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April 2, 2007 - 5:09pm
#1
Recommendation for integrated/CD for B&W 704 (newbie)
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Cambridge Audio Azur 840C CD player
Cambridge Audio Azur 840A amplifier
$2750
Cambridge Audio Azur 640C V2 CD player
Cambridge Audio Azur 840A amplifier
$1975
Cambridge Audio Azur 840C CD player
Cambridge Audio Azur 640A V2 amplifier
$1975
Cambridge Audio Azur 640C V2 CD player
Cambridge Audio Azur 640A V2 amplifier
$1200
http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/products.php
http://www.spearitsound.com/Cambridge_Audio/cambridge_audio_home.htm
Thanks for the info on CA. I listended to NAIM Nait/CD 5i with Dynaudio Audience 72 and enjoyed the experience. Unique presentation relative to some others I've listened to. Any thoughts on pairing B&W 704 with the NAIM 5i combo?
Now that my budget is creeping upwards, any other recommendations in this price range?
Some reviewers liked the Cambridge Audio Azur 840A better than the Naim Nait 5i. I haven't heard the Naim, but I like what I heard from the Azur 840A. The Cambridge Audio Azur 840C is getting some good buzz regarding it CD upsampling feature. I thought the Cambridge Audio 840A and 840C combo was one of the best I've heard for under $3000.
I had listened to the Rotel 1062 along with the NAD 352 & 372 via a pair of 704s. Playing the same type of music as yourself, I prefered the Rotel.
I also heard the Cambridge 640s, that Jack mentioned. They, too, were very nice. The Cambridge gear was pushing some Spendor S5e and Triangle Antals. All sounded different but good...personal choice. Couldn't go wrong with any of them.
You may want to consider Rotel 971 CD player and Creek 5350 Integrated
Hey Alex, are you trying to sell some of your old equipment
Another combination that I heard, and was impressed by, was the Music Hall 25.2 cd player and the Creek Classic 5350...pushing a pair of B&W 703's.
Hey, if you want MY old equipment, I'll have to charge double. However, I'll put a nice Alexo moniker sticker on the amp. It'll be a collector's item and worth every penny.
An Arcam CD192 does not go well with B&W 704s. Neither does Cambridge 640C. A Plinius 8150 integrated does not go well with B&W 704s.
Based on these auditioning experiences I would tend to believe that the speakers are the weak point. As a long-time owner of the B&W CDM1 SE I was less than impressed with the 704 and 705.
An "Alexo"! Damn, how lucky can a guy get? It's deffinately better than one of those off-the-shelf devices from China.
I can spare $10. Does it come with the interconnects?
I've never had the opportunity to hear the CDM1. The B&W's that I had listened to were 603, 704, 703 being driven by Rotel and NAD. The 704's were nice, the 703 had more lower end. Heard a set of 803 (?) being powered buy Conrad-Johnson...very nice.
Interconnects? The Alexo moniker on those is worth its weight in gold. Needless to say, an exclusive item such as this has to be bought separately. The good news is that the interconnects come in a jeweled casing.
Re: B&W speakers, I've never been particularly enamored with them. They seem dry and lifeless to me. It's funny that B&W seem to be probably the most widely available high end speakers around, so I assume that many people like them. Alas, I never heard them sound involving.
You should be able to get great sound within that budget. I'm quite happy with my Creek SE 5350, which drives my B&W 805s just fine. My old Rotel RCD 951 is not really up to snuff. I got great sound, though, when I hooked up the digital outputs to a Benchmark DAC, which you can get used for as little ats $700, I think. The Benchmark would probably give you great sound from almost any CD or DVD player with digital outputs.
Have you listened to Rega? I heard the Mira 3 and Apollo via some Spendor S5e's and Rega R5's. Both sounded good but I had a preference for the Spendors. The bass on the S5e isn't as weighty as the 704 but it is tight and the timing and dynamics are impressive.