Summary:
OK, I'll cut to the chase, the BAT is the best cd player I've heard. The lush, warm midrange, cannot be duplicated. I wish I could afford it. A friend gave me a good deal on the Classe CDP 1. This is a VERY nice player. The BAT may have slightly better mid's(tube magic), but the Classe has better bass and rich, warm mids & highs. I'll be honest, if someone were giving me a player, I'd insist on the BAT. If you have les than $1500 to spend on a world class cd player (Used), the Classe is the best I've heard in the last 15 years.

Strengths:
Warmth, natural timbres, deep bass.

Weaknesses:
Not the last word in detail.

Similar Products Used:
Proceed PDT/PDP 3,PCD 3, EAD CD 1000,Theta Miles, BAT VK-D5.

Price Paid:  $2000.00 from London Audio

Summary:
When I took this player home to try out I must admit I was very surprised. The dealer had it marked down to half price and they told me that for 2500 cdn I could buy a better player. (this is from a dealer that thinks anything other than Linn is GARBAGE) I have compared this player with other players from 2500 cdn to 6000 cdn and I would say that it definitely holds its own and the vocals were actually better on the Classe'. The internal wiring on the Classe' is Cardas, so the Cardas Golden Cross Interconnects and Speaker Cables I use match very well. I have found over the last 7 years of playing with audio equipment that it is more a matter of matching a system. One of the best CD players I have ever heard was the Copland 289. But when I heard the Copland on all Linn gear it sounded terrible. On Sonic Frontier amp/preamp it was matched up beautifully.
The Classe' CDP 1 is one of the better cd players I have heard especially the mids and vocals. ( it also has very good bass)

Strengths:
Great bass, fantastic midrange, vocals are very very good

Weaknesses:
At 5000.$ Cdn.it is pricey but since I only paid 2500 cdn a great value

Similar Products Used:
Sony XA7 ES, YBA Integra and CD3, Naim CD 3.5, BAT, Copland 289.

Summary:
I doubt many people care about this product any more, as it is no longer made. Maybe those searching the used market will want to know. I bought this because of the midrange - it gets the music right, and has tremendous microdynamic control and articulation. After I bought mine, I read a review by Bob Harley in Fi recommending it for that same reason, so my ears were vindicated. I have tried this player toe to toe with the ARC CD2 on different kinds of equipment, and can tell you that there are only minor differences between the two. I have to say I enjoyed the ARC a bit more (I'm a tube guy anyway), but only a bit more. The ARC is slightly less bright, less "digital", more lush. But in my system, which includes a Melos amp that tends to roll the highs, the Classe works better. So much of this is system matching that I give little credence to people who say simply that it sounds "like a $1,500 player," whatever that "sound" is. The CDP-1, properly matched, is in the big leagues with the big boys. It throws a huge, detailed, rich, balanced soundstage with proper weight; I use it with 20k of equipment and have no urge to toss it until we finally get the Next Great Thing (SACD or DVDA). Goodwin's High End demos the ARC and the Classe side by side; if the Classe weren't good value for money, Alan Goodwin wouldn't sell any! If you can find one on the used market for a reasonable price, and you use tube gear leaning toward the lush, romantic, slightly dark side, this thing may help restore balance and timbre to their proper places. Calling this player "unrefined" is like calling a Jaguar unrefined because the driver can only use an automatic, and doesn't know what to do with a clutch. I have never heard a "refined" CD player alone; I have only heard "refined" systems. You have to know how to drive the machine! Don't feel shy about trying this out, if the rest of your system fits the bill. It is very, very satisfying: unmechanical, undigital, and musical.

Strengths:
great midrange

Weaknesses:
a bit of a "solid state" sound

Similar Products Used:
Alchemy transport, Forte DAC, ARC CD2

Summary:
Great player. Excellent sound stage, great tonal balance,pin point accuracy, and the warmth one wants when listening
a replication of classical music. Classe! all the way!

Summary:
I had very high expectations for the Classe'CDP-1 but it too,like every otherClasse' piece of gear,performed badly for what it cost.The CDP-1 is not a
bad player but,I expected more performance for the money.In comparison to
the Classe'CDP.5 the CDP-1 sounded much better but still had the same funny
mid-range characteristic and unrefined thing going on.I compared the CDP-1
to an Audio Research CD2 and found that there was no question to which one
sounded better.The ARC CD2.The only place where I heard that the CDP-1
sounded better was in the bass.It had slightly better bass.The ARC was more
refined,more involving,and cleaner sounding than the Classe'.I came to the
same conclusion when comparing the Classe CDP-1 to a Sonic Frontiers SFCD-1.
In every area the Sonic outright outperformed the Classe'.Except in the bass,
here again the Classe' was slightly better.In comparison to the Krell KAV300cd,
The Classe' was darker sounding and definately not as clean.The Krell had
tighter bass and a super extended treble.
All in all,I found that the Classe'CDP-1 wasn't a bad sounding cd player,
it just didn't sound as if it should cost $3500.00.The Classe'sounded like
a good $1500.00 player.It sounded almost like a Rotel RCD990 (the one and only)
Good bass,good pace,dynamic,but lacking in overall refinement.The build
quality was first rate and it was beautiful to look at,but at $3500.00, I
expected better sound.At $1500 or even $2000 the Classe CDP-1 would be a good
deal.At $3500 no way!