CDX Vs CDI TRUTH Vs Legend

Posted by: Arye_Gur on 23 September 2002

Yesterday I bought a one year old CDX. I went to ILAN, NAIM’s dealer in Israel on morning to take something to my stand, and we started to talk about the CDX that was standing there on a FRAIM.

Before Ilan came to my home, I asked a friend who has a CDX/XPS about his opinion of upgrading the CDI to a CDX.

Don’t do it! – he said, your CDI (cdm4) is a legendary
machine, there is nothing that the CDX does better than the CDI, stay with your CDI until the machine dies.

With this information I started to listen to the CDX after Ilan set it at my home.
I can assure to all the CDI owners – the CDX is a much better machine than the CDI. No doubt about it, it springs up at the first few seconds of listening. The improvement is big and wide to all the areas of the listening criteria.

My system now is – CDX/102,Hi,Napsc,140/IBL
I have also a LP12/lvtok/maggedon – now I’m not sure that it sounds better than the cd player.

Arye
Posted on: 23 September 2002 by Rico
Congrats on the CDX Arye.

It's been one I've been wondering about for a while - good to hear of your experiences. Still, a dyed-in-the-wool CDI die-hard would suggest your CDI is broken. wink

Rico - SM/Mullet Audio
Posted on: 23 September 2002 by Arye_Gur
I paid 3 k $ for the CDX, what do you think about the price ?

Arye
Posted on: 24 September 2002 by Peter Stockwell
Arye,

If your CDX is ex-dem then $3000 is reasonable. If it's 'lovingly pre-owned' then it's on the high side. FWIW, I negotiated a price of €3600 for a new one and ending up buying a used one at a total cost to me of €2600, although there was about €140 of shipping and other costs in that. But, ultimately, you're already forgetting what it costs and marvelling at what it does. I'm really surpised and how delicate and muscular it can be all at the same time.

enjoy.

Peter
Posted on: 24 September 2002 by bob atherton
Arye,

Welcome to the club!

I too used to own a CDI but had a 7 year gap between it & the CDX. Your findings reflect my memories well.

The really good news is that the CDX takes forever & a day, & then 28 more days to warm up! I can assure you that you will be hearing improvements for at least the next 6 weeks & maybe longer than that. I found the CDI warmed up very much quicker.

Bob
Posted on: 24 September 2002 by Brucie
I don't own such a heavy weight machine like the CDX (yet) but I bought my (current) humble CD3 in 1995 and I think it took about a year for it to really settle down.

In this first year my girlfriend used to say it sounds "more metal" (against LP12/Akito/k9) and I knew what she meant but now a few years later I can turn up the volume more (72/hi/180) and it does not sound as hard. Alas I don't see her anymore to get her opinion on its proposed "less metal" status! (but now against LP12/Ittock/DV20x)

I'm looking forward to buying a CDX one day and have no worries about buying a 3+ year machine because they have simply burnt it in for me!
Posted on: 24 September 2002 by garyi
Curiously I had this demo last night, I felt there might be a problem with my CDi so took it to a friends.

We did this little head to head with Heathen by Bowie.

We listened to track three on the CDS.

THen we tried it through the CDi.

Jesus be gods what a difference. The CDS took the CDi outside and opened a can of whoop ass on it.

I want a CDS2.
Posted on: 24 September 2002 by Arye_Gur
Bob,

my CDX is a used one, and was warmed up at Ilan's house. Ilan lives about 10 minuets from my house, and first thing he did when he arrived is to connect the CDX to the wall.
So I think my machine "had simply been burnt up for me! " as Brucie says...


Arye
Posted on: 24 September 2002 by bob atherton
I'd still bet you half a dozen falafels that it will sound better in 6 weeks!

Bob
Posted on: 24 September 2002 by Arye_Gur
Omer,

You are right twice,

It is Yair who recommended me to stay with the CDI,
And true, Ilan subtracted 1,500$ of the price for the CDI.

I hope everything is ok with you, and it is funny that we are talking via a BRIT computer instead of doing the same via BEZeQ.

Bob,

If I loose, and I’ll come to London, from where will I buy you Falafel?

So it is high time you came to visit to Haifa, and find out that you were mistaking when living in Tel Aviv instead of living here.

Arye
Posted on: 24 September 2002 by Peter Stockwell
quote:
Originally posted by Arye_Gur:

And true, Ilan subtracted 1,500$ of the price for the CDI.


Arye


CDI + $1500 = CDX, doesn't seem so bad.

Peter
Posted on: 24 September 2002 by Arye_Gur
Bob,

You can do one of the two:
Sitting in bars in Tel aviv, drinking good beer and seeing many ugly high building sorrounding you, or you can sit in bars in Haifa, drinking the same good beer, and seeing the wonderfull view from the mountain to the sea and the beautiful lights of the bay and the north of Israel.

Omer,
It's a shame that I din't call you to ask about the CDX.

Arye
Posted on: 24 September 2002 by bob atherton
"If I loose, and I’ll come to London, from where will I buy you Falafel?"

I was in Soho about a month ago & noticed a falafel bar, menu in Hebrew as well! I live in Bristol & there is a mobile falafel stall called "Falafel King", I haven't tried this one yet but the smells coming from it seemed quite promising.

To Omer, is my favourite stall on the corner of Ben Yeheuda & Nordau still there?

I must get over to Israel again, but at the moment the conflict & tension would make the visit difficult.

Best wishes,

Bob
Posted on: 24 September 2002 by bob atherton
"Most of us Yuppies (me excluded) now consume designer Falafels, in various colors and tastes......"

GOOD GRIEF.... is nothing sacred..!

Bob
Posted on: 24 September 2002 by Phil Barry
Screw the falafel!

Arye, If your LP12 doesn't sound better than your CDX, something's wrong with the LP12.

But enjoy your CDX.

Regards.

Phil
Posted on: 24 September 2002 by Arye_Gur
Phil,

I realy think that something is wrong with the LP12 although the dealer says it is ok.

Omer
quote:
You said it. I'll call you later today. And you still didn't ask me how I know the CDi credit.


How ???????

Arye
Posted on: 24 September 2002 by Joe Petrik
Arye,

quote:
I have also a LP12/lvtok/maggedon – now I’m not sure that it sounds better than the cd player.


Mount a cartridge on that Ittok. It'll make a world of difference -- bigger than Mana, in fact.

Joe
Posted on: 24 September 2002 by Arye_Gur
Joe,

quote:
Mount a cartridge on that Ittok. It'll make a world of difference -- bigger than Mana, in fact.


Well, I didn't think of it - but I was sure that a record on a Mana sounds better than a LP12 on the floor ...

I have an Asaka cart. and the dealer insists that it works ok and I don't have to replace it.

Arye
Posted on: 26 September 2002 by Noel
Having just had my eyes opened to the extent to which cap deterioration affect sound quality in Naim kit, I wonder how a CDi fresh from a full service would sound against a CDX. Anyone comapared the two?