I just bought the Azur 540C and pluged it in to my Azur 540R reciver via good analog cables. Right out of the box I have difficulty hearing any difference between the 5 year old pioneer dv-565a universal player playing the same disk. Have any of you had the same experience? buying an expensive kit and hearing no difference? I am going to let it burn in over the next 36 hours and see if there is any difference after that. The slight difference I can hear is that the 540C is more open and a bit more 3d sounding. Just a bit and when I switch back to the Pioneer then I am not sure any more. You are probably wondering what kind of speakers I am using. I am using the dynavoice m-85 speakers wich are floor standing speakers made by a Swedish company.
Perhaps for your listening the Pioneer is all you need. Give the Cambridge some time and try again. If once again you can't tell a difference, return that bad boy and buy some music.
Maybe I am just expecting to much from a stand alone cd player. I mean how much diffrent can a dvd player with 24/192khz DAc vs a cd player with a 24/192khz dac be? when I do A/B listening I can sometimes hear a difference but when switcing back and forth I somtimes lose the difference. I have as of this burned the player in for about 30 hours and not much has chanced so far but I am still "feeling" the player to be a bit more open and with more depth than the Pioneer dvd. Maybe I should have spent the extra money and bought the 740c But I am going to keep on burning it in and try changing cables and see what happpens. One thing I am realy happy with the 540c player is how quick everything is compared to a FOREVER load time of DVD players and almost all functions. Thanks for you help and comments
Well folks after burning the player in for about 40 hours I can still not hear any direct difference between the dvd player and the cd player. BUT, after listening to the cd player I have started to hear a diffrent thing. When you listen to it for longer periods (not 10 second part A and then switch to B) I hear how much more depth there is to everything. Things just sound more 3D and with more open feeling to it and there is more space around the wall of sound I hear in front of me and more distance between instruments. But my girlfriend would not be able to hear this. So would the DVD player have been enough? No and yes. I do enjoy the sound of the 540c and maybe it is just because I am a nerd...#"$% I mean a audio quality orientated kind of a person with a hobby around sound quality or just quality in general. I once had the opportunity to borrow for a long time the Xindak 1.0 cd player and compare it with the Pioneer universal player and I couldn't hear any difference in how it sounded. But at that time I didn't have a mature enough listening ear. So I will keep this player and soon buy either the Nad t535 for dvd sacd dvd-audio work or the CA 640D which should be out except CA is waiting for ????? Something?
BFB, I read with interest all your thoughts; well stated and lucid, frankly:
a) You are not a nerd, b) you did not hear a substantial difference, maybe marginal at best c) do not become aurally masochistic, self doubt is not a requisite part of enjoying this hobby.
Many share your views on the incremental value v. investment of a source CDP - it's not worth it.
BFB, if you don't hear it that's OK.
A rift with your squeeze is not Ok; she's more important than your CDP.
I am one of those many who don't hear a compelling difference, either -- nor does my wife.
But I am going to keep on burning it in and try changing cables and see what happpens. One thing I am realy happy with the 540c player is how quick everything is compared to a FOREVER load time of DVD players and almost all functions. Thanks for you help and comments