Sounds very natural, warm tonal balance without loss of detail.

Display even won´t show remaining time (My CD-6 & TRAC1 did)

FINALLY IT HAS ARRIVED. A nightmare I´ve gone through. Delivery time was 5 (five) months! Almost thought of suing the general importer (I had paid cash upfront). Meanwhile I had used loaners (CD6 - One channel had dropped -6dB & then the TRAC1). The CD6 (I already had posted a review here)is more or less same soundstage like my D500 even though the CD6 sounds more like High-End. Good thing, the CD-Transport is much better (Sony) than of the CD6 (Sanyo). I like the simplicity of the D500. It sounds very nice, hase a stable drive, is upgradeable and the inside is well constructed. (But hey, check the inside of the CD6-->Wonderful to look at !). After all it was worth the wait and as a compensation my dealer had given me a pair of 1m interlinks worth $100. Smart move.

Similar Products Used:

TRAC1, CD-6 from same Mfgr.

Smooth, open soundstage

Image focus

Had the opportunity to compare the D500 directly against the CD4SE, which I was going to buy until I heard the D500 was becoming available. The comparison was done using a Rega integrated amp with the new ProAc 1.5 and Meadowlark Shearwaters(Hot Rod verson).

The sound of the two CD players were virtually identical in that they were both very smooth and almost analogue like while presenting a wide and deep soundstage. The only difference was that with individual instruments the CD4SE actually presented a more coherent focus to individual instruments. Specifically, the cymbals on a Joe Sample CD were clearly focused with the CD4SE, but the image focus was smeared when played through the D500. This was very disappointing since I really wanted to like the D500 and take it home that day.

Although the D500 sounds very good, on balance I thought the 4SE presented a better image of the music in a direct A/B comparison. Maybe the upgradability of the D500 might sway others to choose differently, but I for one was disappointed at the latest effort by Cambridge on this one. Still better than most everything in the price class, but not better than the previous generation of its own product.

Similar Products Used:

CD4SE

Wow what a great cd player...I was in the market for the cd4se & everyone I called asked if I'd you heard the new d500.I hadn't but thought I'd give one a try & man I'm glad I did...at 1st I was a little irritated with the highs. My magnepan's have super crisp highs & they were a little brighter than the ones reproduced from my old onkyo integra player. I also didn't like the fact that you can't even turn it on & off with the remote,no headphone jack & less extra features than about any other cd player I've seen,but after the 1st night of listening I played the stereophile burn in track all night & I also replaced the cheap power cord...the next day I did more critical listening & was shocked at how good this player sounded.Everyday I did more listening & it just got better & better. I don't care about the lack of features anymore. I just can't wait to get home & listen to more music. I've had the player for 2 weeks & listen to 2 or 3 cd's nightly. The harsh high's that 1st bothered me are gone & the bass is wonderfully tight. I a/b'd it with my dvd player & my old cd player & it's just way better sounding. I got it for only $372 & think it's the bargain of the year. Last years biggest bargain was the magnepans. I highly recommend this player but just wanted to make it clear that it will need some burn in time.

Natural balanced sound.

I personally do not care for jog shuttle controls.

I have to echo letting the player burn in for a few days. Cambridge does recommend that in the manual. Sold my CD6 for this player and not sorry. (I so love the CD6 also "5 stars".) The CD6 has more energy, the D500 sounds more natural (much like the CD4SE).
Had the best luck with short (0.6 meter) Nordost Red Dawn interconnects. Next best was 1.0 meter Nordost Blue Heaven. I have found that cable length matters more than you might think. I tried a longer Red Dawn and was not as good as the 1 meter Blue Heaven. A short 0.6 meter Blue Heaven was a little bright and forward. The D500 is currently matched with the Cambridge A3i Amp and B&W speakers.

Similar Products Used:

CD6, CD4(non SE)

Well balanced, smooth presentation with all types of music.
It just sounds good !

N/A

Without all the audiophile gobbly-goop and mumbojumbo, I have auditioned a large number of CD Players in a wide price range and find the D500 a " Best Bang for the Buck " piece under 1500.00 cdn. It my system " It Just Sounds Good "

Current System ( Constantly Evolving )

Bryston 4BST
Bryston 11B
Cambridge D500 with base. ( An Extra 95 bucks )and worth it.
Paradigm 11 SE MK 2's
Nikko Gamma 30 FM tuner
Bryston and Ultralink Interconnects.
Ultralink Excellisor Cables

Similar Products Used:

none

Soundstaging & details

undynamic, it sounds literally slow.

The unit was broken in for 10 days (playing nonstop) before any real auditioning. It has a very good soundstaging, much more than that of the Marantz, and excelent details. But the most hindering factor was everything plays in a slower pace than the marantz, or any cd player at hand for that matter.

I compared Michael Jackson's Bilie Jean between the Cambridge and a cheap Philips DVD player. The Phillips played so much better in terms of pace and dynamic, but lost (no supprise) in terms of timbre and other thing you would listen to in a song.

I don't understand what the rave is all about on this player. Yes, it does exhibit very possitive attributes (imaging, airiness, etc), but at the same time it doesn't play music with the right pace/speed. When I said slow, it doesn't mean laid back (I could probably tollerate that), but everything is missing a beat a fraction of a second as if the unit takes more time to decode the cds to give them a better presentation.

I tried very hard to like the Cambridge, but decided to return it. I just ordered the Musical Fidelity A3CD, review to follow.

The rest of the equiptments:
Audion Sterling tube Amp (Mullard EL34)
Alpha Goertz MI2 & TQ2
Genesis Genre I

Similar Products Used:

Marantz 67SE, Rotel 955

Plays all types of music well in this price range.

Mediocre display. Shuttle feature is an annoyance.

See Audio Refinement CD Complete review of 2/9/2000 for some detailed comments about the Cambridge Audio D500.

Compared to the CD players listed above, the D500 has as good or better overall sound. We auditioned a D500 for a week and actually owned one for almost a month before trading it in for the Audio Refinement CD Complete. As good as the sound was, it was nowhere near as good as the CD Complete (then again, nothing was in the under $1500 range).
Now, for the negatives. The D500's display is difficult to read with it's annoying green color. The shuttle is also an annoyance, which gave the impression that it could have mechanical problems after repeated use. It's laser is also slow to pick up the CD and has a tendency to start the song a split second after the actually beginning of a song (when starting at a song other than track #1).

We also found a few CDs that it skipped in the middle of. No apparant defect or dirt could be found. They played fine on the CD Complete and our DVD player.

Despite these negatives, if I could only spend $500 or less on a CD player, I would probably purchase this one. It does have a good sound and if you are the type of person that just inserts a CD and presses play, the D500 may be right for you.

Similar Products Used:

Arcam Alpha 7, Nakamichi MB-10, NAD C520 and C540, Cambridge Audio D300, Marantz CD-6000OSE

Plays and performs well.Good build quality.

Very dim display.No "time remaining" feature.Does not decode HDCD CD's,even though the display shows an HDCD symbol.Overpriced.

I'm not saying this is a bad cd player,because it performs very well and is made very well.But,because of the weakneses I mentioned I feel that it should have been only half the price I paid.This has got to be the only cd player that dosen't have a "time remaining" feature,and how can they put an HDCD symbol on the display panel and it doesn't even decode HDCD's? I also don't know what all the fuss is about "jitter reduction".Even the lowest priced cd players have below measureable limits of jitter,and even if it was lower in technical terms,it would not actually be audible.

This is re the D500 warm,detailed and most of all it dont
sound like a bloody CD player if you like viynl this is the cd player for you

build and Facilities
if you want the above look elseware if you want sound per pound this is what you've been waiting for

I bought a marantz 63 kiSIG CD player on the advice of an audio shop in London and rav
Reviews in a number of magazines before I bought this CD player I was much
More into vinyl but as recorlds were getting scarce I bought this CD player
Not to compare to my front end but to start colletinging CDs
The ki63 was used on a pioneer A400 amp and a pair of castles Chester speakers
I put up with this for a bout 3 years it was shocking bright bright and very bright
After listing to any cd I would have a headache within 5 minutes.
I no the main problem was the a400 but this was working very well with the
Rest of my system, which was a PINK TRIANGLE PT00 turntable
SME 309 ARM, AUDIO TECHNICA 0C9, MICHELL ISO & HERA POWER SUPPLY going into the A400 amp with the CASTLE CHESTERS
I then explained this to the idiot I but the crap from and he gave a
Different cable to try guess what no difference then he said my amp was
The problem strange how he told me this after I bought this junk.
So I just put up with this for a few months then decided to by a new amp
In the end I bought a AUDIOLAB 8000s & 8000p which made the
63ki sound a lot better but not my front end so I had a CD player that I could
Now listen to for more than five minutes but hated the sound on the front
End time went by and I ended putting back the A400 for my front end
And forgetting about CDs after a number of years I decided to try a xdac
xcans, cables etc with the A400 & 63ki NO difference I then tried a
Arcam 7 CD player this improved on detail but was still bright
Then a chap advised me to try a Cambridge D500 CD player I looked
At this thing and thought this guy was taking the Piss so I took this CD player
Home I could not believe it this CD player is one of the best I heard
Regardless of price detail, warm, lush most of all it doesn’t sound cdish
So after bad advice and a lot of wasted money I am happy.

Similar Products Used:

marantz 63 KIsig

Detail, Dynamics, Looks, Remote

Power Cord and a little bit harsh if not paired with the a500

I have been using the d500se for about 7 months now so it is properly broken in.First off let me just say that the silver finish gives it a sense of class that I have never seen in a player of this price. This player is capable of producing magnificent levels of detail and totally blew away the NAD player that I had auditioned it against.

The d500 is best used with the a500 for a few reasons
1.Manufacturers make products to match each other both visually and asthetically.
2.The d500se is very crisp and bright with a tightness that grabs your bass by the balls and sqeezes it into tightness while the a500 does the opposite,it adds the fun and the musicality.

My Setup
Speakers:B&W DM305's
CD Player: Cambridge Audio D500SE
Integrated: Cambridge Audio A500SE
AudioQuest Sidewinder Interconnects
MonsterCable Speakerwire

If your strapped for cash get this product. If you have a little more than audition the Rega Planet(!)