Price Paid:  $4800.00 from Audio Excelence

Summary:
Coupled to the NAC 52 Pre-amp and NAP 180, driving a pair of Castle Harlechs, the equipement is used contually for music or radio. The player was the first CD reprducer I have heard that actually did not sound DIGITAL. In fact it did not seem to be taking anyt part in the action at all. On good classical recording it merely passed on more musical information than anything including any LP player that I'd had the chance of hearing. I started the current set with a Nait and CD 3.5, which was fine, and much more musical than any equipment audition up to that time for the money. However, the closer you get to perfection, the more irritating are characteristics associated with the equipment rather than the music. My current set is more than good enough to be able to forget the element of "reproduction" inherent in music in the comfort of your own home. I have player and taught the double bass professionally, and have always got thge greatest pleasure from listening to live concerts by really tyop musicians. A live recording played through the CDS 11 seems to place you in the concert venue. Surely that is what the aim of any piece of Hi Fi should be. Honest and with only one chartacteristic: Honesty. Don't buy it if you like you music soft centrered or trimmed to fit. This machine lets you have the whole story warts and all. Music enthusiasts need only worry about the money!

Strengths:
Phenomenally natural sound with so much attention to detail that the performance simply comes to life. Superb, robust build quality.

Weaknesses:
Can really take a badly engineered rtecording apart, but this is counteracted by the happy ability to restore faith in older, simpler less dynamic recording from the mono and 78 eras, which tended to have good balance and engineering and produce really fresh, clean sounds if the transfer is well made.

Similar Products Used:
Various Arcam, Sony, Philips and Marantz

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Great cd player maybe one off the best in the world,but MF nu vista 3d lifeless? I think you dont have ears.

Strengths:
makes music

Weaknesses:
Musical fidelity nu vista makes music too for less money.

Similar Products Used:
marantz cd 7,naim cdx,MF nu vista 3d, helios 1,

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Upon getting this player home I span a few cd's and almost vomited and excreted in my trousers simultaneously. I expected a great deal from a player costing such a large amount. Having owned a Levinson 39 for a number of years I expect alot from such high priced equipment. Some of the reviews on this page cause me great alarm. One gentleman seems to think because the player sounds good we shouls sit back chill out and enjoy the music. My dear fellow, I can only assume you have earnered your money through inheritance. I'm not a poor man by any means but I worked hard for my money and expect extraordinary things from a product approaching 10000. Naturally I auditioned the product extensively at the showroom and was very impressed. Nothing can prepare you for taking a brand new piece of equipment onto your own home and running it for the first time. I had this cd player installed in my snooker room but had to move it due to the sound it produced. There is only so much information to be taken from a cd. This Naim takes the music and adds a little more spice. Fine if you want to listen to rock, but given the poor recording quality of most rock album this seems purely an exercise in overkill. With top quality classical recordings this player is undoubtably very good but it does not transport you to the concert hall. It gave me the impression that the conductor had been replaced by Ozzy Ozburn. Perhaps there was a problem in the matching of my componentry but my wilson bensch speakers and moon amp have been sucessfully used with a number of other players without any ill effect. I'm an avid lover of classical music an frequent the concert hall regularly as I play violin with the london phil. This player did not offer the realism that I crave from my hifi as a proffesional musician. It is undoubtably an good cd player but less money can buy you more authentic music reproduction.

Strengths:
Exciting

Weaknesses:
Unrealistic, expensive compared to the competitors.

Similar Products Used:
Krell, Moon, Levinson, Audio research.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Give this player a whirl if you''re after the sound of music played by musicians, as opposed to the sound of individual notes hanging disconnected in the ether. Whatever it is that the CDSII does well in audiophile buzz word terms, it adds up to an uncanny sense of musicians''s fingers gliding over their instruments and of band interplay. Bass lines sound especially good, notably on well recorded hard rock tracks where they become a hulking, ominous presence without losing an ounce of speed or funk. Contrary to the Naim stereotype it''s neither bright nor relentless (although timing is immaculate). It sounds entirely honest, giving music all the room it needs to breathe. A cymbal hit still sounds like someone whacking a brass disc with a big stick, electric guitars still grind and howl, but by the same token quiet vocal music is delicately silky, and strings sonorous and diffuse. Well recorded harp music is particularly sensual experience. And the legendary (infamous?) Naim "boogie factor" means that even rather compressed, murky sounding thrash/death metal tracks are fun. Forget "air," "soundstaging," and "blackness" as that stuff simply isn''t on the discs, but through a CDSII a bit of Arch Enemy or At the Gates will still get your head banging fit to drop off. Which is nice. System: Dynavector L200 pre/HX-1.2 power Royd RR2 speakers Chord cabling Naim Fraim equipment support

Strengths:
Clean, vital, effortless sound. Great with musical texture and interplay, layers add up to a "greater than the sum of its parts" musical whole. Rhythmn king. Tactile!

Weaknesses:
Price v.scary considering how good CDPs half the CDSII''s price are getting. Functional looks. No doubt vinyl Nazis would say it''s not as good as a similarly priced turntable. *Yawn*

Summary:
I love these guys that talk about how much money they have....see a couple of reviews below. I some how think they take all this too personally.

This deck sounds fine. Nothing particularly wrong with it. It is better than many players out there. Compared to the top players it does some things better maybe and some things not as good maybe. Not all ears are the same. Even so, it should sound fine to most any ear.

For those manically drive to find the best bar none....you guys make me laugh as well. Keep looking. What a noble cause. What a crucial element of life, even thought you're not going to find it.

Relax, drink a beer, put some tunes on and enjoy the music. This deck sounds just fine and has nothing particularly wrong with it.

Strengths:
It sounds good.

Weaknesses:
No real weakness, it sounds okay.