Oh s@@@! What have I done?

[Macspur]

Straight out of the box my EMC1UP reinvigorated my CD collection... nothing sounds unlistenable

Their amps may be their forte, but they know how to make a top quality CDP too.

I do believe with CD players, you really have to at least double the price to hear a noticeable improvement.

Mac

www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net

Mac.. I need some funds..should i ditch my EMC 1UP and buy a ASDA cdp like Vladimir mentioned in the earlier posts.

Lol!

Mac

www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net

 

[Vladimir]

Mac.. I need some funds..should i ditch my EMC 1UP and buy a ASDA cdp like Vladimir mentioned in the earlier posts.

Don't know about the EMC 1UP, but if you buy the £20 Toshiba XD-E500 over the £1190 Electrocompaniet PC-1, it won't be much of an upgrade as a CDP considering they are virtually the same, but it can also play DVDs!

 

[plastic penguin]

PP, when I bought it the RRP was £3,800, but I believe it's about £4,200 now... I didn't pay that, as I traded in my Naim CDX2.

Yes, a lot of dosh, but compared to some of the others I was looking at, at the time, quite a bargain.

I'm sure you've explained why you haven't got a Leema CDP in the past, but forgive me I can't remember, but in case I'm wrong, there's a Leema Antila on sale at Audio Oasis for £1400.

Mac

www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net

Quite understand and appreciate there's been price hikes. That happens with all manufactuers.

The point I'm making is a £3500 CDP compared to £1300 (PC-1), there's a huge gulf which should reflect in SQ terms. By the way, I didn't pay anywhere near the proper retail price.

Think the Antila would be a mooooosive overkill, given it was designed to partner £3500 Tucana.

The tale of this story is around that sort of price point there isn't much between the Electro and Naim. I've just have to decide whether the Electro is worth sticking with. I won't decide at least until the weekend.

 

[plastic penguin]

PP..sorry if i I speak for Mac a little but.. He's using an Accuphase amp which even if I have'nt heard shared same "tonality" with pure class A

Indeed. You guys have systems I couldn't think about buying. I would love to hear an Accuphase, not much point if I don't have the money.

That's just a realistic appraisal of my own situation.

 

[plastic penguin]

We may have to resign ourselves to the fact that Penguins just prefer Naim CDPs. *sad*

The attributes of the Electro are fairly wide, not sure if they're wide reaching enough to satisfy my own musical ego.

 

[iceman16]

Mac.. I need some funds..should i ditch my EMC 1UP and buy a ASDA cdp like Vladimir mentioned in the earlier posts.

Don't know about the EMC 1UP, but if you buy the £20 Toshiba XD-E500 over the £1190 Electrocompaniet PC-1, it won't be much of an upgrade as a CDP considering they are virtually the same, but it can also play DVDs!

Have you heard the EMC 1UP Vlad? I think your answer is another NO. LOL.......Too much googling and less listening

 

[damonster]

Hi pp ,have you ever thought about going down the dac route .i am using an arcam cd 7se as a transport £75 from eBay running it through the exposure 2010s2 dac.ever since I have owned the dac I have never even contiplated changing or upgrading .It is just so musical and involving that you don't have to analyse what it can or can't do .It just does music so well .I unplugged it the other day and just ran the arcam through the amp .i know it's not a top end CD player ,But it just sounded so sluggish and unorganised by comparison .I have owned cambridge audio (too bright sounding ) audiolab 8200 cd ( too analytical ).the exposure I never analyse ,I just enjoy it .You could probably haggle with a dealer and get it for £650 mark .would be well worth an audition if you ever got the chance.

 

[plastic penguin]

Hi pp ,have you ever thought about going down the dac route .i am using an arcam cd 7se as a transport £75 from eBay running it through the exposure 2010s2 dac.ever since I have owned the dac I have never even contiplated changing or upgrading .It is just so musical and involving that you don't have to analyse what it can or can't do .It just does music so well .I unplugged it the other day and just ran the arcam through the amp .i know it's not a top end CD player ,But it just sounded so sluggish and unorganised by comparison .I have owned cambridge audio (too bright sounding ) audiolab 8200 cd ( too analytical ).the exposure I never analyse ,I just enjoy it .You could probably haggle with a dealer and get it for £650 mark .would be well worth an audition if you ever got the chance.

Wouldn't mind trying a Rega dac again. Tried it using my CD73 as transport and wasn't totally thrilled. Using the Naim might be a different proposition.

 

[Vladimir]

(click image to zoom)

 

[damonster]

Ther is a review somewhere online .someone auditioned the exposure ,then the rega a week or so later . He thought the exposure was far better dac .

 

[Macspur]

PP, when I bought it the RRP was £3,800, but I believe it's about £4,200 now... I didn't pay that, as I traded in my Naim CDX2.

Yes, a lot of dosh, but compared to some of the others I was looking at, at the time, quite a bargain.

I'm sure you've explained why you haven't got a Leema CDP in the past, but forgive me I can't remember, but in case I'm wrong, there's a Leema Antila on sale at Audio Oasis for £1400.

Mac

www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net

Quite understand and appreciate there's been price hikes. That happens with all manufactuers.

The point I'm making is a £3500 CDP compared to £1300 (PC-1), there's a huge gulf which should reflect in SQ terms. By the way, I didn't pay anywhere near the proper retail price.

Think the Antila would be a mooooosive overkill, given it was designed to partner £3500 Tucana.

The tale of this story is around that sort of price point there isn't much between the Electro and Naim. I've just have to decide whether the Electro is worth sticking with. I won't decide at least until the weekend.

There will be a big difference in SQ between the two Electros... Personally, I'm not surprised at the small gap between the Naim and the Electro, although I did think the latter would have a warmer presentation.

It's like I said, you will need to shell out significantly more to improve on what you already have. I've only got where I am by wheeling and dealing, trading in where possible and being careful with second hand buys and it didn't happen over night.

Mac

www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net

 

[iceman16]

Given you have the EMC 1UP PP..Whats after.. stick with the Leema?who knows..

 

[iceman16]

Wasn't the CD 5i reviewed for having a smiley curve frequency response? If the mkII has the same, that would explain the 'punchy' sound and warmness in the presence region. The electro with a flat FR would sound bright, analytical, overly detailed.

Vlad.. reply with (goolgle) knowledge.. I chalenge you .. Your Asda cdp and my EMC !UP .

 

[iceman16]

after all these .. Kandy and CM1??

 

[iceman16]

Im out

 

[iceman16]

Im out

 

[iceman16]

Im out

 

[iceman16]

Im out

 

[iceman16]

Mac.. I need some funds..should i ditch my EMC 1UP and buy a ASDA cdp like Vladimir mentioned in the earlier posts.

Don't know about the EMC 1UP, but if you buy the £20 Toshiba XD-E500 over the £1190 Electrocompaniet PC-1, it won't be much of an upgrade as a CDP considering they are virtually the same, but it can also play DVDs!

Vlad if you google .. make it sure..your fired!

 

[BenLaw]

Hope you survive the hangover iceman.

 

[Covenanter]

I'm still bemused about this "detail" thing! There's some detail that some people don't want to hear?

Why is this?

Chris

A treble that is over emphasized/exaggerated can be mistaken for extra detail (imo).

This can come from too "hot" a tweeter; or a system where every component is on the bright, analytical side, giving an overall unbalanced sound, that is (for a given indiviual) unpleasant and unmusical. It can give the impression that you are getting too much detail.

Yep but here we are talking, are we not, about a CD player.

Chris

 

[Covenanter]

You all make very valid points, but wrong on this occasion.

Yes, the Electro has a little more detail and insight, which lends itself wonderfully for the slower jazzy stuff. I played Norah Jones and her voice was sublimely layered, likewise with Joan Armatrading's 'Love and Affection' and the Electro really shows its true colours. However, throw it some filthy, grubby rock like the Foo Fighters and there's something amiss; the soundstage seems to hold up well as does the bass, despite it sounding slightly leaner or less punchy than the Naim. The Electro, as an allrounder, doesn't quite hang together as well as the unit from Wiltshire.

There could a much simpler reason: Me. Perhaps I just don't have sophisticated ears, hence why couldn't gravitate to the Grados.

This can be because, and I mean no offense to those who like it, that the music isn't particularly well integrated and equipment that is what people call "analytical" reveals this.

Chris

 

[Electro]

You all make very valid points, but wrong on this occasion.

Yes, the Electro has a little more detail and insight, which lends itself wonderfully for the slower jazzy stuff. I played Norah Jones and her voice was sublimely layered, likewise with Joan Armatrading's 'Love and Affection' and the Electro really shows its true colours. However, throw it some filthy, grubby rock like the Foo Fighters and there's something amiss; the soundstage seems to hold up well as does the bass, despite it sounding slightly leaner or less punchy than the Naim. The Electro, as an allrounder, doesn't quite hang together as well as the unit from Wiltshire.

There could a much simpler reason: Me. Perhaps I just don't have sophisticated ears, hence why couldn't gravitate to the Grados.

This can be because, and I mean no offense to those who like it, that the music isn't particularly well integrated and equipment that is what people call "analytical" reveals this.

Chris

Chris, your last two posts are absolutely spot on imo *good*

 

[Covenanter]

I'm still bemused about this "detail" thing! There's some detail that some people don't want to hear?

Why is this?

Chris

Probably because it interfers with the music. For example tape hiss on older recordings. Fingers on guitar strings, some may want to hear every little detail others just want to hear the music. I played some vinyl downloads of Paul Simon, the thing that stuck out look a sore thumb was the amount of siblance on some of them, yes there is some on the cd but you hardly notice it unless you listen for it. So extra detail is not always a good thing. I can see why some people don't want it.

Ok but if the CD player is cutting out some stuff that someone doesn't want to hear, say sibiliance, that means it is also cutting out stuff that they ought to be hearing! You might not want to hear the players fingers moving on the strings but if you cut it out you will also cut out great chunks of music. Nice sound it might be, hifi it isn't.

Chris

 

[plastic penguin]

I'm still bemused about this "detail" thing! There's some detail that some people don't want to hear?

Why is this?

Chris

Probably because it interfers with the music. For example tape hiss on older recordings. Fingers on guitar strings, some may want to hear every little detail others just want to hear the music. I played some vinyl downloads of Paul Simon, the thing that stuck out look a sore thumb was the amount of siblance on some of them, yes there is some on the cd but you hardly notice it unless you listen for it. So extra detail is not always a good thing. I can see why some people don't want it.

Ok but if the CD player is cutting out some stuff that someone doesn't want to hear, say sibiliance, that means it is also cutting out stuff that they ought to be hearing! You might not want to hear the players fingers moving on the strings but if you cut it out you will also cut out great chunks of music. Nice sound it might be, hifi it isn't.

Chris

When have I ever mentioned I like "hi-fi" sound? I've always said my system is fun and puts a huge smile on my face, even 4 years after buying the amp.