CD player in one word...

Posted by: dwdm on 07 September 2001

Hello,

Sorry to (re) start an old topic, but I just need concise replies...

Context
--------
I've been living for eight enthousiastic years with a CDI player, which I now intend to upgrade. Since about six months, I've listened to several players in the 4k euros range (say FF25000 or £2500) but never could review Naim products, owing to geographical constraints.

Question
--------
Before any appointment with a Naim dealer, I'd like to have your opininion, in a single word, on the major improvement brought by the CDX (e.g. sounsdtage depth, bass clarity,... or more subjective terms such as warmth, beat, density...).
As an example, I have tested at home and for a week the "CD-Pro" player from ICOS(a french company whose philosophy and products quality is very similar to Naim Audio). Compared to the CDI and for the same budget as the CDX, the CD-PRO is smoother, provides more details, with a wider and deeper soudstage. But If I had to extract a single term to explain the most satisfying improvement (I don't know if this word speaks from itself in English -in French, it does...), it would be "soundstage presentation".

This forum is the only serious place where I can make such a small poll.

Many thanks for your help

Bruno

P.S. Of course, "single-word" opinions on the CDX vs CDX/XPS vs CDSII will also be appreciated.

Posted on: 07 September 2001 by Andrew Randle

The

Andrew Randle
2B || !2B;
4 ^ = ?;

Posted on: 07 September 2001 by Andrew Randle

OK OK... that was cheap of me. OK here's the single word that describes a CDX:

LP12

Not necessarily better, but is almost as close as you could get.

Andrew

Andrew Randle
2B || !2B;
4 ^ = ?;

Posted on: 07 September 2001 by Greg Beatty

Hi-Fi.

Insert Witty Signature Line Here

Posted on: 07 September 2001 by dwdm

- Andrew ("LP12") : not very helpful for me, as I've never had the opportunity to review this turntable (using a Thorens TD124 + SM3009 + Denon DL103 : rather good combo)
- Greg ("Hi-Fi") : I consider that as a negative point, compared to "music"

quote:
Originally posted by Greg Beatty:
Hi-Fi.
Insert Witty Signature Line Here

Posted on: 07 September 2001 by Arthur Bye

How about:

PRaT

Not really a single word, but it does serve to describe it best.

Arthur Bye

Posted on: 07 September 2001 by Alex S.

nothinglikeanlp12keepsavingforanxpsattheveryleastbutbetterstillacds2.

Hope that's helpful,

Alex

Posted on: 07 September 2001 by Greg Beatty

Yup - I feel the CDX equals the CDI in the PRaT area while adding HiFi. Its a HiFi version of a CDI (and a bit tougher to support properly).

- GregB

Insert Witty Signature Line Here

Posted on: 08 September 2001 by Rico

absloutelykicksass.

I'm with Andrew - it's like listening to an LP12 - there's just bags of music. I announced this to my dealer after 20mins listening and I think he thought I was mad. I also knew I had to have one (just small problem of having no money at the time). The point is - it doesn't sound like and LP12; it's like listening to an LP12. You can just get on with the music.

Caveat: not all CDi owners get on with the CDX.

Rico - SM/Mullet Audio

Posted on: 08 September 2001 by Steve Toy

En deux mots...
Incroyablement musical.
Ca te va?

It's always a nice day for it, have a good one
Steve

Posted on: 09 September 2001 by Top Cat

Nah, just kidding. But I did prefer the CD5 with HiCap. Interestingly enough, a CD5 with HiCap and a few phases of Mana will destroy a bare CDX.

John

Posted on: 09 September 2001 by dwdm

very good french !
Oui, mon cher Steven, ca me va. D'autant que je suis un peu juste en budget pour m'acheter un CDSII...

Bruno.

quote:
Originally posted by Steven Toy:
En deux mots...
Incroyablement musical.
Ca te va?
It's always a nice day for it, have a good one
Steve

Posted on: 09 September 2001 by dwdm

As confirmed for many years by at least 30% of the CDI users in the US and Europe, if you replace the original CDI disc clamp with the Mark Levison clamp, used for the ML 31 player -also running a CDM4 head- you improve the PRaT and Hi-Fi stuffs by two orders of magnitude. I'm not joking, the improvement is amazing.

Did somebody try the same puck upgrade for a CDX or a CDS ?

Bruno.

Posted on: 09 September 2001 by Steve Toy

Si ton budget est un peu trop juste pour te payer le CDSII, tu auras la possibilite de t'acheter le CDX avec l'alimentage XPS. Si non, tu achetes le CDX, et tu economises pendant quelques mois... afin de pouvour payer le XPS qui, a son tour, avancera enormement la musicalite de ce dernier lecteur.

Ainsi, tu auras, donc, la possibilite eventuallement d'echanger le CDX dans le *futur* contre un CDSII.
Vive la possibilite de tels *surclassements* chez Naim-audio!!
Please accept my apologies for the use of the French language on this forum, but the *gist* should be understood by all!

It's always a nice day for it, have a good one
Steve

PS: Je sais meme pas encore faire les *accents* a l'ordinateur. Zut!

[This message was edited by Steven Toy on MONDAY 10 September 2001 at 06:46.]

Posted on: 09 September 2001 by Bruce Woodhouse

CDX-musicality

CDX/XPS musicalifragilisticexpiallydoshus

Bruce

(try running the spellchecker on that)

Posted on: 10 September 2001 by Top Cat

Mana under everything, FWIW. Don't get me wrong, I think the CDX is a fine bit of kit, it's just that I've found that the soundframe under the CD5 was enough to tip the balance in the demo I did a few months back. I'm willing to believe that it could be any number of additional factors influencing the result, but with my experience of Mana being so positive I wouldn't expect any less.

Of course, place Mana under the CDX and then the goalposts will move once again

John (who owns neither, but would buy a Naim CD player if it had a digital output (for connecting to a CDR player; otherwise I have no excuse for not owning one)