The CD303/300 allows you to do this effectively and easily. First you can change the top end balance and amount of “air” by changing the digital fi lt er frequency.
There’s no right or
wrong setting. A pair of Thiels may have a “technical” sound and appreciate a lower setting to relax the top end slightly. With Vandersteen speakers
you may want to have more extension. With Martin-Logans more still. Then take into account the room. The beauty is you can make this change from the remote and
you can do it on the fly with the touch of a button.
Next you have the ability to go from solid state output stage to tube output stage. My thoughts are most will prefer tubes after it’s all said and done…but your
mileage may vary. Cary had the wisdom to use 12AU7 tubes, and to put them under a small cover so they are easy to swap. Upscale Audio has about 10,000 vintage
new old stock 12AU7 from companies like Siemens, Cifte, Radiotechnique, Mullard and others. We have been compiling data from CD303/300 owners that have been
having fun experimenting with different tubes.
A review placed on a website is here.
Our list of 12AU7 tubes is here.
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Not familiar with tube rolling? It’s easier than changing a light bulb. No adjustments. Just plug them in. And they are not expensive. The super-sexy stuff
is $80 a pair for platinum grade. If you buy a player that does not give you this option you better like what you got…because that’s all there is.
With the Cary you can get a rounder bass, softer or more extended top end, a midrange that is more buttery or one that has more prominence. You choose for YOUR
system and YOUR room.
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I’ll leave you with one more thought. Dependability. Every CD player sold,
no matter who makes it, can have problems with the drive mechanism. This is the first player I know
of to use a Matusushita (Panasonic) Industrial drive. It gets data off like no other. But most important is service and life. We have at this time zero back for
drive glitches or skipping. No other player I sell can say this. Whew!
Click here to read the white paper from Cary Audio
Weight: 38 lbs.
Dimensions: 4" H x 18" W x 15" D
Frequency Response: 2 Hz - 384 kHz (768 kHz Fs)
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 127 dB (1 kHz)
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): 0.004% (1 kHz)
Channel Separation: 109 dB (1 kHz)
Power Consumption: 60 Watts (15 standby)
Digital/Analog Converters (DAC): (2) Burr Brown PCM1792u 24 bit DAC
Sample Rate Settings: 44.1, 96, 192, 384, 512 or 768 kHz sample rates for CD, CD-R or CD-RW disk playback to the analog output.
D
igital output of 44.1, 96 or 192 kHz
Audio Output Level: Single-Ended 3.0 Vrms, Balanced XLR 6.0 Vrms
Analog Outputs: (1) pair XLR (1) pair RCA
Digital Outputs: (1) ea Coaxial (1) ea AES/EBU (1) ea Toslink
Finish: Black or Silver Anodized Aluminum Faceplates, Black Epoxy Coated Steel Chassis, black anodized cone feet
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