CDP for NAD/PSB

Vishal

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I have a NAD356BEE paired with PSB speakers. Which CDP pair well with my existing combo?

Since the NAD is a warm amp, should I pair it with a bright Cambridge Audio Azur 351 or 651 CDP?

Thanks
 
Well you can go for a Marantz or Cambridge which are slightly on the brighter side when you compare with older NAD players. But before you decide you try any one of the latest series NADs depending on your budget. They are not very warm sounding like the earlier models. In my opinion the NADs are more musical & natural (I had owned a C542 in the past). I would recommend a latest series NAD player with cables that balances & gets the tone that you like. You should try pairing it with silver based cables. QED brand has few decent I/Cs & speaker cables which are silver based.

Choosing CABLES (I/Cs & speaker cables) are extremely important in a system. Without the right matching cables even system that costs a couple of lakhs would not sound at it's best. For example the brand NAIM recommends their own speakers cables & power cords. I am not aware they have their own I/Cs too.
 
I used my Marantz CD5004 with the C326BEE and PSB Image B6 for a bit (with a pair of Chord Crimson Plus ICs), out of curiousity, before I hooked it up to the rest of the kit via the Rega DAC.

The CD5004 pairs quite well with the NAD/PSB gear. It comes in at just under 20K, so it would fall in your budget bracket. You could also stretch a bit and get the CD6004 for under 32K.
 
My perception is that the NAD CDP's have had some quality issues. Also, i dont want to become a virtual salesman for Lenbrook :) {Lenbrook owns PSB and NAD}. Marantz and CA are brands that I would like to audition.

@ Blasto and HiFiPal: How much incremental quality do the IC's and Cables really add?? There is a marketing element to all this .. The moment one upgrades to a more expensive cable, then you want to upgrade to a higher Amp. After that, you feel the speakers should get upgraded to match the new amp, and so on ...

Can a avg audiophile really make out the difference in sound and justify the cost(and the headache of selling old cables, finding new ones etc etc) for basic upgrades. If one has a Lac worth of CDP/AMP/Speaker I am sure they would not buy a cheap-jack cable but saying that only the best cable is needed to extract a better sound - there is no end to this arguement.

-V
 
My perception is that the NAD CDP's have had some quality issues. Also, i dont want to become a virtual salesman for Lenbrook :) {Lenbrook owns PSB and NAD}. Marantz and CA are brands that I would like to audition.

@ Blasto and HiFiPal: How much incremental quality do the IC's and Cables really add?? There is a marketing element to all this .. The moment one upgrades to a more expensive cable, then you want to upgrade to a higher Amp. After that, you feel the speakers should get upgraded to match the new amp, and so on ...

Can a avg audiophile really make out the difference in sound and justify the cost(and the headache of selling old cables, finding new ones etc etc) for basic upgrades. If one has a Lac worth of CDP/AMP/Speaker I am sure they would not buy a cheap-jack cable but saying that only the best cable is needed to extract a better sound - there is no end to this arguement.

-V
try both out..Marantz and CA, both are good and only personal choice dictates. Usually within a brand makes sense to go for the higher model CDP as usually it has something better.

Regarding Cables..your current ones are ok for this setup..you may be hard pressed to find differences.

BTW you should not try to match sonic differences in the source..ie whether you have a warm or cold amp your source should be as close to the truth as possible,

Have you eliminated the Computer based audio from your options ?
 
Arj: I'm old fashioned .. prefer CD's to computer/ipad based music source. Not yet into Vinyl but give me some time.

I feel there is some hidden pleasure in getting one's rear from the couch, pick a CD, mull over it, then insert it into the CDP tray, walk back with a smile and listen to the music come to you ..
Simple joys in life?
 
I am using a CA Azur 540 CDP with the 356 and Paradigm Titans. Fairly happy with the results. Tried the 515 and that's not bad a player at all. The 540 though pairs very well with my system. I'd suggest you audition the NAD, CA as well as the Marantz in your budget before taking the plunge.
 
After auditioning Speakers and Amps, am a lil exhausted auditioning equipment. Also how/where do I audition a CDP with my amp and speaker.

Is it safe to buy a CDP (vs a speaker or amp) without auditioning it .. Ie by its reviews and FM experiences?
 
A beautiful, well-constructed speaker with class-leading soundstage, imaging and bass that is fast, deep, and precise.
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