Why I didn't buy the CD12

You may have seen my report on CD players a short while ago where I reviewed the CD12, CDS-II, CDX and Marantz SA-1. You may also recall that the CD12 came out as the winner. Since my making the decision to go for the CD12 I had a demo of the Wadia 860x and also niggling doubts that I was making the right decision. My system was a 52/Supercap into 250 into Ninka. I am a die-hard vinyl junky and my LP12 will go with me to the grave. My quest was to find a CD player that would give me as much enjoyment as the best in vinyl on my LP12.
My doubts led me to invite my dealer to my house and bring with him a pair of Nautilus 804 and the CDS-II and CD12. I was determined to close this once and for all. The Wadia that I listened to was sweet but didn't get to the final two because I am concerned about the stability of the company. So the battle commenced with the CD12 and CDS-II destined to become part of my hi-fi. The first thing that became clear is that I needed to dump my Ninka and replace them with the 804. If you haven't already heard these then you need to pop down to your local B&W dealer and give them a try. The 804 is a very good speaker with a very neutral response. The hi-hat suddenly became very real and the annoying bass resonance of the Ninka disappeared.
This meant that I was now beginning to change my priorities. Nevertheless I was determined to give both players a good test. We started with UB40's "Kingston Town". The CDS-II was great but the CD12 was a little better. Then we moved on to Coldplay's "Everything's not lost". I would say that both players were about equal here. We then tried some very heavy organ music that one of my colleagues listens to. Here was the surprise. The CDS-II shamed the CD12. The Linn played the music accuratley but where was the reality of it? The Naim, however, played the music and we all (pro-CD12 dealer included) concluded that the Naim won this easily. And so on went the tests and the CD12 and CDS-II were both great. Some contests went to the Linn and some went to the Naim. I then came to the conclusion that I would be a fool to spend £12,000 on the CD12 when the CDS-II is only £5900. When I was learning to become an electronic engineer, a very wise lecturer told me that "an engineer can design something for a penny that any fool can design for a pound". The Linn is good but so is the Naim. Come on Linn get this great little CD player down to the right price level. In the meantime, I've got the CDS-II playing into my 804's. Trouble is that the 250 is now struggling to drive 8 drive units. Oh well I guess with the money I've saved on not buying the Linn, I can get myself another 250!