Which Quad cd player "sounds" best

[DavidAston]

I apologise if this information is already well known on these forums.
I emailed Quad yesterday to find out if they consider the CDP-2 to be "sonically" superior to the CD-S. The answer came back yes, because the admittedly more expensive machine, has a better dac.
Just in case, anyone, like me, has been dithering over which machine to purchase!

 

[gredos]

You might like also to consider that, as far as I can see from Quad's website, the CD-S has no built-in remote control. It seems that it can only be remote-controlled indirectly, using Quad's matching pre-amp's remote controller. A good ruse to make you buy both CD player and pre-amp?

 

[DavidAston]

I suppose gredos, asking a manufacturer which is their best machine, and being told it is the most expensive one, is not that astonishing!!!
At least the info gleened, shows that the dearer machine isnt simply the cheaper one with just the pre-amp bolted on.

 

[Peterkinxl5]

Something else to check out, the transport mechanism is custom designed and built specifically for the CD-P2 whereas the CD-S uses a Philips mechanism.

In my experience QUAD produce the most brilliantly detailed natural sound I've encountered within their price range.

However, QUAD is in my experience dependant on premium quality interconnects and speaker cable and also high quality CD's etc to produce the best results.

In other words, don't attempt to get away with any freebie/offcuts-QUAD equipment will react harshly to such false economies.

Again this is a matter for the individual but give Van Den Hul Thunderline Interconnects and Magnum speaker cable a try.

 

[Mark.Yudkin]

However, QUAD is in my experience dependant on premium quality interconnects and speaker cable and also high quality CD's etc to produce the best results.

This is interesting, given that Quad themselves are strong believers in "wire is wire":

Quad have always had a very straightforward engineering view of their products, and insisted that all amplifiers sounded the same when used within their capabilities, and that speaker cable had no sound at all, unless ludicrously long and thin wire is used.

It was also Quad who demonstrated their ESLs using "speaker" wire bought from a local hardware store - marketed as a power lead for hedge cutters.

What will make a difference of course, is using Quad ESL speakers (with any 2.5mm copper wire)!

 

[DavidAston]

Thanks Mark and peter for your fresh input. Our room is too small to accomodate ESL's. Certainly my best listening option is the old Jecklin electrostatic headphone setup.
Perhaps a Stax replacement some day!!!!

 

[Peterkinxl5]

This is interesting, given that Quad themselves are strong believers in "wire is wire":

It was also Quad who demonstrated their ESLs using "speaker" wire bought from a local hardware store - marketed as a power lead for hedge cutters.

What will make a difference of course, is using Quad ESL speakers (with any 2.5mm copper wire)!

I can only speak with my own experience.

I've tried QUAD equipment of the sort mentioned but not the Electrostatics.

As for any old wire etc, if you find off-cuts and bell-wire etc work in your set-up then fine.

However, I've tried a QUAD CD-P2/909/22L2 with any old cable/interconnect then QUNEX2 and Silver Anniversary XT then finally QED Genesis Revelation Speaker cable and Van Den Hul D102 mkIII Interconnect and there was a definite improvement with the last combination.

 

[dablk]

It was also Quad who demonstrated their ESLs using "speaker" wire bought from a local hardware store - marketed as a power lead for hedge cutters.

So they splashed the boat out on the expensive toughened stuff then...

or perhaps it sounded better in orange cable

 

[Mark.Yudkin]

Nobody is talking bell wire here:

unless ludicrously long and thin wire is used

I even gave a clear specification:

with any 2.5mm copper wire

The subject of Quad's comments is the £14/m cable you cite. In my lounge that would mean spending over £800 more on speaker cable. That money can be better invested elsewhere, as in:

I've tried QUAD equipment of the sort mentioned but not the Electrostatics

 

[Peterkinxl5]

Nobody is talking bell wire here:

I even gave a clear specification:

The subject of Quad's comments is the £14/m cable you cite. In my lounge that would mean spending over £800 more on speaker cable. That money can be better invested elsewhere, as in:

I did also state off-cuts which doesn't rule out 2.5mm copper wire

£800 on QED Genesis-Revelation?

How big is your living room?

Well again the QUAD ESL2905 is apparently a staggeringly good speaker for Classical Music when partnered up with a decent turntable/ Cd etc provided you have the room but at £6k it ought to be.

And quite honestly if I was going up to that level I'd be looking for something like VDH Revelation.

But again, that is definitly IMHO