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January 28, 2009 - 9:15am
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Anyone compare Bryston BCD1 to Cambridge 840c cdp?
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I haven't heard the Bryston CD player but I have had a number of chances to listen to their optional DAC that can be added to their preamps and integrateds. Even though that is about a 7 year old design it was really, really good. I would imagine that the CD player is much better even than that. I can't speak to the sound quality of the Cambridge but one thing that I can say is that there is ZERO chance that their built quality is anywhere near Bryston. That isn't a slam on them, Bryston's build quality is head and shoulders above nearly everyone. Bryston is a great company that stands behind their products 100%.
What's a 'cdps'? Cambridge's new 'Dacmagic' is a giant killer of a DAC and is apparently reviewed in the HI-FICHOICE2008 Awards issue. Mind you at
Cdps (is short for cd players). Sorry for the confusion. The Pioneer "transport" was getting glitchy and while I was shopping for a replacement the Perpetual dac went down. So I am looking at a cd player. If it sounds as good or better than the previous system fine. If not will use the new cd player as a transport for a new dac. Will get the Perpetual fixed as back up since I have GW labs jitter reducer, P1 jitter reducer upsampler, P3 dac, and monolithic out board power supply to run it all. This is why I worry if either cd player can compete with this. Only hope chips have improved a lot since 1999 (Perpetual build date). Meridian is nice but expensive. They also like balanced which my system doesn't do.
Considering buying 840 from AA. If it doesn't do it for me, may send back for Bryston. Eyeing that new PS Audio transport/dac too. Adding hard drives would be cool. Wish my system would have waited a month or so to give up.
thanks
barondla (agonizing over products I haven't heard).
Have you checked into what is available at your local dealers before going with a mail order outfit?
Live in a small town. Have a Best Buy & one local home theater store. BB carries nothing in cd player. Local guy had a $400 Marantz. Looking for better than that. Next nearest dealer is 2+ hrs away. Went there in the past looking for speakers and couldn't tell much from the way the system was set up. Doubt it would be any different with cd player.
thanks
barondla
That is the world for a good bit of readers. We do not live in cities with specialty stores stocking and demoing mgeabuck gear. If we want to go beyond pioneer or sony, we use the internet and rely on reviews and opinion from folk n forums like this.
If you are considering spending $3000 for a CD player, and your system does not support balanced connections, you are probably not going to get the performance you are paying for. Get a preamp with balanced connections, or save your money.
The Marantz SA8001 is $900; it will probably give you as much performance as you are going to get until you have a preamp with balanced inputs.
In my opinion, using a Boulder integrated as the heart of a system dooms you to 3rd-rate sound. It would be a waste of time to spend more than $400 on a CD player, if that is going to be the weak link in your system.
If you actually HAD a decent amplifier with balanced circuitry, it would be clear to you how superior the performance of balanced interconnects is, but with the Boulder...???... a waste of time (by the way...did you simply make cables to adapt single-ended outputs to the balanced inputs of the Boulder, or does the equipment you are connecting actually have balanced outputs? You have to have balanced circuitry at BOTH ends to actually HAVE balanced operation....).
There are over 20 integrated amps recommended in class A and B in the October issue of Stereophile; many of them HAVE balanced circuitry. You won't find Boulder there. Every time I have listened to Boulder equipment, I have found the sound quality to be mediocre, at best; not high-end stuff, in my book!