Price Paid:  $2700.00 from Mac Dealer

Summary:
This CD player is amazing. I've been a firm believer in turntables and only use CDs when I'm not in serious listening mood but ever since I've changed to the mcd7009 player, I've begun to listen to my CDs more!

This player has a vinyl like quality to the music it produces. Piano passages no longer sound bright but now it just sounds right in it's timbre character and tonal nature. Details from CDs are well retrieved and presented in a natural presentation with good tight bass and vocal warmth. Mcintosh produces fine equipment and this cd player is on par with their highly priced transport and DAC combo (the Mac1000 transport and DAC combo) or the Linn Sondek. Get this cd player if you can as it will be the last cd player you will ever need to enjoy/immerse yourself in emotional aspects of each musical presentation.

I've owned many hi-end cd players from Mark Levinson, Wadia, Meridian (506.24 and 588), Electrocompaniet, Krell but none can match the mcintosh in it's natural and emotional presentation of music. Build quality is first class. (hey its a Mc!)

Strengths:
Natural presentation of music.
Fine analog sound.
Build quality.
The LAST CD you will ever need.

Weaknesses:
None.

Similar Products Used:
Too many hi-end brands.

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Used

Summary:
I went with the GIGO (garbage in->garbage out) method of purchasing equipment. I am starting from scratch, and am putting together a system that I want to sound great for both stereo and HT. After purchasing my other components, I was looking at several CD players in the $500-$800 range. One shop I went into had a 7009 on their used rack, and I had them set it up with equipment comparable to mine. I A-B'd it with each of the CD players mentioned below. The Mac blew some of them away, but was noticably more detailed and less harsh on the high end than all of them. Needless to say, I am now playing a Hi-Fi CD player through my decidedly mid-fi system and it sounds great. Of course, it sounded better through the all Mac system I listened to in the store after deciding to buy it. This will definitely not be my last Mac purchase.

My System:
JM Lab Chorus 725
Monster Z2 BiWire
Denon AVR3802
Audioquest Coral Interconnects
McIntosh MCD7009
Realistic LAB-2000

Strengths:
Detail; Smooth, refined high end

Weaknesses:
Can't afford the equipment to go with it

Similar Products Used:
Rega Planet, Music Hall CD25, Musical Fidelity. All with Marantz 7200 and Paradigm Monitor 9s.

Price Paid:  $1800.00

Summary:
The MCD7009 is the best CD-Player that i ever had.

Price Paid:  $2750.00 from Hifi Thelen

Summary:
Absolutely high end finished, built for a very long use.

The MCD 7009 is an audiophile CD with extremly low distortion and a deep and full "analog-sound" (a mixture of Wadia and Spectral).

Don't applause the few people who assert that in general McIntosh's sound is artificial (without any proof). You shold give an own expert opinion on the Mc-sound, especially on the MCD 7009. Its sound is very neutral and clear with a wide frequency range.

The innate rightness and truthfulness of the MCD 7009 come to the listener as a unity; the 7009 is accurate in the real sense of having the warmth, beauty, purity and clarity, the coherence and tonal reality of live music with a very deep and wide stereopanorama.

You have to pay from USD 1750 up to 2500,00 for a used one (the same as the MCD 7010; in very good condition). You should use it with McIntosh-equipment.

Strengths:
fine finish; built for a long use; rich and detailed sound

Weaknesses:
no

Similar Products Used:
drive/converter: Parasound; Audio Alchemy; Players: Sudgen, Sony, Marantz

Summary:
Bought mine two years ago and wouldn't trade it for a spotted hog. Besides the comfort of having McIntosh Labs behind it, the MCD7009 is a fine piece of design and engineering, worth every penny. I had no idea digitized sound could be so vast.