With my analogue troubles, I've been thinking of embracing digital and buying a proper CD player.
I've come across a CDI and having managed to negotiate the price down to something affordable (a quarter the price of a new CDX), and convince my wife to release the funds from savings against the winter bonus (got my 82/140 just two months ago), I'm all set to take the plunge.
The CDI is 1992 vintage and is currently four hundred miles away on a dealer's shelf. He has agreed to let me have it on sale or return for a week.
Two things worry me:
How long is a CD player good for? Does anyone have any experience of a CD player going bad ie anything I should look out for that would warn me it was not in top condition? Not necessarily just sound quality going duff.
How good is the CDI? Search shows messages to the effect that it's 'almost a CDX' (this indirectly from Naim themselves), that it's 'bettered by the 3.5', and that it 'only sounds good on Mana' (which I don't have). I have this feeling (prejudice?) that CD technology has moved on over teh last decade a great deal, and an 8 year old CD player might be sounding a bit past it.
I intend to use it for a good few years, and it will replace an enthusiastic if fairly unrefined Teac VRDS10. Rest of rig is 82/140/kef Q30s, and intend to add a hicap, maybe a 250, though not for a couple of years yet.
TIA for your help/opinions.
JonM
[This message was edited by Jon Moxon on THURSDAY 12 October 2000 at 06:26.]
Posted on: 11 October 2000 by Arye_Gur
Jon Moxon ,
I bought a used Cdi and I love it.
But it is a gamble - I owned an old Mission I think the model was cp700 or something. This was
from the year 1990. Two years ago the laser diode
died. I asked Mission in GB and they told me they don't have spare parts for such old machines. I went to many dealers in Israel and after great affords I found such a pickup that was exidently left at an electronic lab.
I trust Naim dealer here that he will not let me down if something goes wrong with my Cdi and I realy wonder if Naim advertises any policy of
reserve parts maintaining.
Arie
Posted on: 11 October 2000 by Bas V
I bought a used CDI about two months ago and it sounds really great. It is indeed a bit of a gamble, as mine has the old CDM4 mechanism, which will cost me about UKP 450 if it needs to be replaced.
I agree with you, that over the last decade there have been some major improvements in cd technology. But some factors (the terrific Naim power supply for instance) that contribute to the sound of a player have such a big effect on the sound that the new technology will only improve a little. This is all in the Naim philosophy. Naim states, that it will be better to add a separate higher quality power supply than an external DAC.
So, if you want to buy a new cd, believe me when I say that for the money you'll pay for the CDI you can get no better cd player. I don't believe the CDI betters the CDX, but hey, that unit will cost you a lot more!
Regards, Bas V
Posted on: 11 October 2000 by Arye_Gur
Omer,
If it is okay with you I'll be glad to visit you - although you are not living in Haifa....
Where did you buy the Mana and what kind of spurs are you using (I mean model names).
Thanks,
Arie
Posted on: 11 October 2000 by Arye_Gur
Maybe we can invite a mana together - I don't know what do I need and how much it costs.
I also heard they have glass shelves and I'm not sure it is good for the Cdi. can you advice ?
About members who are "crazy" about mana,
I don't know for sure if they are right or wrong.
People in Haifa are going to sleep only after watching many TV programmes. The last programm
the "Haifian" are watching each night is "erev chadash".
Arie
Posted on: 17 October 2000 by Jon Moxon
First off, thanks everyone for your opinions and advice, especially Omer for mailing those CDI posts to me. You made me realise I'd be an idiot not to get the thing, and I've been impatiently looking forward to the arrival of my new black box.
Anyway, I was beginning to wonder, too Rico, what was happening up in Nagoya, so I gave the bloke a ring not half an hour ago. To cut a long story short, the bloke on whose behalf the dealer is selling the CDI has decided that it's a great CD player and he doesn't want to sell it anymore.
I can't escape the feeling that he's been put off selling it by reading the conference, so anyone else should think twice before asking for opinions on this preamp or that speaker. Just go ahead and buy the bloody thing.
As it happens, I've just come across a CDS at a pretty unbelievable price (I'm saying no more on the matter .here, though still more than I can probably afford. The gods mock me so cruelly this day...
JonM
suffering a very mild form of bereavement
[This message was edited by Jon Moxon on TUESDAY 17 October 2000 at 08:34.]
Posted on: 17 October 2000 by Rico
what good luck, what bad luck.
Jon, I trust the CDS works out well! Maintain radio silence until it's safely landed.
Rico - musichead
Posted on: 17 October 2000 by Jon Moxon
Breaking radio silence...
quote:
Jon, I trust the CDS works out well! Maintain radio silence until it's safely landed.
Still trying to decide what to do. Have been frantically adding up numbers all evening, literally on the back of an envelope where I've run out of space. Buggered if I can get them to balance either...
Grams: Sound of static
JonM
Posted on: 18 October 2000 by Jon Moxon
Against my better judgement, I'm here asking for advice about s/h purchases again, although the obscurity of this thread may provide sufficient cover.
The CDS is 1991, SN 73XXX, so presumably predates the PS double-regulation-triple-salco-with-tuck, or whatever it is. Price is about half of a new CDX, 6 months guarantee, grey cables. Good buy?
CDS1.1 I assume is well ahead of CDX, but how far behind a CDS1.2 is it? Night and day stuff? Subtle emphases? Should I stop messing around and get on the phone?
...Or see if a drug-rehabilitation clinic will take me?
Feedback gratefully received...
JonM
Posted on: 19 October 2000 by Martin Payne
Quoted from the CDS-I manual:-
"Players with serial numbers below 76612 have a tray fitted to catch objects which may accidentally fall inside."
This sounds fairly minor, but may be indicative of other less visible, but more fundamental changes.
Also:-
"IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNING
Current players have different output mute circuits and power supplies to earlier models. Serious damage may result to the system if older and newer types of player and power supply are mixed. Newer units with serial numbers higher than 75985 have a small white dot painted on the bottom right hand corner of the 13-pin socket mounted on the rear. Ensure that older (no dot) and newer units are not connected together."
Thus, your P.S. obviously pre-dates the changes.
I'm afraid I've not heard the difference between these two generations of player.
cheers, Martin
