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Thread: Music Hall 25.2 vs NAD542 |
    
New member Username: Jingka99
Kuala Lumpur,
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Post Number: 8
Registered: Aug-06
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| Posted on Thursday, August 31, 2006 - 09:54 pm: |
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Hi, I would like to ask your opinion on these two CDPs, which one would you prefer?
Thanks
Any other suggestion for CDP aside from these two? |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pitt
Irvington,
New York
USA
Post Number: 1446
Registered: May-05
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| Posted on Friday, September 01, 2006 - 04:03 pm: |
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It depends on the rest of the system and what you like. If you have a Music Hall integrated amp/receiver, then I'd advise the Music Hall. If you have NAD gear, then NAD would be my choice.
They have different sound charecteristics and trade offs. They are both considered very good by many people. However, neither one is perfect.
Personally, I think the Music Hall sounds dull. I don't find it exciting or lively in any way. Then again, I like components with some livelyness or "swing" to them. The NAD does a good job of this at its price point. A lot of people here believe the NAD is the CD player to beat for $500, and I agree.
Also, Music Hall hasn't had the best track record in reliability. Generally speaking, NAD are pretty well built (their's a huge debate about A/V receivers, but not much about 2 channel stereo gear).
Personally, I wouldn't consider the Music Hall, but my ears and musical tastes probably aren't what yours are. If possible, you should hear the two CD players side by side to get your own point of view. |
Gold Member Username: Artk
Albany,
Oregon
USA
Post Number: 3529
Registered: Feb-05
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| Posted on Sunday, September 03, 2006 - 11:12 am: |
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It has been my experience that Music Hall gear is low on the reliability scale. NAD is a good sounding solid performer and a heck of a good deal for the money |
Gold Member Username: Nuck
Post Number: 4047
Registered: Dec-04
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| Posted on Sunday, September 03, 2006 - 12:23 pm: |
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I agree with the esteemed posters previous.
You can beat the Nad easily, checkbook in hand.
If you have a chance, arnold, try the Rotel 1072, Rock and Roll personified, otherwise, the Nad is a hands down winner. |
Gold Member Username: Edster922
Abubala,
Ababala
The Occupation
Post Number: 4521
Registered: Mar-05
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| Posted on Sunday, September 03, 2006 - 03:37 pm: |
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Yeah but the Shmobel MX-928 with dual disk stabilizer and computer controlled cadenter blows 'em all out of the water! |
Gold Member Username: Nuck
Post Number: 4052
Registered: Dec-04
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| Posted on Sunday, September 03, 2006 - 06:47 pm: |
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Ed, yer a weenie. |
Gold Member Username: Artk
Albany,
Oregon
USA
Post Number: 3531
Registered: Feb-05
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| Posted on Sunday, September 03, 2006 - 09:58 pm: |
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Hey Ed don't forget to put a metronome in the room with it....improves timing.... |
New member Username: Jingka99
Kuala Lumpur,
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Post Number: 9
Registered: Aug-06
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| Posted on Sunday, September 03, 2006 - 11:10 pm: |
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Thanks guys for the inputs, I actually have a NAD C352...
Originally my plan is to get a NAD cdp as my amp is also a NAD but some say that the NAD C352 is a warm sounding amp and if coupled with a NAD cdp which is also warm sounding may not produce good sound result, some recommend to pair the 352 with Cambridge C540v2 because the 352 is warm and the C540v2 is lively which they say might produce some balance...
Also, I am considering the C521BEE cdp, will this be a good match up with the C532?
As I am currently now in Taiwan, I found a locally manufactured cdp, the manufacturer is Usher Audio and they have this cpd they call Usher CD-1, anybody heard about this?
thanks to all! |
Silver Member Username: Uback007
Post Number: 124
Registered: Mar-06
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| Posted on Monday, September 04, 2006 - 08:19 am: |
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I would look at Cambridge Audio cd players too.
They sound tops for the money |
Silver Member Username: Uback007
Post Number: 125
Registered: Mar-06
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| Posted on Monday, September 04, 2006 - 08:25 am: |
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sorry, I see that you already know about the Cambridge..
I would probably go with a NAD 542 if the rest of your kit is NAD... |
Gold Member Username: Edster922
Abubala,
Ababala
The Occupation
Post Number: 4523
Registered: Mar-05
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| Posted on Monday, September 04, 2006 - 02:31 pm: |
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thanks Art, I'll pick up a metronome as soon as I finish paying off my $300 zinc-tipped power cord which I have elevated exactly 6 1/2" off the floor between my CDP and my Quadrupus tr8000 Power Optimizer. |
Gold Member Username: Artk
Albany,
Oregon
USA
Post Number: 3533
Registered: Feb-05
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| Posted on Monday, September 04, 2006 - 05:27 pm: |
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lol!!! Hey Ed did you ever try out the cd cleaning. Add the Zaino Z-6 and wow, it really is something special...no really.. |
Gold Member Username: Edster922
Abubala,
Ababala
The Occupation
Post Number: 4524
Registered: Mar-05
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| Posted on Monday, September 04, 2006 - 05:39 pm: |
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actually yes I did, didn't hear much of a difference. It did make one of my DVDs not skip though. |
Gold Member Username: Petergalbraith
Rimouski,
Quebec
Canada
Post Number: 1859
Registered: Feb-04
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| Posted on Tuesday, September 05, 2006 - 12:23 pm: |
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As I am currently now in Taiwan, I found a locally manufactured cdp, the manufacturer is Usher Audio and they have this cpd they call Usher CD-1, anybody heard about this?
No, but you should definately look into it! It looks to be very nicely built anyway. |
Gold Member Username: Artk
Albany,
Oregon
USA
Post Number: 3536
Registered: Feb-05
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| Posted on Tuesday, September 05, 2006 - 09:37 pm: |
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The Zaino Z-6 is far more effective and much cleaner to use for cd cleaning than the Pledge. I've retired the Pledge.
Arnold, never heard of the Usher CD1 but if it's the same Usher that makes speakers it's well worth a listen. |
New member Username: Jingka99
Kuala Lumpur,
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Post Number: 10
Registered: Aug-06
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| Posted on Wednesday, September 06, 2006 - 01:42 am: |
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Peter, AZ, yes it's really well built and also had a chance to audition it and found the sound is good....Yes, it's from the same company that manufacture the Usher Speakers...the remote is quite compact and heavy too...
Problem is that I did not check whether it is autovolt (110-220) since here in Taiwan the source is 110-60hz...I check on it this weekend...
There's anothe one I saw which is also interesting, it's called Logic CD-50, the store said it's made in US but I also could not find much info on the net...it's well built as well as the Usher CD-1 and It uses BB PCM1737 24bit/192khz...
thanks... |
Gold Member Username: Artk
Albany,
Oregon
USA
Post Number: 3537
Registered: Feb-05
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| Posted on Wednesday, September 06, 2006 - 08:14 am: |
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"It uses BB PCM1737 24bit/192khz..."
This doesn't matter as much as you think. My Audio Refinement uses an 18 bit unit and sounds better in my opinion than the Rega Apollo. It's about the sum of the parts and not the parts. |
Bronze Member Username: Jingka99
Kuala Lumpur,
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Post Number: 11
Registered: Aug-06
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| Posted on Tuesday, September 12, 2006 - 01:18 am: |
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"Arnold, never heard of the Usher CD1 but if it's the same Usher that makes speakers it's well worth a listen."
problem is: they don't have NAD gear here in Taiwan, I was able to listen to Usher CD-1 with Usher amp, the sound was exceptional but I don't know whether it will match my NAD amp back home...Now I am confused, the offer price of Usher CD-1 here is a bit tempting, around $300...while the NAD C542 back home is around $490...and the C521BEE is more or less the same as the Usher CD-1...should I get the C521BEE over the Usher CD-1??? Need help here... |
Bronze Member Username: Jingka99
Kuala Lumpur,
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Post Number: 12
Registered: Aug-06
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| Posted on Tuesday, September 12, 2006 - 01:46 am: |
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Here's some links:
http://www.hiaudio.co.uk/UA/CD-1.htm
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=zh-CN&u=http://www.szaudio.com/ne wsfile/2006-8-15/200681516420319897.html&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=10&ct=result&p rev=/search%3Fq%3Dusher%2Bcd-1%26start%3D30%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN |
Bronze Member Username: Jingka99
Kuala Lumpur,
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Post Number: 14
Registered: Aug-06
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| Posted on Friday, September 22, 2006 - 04:01 am: |
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Just an update: I finally bought the NAD C542 and I am now enjoying my C352+C542 combi....
Thanks for everybody's advice... |
