dreamkeeper

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $260.00 from Ebay

Summary:
After much swapping and changing my eqipment over the past 3 years i am finally very happy with the sound quality i am now getting from 3 quite modestly priced pieces of equipment. you would be amazed at how well these 3 items work with each other..

Musical Fidelity A3CD player (also had a Rotel rcd-965bx with a trichord clock which was very good too)

Musical fidelity B200x Amplifier

Epos ES11 Speakers

Chord Company Carnival bI-WIRE silver plus speaker cable

Chord company Cobra 3 interconnects

I suppose as with all hi-fi systems proper matching is paramount and i have found the the A3CD will take your breath matched with the above.. (the B200x is Amazing)

hope this helps somebody.

JNicks

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Stereo Passion

Summary:
I purchased this CD player as a first step up from mid-fi equipment. My previous player was a Denon - good performance for the price, but hardly spectacular sound. I auditioned several players at the time I purchased the A3 and found that the A3's performance was simply the best in the price range for my purposes. To go to a better player cost essentially double the price of the A3. The A3 has very clear reproduction, with very good detail. There is no harshness or stridency, except for early in the long break-in period. The sound has a certain immediacy that I found quite pleasant. Soundstaging is also very good. This player made it to the final round of my auditions, along with the Linn Genki and the Atoll CD100. The A3 cost 30% less than the Genki and delivered, perhaps, an even better performance. The Atoll was a very pleasant player, with more warmth than the A3 and a more intimate soundstage. I preferred it to the A3 on chamber music and female voice. However, I enjoyed the overall presentation of the A3 somewhat more. A niggling detail: the buttons on the remote are located near the bottom, rather than at the top where they are usually found. This is a little more awkward to use and I sometimes find myself holding it backwards. The A3 has been used in a system comprising: - Musical Fidelity A3CD. - Anthem Pre2L preamp. - Bryston 3B-ST amplifier. - ProAc Response D15 speakers. - Nordost and Wireworld cables. I have experienced no problems with the A3 after four years of use. Musical Fidelity has demonstrated that they know how to build a quality CD player at a very good price.

Strengths:
Nothing better at the price to my ears.

Weaknesses:
Feel of the remote.

Similar Products Used:
For auditioning: Musical Fidelity, Linn, Atoll, Anthem, others.

mad_about_ music

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $325.00 from global hifi

Summary:
this cd player when modified will blow you away,with hi levels of clarity with a massive soundstage. as good as the worlds finest true giant slayer with a trichord clock 4 fitted, and a trichord super voltage regulator board and all 4 opamps replaced with the lowest jitter specs ever,makes this player the best cd player i have ever heard.

Strengths:
amazing when modified

Similar Products Used:
naim linn krell wadia

Price Paid:  $1500.00 from local hifi dealer

Summary:
Man, this player (the A3.2 version actually) had issues. I audienced it with other CD players as a possible replacement for my Shanling S-100. Sound-wise, there's little to complain about (c'mon, all this talk about "vast" differences between CD players redefining the music is just crap!), except maybe a slightly harsh treble. Bass is punchy, the 3D soundstaging impressive. Some very flat 80s pop recordings sounded more dynamic than on other players, but with music that comes with a certain reverb (i.e. classical music), the enlarged soundstage was no longer noticeable. BUT the unit I auditioned just didn't work properly: After about 40 to 50 minutes of continuous playing, scratchy noise completely overwhelmed the music. I turned the player off, turned it on again after a while ... the noise returned after about half an hour. I placed it at about a meter distance from the other components. Did not work. I switch to a more luxuriously shielded NF connection. Did not work. I used "regular" CDs as opposed to my A/B hifi test CD-Rs. Did not work. My advice: IF you want to consider this unit, test it THOROUGHLY before you buy (also see other complaionts above).

Strengths:
Rather impressive 3D soundstage on very flat recordings, punchy brass

Weaknesses:
Unreliable! Harsh treble.

Similar Products Used:
Shanling S-100, Arcam CD 73T, Denon DCD 685, Marantz CD 67 SE, Harman Kardon HD 7400

Price Paid:  $1400.00 from Lyrics Audio

Summary:
This review is for the MF A3.2. This CD Player is in my system together with the MF A3 amplifier and B&W Nautilus 803 from one year. This combination has some problems: is weak in the bass, a little anemic, and in the "body" of sound. Moreover, the high part of spectrum is sometimes too "scratching". I thought these problems was of the amplification: 85W are not a lot for N803. Then, I tested another amplification: pre with tubes, and a MOSFET final, 105W. The improvements are a lot, but not full satisfactory. Then, I tested the player in a high level system, in a house of a friend. I discovered the main cause (but not the only) of my problems: with my big surprise, it's the source! I'm going to change it first.

Strengths:
Solid construction, very clean sound.

Weaknesses:
Weak bass, high frequence "scratch"

Similar Products Used:
Denon CDC660, MYST + Conrad-Johnson DAC P9