Cambridge Azur 840C vs. Rega Apollo
marks2512 -- Fri, 12/28/2007 - 17:11
I am considering a new cd player in this price range +/- and wonder if anyone could help in my decision. Both these players have had very good reviews. Not considering price, which is better. I have Paradigm studio100 v.4 and Anthem amp (A5) and avm 50. Thanks Roger
Cambridge generally offers a lot of sound for the buck, and you've probably seen some of the reviews of the 840C. That being said, Cambridge still has reliability issues. I've talked to several dealers about it (two of them actually carry the brand). I have the 640C v.2 and the transport broke. Luckily it was still under warranty. Then, the Azur remote control stopped working. I don't know about Rega's reliability, but I would say proceed with caution if you go with Cambridge.
Thank you for that. I was about to tke the plunge, now I don't know.Reliability is very important, especially when you are buying used.
(audiogon.com)
Roger
51" crt rptv, anthem avm50, anthem statement A5,paradigm studio 100 v.4, cc590 v.4, adp590 v.4 and servo 15 v.2.Marion
Roger-
That has just been my particular experience with the Cambridge player, but you should consider it. At $1600, it's quite a bit more than the excellent Apollo, and it doesn't have the sexy looks, but I've seen the reviews and it looks like a tremendous value. Also keep in mind that the 840C doesn't have the same transport as my 640C that broke (or at least it's a beefed-up version).
-Dave
The 740C (which I just purchased) is also a good unit to consider. It features the same DACs used in the 640C versus an upgraded version of the Wolfson DAC in the 840C but has the same up-sampling processing as the 840C. Other than the lack of balanced inputs the transport, casing, etc. is identical to the 840C but at only $999. I believe I may have seen a special recently at www.dedicatedaudio.com for $100 less.
I should have mentioned that although I have only owned the 740C for a brief period I do own the DVD 89 by Cambridge Audio and have owned the original version of the 640C. I have never experienced any reliability issues with this brand.
The reason why it concerns me is not that mine had to be repaired last year, but that several dealers were aware of issues. Keep in mind that the Cambridge dealers- not Cambridge Audio themselves- are the ones who have to handle repairs for the products. The likelihood of any single unit to malfunction is not the issue; the issue is the overall reliability of their transports.
EasyBigFella wrote:The reason why it concerns me is not that mine had to be repaired last year, but that several dealers were aware of issues. Keep in mind that the Cambridge dealers- not Cambridge Audio themselves- are the ones who have to handle repairs for the products. The likelihood of any single unit to malfunction is not the issue; the issue is the overall reliability of their transports.
My experience with the 640C when I owned it was flawless. My experience with the 740C since I have owned it has been flawless. But, I must be honest and admit that I had to return the DVD89 because it began to fail to read the SACD layer on hybrids. It was hit and miss and then finally missed on 11 out of 12 trys. The dealer stood up and replaced the unit. So far no similar experiences. I do believe thought that this product is not an Azur series and certainly does not have the build of the 840C/740C or the 640C.
In my experience, the Cambridge 840C is a giant-killer.
Robert Harley
robert_harley6 wrote:In my experience, the Cambridge 840C is a giant-killer.
Robert Harley
I have auditioned the 840C against the MF A5 and Meridian G07 and was very impressed by its sound quality in terms of detail and timbre. Superior, as far as I could tell, to both the other two players and all others I've heard short of the CD12. NB: I have not heard many other recent players. However, the Meridian (and CD12) were so much better at revealing the flow and swing of the music and for that reason I haven't yet bought the 840C. Is there any player at up to US $3000 which has both the 840Cs strenghts and that sense of drive, flow and swing? I haven't yet hear the Apollo or Saturn but Rega's traditional strengths are in this area. I don't want my jazz Cds to feel like academic exercises, no matter hoe beautiful the instrument tone or how esy it is to follow coplex lines.
Thanks
ES
ES:
Check out the new PrimaLuna Model Eight ($2500) and the new Bryston BCD-1 ($2695), both of which are reviewed in the next issue (183, August cover date, July 27 mail date). Dick Olsher reviews the Model Eight, and pointed out the player's "rhythmic drive" as one of its strong suits.
Robert Harley
robert_harley6 wrote:ES:
Check out the new PrimaLuna Model Eight ($2500) and the new Bryston BCD-1 ($2695), both of which are reviewed in the next issue (183, August cover date, July 27 mail date). Dick Olsher reviews the Model Eight, and pointed out the player's "rhythmic drive" as one of its strong suits.
Robert Harley
Thank you, I'll look forward to that.
ES
this could perhaps be taken to mean an increased sense of rhythmic flow, or is that not the case? Myself, I wonder if the more muscular bass he mentions means more midbass (a side effect of which might be more solidity to the images). Perhaps Mr. Harley would care to comment?
I haven't heard the player myself, but rhythmic flow is often related to bass performance. I associate it with bass transient performance, accompanied by weight and power. Reproduction of the leading edge of bass notes, along with a sense of body and power behind those transients, contributes to what we call rhythmic flow, in my experience. An excess of warmth or weight on its own, however, results in a sluggish rendering.
you had mentioned the Cambridge's bass was more muscular in balanced mode. Did you also mean this as less "reserved"-sounding, or, as mentioned in other reviews, less polite, as in the sense of greater micro-dynamics, or do you still find this to be an area in which, while good, it still does not excel? I find the microdynamics to be good, but not superior: on a par with the Rega Apollo in that area.
The Cambridge 840C's bass is excellent in comparison to similarly priced players, but not its best quality. That's because the 840C's resolution, treble smoothness, and soundstaging are amazingly great at the price.
robert_harley6 wrote:The Cambridge 840C's bass is excellent in comparison to similarly priced players, but not its best quality. That's because the 840C's resolution, treble smoothness, and soundstaging are amazingly great at the price.
I have now read the TAS review of the Primaluna and it sounds like it might be ideal.
I found the timbral accuracy and extension of the 840C's bass excellent but I couldn't say what contributed to my impression that the 840C just didn't swing.
All the best
ES
Considering prices difference I vote for Rega.
I own a relative new Rega Apollo. I made upgrade the clock for few dollars, the digital RCA conector for NextGen and was a great upgrade. Is sound very musical, detailed, almos flawless. Of course it has cheap frontplate and some parts. But it sound very similar from its analog output than the digital ( I have a MF Trivista 21 DAC that was mediocre DAC until I upgrade more than 30 pieces -resistors, capacitors, connectors, OP amps- originaly cheap and low quality).
On the other hand I have never listened to Cambridge, etc.
If I could I´d listen to Quad too...
Do you know the frequency of the Rega Apollo clock crystal?
Post new comment