£600+ CD Player upgrade

I started this thread over on HFC and thought I'd try my luck over here too. Aplogies to anyone who has already read it. (And thanks for your replies Tone!)
I have about £600 to upgrade my front end. Looking for more depth, clarity, soundstage and general impact.
So do I sell my marantz and DAC and buy a new integrated (considering Primare 30.2, Copland 822, Arcam cd23 - all second hand) or sell the Marantz and get a new Transport (Again second hand - considering Meridian 500, Audionote Zero, Tag CDt20r etc.) OR, pay to get my Marantz modded with a Superclock and Digital output board (Can't do it myself!)
All input gratefully received.

Cheers, Liam.

 

You could just about stretch to a new DENON DVD-2900 universal player from www.nexnix.co.uk

Otherwise a 2nd hand Arcam CD92T or CD23T would be a good bet.

 

''Sideshow bob'' (ian) has just bought and tried many CDPS at your price range - why not drop him a PM?


Cheers
Chris

 

You could of course pop up and see me with the gear and I'd be happy to mod it for you,

£300 should be enough to transform your cdp and DAC beyond your wildest expectations [maybe !].

 

Zanesh, have you done any side by side comparisons as to which is better - a £500 CDP with £300 worth of mods or say a £1000 int CDP?

Liam.

 

Try a Mana rack.

 

Re: Re: £600+ CD Player upgrade

Full gory details here:

https://www.audio-forums.com/as-rediect/showthread.php?s=&threadid=891

Short story: the Sonneteer Byron (£900 new) comfortably beat everything else and is very nice indeed. They have a cheaper player, the Bronte (£700) which I haven't heard, but should be worth a listen. I ended up breaking the budget to get the Byron, and it was worth it.

-- Ian

 

Try a Mana rack. Also try a very thick kettle lead, some foo foo chamois, and connect a high precision alarm clock to the digital outputs.

 

Whatever.

 

Whatever what James

You should know that whilst I do not own any Mana these days, I do have the kettle leads and foo foo chamois (although you need WM for the Clock). It can be clinically proven that I beleive that these elements all aid my system

 

Sorry, I'm so used to poo-poos that I assumed you were poo-pooing my poo-poo. What is a foo-foo anyway?

 

Foo foo is a cloth used for removing the poo poo from the mains supply James.

Originally used for cleaning the crud from early steam engine's boilers, it was widely acknowledged that foo foo removed the poo poo from your choo choo. Or is it just Voodoo

 

Yah-boo to foo foo. Poo-poo to you two.

-- Ian

 

Voodoo no need foo foo to remove poo poo from his choo choo !
I use the loo loo for that :MILD: .

 

Another cracker in the sub £900 CD stakes.

Go for the cheap one and upgrade in parts, or go straight for the top one up 2 you...

http://www.iconaudio.co.uk/index.htm

 

Is this the moment to say that I've a Meridian 200 CD transport with one or other of the Meridian 203 or the Meridian 606 DAC to sell?

The Meridian 200/203 combo sounds good, the Meridian 200/606 sounds better.

All were acquired second-hand recently as part of upgraditis (resulting in me securing and wanting to keep the Meridian 602 transport and the AS Dax Decade). All are in good condition; the 200 & 203 have boxes. Reasonable offers sought. Collection preferred, or buyer pays carriage.

 

Avondale modded Arcam Alpha 5 £375 +whtever you can pick the arcam up for.
Paul.

 

Well views are quite even so far. There are currently 4 Meridian 500 transports on Ebay - Anyone know why? Anyway I'm definately flogging everything and getting the Copland or Primare or the Sonetter, or getting a meridian transport or a tag transport or a trichord transport (and a new Digital I/C), or getting Zanesh to mod my Marantz ...or maybe....

 

Haven't Meridian just released a new range? The "G" series. First new range in over 10 years. Maybe people are making way for the new gear.

 

I bet that hits the spot