Well, have to say I thoroughly enjoyed that. Haven't spun CDs for a while, but the last few hours have seen some of my favourite 'test CDs' released from their dusty cases again, including Fleetwood Mac Mirage, Vangelis China, the clichéd dealers' favourite Brothers In Arms, Sky 1 and Cincinnati Pops Orchestra Time Warp.
What can I say; the presentation is noticeably different to that from from my HRT II+. One word sums it up: smooth. There is a perception of weight and warmth about the sound which is almost certainly a result of the fact the upper mid-range does not seem as pushed forward as it does on the HRT II+, nor from memory, as it does on the Marantz CD63KI (though I haven't used the 63KI tonight). The sound doesn't quite leap from the speakers at you in the way that I've come to know from a digital source, and with my system that's exactly what's required because of the slightly strident nature of the amplification, but with the wrong system it could lead to the listener feeling the sound is mildly recessed and lacking attack and bite, even though there's plenty of detail on offer spread across a wide deep soundstage.
Years and years have passed yet I found myself likening the tonal balance of this player to my dad's old Marantz CD65DX which he bought new in 1989. A quick internet search just before I started typing this post revealed it too used the TDA1541A chipset, so perhaps my ageing ears do not deceive me and there is a genuine similarity.
Because the midrange doesn't grab your attention with (debatably) over-emphesized zing and ting, it's very much true that this player is all about long-term listenability and not instant thrills. It grows on you. But the trade-off is that it's less fatiguing on the ears with tracks that on other players can sound too bright, and so I found myself more inclined to turn up the volume than down, even with tracks that sometimes sound shrill on CD, such as Connonball from Sky 1.
I love the old Star Tracks and Time Warp CDs recorded by the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra on Telarc. The dynamic range is purposefully incredible. Because the midrange never sounds loud or strident on this player I ended up nudging the volume a little more than normal, with the result that my poor EB2 speakers found themselves on the receiving-end of a sizable proportion of the 60A peak-to-peak current the Cyrus combo can deliver (sorry, neighbours). Listening to Also Sprach Zarathustra from Time Warp, you get the feeling that the bass from this kit could easily drill through the floor with speakers capable enough, though I've never had speakers which can successfully render the low bass notes on this version of the piece; quite likely I'd need a sub or speakers with much bigger bass drivers.
In summary I'm very happy to have finally got my grubby little mit on this piece of kit that I've been um'ing and ah'ing over for more than a quarter of a century. It really does perfectly compliment the C2+PSX sonically and it's very clear they were intended to sound great together from the off.
Thanks for reading.
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