Analog Sources: Kuzma Stabi S & Stogi S turntable & tonearm, Thorens TD 124 turntable & Jelco TS-350S tonearm; Denon DL-103, Ortofon Quintet Bronze cartridges.
Digital Sources: Apple MacBook computer running Audirvana Plus; Halide DAC HD, PS Audio NuWave DACs; LG BD550 BD player; Western Digital T2 Mirror Drives (2).
Preamplification: Auditorium 23 A23 moving-coil step-up transformer, Mytek Brooklyn DAC+, Shindo Laboratory Allegro preamplifier, Schiit Audio Valhalla 2 headphone amplifier.
Power Amplifiers: Mytek Brooklyn Amp, Shindo Laboratory Haut-Brion.
Integrated Amplifier: Heed Audio Elixir.
Loudspeakers: DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/93, Elac Debut B6, Quad S-2.
Headphones: Master & Dynamic MH40.
Cables: Digital: Mytek (USB). Interconnect: AudioQuest Water, Auditorium 23, JPS Labs Superconductor, Shindo Laboratory, TriodeWire Labs American. Speaker: AudioQuest Castle Rock, Auditorium 23, Tellurium Q Black. AC: manufacturers' own.
Accessories: IsoTek EVO3 Aquarius line conditioner, Mapleshade Clearview Double Helix Mk.II power strip; Music Hall Aztec Blue & Mooo record mats; Spec AD-UP1 Analog Disc Sheet; Salamander five-tier rack; IKEA Aptitlig bamboo chopping boards (under preamp, power amps); Mapleshade maple platform (15" by 12" by 2", under turntable), mahogany blocks (2" by 2" by 0.5"); 3"-thick studio-treatment foam damping (ceiling, walls).
Listening Room: 12' L by 10' W by 12' H, system set up along long wall; suspended wood floor, 6"-thick walls (plaster over 2x4), wood-beamed ceiling.—Ken Micallef
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COMMENTS
Pair this ATC CD/pre-amp with the new Elac Navis self-powered bookshelf or floor standers and get ready to breakdance and/or limbo-rock :-) .........
"Breakdance" ................ Irene Cara :-) ..........
"Limbo Rock" ............... Chubby Checker :-) .........
Very nice selections used for testing this CD player, Pre-amp combo.
A piano, by nature, is melodic and percussive. My reference disc;
Jamie Cullum - Twentysomething CD or SACD (2004) Verve.
Completely recorded in the Analog domain. Should you decide to pick it up, please post your listening impressions and thoughts.
I don't know about you but in my system, the bass on the Tony Bennett, Diana Krall recording was overtly boomy. There was simply too much reverb on the plucked bass notes so as to intrude on the vocals and obscure them in some places. I was playing the 24/ 96 download though and not the CD
Downloads/streams will sound slightly different (artificial) than there CD or LP counterparts.
Back in the old days CD players generally had a much greater level of functionality around track selection - ironically such functionality is less these days, although more necessary. CD's commonly have 'bonus tracks' tacked on the end and it has become increasingly difficult to find CD players that allow you to program these out of the playing selection. This player looks to be one without this functionality
The all important question: does it play SACDs? Downloads are pretty much over as a commercial format (the one thing the review forgot to mention at the start: wiped out by streaming), and the streaming market is predominantly low-res. So, if I am interested in a hi-res player, the most important thing to me is to play hi-res SACDs. Does this player do that?
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