Densen B410 or Audiolab 8200CDP

[admin_exported]

Hello,

I'm new here with just a quick question.

I'm about to buy an ex-demo Densen B410 CD player. It sounds way better than anything else I've managed to listen to in its price range however given all the coverage the Audiolab 8200 has been recieving I wondered if it was worth holding on for one of these.

I just wondered if there was anyone out there who may be familiar with the Densen and has also had a chance to hear the Audiolab. I haven't managed to find a dealer who actually has the Audiolab in stock.

I know the Densen is a bit of an antique now but I'd be getting it at a reasonable price and it certainly sounded way better than the Roksan Kandy K2 when I had them both on demo at home.

Am I falling victim to the hype surrounding the Audiolab?

I'll be using it with a Naim Nait 5i amp and Kef Q300 speakers.

I'd be grateful for any input

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

i've heard both, but the Audiolab was in a poor system so difficult to judge.

I'd think the Densen was better suited to the Naim. Being ex-demo, I presume the Densen still gets the lifetime warranty. That's also worth something.

Bear in mind I'm biased, though, being a Densen owner.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi

I have heard the Audiolab (like grottyash, it was also in a poor system) and it is certainly very good. haven't heard the Densen though.

I thought the Cyrus CD8se (although played through a much better system) was convincingly better that the Audiolab, if that provides any kind of benchmark.

Btw my local branch of Sevenoaks had the Audiolab for demo, if you have one near you.

 

[Anonymous]

Don't call the 410 an antique - especially as I have a B400! Densen cd players are fantastic - I recently auditioned mine against a number of current/recent 1000-1500 players and kept the B400. There's also Densen's attitude to servicing to bear in mind - I've had mine now for ~11 years, it's been back to Densen twice (second time after 9 yrs) and the only thing I've been charged was one-way postage.

Having said all that - I'll be auditioning the 8200cdq against my Densen cdp/non-Densen pre as I'd like to move two shelves into one. I used my Densen with entry-level Naim pre/power amplification for years and it was great; they have more to give as you improve amplification - I upgraded amps a couple of times and got more out of the B400 each time.

If you do compare 8200cd to B410 then be sure to report your findings somewhere!

Cheers,

Rob

 

[Anonymous]

Grottyash:
. Being ex-demo, I presume the Densen still gets the lifetime warranty.

Mine was ex-demo and got the lifetime warranty.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the responses, much appreciated.

I'm a relative hifi novice so I'm putting this system together from scratch and being guided by what the dealer and my ears recommend.

I haven't had a chance to hear the Cyrus so can't make that comparison.

I think that the Densen does get the lifetime warrenty, I've also swapped emails with Densen who have suggested that they would be willing to upgrade the B410 to the B410+ for a very reasonable price as this one seems to be in need of a new laser/transport as it skips a bit over less than pristine CDs.

As I said, it sounds better than anything else I've had a chance to listen to but my experience is pretty limited and the mass adoration of the Audiolab is swaying me.

 

[Anonymous]

patrick11:
...and the mass adoration of the Audiolab is swaying me.

Remember this is predominantly hype. I'm not slating the product as I'll be demoing/getting at home and have high hopes for it. You just have to remember that a small minority of those raving about it have actually heard it! When you hear rave Densen cdp reviews/comments - these have been around a fair while and many of the commentators will have experience of them.

Try both!

 

[Anonymous]

I just spent the afternoon checking out the Densen B410+ versus Audiolab 8200CDP on my AudioVector loudspeakers. Before listening I had almost made up my mind to buy the Audiolab because of the excellent recommendations in the press. However, it quickly became clear to me that the Densen B410+ was superior in most aspects. The bass was deeper and tighter, and the layers of different instruments in e.g. Last Samurai and Inception by Hans Zimmer came forward with distinction and transparency, while it all sounded more muddy and out of control on the Audiolab. So against all odds and expectations, I decided to buy the Densen. However, I do beleive that it depends on your loudspeakers. Therefore the best advice: Try to listen to both in your home before you decide.

 

[Anonymous]

I'll be carrying out the similar test later this month or next.

Densen cd players are class performers though.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks again for all the input.

I thought I was one of the last people in the UK even buying Densen.

Indeed I would like the chance to listen to the Audiolab but I can't find any dealer with striking distance of where I'm sitting (Lancaster) who has one that I can get access to.

To be honest I'm not that convinced by all the hype surrounding the audiolab just because it seems a tad over the top. I know the Dynaudio 2/6s are also flavour of the month at the moment but I tried them for a while and could not get them to behave (far too much boom no matter where they were standing or what they were running off of).

Thanks again

Patrick

 

[jerry klinger]

Rob_manchester:patrick11:

...and the mass adoration of the Audiolab is swaying me.

Remember this is predominantly hype. .....

Try both!

You're right - it's a sort of mass hysteria - especially as hardly anyone has actually heard it.

Quite quaint in a way - a bit reminiscent of the old days when flavour of the month products sold in thousands (well, hundreds).

This obsession with digital salvation in the form of the perfect DAC descending from the clouds - ain't gonna happen. Well-made, properly designed products for real-life situations are all that matters, so people need to listen for themselves.

Finding a dealer who'll take demo stock without whining about the expense is another problem....

 

[AEJim]

If it helps I used to have a B400 and think it was an excellent player, very strong and rhythmic sound - sort of like a gutsy Naim.

 

[Singslinger]

I've not listened to the Audiolab but I have listened to the Densen through a Densen integrated and Spendor SA1 speakers - brilliant sound. I agree with the previous post about the Naim-like character - plenty of punch and rhythm.

 

[cse]

I have the Densen B420, an excellent player and use it with a Caspian amp and Neat speakers. Thinking of buyinga Densen integrated, has anyone used one recently?

 

[Anonymous]

Yes. A bit like Naim but without the hard edges and therefore better. Plenty of detail dynamics, rhythm etc. Heavily underrated in the UK.

 

[Anonymous]

I've got the Audiolab 8200CD and it's a really nice DAC/CD player. I'm running it through an Arcam A38 (still very new) into KEF Q55.2s and the synergy is magical. Then again, I listen to classical and jazz, so you may have very different criteria.

I did try an Audiolab 8200A with it for a week or so (sale or return) and the combination was too excitably bright for me - hence the A38 instead. The Naim will probably give you a revealing setup - if that's what you want.