Got the B&O - Oh dear - and a Cd player review of sorts....

[maxg]

Well the B&O beogram 3300 arrived - linear tracking arm and all - cartridge is shot to death.

Despite this we had a really good go at connecting it up to my phono stage. the cartridge plays (just) - we can hear it - but nothing coming through the cables to the phono stage (soundwise) - must have done something wrong cos I measured some voltage through the multi-meter - needs more play.

After that disappointment (we spent 3 hours fighting with the thing) Tony brought in a Synthesis somethingorother Cd player - hand made in Italy apparently.

Connected it up and played the usual Dire Straits - Private Investigations. Sounded good - but a little bass shy to my ears.

Switched over to the $70 DVD player I picked up locally (Comet). Way more bass - way more - but everything else was a pale reflection of the sounds coming out of the Synthesis.

Just for a laugh we played the vinyl version (a dreadful greek copy with more hiss than any other record I own) for comparsion. This is something I have done many times - with the vinyl, even in this condition, winning through on sonics.

Not this time. The Synthesis made mincement of it. Not sure what that means - it is the first time it has happened.

Of course at around 2,300 Euros (about $3000) one would expect it to do well - but it was a shock all the same. Lots of caveats about the vinyl setup - this was after struggling with the B&O so the settings on the phono stage may have been off.

I just have the funny feeling that whatever we did to the vinyl setup the Cd player would have won out. As I said - quite a shock - although I seriously doubt this would have been the case with classical. We couldnt test that theory as non of my classical performances are common - individual works, yes - but I guess we would need the same performance recording to really be able to learn anything.