Not the best but certainly the best for its price. Gives me many pleasurable listening hours. I substituted the standard JJ Tube for a Amperex Bungle Boy tube and some extra damping of the chassis. With this config I blew away many more expensive CD spinners. Rich harmonic sound with plenty of details and a firm and dynamic bass in which it excels compared to other player up to $/€ 2.000,--. Add a good power chord. It’s sensitive in that area and it certainly pays off in the bass region.

- Plays nice with all of the systems I've heard it in.
- Well built, looks like i will get years of use out of this.
- Choice of 3 sets of analogue out and the 2 popular digital out.

- Not the most asthetically pleasing player to look at but give the chinese a few years...
- In this price band, nothing else can be called a weakness.

**This review is for the muse 3 hybrid tube/chip player**
I bought this CD player sight and sound unseen/unheard from ebay and took a calculated risk, having seen the insides photos the parts looked high enough quality. Add to the fact that nothing here around that kind of money looked half as promising it was a risk that i was comfortable taking. Took it home, plugged it in put in my favourite cd and was completely floored by the sound coming out of the speakers well actually the sound that was coming from the general direction of the speakers. instruments now had what seemed like shape and hard panned instruments/backing vocals came from well past the speaker boxes. Female vocals sound much more pleasing to the ear and to use a cliche: less digital.

To make sure i wasn't dreaming i plugged in the Shanling CD-S100 Mk2 to check and all of the niceness disappeared and i was left with the analytical sound of the Shanling, not to say the Xindak isn't analytical as i still hear previously hidden detail in CD's i haven't listened to in ages. It's just the presentation of the Xindak is much more pleasing to the ear.

And that is what it is all about, aural pleasure, here is a player that will play nicely with even overly bright setups. In fact it will reinforce why you bought the bright speakers in the first place. It is also ok with speakers that have a slightly recessed top end. Sure it isn't in the same league as a wadia but for the money and in a mid priced real stereo system if you favour musicality above all else it's unbeatable.

Similar Products Used:

Shanling CD-S100 Mk2
Shanling CD-S300 SACD
Linn Mimik