2out2sea

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $775.00 from audiogon

Summary:
well i wrote a long review of this player, but somehow it disappeared into the ether. suffice it to say that i didn't realize how much i was missing with my current but aging parasound front end. i've listened to many systems that made me feel that i had good synergy with my system. i've heard krell, audiophysic, martin logan, etc. that all sounded clinical to my ear. there was lots of detail, but it was harsh and fatiguing.
enter the cary. i decided it was time to start searching for an upgrade after hearing some passages become congested on my current set-up. it didn't happen often, but enought that i felt that there were some improvements to be had.
i originally started with a sub-500.00 budget. i figured i could ride the modding wave and improve the sound as budget constraints allowed. the more i researched, the more i began to realize that i'd be better off just biting the bullet and buying something higher in cost. i figured i'd spend more to never have to ride the modding merry-go-round.
i narrowed things down to the arcam fmj23 and the cary 308. i almost pulled the trigger on the fmj23 since the arcam was a bit less expensive used. but correspondence with a fellow agonner who'd owned both led me to the cary.
775.00 may seem chicken feed to those that spend thousands of dollars on their front ends, but for my budget it was sky high!!! but, boy was it worth it.
comparing 44.1 redbook playback to my parasound cdp/dac combo the cary wins. those congested passages are much airier and imaging is much improved when the music starts to get busy with lots going on. the presentation is slightly more forward and lifelike as well.
once the upsampling or hdcd kicks in it's no comparison. the cary throws such a huge soundstage that there are times that it's not only larger than the speakers, but larger than the room!!!
different people gravitate towards different qualities in equipment. some are sticklers for detail. some demand pinpoint imaging. my taste leans toward soundstaging. i'll forgive other flaws for a large as life soundstage. the cary delivers it in spades. but, it does so while also delivering detail, imaging and bass control that is stellar in my system.
it's too bad that cary has stopped production as i feel the 308 is about as good as it gets at this price point. it's also built like a tank and has the remote volume control. if you feel that you're missing some of the live presentation in your cd collection i'd highly recommend the cd308.

Strengths:
soundstage, soundstage, soundstage...upsampling...hdcd...remote volume control

Weaknesses:
remote is a plasticky and sub-par quality compared to the unit itself.

Similar Products Used:
homegrown audio i/c, mapleshade i/c, parasound, adcom, krell, martin logan, nad, audible illusions, b&k, straightwire, vandersteen, audioquest, rotel, magnepan.

mjcmt

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
4.55 of 5, 11.00 votes

Price Paid:  $725.00 from Used on Audiogone

Summary:
I'm suprised that I'm the first reviewing this truely high-end CDP. Prior to this unit I owned, in order, the following units. Rotel RCD 975, Linn Karik III, Micromega Stage 3, and Jolida CD-100. The Rotel is good for the $ but veiled in comparison to modern units. It uses an 18 bit dual DAC with too many OP amps in the anologue stage for its own good. It tried to be smooth for its time of release. The Karik and Micromega sound very similar, with the Micromega having a smoother top end and the Karik having stunning build an a better detail. Both are known for their musicality. They use 1bit DAC's which offer great detail retrival and air, but sound dated by the better units today. The Jolida is tubed and very good, but flat sounding and not as staggering as all the hype makes you believe. Ever wonder why so many units come up for sale. It uses the lesser Burr Brown 1716 24bit DAC, like the older Rotel 1070, Exposure 2910, etc. A bit harsh but tubes tame it. In fact it sounds like a newer Rotel on tubes. All the mods in the world will not overcome this DAC. This leads me to the Cary CD308. It uses the awesome Burr Brown 1704u 24bit DAC like the better units today by Linn, etc. But it is what Cary does in the analogue stage that is remarkable. The give it the warm Cary sound without concealing the details. This non-tube version just stomped all over the tubed Jolida in detail and creaminess. It is warm, musical, with a very 3D soundstage. The sounds are revealed at a wider range of volumes and dynamics, unlike the Jolida, which sounded flat-just didn't have the depth that the Cary has. The bass is deeper and round like it sounds live, not too tight an restricted like a lot of detail CDPs. The highs are creamy and extended, like tubes, but with better detail than the Jolida. Bells and cymbals sound musical, not strident and sizzally. And, oh, the midrange! Womens voices sound sensual and mens voices sound authoritative. There is much detail, but it isn't thin like Musical fidelity, or veiled like the Planet 2000. The Cary 308 sounds like the stage is in front of you with the musicians performing live. The key to this is to leave it on all the time. I do this with all my CDP's and they sound substantially better. The Cary also has HDCD processing for the better HDCD-20 bit CD's. It has 24/96 upsampling, selectable on the fly from the remote or front panel. And the real bargain is that it is upgradeable to the full tube output(308T) for the difference in cost between the 2 units. This player is highly recommended.

Strengths:
Palpable, musical, 3D, captivating, and human sounding.

Weaknesses:
Must be left on all the time for the best sound. If you play a HDCD disc you have to turn the upsampling off to play in HDCD, its not automatic.

Similar Products Used:
Current system is: Ofcouse the Cary CD-308 cdp. AES/Cary AE3 DJH tube preamp Linn Klout poweramp Custom speakers using Seas Excell drivers in a MTM configuration. Linn interconnects and Tara Labs cables. B&K TS108 tuner-predesesor to Fanfare FT-1