California Audio Laboratories Aria Mk.III CD player Martin Colloms

Martin Colloms wrote about the Aria Mk.III in February 1991 (Vol.14 No.2):

A recent encounter with a CAL Aria 3 proved disappointing. While it sounded pleasantly sweet (with a measurable treble rolloff), like Bitstream, it also sounded soft and distinctly lacking in pace and dynamics. For this player CAL has proudly announced the abandonment of the Philips technology used in their successful Tempest series for new Japanese components. I wonder if it was such a good idea?—Martin Colloms