Summary:
Mind if I cry on my keyboard while I type this?
I used the Goldmund SRCD TT w/ a Goldmund SR DAC.
In my quest for a new CD player, I've recently (in the last week) listened to in my home the Linn Ikeme, SFCD1, Meridian 508.24. The Goldmund completely anhialated the others.
The SFDC was rich, but the bass was'nt that great and there was'nt enough air. Not enough definition. Merely good.
The Linn Ikeme had the best defined bass I've ever heard, but for 3700 dollars, I thought that something was missing in the presentation (not enough harmonics?) that it was hard to justify at that price. If you want to hear well defined bass, listen to this. I also thought that this player had a very smooth top end.
So I take home the Goldmund transport/dac combo.
I've never heard it sound so good!
I kept having to sit down and pay attention to the music.
It kept drawing me in. It did'nt have the bass defined as powerfully as the Linn. But this player has such a lack of grain that only the music remained and it was fantastic. I was playing this louder than I normally play my stereo.
Everything about the sound was right. Total lack of etch.
The final disc I played was Pet Shop Boys dance music and got the impression that the player was taking it's time to get it just right. Sounded slow... But the sound was just right and I heard things in the music I did'nt know existed.
Goldmung just came out with the SRCD2 which is a one box player. It should be better that what I auditioned because of the higher sample rates. BUT -it costs 5K!
I can't imagine paying any lesser amount of money and having to do w/ less after hearing this. SOB :(
System: Anthem AMP1, Sonic Frontiers LINE1, Proac 1SC w/ MIT terminator 6's and Straight Wire Encore interconnects.

Strengths:
The best I've ever heard from CD.

Weaknesses:
Dance tunes sounded slow...