Hi everyone, I auditioned cyrus cd8se and really liked it but naim cd5x/fc2x was better to my ears, dealer told me that cdxtse/dacx/psx-r sounds much better than 5x/fc2x and even competes with cd x2.
I couldn't audition it since he didn't have any of the last two in stock.
I'm really anxious to know if anyone has experienced the above comparison.
Trust your own ears. The dealer might be right - for his own priorities. However, if he felt that strongly about the comparison, he should have both in stock for clients to audition and make up their own mind.
These aren't exactly cheap components that you can throw away and not care if they don't work out. At least not for me anyway.
Take your time and listen to both, preferably with your own system in your own home. They're both very good, yet very different. Its more a matter of preference than which is outright better.
thanx for your remarks, either I have to stick with naim 5x/xs,sn/fc2x/hicap or cyrus cd8se/psxr/8power/prexpd because otherwise I have to go to another country to audition it ;)
question:Doesn't it mean when a system sounds good; an upgrade of the same brand system will sounds much better with same specific characteristics still kept?
Finder, you might also stop and ask yourself a question or 2. Is the setup that you like built for upgrades? If so, then, yes there is fun to be had and money to be spent, but...
If there is such improvement to be had, shouldn't a builder do it right the first time? As nice as Naim is, isn't there someone building the unit the right way to start? Just a pickle with Naim and my opinion, I suppose. Perrraux and all...
"question:Doesn't it mean when a system sounds good; an upgrade of the same brand system will sounds much better with same specific characteristics still kept?"
To my ears, every step up the Naim ladder sounds better. Power supplies, sources, amps, etc. In fact, I've never heard a step up their ladder that didn't sound better. However, how much better and if its worth the money is all a personal issue. Another thing to consider with Naim is does a lower CD player with an external power supply sound better than a the next CD player without one? Same for their pre-amps.
Naim has a ton of variables, and they should be auditioned against each other to determine which is the best course. Cyrus does the same stuff with power supplies, but I think they only apply to CD players. Not too sure.
Nuck - I think you've got the upgradable power supply upgrade issue wrong. If they made all their stuff with the top of the line power supply, costs would be higher. A CD5x is about $3k, which ain't cheap in my book. But that's a lot more affordable than a if the Flat Cap2x were standard for $1100 more. Another good thing about their power supplies is that they can power more than one thing at a time - ie CD player and pre-amp, CD player and phono stage. They also don't bypass the internal power supply. They power different parts of the component, thereby seperating the power and cutting down on interference.
Also, their top of the line gear comes with the external power supplies.
The CD5x can also use the SuperCap2 for an additional $5950. That would make the CD5x with the top of the line power supply way less affordable than the stock version.