£2000 cdp
Posted by: RoyleBlue on 21 March 2004
Am looking at upgrading my cdp (Densen B400).
Have been mightily impressed with a hearing of the CDS3 but way out of my price range, so was wondering what should I be looking at for about £2000 that could get me on the road to a similar sound? - don't mind 2nd hand from a decent source.
Have been mightily impressed with a hearing of the CDS3 but way out of my price range, so was wondering what should I be looking at for about £2000 that could get me on the road to a similar sound? - don't mind 2nd hand from a decent source.
Posted on: 21 March 2004 by woody
CDX2
CD5 + Hicap
-- woody
CD5 + Hicap
-- woody
Posted on: 21 March 2004 by Colin Ackerman
Linn Ikemi 
.
Colin
.Colin
Posted on: 21 March 2004 by prowla
CDX+XPS might just stretch that budget.
Conversely a CDX alon is pretty good, and you'd have change for other bits.
Paul
Conversely a CDX alon is pretty good, and you'd have change for other bits.
Paul
Posted on: 21 March 2004 by scottyhammer
go for a cdx2 , i got one friday for £1900 on e bay and im more than happy
regards, scotty
regards, scotty
Posted on: 29 March 2004 by RoyleBlue
What should be the top price to pay for a CDX?
Posted on: 30 March 2004 by prowla
I would guess that £1500 should be about the maximum for a CDX.
Paul
Paul
Posted on: 30 March 2004 by Top Cat
The second best cd player I have ever heard* is within your budget (s/h) =- the Resolution Audio Opus 21. It's a two box, like a Naim cdp, but smaller. PSU and LCD, etc., in one box, Transport and DAC in the second box.
Has a 5-pin DIN output just like a Naim. Early models had some production gremlins but I believe all that is now sorted. Betters a CDS2/XPS by some margin. I use one with a 52/SC/250 and it's only slightly behind my LP12/Aro/Armageddon/Lyra Helikon in musicality.
New rrp is around £3k, s/h should therefore be around £2k if you can find one.
John
*PS. The very best cd player I've had the pleasure to hear is the CDS3/XPS2. So much better than the CDS2/XPS that you'd hardly recognise it. For me, CDS2 was a disappointment, but the CDS3 is something else indeed. YMMV.
Has a 5-pin DIN output just like a Naim. Early models had some production gremlins but I believe all that is now sorted. Betters a CDS2/XPS by some margin. I use one with a 52/SC/250 and it's only slightly behind my LP12/Aro/Armageddon/Lyra Helikon in musicality.
New rrp is around £3k, s/h should therefore be around £2k if you can find one.
John
*PS. The very best cd player I've had the pleasure to hear is the CDS3/XPS2. So much better than the CDS2/XPS that you'd hardly recognise it. For me, CDS2 was a disappointment, but the CDS3 is something else indeed. YMMV.
Posted on: 30 March 2004 by RoyleBlue
I know we are talking a big price difference, but how does the 21 compare to the CDS3.
Would I be better off going CDX, add an XPS2 then finally go for a CDS3 when funds permit?
Would I be better off going CDX, add an XPS2 then finally go for a CDS3 when funds permit?
Posted on: 30 March 2004 by Steve B
Have you considered upgrading your B400 to a B400XS? I reckon it costs about £1000 for the DAC board + labour.
That should see off a CDX by a long way IMO.
You might not agree of course, (one man's meat etc.) so the only way you'll find out is by listening for yourself.
Steve B
That should see off a CDX by a long way IMO.
You might not agree of course, (one man's meat etc.) so the only way you'll find out is by listening for yourself.
Steve B
Posted on: 31 March 2004 by Top Cat
quote:Personally, if you see yourself ending up with a CDS3 then buy a s/h CDX, add the XPS2 and then replace the CDX with CDS3 head unit. Makes sense.
Would I be better off going CDX, add an XPS2 then finally go for a CDS3 when funds permit?
There is a small possibility that I might end up down the CDS3 route at some point (when they become available s/h) - as we need a good cd player for the second system and the Opus is roughly the same width as the Nait2 - overkill I admit, but then it was my wife who suggested this and it's rare to get her to suggest anything hifi related...
CDS3 has a defter touch and somewhat more scale than Opus21. I've not compared side by side, so this is a bit biased toward the CDS3 as the system I heard it within had a 552 and 500 in tow, so perhaps the differences are more subtle than I perceived them to be. That said, you won't be disappointed with either the Opus, the CDS3 or for that matter a s/h CDX. If you aspire to the CDS3, I'd 'slum it' with the CDX over the CDX2 for overall-cost reasons.
Opus21 is somewhat better than CDX2/XPS2 for what it's worth, but not quite at the CDS3/XPS2 level. The wildcard choice might be CDS2/XPS2 - that might tip the balance back in favour of the Naim over the RA.
John