Summary: This is a great cd-player. Apart from the sound and build quality, what strikes me most is the fenomenal error correction. Never skips or hangs even on cd's that won't play on most machines.
As for the knucklehead from Japan who posted the dumb-ass "review" below: thanx for your brilliant review, glad you could make it to this site. Please don't come again!
Strengths: Build, what a drawer!
Weaknesses: Kinda cheap remote, Proceed brand being scutteld by Harman, makers of the worst brand in the history of audio: Harman Kardon
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Summary: This unit is on loan to me for the moment as I am waiting for my Mark Levension 390S to arrive. Compared this unit to my old CDP which I just sold - the Electrocompaniet EMC1, the Proceed CDP has better imaging, dynamic, bass control, and sound faster than the EMC1, with extremely quiet background. However it sounds a bit more digital than the EMC1. If you are look for quick dynamic musical sound, this is the CDP to go for. I would say it beats the EMC1 in general. Now hoping my new 390S will sound better than the CDP !!
Strengths: Speed, musical, dynamic, bass control
Weaknesses: A bit digital
Similar Products Used: EMC1
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Summary: I searched for a replacement CD player for my Marantz CD-72 with a Forte Model 50 DAC. This combination sounded very good to me for a long time, but I got the itch for a change, so I auditioned a few different units including the Wadia 830, a Classe model, and the Proceed CDP. In my system the Wadia was far too harsh and bright. It gave my wife a headache in 20 minutes of listening. The Classe was also a bit on the "digital" sounding side. The Proceed had a much more rounded musical sound to it. Where the others had distinct sibilance on many vocals, the Proceed did not. I have become very satisfied with the quality and performance of the Proceed and the HDCD decoding is a bonus. My system consists of:
2 Forte Model 6a power amps
Forte Model 40 preamp
Apogee Duetta Signature speakers
Paradigm Reference Servo 15 sub
I had one problem with the Proceed after almost a year''s use, but Madrigal fixed it in about 4 weeks at no cost. My unit was purchased as a dealer demo, hence the significant savings off the list price of $3,495.00. At $2,100 it is a real bargain. I highly recommend it.
Strengths: Build quality. Overall sound and musicality.
Weaknesses: none for me
Similar Products Used: Wadia 830, Classe, Marantz CD-72
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Summary: I was sort of forced into this one. My Carver CD Player went belly up after 15+ years, the first one Carver produced, it had been repaired twice during the 15+ years, but now it was time for something new. I followed the classified''s at audiogon for several weeks. I also got the usual flyers from local dealers and then as if by plan, Gramophone had a floor sample close out sale. I got the floor sample at a great price. When I got it home it worked for 15 minutes and then started to replay section of the cd all by itself. Just like a record player with a skipping LP. I took it back the next day and off it went to Madrigal. Four weeks later the unit arrived with upated software, replaced drive parts and it works great. I changed out the manufactures 9 ft. power cord with one from Kimber and am settling in for extended listening sessions. I''ll follow up this intro. review in a couple of months and let you know my observations/impressions then. If you can afford this price range go for it. (full retail is around $3200 - $3500 for this unit). There is a difference at this price level and I can hear it. You will not be disappointed with this unit. Give it a try if you can and good listening.
Strengths: Great sound; not to bright, not dull, backgrounds are quieter and I can hear deeper into the music almost without trying to. I''d probably say that it was a more relaxed presentation of the music. I listen to, jazz, new age, rock, etc. Not as much blurring of instruments. (don''t forget I was using a 15+ year old cd player and lots of thing change in 15+ years.)Hey if it ain''t broke, well you know the rest. Good design (industrial, if you like that sort of thing), manufactures warranty and dealer''s customer service.
Weaknesses: Just the initial disappointment that first day.
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Summary: My search for a CD player upgrade began many months ago and ended after home auditioning the Proceed CDP for several days. I had previously listened to both the Meridian and the Rotel (both excellent CD players in their own right but not nearly as musical as the Proceed in my personal estimation).
The Meridian offers the listener excellent detail, soundstage and bloom. It delivers satisfactory mid-range and bass extension, and excels in rendering a smooth, lush sound. However, I found the sound to be too reserved for my liking (which is a matter of personal taste). Moreover, the Meridian was not as adept as the Proceed at reproducing every last bit of detail of sound emanating from different musical instruments in a recording. This is evident in complex musical compositions such as Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, or Barber's Three Essays for Orchestra, wherein the tempo is extremely dynamic, and every instrument in a symphonic orchestra is utilized.
The Rotel is not in the same sonic caliber as the Proceed or Meridian. This is not to say that the Rotel is a poor performer. Given its much lower price point, it offers excellent value for the money, and delivers very satisfying sound to the listener if mated with good quality components and cables. It delivers extremely good bass extension and overall detail, but the music is nowhere near as involving as the Proceed. Depending on your setup, the sound from the Rotel may seem a tad bright as well.
The Proceed CDP comes closest to bringing the listener to musical nirvana at its moderate price point. It combines an open soundstage with utter clarity, and depth. It is neither overly analytical-sounding or smooth. Rather, it happily sits somwhere in the middle within this spectrum, thereby providing the listener with a good balance of dynamics and smoothness - music just simply sounds natural and full. The Proceed is never harsh or bright-sounding. It renders a more assertive presentation versus other players that I've auditioned, which may not appeal to everyone's tastes. It also delivers extremely satisfying deep bass extension. If you run the Proceed via a good preamp/power amp setup, with a reasonable full-range pair of speakers, you will never need to use a subwoofer. In the dreamworld, I would be eyeing Mark Levinson or Wadia hardware, but in the real world, the Proceed comes closest to delivering the absolute sound in the form of a neatly packaged, highly versatile piece of kit. The Proceed gets top marks for overall consumer value. If you are an avid audio listener, and are in the market for a high-end CD player, the Proceed CDP should be on your shortlist.
Incidentally, I had contemplated about investing in a CD player that utilizes Direct Stream Digital technology (i.e., Sony SCD-1, Marantz SA-1 SACD) at one time, but decided against the idea (despite whatever sonic superiority claims can be substantiated by SACD players) for three reasons: i) limited availability of software; ii) high upfront cost and the added cost of rebuilding your CD collection with replacement SACD's; and iii) DVD Audio and SACD are still battling it out to see which format will become the future defacto audio standard (my money is on DVD-Audio).
My equipment:
Proceed CDP Bryston 4BST Bryston 5BST Paradigm Deluxe 11se speakers Paradigm Servo 15 subwoofer AudioQuest Coral balanced XLR interconnects Nordost Solar Wind interconnects van den Hul D352 Hybrid speaker cables Denon AVR3300 receiver Elite DV09 DVD player
Strengths: Extremely versatile piece of kit. It can be used as a CD transport or digital processor (as it has digital inputs). Furthermore, because it has a built-in digital volume control, the CDP can be directly connected to a power amplifier. Is extremely musical - delivers top notch sonics (realism, detail, clarity, smoothness, open soundstage) regardless of musical selection (i.e., classical, jazz, new-age, rock, electronic). Extremely high build quality. Remote control is easy to follow and use. Front panel display is clearly legible from afar (unit also comes equipped with a dimmer switch if you don't want to have the diplay appear)
Weaknesses: Overall aesthetics may not appeal to some. Remote control is contructed of plastic and not machined metal.
Similar Products Used: Meridian 506.24, Rotel RCD 971
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