Price Paid:  $625.00 from Filtronique Son-Or

Summary:
Very simple player with no extra controls. Produce a really clear sound with a lot of details. Good bass extension. Very nice player. Do not hesitate if you can buy one used.

Strengths:
Great details. Very sweet mids and heigths.

Weaknesses:
Poor remote.

Similar Products Used:
Audio Refinement CD Player, Atoll, Cambridge...

Summary:
I bought this unit a number of years ago. At the time, I reckoned that all CD players sounded more or less the same. However, when I auditioned the STD-1 it clearly sounded better than the competition at the time.

Recently I had a look at a Cyrus 7 CD player ($1300), as DAC technology has supposedly come a long way in the last few years. I was amazed that my old STD-1 easily outperformed the Cyrus in every area. The Cyrus has been very well reviewed. I also tried a Meridian (model ???), and again, no improvement. I did hear a Krell which was very impressive, but outside my budget.

So, after 5 years I will keep the Sugden. I don't claim that it has an analogue sound, but it is one of the better ways to listen to CDs.

Strengths:
Natural unforced sound with good detail, solid transport.

Weaknesses:
Poor remote control, looks dated

Similar Products Used:
Meridian, Quad, Naim, Marantz, Cyrus 7

Price Paid:  $600.00 from Second Hand Store

Summary:
I've just bought this product as out-of market equipment (It was not sold).
I've asthonished, in the age of 24bits/192Khz, of how an exceptional DAC (Philips TDA1541 AS1), "just" a 16 bits 4x oversampling, can do. The detail and sweatness now I have, compared to an also sweat CD (AMC CDM7) is incredible. Overall, the quality in strings (guitar, even piano, is exceptional, compared to the price).
For the original price (2500 US$), It's still good.
The associated electronics is a SPHINX mith5 amplifier and loudspeakers GOV alegria (spanish design based on Focal's drivers)

Strengths:
Great detail. Very sweet mids and heigths

Weaknesses:
Maybe a lot of separation between frequency bands ??

Similar Products Used:
Previously an AMC CDM7

Summary:
I bought this CD player recently and I am very enthusiast by this player. The soundstage is spacious, the sound imaging is stable. Like other British products, the sound is like a turntable, sweet and non-agresssive. The dynamics are very good. The bass and lower-bass are strong with a little bit of roundness. In a few terms, this CD player deliver a warm sound with a lot of details and good dynamics and bass.