What CD player

Bernard Kurera posted:

Thanks all for the comments, what hifi gives a five star rating for CD5Si. I just read. My options are CD3.5 and CD5X and I'm leaning more towards CD5 as I listen to a lot of classical music. Hi-line would be an option if it matches my budget.  

If you have a couple of grand to spend, find a nice pre-owned CDS3 and XPS for the fabulous classic CD player front-end, and will retain SQ future proof if/when upgrading other parts of the system.

Don't bother with a Hi-line, the upgrade over a standard lavender is so slight it doesn't make sensible value for money.

On the other hand, Super lumina or Chord Sarum cables are far more expensive but the SQ upgrade is seriously massive compared to a Hi-line.

Debs

Bernard Kurera posted:

Thanks all for the comments, what hifi gives a five star rating for CD5Si. I just read. My options are CD3.5 and CD5X and I'm leaning more towards CD5 as I listen to a lot of classical music. Hi-line would be an option if it matches my budget.  

I heard both the SI and the XS before getting the XS. The XS offers a lot more detail, it's more refined, especially with classical music - but you might not necessarily like that kind of sound.

Bernard, got classical I’d go for a CD5x or, better yet, a CDX2 if you can stretch to it.

Thanks Richard, let me see if I can stretch the budget for a CDX2, if not I will have to settle with a 5X.

Cheers!

naim_nymph posted:

Bernard Kurera posted:

Thanks all for the comments, what hifi gives a five star rating for CD5Si. I just read. My options are CD3.5 and CD5X and I'm leaning more towards CD5 as I listen to a lot of classical music. Hi-line would be an option if it matches my budget.  

If you have a couple of grand to spend, find a nice pre-owned CDS3 and XPS for the fabulous classic CD player front-end, and will retain SQ future proof if/when upgrading other parts of the system.

Don't bother with a Hi-line, the upgrade over a standard lavender is so slight it doesn't make sensible value for money.

On the other hand, Super lumina or Chord Sarum cables are far more expensive but the SQ upgrade is seriously massive compared to a Hi-line.

Debs

I agree, pre owned CDS3 best value for money black box I ever purchased, also the Sarum interconnect was a massive upgrade for me.

I listen mostly to classic and baroque music,went from  5xs to cdx2,huge differnce. For less demanding music i would  not bother.

Thanks Leni, how much a pre-owned CDX2 will approximately cost? 

I prefer the CD5x/Flatcap 2x to the CDX2, which never seems to sound entirely natural to me. For the price of a CDX2, a CDS2/XPS can be had, and is far nicer. As you will see, this is all personal, and many won’t agree with me. 

As a slight aside, you’d do well to get hold of a chrome bumper Hicap to power your 32.5. It’s a far better supply than that in the 110. 

Bernard Kurera posted:

Thanks Leni, how much a pre-owned CDX2 will approximately cost? 

hungryhalibut posted:

I prefer the CD5x/Flatcap 2x to the CDX2, which never seems to sound entirely natural to me. For the price of a CDX2, a CDS2/XPS can be had, and is far nicer. As you will see, this is all personal, and many won’t agree with me. 

As a slight aside, you’d do well to get hold of a chrome bumper Hicap to power your 32.5. It’s a far better supply than that in the 110. 

Have no idea about prices of used stuff,sorry.HH dont understand what you mean saying the cdx2 sound unnatural,i had the cd5xs some good years and i agree it is a very good player and maybe it is good enough for the op 110/32.5 combo but when i  made the change  to a bare CDX2.2 the difference in detail scale and what i can only describe as a sense of briliance in music was huge.

If CD5X, are you suggesting the flatcap 2X plus the Hicap for 32.5?

Yes, that’s right. I’d get a Hicap regardless of the CD player you choose. 

Thanks both HH and Leni!

Don't get a cd5x unless you are able to hunt down a flatcap 2x to go along with it.  On its own it is one of the most boring cd players I have ever heard.  

hungryhalibut posted:

I prefer the CD5x/Flatcap 2x to the CDX2, which never seems to sound entirely natural to me. For the price of a CDX2, a CDS2/XPS can be had, and is far nicer. As you will see, this is all personal, and many won’t agree with me. 

As a slight aside, you’d do well to get hold of a chrome bumper Hicap to power your 32.5. It’s a far better supply than that in the 110. 

I understand why some might prefer the CD5XS/Flatcap over the CDX2 - I've had both, and the CD5XS was no mean performer. I did find the CDX2 unnatural to begin with, the external PSU made all the difference.

SamClaus posted:

I understand why some might prefer the CD5XS/Flatcap over the CDX2 .....

Please Samclaus, if you wouldn't mind piping down about the CD5XS. I'm looking for cult status/ Naim icon here. Thanks. Much appreciated.

Chris

hungryhalibut posted:

Yes, that’s right. I’d get a Hicap regardless of the CD player you choose. 

Finding a chrome bumper hicap is not very easy, a newer hicap will not work?

Any vintage of Hicap will work just fine with your NAC32.5.  Do though ensure it has been recently serviced though.  An unserviced Hicap can make the NAC32.5/NAP110 sound worse rather than better.

Thanks Richard, looks like most of the vintage ones are not serviced. i'd probably have to get the service done myself. 

Bernard Kurera posted:

Thanks Richard, looks like most of the vintage ones are not serviced. i'd probably have to get the service done myself. 

That's fine.  That way you can ensure you get it done properly either by the factory or by an approved Naim servicer like your distributor or someone like Class A in the UK, or AV Options in the US.

Sure, Richard, I was actually thinking of Class A.

And don't forget an olive hicap with the paint buffed off the end of the sleeve makes a passable chrome bumper ..

Cheers for that, I'm on the lookout for one.

A quick question, what is the main difference between the hicap and flatcap? can the hicap power up only another pre-amp?

A flatcap is much lower in capability, and little better than powering from your 110. For a 32.5 you want a  Chrome bumper Hicap. An olive looks completely different, but sounds the same. 

Thanks, if a cant find a good chrome bumper olive would be the next option. Is there a single power unit that can power both the amp and CD so that there wont be so many units in the cabinet? 

A Flatcap 2 can power a CD5 and a preamp, but as I said above it’s not ideal for a 32. But if you get a CDX2 it would need its own XPS should you not be happy to use it stand alone.