Reimyo CDP 777 SH or AMR CD-77

Hi all,

This is the question : Secondhand Reimyo CDP 777 for 3500£ or new AMR CD-77 for 4300£ ?

Any views welcomed!

Thanks
Tim

 

That's a nice problem to have Tim.

An audition of an AMR will doubtless be easier to get than a secondhand Reimyo.


I only have some experience of the AMR and none of the Reimyo. I'm sure 'enjoy the music' has heard the Reimyo.. I seem to recall.

There is another question implicit in the post which is 'new or second hand' - which of course depends a lot on words like 'warranty' vs 'residual value' purely apart from sound quality questions.

 

As Bottleneck has said, it's a nice problem to have.

I'd personally not buy either without an audition but assuming they are fairly close I'd go for the AMR, simply because for that sort of money I'd like some sort of warranty. Also I know that if I have any issues with the player Thorsten (AMR) is not too far away from me.

Of course if the Reimyo comes with good support that may change my opinion.

 

Tim I haven't heard the Reimyo, but I would go for a really good DAC and use the optical out from your current player, the lavry 924 and the MSB Platinum III are phenomenal , really I didn't believe digital could be so good, some expensive cdp's I have heard have been rather disappointing, Keith.

 

Coops,

Do you know how much the lavry and msb dacs are and who sells them in the UK?

I found that soundtools sell the lavry, but there is no mention of the price, which usually means expensive.

 

I sell MSB! The DAC is one of the best I have heard. I know the AMR and the the Reimyo.

 

You will not go wrong with a Reimyo CDP-777 for £3500!

Build quality is high-end Japanese precision engineering at it's best and the sound is sublime.

The 24 bit K2 DAC and JVC transport lift an incredible amount of information off silver disc and the better your preamp/amp/speakers are, the more you will appreciate it.

Reimyo (their only customer) were left high and dry by JVC who stopped making the battleship K2 transport employed in the CDP-777.

Current Reimyo models use the Phillips Pro transport.

RRP when available was £10k so £3.5k is a good price.

I would anticipate that it will last years. Do you know anything about it's history?

 

Hi yes well HiFi addict is your man for MSB and the Lavry is expensive £5.5k in the UK , I am trying to get the MSB,Lavry 924 and the Prism DA2 all together for a bake off.

 

Tim Hi, the other thing about the MSB Platinum is that it has a passive pre-amp built in, so you can use the DAC straight into your power amp, you can even run your phono stage from it,
try and get a listen and post your thoughts,Keith.

 

I notice from your website that you sell weiss, stellavox and bel canto, which are all well regarded dacs at their price points. How does the msb compare to these and how much does it cost?

The msb website does not list any uk retailers and yours does not mention msb. Have you only just started selling them?

 

Coop,

Thanks for the idea for preamp but would not want to part with mine. Have a NAT Plasma II that feeds a Moscode 401 and then Wilson Audio Watt/Puppies, mogami cables all through.

Front end is Linn Ikemi, Garrard 301/smeIV/ortofon mc500 phono stage is HEED Quasar, what else? Tuner Magnum Dynalab 102T.

Think that my Ikemi is the part to change. Although it has an impresice arrary of outputs that could well feed any dac?:


- the optical digital output;
- AES/EBU balanced electrical digital output (XLR connector);
- An RCA input pin for optional external DACs, used to sinchronize - IKEMI's inner clock with the DAC's one, in order to eliminate jitter problems (the solution of a single reference master clock for different devices is a professional habit);
- The analog balanced outputs for both channels;
- Two pair of RCA pin analog outputs,



Any Views here?

 

Tim Hi, I don't know much about current Linn gear, but it has an AES digital output that is fine, I would definately try a seperate DAC either a Prism 924/2002 or the MSB Platinum, really they are terrific I had a Meridian 808 before which I thought was a goodplayer, but the MSB is just so much more 'real' resolution is phenomenal, if i switch between vinyl ( TW Raven AC, Graham Phantom/ Dynavector XV1-S ) and CD there is hardly any difference it has renewed my faith in digital.

 

personally (old record gets turned...noise) would stream the music with a squeezebox and if you want the best sound I'd get a mega-dac.

I wouldnt want to go back to any CDP regardless of price now that I'm used to having my record collection at my finger tips.

 

I personally rate the MSB over all of these. The Stellavox is very good but lacks a little weight and sound-stage but its only £1200. The Weiss is as good but at £12K it should be but performs best when with the Jason Transport and thats £23K in total. But the MSB is better as it has a proper passive built in rather than a digital volume control. I must confess I have not heard the DAC 3 yet. The other point of the MSB platinum DAC is that it is upgradeable as and when they become available.

So at £4K the MSB is the best all rounder. I only came across this by accident when a journalist rang me and said he has been sent the DAC and that I should have a listen to see what i think. I thought it was better then the DCS rig.

Sales pitch over but I do prefer this over the Weiss which was my reference.

 

In the next few months John Westlake, designer of the still highly regarded Da Capo DAC, is going to bring out a new DAC for $500 which he says will incorporate everything he has learned in the umpteen years since he designed the Da Capo. It will have sixty-odd dacs per channel! He reckons its going to slay everything out there; he would say that of course but this man has huge credibiity such that I will be one of many who will be ordering it unheard.

No affiliation whatsoever, just eager to hear it, even though my CDP has a TDA 1541 S2.

 

I sold my Meridian to a very nice chap who was using a Da Capo, battery powered if I recollect correctly, the Meridian made mincemeat of it, I would ask for a demo first if I were you!

 

I'll second that. Heard the MSB at Harry Pearsons home. Compared it to the Weiss DA at almost $19000. Prefered the MSB. The passive Pre was quite affective but not up to the CJ Act 2 which was HPs reference in that room [ Maggie room ].
The 777 is a smooth player that you can listen to all day long. Howeever it may become boring after a while. The MSB to my ears was the choice. Good luck trying.


rollo

 

Hello Rollo,

talking of harry Pearson i have a pair of Nola Grand reference for sale. hey are the latest MK VI.I I have them posted on Audiogon. I also have a pair of ex dem Reference 3a Grand Veena loudspeakers as well as I've just seen HP's workshop. great speaker.

 

I would go for the AMR simply because I know Thorsten (the designer) and he really knows his electronics and is also not afraid to trust his ears. Its a fine player with quality components and build that will outlast your lifetime as an audiophile I would think!

 

Have you actually heard it Simon?