Price Paid:  $190.00 from Audio Advisor

Summary:
Nothing exceptional, but no flaws, which is amazing for such a low price !
Good image, many features, good remote control, good sound.....
Highly recommended.

Strengths:
Everything taking into account the price

Weaknesses:
Not compatible with SACD.

Price Paid:  $175.00 from Navy PX

Summary:
Put the outputs in 5.1 mode and fixed, not at 0dB unless there's obvious distortion. The outputs on these run at like 1.1 volts, so that's within the tolerance of most inputs. I have the version with SACD, too. Crushed reds lack dynamic range and the low end is a tad lite in areas. Picture over all needs adjustment on your TV for best results.

Price Paid:  $0.00 from copland cda 822

Summary:
copland cda822 cd player

this is an wonderfull cd player i've heard many others but no one come's close in many erea's, everthing is fluent, even the build of this player is something special my other toys are nautilus 804, cable v.d.hul, arcam a85,
pioneer 565a, processor cyrus av-8 with a bypass so-called straight line bypassing the proccesor.

Strengths:
every erea, lots of lows, super mids,giants high

Weaknesses:
plastic remote

Similar Products Used:
arcam cd 33, meridian 507, cyrus cd 8
quad 99 cdp

Price Paid:  $175.00 from Navy

Summary:
I just thought I'd inform all of you that the 655A, the one that also includes SACD, is available on www.welectronics.com for close to the price I paid, with multiregion on.

If you're using it with a flat panel or projector that can display NTSC and PAL, then it'd be a great buy. I'd love to have Lynch's Dune in Anamorphic and DTS, but the USA is not so lucky. Maybe I'll eventually buy one of those multiregion, multiTV players so I can buy that and twin peaks.

By the way, if your amplifier has enough gain, set the 655A to 0dB on all channels in 5.1 mode. Even if you only have 2 speakers you can turn the others off and it will combine the channels for you. The output stages of this player don't perform well when the output is cranked up, and you don't want it compressing the dynamic range just to make the output hotter. On some DD and DTS material (like Paul Van Dyk's Global), virtual surround does make a lot of difference in 2 channel. It also seems to boost the very low frequencies and better manage phase of the rear channel information. Unfortunately it also makes the front channels a little two too phasy in the process.

No matter what you do, though, CD playback will still generally be very digital and agressive sounding. My brother likes the way it fleshes out detail, though.

Price Paid:  $175.00 from Navy

Summary:
This is for the SACD capable 655A: The luma to chroma problems appear to be gone when component out is used. Haven't had a single read problem with any disk. Sounds great with MP3's. DVD-A and SACD sound like the best CD's, though on this level of player doesn't really exceed, except in terms of the mids on SACD. Have yet to try surround. Wide range of picture and sound adjustments. DTS is a tad bassy and overly warm, but dolby digital seems effortless for this player. Bjork's Volumen 2 though a headphone amplifier and ER4S headphones produces some of the most transparent and natural sound I've heard any system reproduce. Odd considering how hard people are on the consumer version of DD. Bought an Akai 30" widescreen w/o progressive ($330!!), and the only problem now is the large, noticeable scanlines of the TV. On a 13" NEC pro video monitor in anamorphic squeeze mode, it looked absolutely superb and film like. All my friends love my new set-up, but I guess I'm just really picky about TV's.