hi fi choice cd reviews

[batman]

just read through this months cd player reviews, and unsurprisingly the cambridge player gets a hearty thumbs up again, great until you realise that on the listening panel is someone from cambridge audio ....to quote a certain irish dj ... IS IT ME

noticed this a few months ago with some creek gear ...

 

[Tons of Fun]

That was me- and um well actually I placed the Vincent 1st. If you regularly buy HFC, look back through the amp and CD group tests. Most of these are done by Richard Black and I think I have done all but one of them for the last two and a half years. This is because our office is a short train hop from his house and I am generally always available.

This does mean that in theory I review our own stuff. In practice, with Richard's very effective blind listening method, I have no real idea of what I am rating until the shooting's over.

 

[Cable Monkey]

There you go. It is always possible the hearty thumbs up was justified, I certainly found that when I listened to the 840A.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

The CA cd players are very good performers at their respective price points, i heard the new 840A just last week.

 

[Mr Coherent]

Have to be honest, its not too shabby, and responds well to upgrades also.

 

[PeteVid]

Does HiFi Choice point out the testing was done blind ? If not it would have been interesting to know, it gives more credibility to the reviews.

 

[Tons of Fun]

Mr Coherent wrote:

Have to be honest, its not too shabby, and responds well to upgrades also.

I'm intrigued- did a punter bring one in or did you decide to have a tinker off your own bat? It must be said that the last thing my personal finances need is the information that my 840C can be tuned :gag:.

 

[harv]

Tons of Fun wrote:

That was me- and um well actually I placed the Vincent 1st.

Haven't seen the mag... Which Vincent was it ? a brand I would like to hear... must have been pretty good for you to prefer it

 

[Tons of Fun]

harv wrote:

Haven't seen the mag... Which Vincent was it ? a brand I would like to hear... must have been pretty good for you to prefer it

The £1k CD-S6- it sounded a little warmer and more inviting on RB's system which is a bit "starker" than my own. Its worth a listen but please don't for a minute go thinking that I'm in any way golden eared- I always regard myself as a very uncritical listener and not a very consistent one at that.

 

[Mr Coherent]

Tons of Fun wrote:

Mr Coherent wrote:

Have to be honest, its not too shabby, and responds well to upgrades also.

I'm intrigued- did a punter bring one in or did you decide to have a tinker off your own bat? It must be said that the last thing my personal finances need is the information that my 840C can be tuned :gag:.

ToF,

Have acutally 'tinkered' with 2 of them thus far (also a couple of the 640's as well, I bought those for try out)

The 840's is lifted in the flow and groove stakes, better dynamics and much taughter bass responce and extension, whilst keeping is overall presenation and smoothness.

Its a nice player for the outlay sir.

 

[batman]

tof , don,t think this thread is about how good cambridge products are or indeed your own integrety .i myself use a little 340a in my office system . i was just making a point that it can influence peoples views knowing that a company representative is sat in the same room . it would be very hard to rip your products to shreads ... or even a completely unbiased view ... IMO

 

[Boxer]

PeteVid wrote:

Does HiFi Choice point out the testing was done blind ? If not it would have been interesting to know, it gives more credibility to the reviews.

Yes, they do.

There have been several instances of people reviewing their own kit in these tests & as Ed/ToF points out it doesn't seem to make much difference to the results.

Boxer

 

[Tons of Fun]

batman wrote:

tof , don,t think this thread is about how good cambridge products are or indeed your own integrety .i myself use a little 340a in my office system . i was just making a point that it can influence peoples views knowing that a company representative is sat in the same room . it would be very hard to rip your products to shreads ... or even a completely unbiased view ... IMO

Absolutely right- that's why (whether the listener has one of their own products there or not) we aren't told what we're going to be listening to before we start. This applied with equal effect to Geoff Meads of Arcam who was in on the last amp test that the A70 did very well in.

 

[PeteVid]

That's very interesting that you are not told what you are going to be listening to either. Are you given a price range?

 

[Tons of Fun]

Yes but (in this case) "CD Players from £600-1000" covers a lot of ground and candidates.

 

[batman]

Tons of Fun wrote:

Yes but (in this case) "CD Players from £600-1000" covers a lot of ground and candidates.

 

[notaclue]

Is the blind testing done in silence? With the testees making notes? Or is it informal, with chatting going on?