3 discs????

cheap !...

Through the dacmagic? surely must be ok?

Not as good value as the 640c, which can be had in limited quantities for 150 quid and is a fabulous player, even without DACMagic. Though it only plays CD-Rs, not mp3-encoded discs, if I remember.

 

[Anonymous]

John..

PC - (Toshlink) - DacMagic - (Chord crimson) - Audiolab 8000s - Audiolab 8000p - Rega's.

Tried paganini via the dacmagic wasnt anywhere near as good as straight from paganini to amp via analogue...

Dacmagic for pc only at the moment...

 

[John Duncan]

Yes, understood, but will the Paganini not play CD-Rs? Unusual in this day and age...

 

[Anonymous]

negative, its the 1999 model tho...

 

[John Duncan]

Right, in which case, I'm still going to bang on about the 640c V2. In fact, I'd probably sell the Paganini to pay for it

 

[Anonymous]

Wow. Sell my player to buy a CA player....

Im not a big fan of them really, not as my main player on my hifi, if i was to sell i think i may buy the...

audiolab 8000 cd

 

[Anonymous]

Really impressed me on demo..

 

[John Duncan]

Haven't heard any of the revitalised Audiolabs to be honest, though I like the look of them.

Was being slightly facetious about Selling the AA for a 640 (not least because AA make gorgeous boxes), but I think it's an absolutely brilliant player, worth every penny.

 

[Anonymous]

Look how me sexy..

 

[Anonymous]

ill see if i can home demo one from richer sounds, you never know...

 

[Anonymous]

Is there actually a difference between the 340C and 640C when using as a transport to a seperate DAC?

 

[Anonymous]

I wouldnt have said so myself....

 

[Anonymous]

reggaedave:I wouldnt have said so myself....

I didn't think there was either - perhaps John is aware of something?

I have a 640C v2 through a DACMagic, but only because I bought the CD player a couple of years before the DAC - and the DAC was mainly for connecting to my PC. Very happy with them considering my budget. Don't really use CD-R etc. though (I assume it'll play what ever format it says on the box, so to speak).

 

[John Duncan]

Whether there is or not (and don't underestimate the role of the transport over the DAC), the non-discontinued 340c is 170 quid, and the discontinued 640c is 150. I know which one I'd have...

 

[Anonymous]

JohnDuncan:Whether there is or not (and don't underestimate the role of the transport over the DAC), the non-discontinued 340c is 170 quid, and the discontinued 640c is 150. I know which one I'd have...

Hmm... fair enough.