I can feel the heat from the flames already on this one!

My system is P9/17D2/CDX/82/HiCap/140/Abbotts.

I bought the CDX about nine months ago, which replaced a 3.5/FC and from day one I've been a bit underwhelmed with it - it is quite a bit better than the old player - but not the step forward I planned it to be. My dealer is understanding and has offered a pretty generous trade-in on it if I want to change it.

I know the obvious improvement is to get an XPS, but in the UK, this is £2000 which is more than I want to spend to get the sound I want - I'm looking at getting a better cartridge at present.

Glass 'n' rubber suspension systems will not create domestic bliss for me , so these much-discussed CDX improvements will not work in my case.

Question is - are there any CD alternatives which forum members have used which they think are worth exploring. My price range is £2000-£2500(ish), which is basically my CDX plus £800 or so. Anyone try the Meridian 508.24 or other players?

Cheers

Richard

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My system is P9/17D2/CDX/82/HiCap/140/Abbotts.

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Sorry to hijack the thread, but what do you think of the P9 17D2 combo? I ask because I have a second hand 17D2 coming towards my P9 soon...

As for your CDX question, it might help if you describe what you feel it lacks (I assume compared to the P9).

Tony.

I've auditioned quite a few non-Naim CD players, and the one that stands out most in my mind, is the Meridian 508.24. It has a very weighty dynamic sound, yet is at the same time extremely detailed. The presentation is quite "smooth" and virtually free of digital nasties, and I was very close to buying it myself. I just prefered the less "hi-fi" presentation of the Naim kit that I subsequently auditioned.

All the best

Matt

Or save up a LOT more and get a CDSII one day in the future?

Jonathan

Per

The three CD players I would recommend trying (that I have heard) are a used CDS, a Meridian 508.24; and the Linn Ikemi. (Probably in that order, actually.) The CDS is, IMO, one of those timeless players that you can listen to forever. The Meridian and the Linn offer a different, less well paced and timed presentation, so it might boil down to what you want to change.

Good Luck !

Bob

PS--Never be nervous about not being happy with something whatever anyone else thinks !

In this forum there is a relative paucity of members conversing about the merits of the CDS compared to other models/makes.

They could well be spending their time listening to music.

I bought one second hand and it sounds great to me. It was double the cost of my CD3 and I think worth it.

David

I use and recommend the Meridian CD players. I have a 508.24 and an older 16 bit 506. I recently spent a week with a CDX and, while I thought it was a good player, I did not for a second consider replacing either of my Meridian players.

I should add that I own Exposure rather than Naim amplifiers, so my tastes may not be the same as yours; but by the same token, I have no emotional investment in Naim gear.

And to prove that I have no prejudices with respect to the gear I use, and to answer Per's question, I have demo'ed the Exposure CD player at home for a week on two separate occasions. I found it completely unlistenable. It sounded like a tarted-up circa 1987 Marantz multi-bit CD player.

Ross

PS Tony, the 17D2 was posted yesterday, so you will shortly be able to answer your own question.

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As for your CDX question, it might help if you describe what you feel it lacks (I assume compared to the P9).

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Ditto. Let's then explore the setup possibilities before you throw out the baby.

Rico - musichead

Basically, I find it sounds harsh and aggressive - kind of great to listen to for 5-10 mins but tiring over a longer listening session. It also seems to boogie less effectively than my 3.5/FC combo did.

By contrast I could play records on the P9 for days on end without any harshness.

I thought it would get better over time as it bedded in, but it hasn't really.

Any more thoughts?

Cheers

Richard

these appear to be setup isses to my way of thinking. Can you describe how the system is set up, please? I would recommend exploring how to improve things first, although I do accept that perhaps the CDX is not for everyone. Still, as you enjoyed the way your former CD3.5/Hi worked, there is hope yet. 5-10 minutes before fatigue is the large indicator here.

The CDX is known as being a little support-sensitive - let's start there. And what about your power config? Vuk and Joe should be able to provide useful input here, with P9/CDX-CD2 experience. I note you have stated that the MDF solutions won't have domestic acceptablitity.

Rico - musichead

It is on the top shelf of a 5-shelf Quadraspire rack. The layout is as follows:

CDX
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82
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Marantz CD-Recorder
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Rega Radio & P9 PSU
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Sony Minidisc
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The P9 is on a wall shelf. The HiCap and 140 are on the floor, hidden behind a sofa! I live in a relatively small Victorian house, and space is at a premium.

Power-wise: The hifi is all on a dedicated mains spur from the distribution board inside the house. There are eight sockets and no nasty LEDs or any other interference-inducing stuff on any of the sockets.

I should say that what caused me to actually contribute to the forum on this issue was the purchase of a CD-Recorder, which does sounds almost as good as the CDX(!!!)

Richard

"It also seems to boogie less effectively than my 3.5/FC combo did".

Richard,

I must say that I had the same feeling about the CDX that I tried for 3 days. I thought they were meant to groove better than a deep furrow plough!

FWIW the CDX & my existing Roksan player were set up side by side on identical Mana platforms.

Bob.

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It is on the top shelf of a 5-shelf Quadraspire rack.

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...rumor has it that the Quadaspire rack is *very* tunable. Perhaps someone with the rack and direct experience of this can chime in?

- GregB
Freedom is not in finding the Holy Grail but in stopping the search for it

Apart from the setup issues mentioned above, it strikes me that the £800 you're willing to spend over and above what you could get for the CDX should buy you a Hicap. There should be plenty of comment on Hicap/CDX vs bare CDX already on the forum. Perhaps your dealer would allow you to do a home demo with a Hicap? Or, if you dare, an XPS as well?

Cheers,

John Schmidt
"95% of everything is crud" - Theodore Sturgeon

I presume you mean using a HiCap on the 82, not on the CDX, since I don't think that is possible?

I'd rather fix my source problem before moving to the amp; the evidence from the Rega is that the amp/speakers are fine.

Cheers

Richard

"..rumour has it that the Quadraspire rack is *very* tuneable. Perhaps someone with the rack and direct experience of this can chime in?"

I don't own a QS, but I know a man who does. About a week ago he asked me to come & check out his system as it wasn't doing it's thing, on occasions like this he calls me Dr Bob, I'm actually quite flattered!

It didn't take me long to realize that the QS set up was the problem. It was all far too tight.

First slacken the top nuts so they come off, next give the top 4 pillars about 3 full turns to totally slacken them. In turn work your way down the shelves slackening the pillars. You will notice that as you get nearer the bottom the pillars can't be slacken as many turns at the top ones.

When the whole this is flapping around in the breeze, start at the bottom and tighten to just beyond the point that tension sets in. After the first 4 have been 'tightened' work you way up the stack repeating this to the top.

The top 4 nuts should be just beyond finger tight. The slightest twist of the allen key should be about right. These top nut are _very_ important to get right.

The good news is that you can fairly easily tune these, a bit like a musical instrument.

Good luck & tell us how it works out.

( Dr ) Bob.

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Vuk and Joe should be able to provide useful input here, with P9/CDX-CD2 experience.

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Even though I have my CD2 on a Mana Power Supply table (which helped), on a dedicated homemade wooden stand (which also helped), the CD2 is still my secondary source.

Maybe I'm a die-hard vinyl head, but I think you have to spend a lot of money to get close to/match/surpass a good record deck. Maybe Richard is asking too much from his CDX.

Vuk, on the other hand, is so pleased with his CDX on Mana (although he has more and better Mana than I) that if he could turn back time (like Cher), I think he never would have bothered with vinyl and tables. And he has a p9/XX-1L/Prefix which ought to clobber my p9/Karma.

Jo