Cary 306 CD player review?
Robert Harley -- Mon, 07/24/2006 - 13:26
I have my eye on the Cary 306 SACD and I was curious if TAS has a review planned for one of the upcoming issues. The review of the Dali Helicon 400’s spurred me to purchase the 800’s. After 9 months they have really blossomed and I find they’re sounding more beautiful by the day.
If you, or anyone at the office, appreciate a good singer/songwriter check out Alexi Murdoch – Time Without Consequence. I’ve been listening to it nonstop for about 3 weeks.
Keep up the great work. I’m excited about the issue increase for TAS.
Thank you,
Tony Wood
As a matter of fact, my review of the Cary CD 306 appears in the next issue (164) of The Absolute Sound. It's quite an interesting machine---I call it the "Swiss army knife" of CD players for its unique capabilities.
Robert Harley
Editor-in-Chief
The Absolute Sound
The Perfect Vision
Robert,
I just received issue #164 of The Absolute Sound, and I have enjoyed the reading thus far. I'm checking out CD players, so I was interested in your comments in this issue about the Meridian and the Cary CD players.
Based upon what I read, it seemed that you really enjoyed CD's on the Meridian and SACD's on the Cary. I wasn't sure though how you felt about CD's on the Cary, compared to other CD players, so I was hoping that you could share your opinion of the Cary vs. others. For example, how does it compare to an Ayre C5XE, and how close did it compare to the Meridian 808? Your opinions on the comparisons to any other CD players would be wonderful as well.
I'm going to be playing mostly CD's, but the Cary is more in my price range.
Thanks in advance!
David Prazak
David:
I greatly enjoyed CDs on the Cary; it is a superb CD player. I don't have any experience with the Ayre, but can say that the Meridian 808 (at twice the price) is the better sounding machine. The Meridian has a greater sense of ease, treble smoothness, and low-level resolution. The Cary has a warmer, fuller, and more engaging bass and mid-bass. There was something about the Cary's bottom-end that was viscerally satisfying. I'm reminded on a listening session at my home many years ago in which my colleague was sitting in a spot I knew had a bit of excess bass. I mentioned to him that his listening position tended to be overly weighty (thinking he'd move), but instead he said "Yes, I'm rather enjoying it."
I focused on the Cary's SACD performance in the review because it was so much better than any other SACD player I've heard, and was comparable to the Meitner separates, which represent the pinnacle of SACD playback. (I've since heard the Esoteric P-03 transport and D-03 digital-to-analog converter, but that's another story.)
If you're looking for further insight into the Cary, I've asked them if I could keep the player for a few months. Its combination of outstanding CD sound, HDCD decoding, and reference-quality SACD playback are compelling.
Robert Harley
Editor-in-Chief
The Absolute Sound
The Perfect Vision
Robert,
In the Sept 06 issue of The Absolute Sound you stated "I didn't understand the front-panel button marked "2-Ch/Multi-Ch." I think I remember reading somewhere this allows you to play the SACD stereo layer or down sample the multi-channel layer. But I don't understand what advantage the Multi-Ch layer down sample would have over the stereo layer.
Also have you had the opportunity to audition the SCD-1 and if so what were your impressions compared to the Cary 306 in SACD mode.
Len White
Len
To address Len's question, it's been about five years since I've heard a Sony SCD-1, Sony's $5k flagship SACD player. Based on other comparisons made in the intervening years, I'd have to go out on a limb and say that the Cary's SACD performance is at least as good as that of the SCD-1.
Robert Harley
Editor-in-Chief
The Absolute Sound
The Perfect Vision
I think it might be time for TAS to do a shoot out between the Cary 306, Ayre C5Xe, Krell Standard, the new Purcell all-in-one cdp. The average audiophile is not in the position to be able to audition each and every one of those units in their systems and draw their own conclusion, but you and your staff are. IMHO there is a high degree of interest in these units, they are well matched for comparison, and it is time for a good, critical appraisal.
I auditioned and purchased the Cary 306 CD/SACD player partially based on your glowing review in the September 2006 TAS issue. Based on your review of the 306 putting it in the same league as the EMM Labs SACD Transport/DAC I fully expected the Cary 306 to be in the list. While I’m very pleased with the performance of the Cary 306 in my system I’m curious to know why wasn’t it included?
I completed my review after the Editor's Choice list was finalized, and it was an oversight that we didn't go back and amend the list to include the CD 306. It should have been on the list, and will be the next time we publish an Editors' Choice Awards issue.
Robert Harley
I also impressed not to find it on the list, after all I read. 8)
Cary CD 306 review is now available online:
http://www.avguide.com/products/product-3654/
Free with registration -- enjoy!
Ari Koinuma
Ari Koinuma
Web Producer
AVguide.com
I own Cary Audio cd360/200.The previous model and it is awsome !i expect the new model to be even better.
p.s. How many Robert Harleys are in here ? lol
The latest Ayre player is in the new TAS.
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