Cambridge Audio Azur 840C CD Player

[music again]

There are only two posts I was able to locate regarding the Cambridge Audio Azur 840C CD Player, one being . . .


Joe,

I had not heard of Cambridge audio gear before. I just looked them up and well their gear looks excellent. ;) I am glad to hear it sounded great as well. :)

http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/content.php?COID=14

I particularly liked the Azur 840c player.

I recently purchased a pair of Vantages with a Descent i sub. I'm looking upgarde my system a bit further and my dealer suggested my best bet would be my CD player, which is an ancient Sony 5 disk player! I'd like to keep this purchase at a more reasonable level, as I'd also like to upgrade my 1980's equipment: amp (Hafler DH200) and preamp (Hafler DH-110) somewhere down the road.

The 840C just received a great review in the current issue of Absolute Sound (September), page 76. It received TAS' "TOP VALUE" award, which is a new award for them. Robert Harley quotes: "The best CD playback under $5k for . . . . $1,499".

Cambridge Audio may not be up the level of a lot of the other gear I see on this thread, but if it's a good as what this review says for under $1,500 I would consider it, especially since I have a "gift card" for Tweeters, and they carry this piece. Audio Advisor also sells the 840C for under $1,400.

Does anyone own this CD player or have an opinion of it?

THANKS!

JM

[Diamonds]

There are only two posts I was able to locate regarding the Cambridge Audio Azur 840C CD Player, one being . . .



I recently purchased a pair of Vantages with a Descent i sub. I'm looking upgarde my system a bit further and my dealer suggested my best bet would be my CD player, which is an ancient Sony 5 disk player! I'd like to keep this purchase at a more reasonable level, as I'd also like to upgrade my 1980's equipment: amp (Hafler DH200) and preamp (Hafler DH-110) somewhere down the road.

The 840C just received a great review in the current issue of Absolute Sound (September), page 76. It received TAS' "TOP VALUE" award, which is a new award for them. Robert Harley quotes: "The best CD playback under $5k for . . . . $1,499".

Cambridge Audio may not be up the level of a lot of the other gear I see on this thread, but if it's a good as what this review says for under $1,500 I would consider it, especially since I have a "gift card" for Tweeters, and they carry this piece. Audio Advisor also sells the 840C for under $1,400.

Does anyone own this CD player or have an opinion of it?

THANKS!

JM


This CDP is great! It is replacing people's reference CDPs in their system. I think you would need to go to Esoteric or EMM Labs to get better.

[music again]

This CDP is great! It is replacing people's reference CDPs in their system. I think you would need to go to Esoteric or EMM Labs to get better.

I was looking at the Esoteric SA-60 which lists for $4,500 and their DV-60 which lists for $5,600! That seems like a lot of money, to me anyway, for a cd/dvd player. I know some of the members here have them and I'm sure they sound great, just a bit too much for me right now. I did notice in the Absolute Sound September issue on page 89, Music Direct's advertisement features a new esoteric SA-10 CD/SACD player for $3,499. We're getting there. . .

. . . . but this CA Azur 840C has my attention right now. On paper it looks to have been well thought out and well designed, which should translate into great sound, for the money. I'm in Ohio and it looks like the closest dealers are in NY and PA.

Do you own this CDP or have you listened to it at a store or someone's home? What do you like about it most? Least?

Thanks!

JM

[Pcar928fan]

Another one that is less expensive and also gets rave reviews are the now year old versions of the Rega Apollo. I think you could get a good one on A'gon for less than $700...

As for an interim Pre/Amp upgrade you might think about some Rotel gear. They are kind of the bottom of the Hi-Fi market and you can also find some great deals on those on A'gon!

I am running a full Rega set up w/ Prodigy, Ascent, Script, Theater, Descent and it is very nice! I have the RB1090 amp for the Prodigy and everyone else is powered by the RMB1095... each around or just under $1k on A'gon...

[music again]

Thanks James!

I do recall reading through your system a couple of weeks back.

AWESOME system!

I'll have to read through the entire thing when I have a little more energy! I'm going to do a little listening right now and turn the computer off! I've been researching audio stuff for the past 2.5 hours!

My dealer carries Rotel, Classe', Sunfire, BAT, Cary and more. There's plenty to chose from that's for sure. It's a matter of how much I can afford, but I guess that's the case for most of us!

JM

[DrJRapp]

Cambridge Audio makes exceptional CD players, especially considering their price point. I used to own a 640C and loved it until I upgraded my system out of Rotel to higher end gear. I have a friend who recently had a 840C in his home for an extended time but chose to return it for an Esoteric SA 60. While he thought that the CA was great, he feels the Esoteric is really special, which it should be for it's cost.

I had an 840C on order last year but when the unit was delayed I purchased a Benchmark DAC1 ($975) and a used Theta Data basic transport ($350 on Agon) and the resulting pair performs on par with an Esoteric XO3 which is nearly $7K.

[Pcar928fan]

AWESOME system!

My dealer carries Rotel, Classe', Sunfire, BAT, Cary and more. There's plenty to chose from that's for sure. It's a matter of how much I can afford, but I guess that's the case for most of us!

Thanks JM, of all those listed Rotel will be the most affordable. Be sure to check out Audiogon.com and look for stuff there too. I don't want to hose your dealer out of a sale, but money is money and most of the gear you listed is just as good and cheaper on the secondary market. The Rotel stuff would be particularly good way to go if you want to do a more comprehensive upgrade all at once. That is exactly why i went with the Rotel gear. It happens to be very good too.

Also keep in mind that most of the Rotel stuff will have a good value when you are ready to part with it as well. Heck, you might not even loose a dime on the turn around when you upgrade again! YMMV! :D

[eknuds01]

I think I listened to that player at Tweeter a ways back. I didn't compare to anything directly, but I thought it was fine when I was listening to some classical music with the Vantages.

I posted a review about a Sony 900v player I had modified by tube research labs (tuberesearchlabs.com). So that's another way to go. The tricky part is finding a player the various 'modders' can upgrade. I am very satisfied with that CD player. It sounds better by the day!

Also, anything by Rotel is decent. I forget the model of their 'entry-level' player (I think it's $600-$700) but I have listened to that several times and never walked away disappointed.

Personally, I wouldn't go nuts on a CD player. Just listen to some dynamic material when evaluating the player. In my opinion, a good player just gets out of the way...

Erik

[greg_slo]

i too love the 840C. the hi-fi store i work at uses this player for pretty much all our 2ch demo's in the "high end" room. we brought in cambridge audio to replace rotel (after rotel dropped us, and half the US as a dealer) and cambridge keeps up with rotel, if not outperforms rotel in the CDP department.

~greg

[FatJ]

I'll chunk my two cents in on this one... I have been more than pleased with the performance of the 840C. We had been using the SACD Standard from Krell (retail 4 g's) in our showroom until it died. We replaced it with the 840C and never looked back. I'm sure I'm gonna get flamed on this one... but I actually prefer the sound of the Cambridge unit. I liked it so much that I immediately bought one for myself. I'm also using mine as a DAC for my Fireball and it made a big difference on the performance of that unit too. Call up your Tweeter saledude and have him set you up!

[Gordon Gray]

Hi JM,

This unit lists for $2K and I love it. Has 5 different upsampling settings, which allows one to really dial in the sound from a tonal / dimensionality perspective. I've settled on the 512 setting after many hours of listening. I have no idea why but per my dealer that I bought from (Ron Hedrick / Marigo Audio), unit needs 500 hours of play time before it starts to work its magic.

So, if you audition one, make sure it has plenty of hours on it.

Good luck.

GG

[Joey_V]

This is definitely interesting. I will be sure to audition the 840C next time I have time to make it to Tweeter.

Thanks for the thread and the heads up on what seems to be a good CDP.

Joey

[twich54]

[QUOTE=FatJ;54030]We had been using the SACD Standard from Krell (retail 4 g's) in our showroom until it died. We replaced it with the 840C and never looked back. I'm sure I'm gonna get flamed on this one... but I actually prefer the sound of the Cambridge . /QUOTE]


No flaming at all !! In fact I think the 4k Krell is one of the most overrated and over priced pices out there. On can easily do better by spending less vs. buying the Krell. The 840c as well as modded players costing half that amount are prime examples.

[Huey]

[QUOTE=FatJ;54030]We had been using the SACD Standard from Krell (retail 4 g's) in our showroom until it died. We replaced it with the 840C and never looked back. I'm sure I'm gonna get flamed on this one... but I actually prefer the sound of the Cambridge . /QUOTE]


No flaming at all !! In fact I think the 4k Krell is one of the most overrated and over priced pices out there. On can easily do better by spending less vs. buying the Krell. The 840c as well as modded players costing half that amount are prime examples.

ok..but does that count for the amps???

[Audioseduction]

It seems to lack SACD support. :confused:

[twich54]

ok..but does that count for the amps???


No, but it's highly unlikely that I will ever have them in my system.

[FatJ]

No flaming at all !! In fact I think the 4k Krell is one of the most overrated and over priced pices out there. On can easily do better by spending less vs. buying the Krell. The 840c as well as modded players costing half that amount are prime examples.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one. That thing drove me nuts! It loaded about as fast as a blu-ray player :confused:

When ours crapped out we sent it in for service and never got it back. I have no clue what ever happened to it. I'm guessing that it couldn't be repaired and Krell just bought it back??

[Crawdaddy]

I'm also using mine as a DAC for my Fireball and it made a big difference on the performance of that unit too.

Interesting. I heard the top end Cambridge had digital inputs. Can you elaborate on how this works? Simple button on the remote to switch between the CDP and the external source?

Can you give some details on the DAC and its performance?

How does it compare with stand alone DAC's (such as Benchmark, PS Audio CI Audio, Lite, etc)?

[FatJ]

Yes sir! The 'select' button on their remote control toggles you through the CD Player-->Input 1-->Input 2 and then back to CD. I haven't spent too much time trying to disect their codes to see if they have discrete input codes available, but I don't believe there are any. You can anchor the input selector back to the CD player by sending out a 'play' command if you need to build a reliable macro for a universal remote. That's how I'm using mine.

I was really impressed with the difference that this made. A friend of mine told me about this piece before my company picked up cambridge so once I had the option to purchase one at a discount it was a no brainer for me. If you haven't had a chance to check out the upsampling system they use you should pull it up here:

What is Q5 upsampling? (http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/content.php?PID=112&COID=93&Title=What+is+Q5%99+Upsampling%3F)

The DAC is a better quality than the cheesy ones built in to my fireball and they upsample to 384k! On top of that, they use one for each channel. The piece offers both RCA and XLR outputs. I'm running the XLR on mine with the AudioQuest Diamondbacks to my preamp. The end result is stunning!!! The noise floor is much lower and the sound stage is wider and more precise. I love this piece.

This is the first experience I've had with an outboard DAC and I'm sure you can get great results from the others you have listed. I just can't compare them for you. Maybe someone else here can help us out with that. I'd like to know how it stacks up too.

[Crawdaddy]

Does it decode .FLAC files?

[FatJ]

No. The 840C doesn't decode FLAC files (99% sure). I've never tried it myself and I don't remember seeing anything that would lead me to believe otherwise. I suppose I could try ripping some to a CD but I feel confindent that it will read no disc. I do store all of my music in the FLAC format on my Fireball though and it is what I'm using for the majority of my listening. It decodes the FLAC file and then spits it out digitally to the Cambridge to be converted to analog.

[music again]

The DAC is a better quality than the cheesy ones built in to my fireball and they upsample to 384k! On top of that, they use one for each channel. The piece offers both RCA and XLR outputs. I'm running the XLR on mine with the AudioQuest Diamondbacks to my preamp. The end result is stunning!!! The noise floor is much lower and the sound stage is wider and more precise. I love this piece.

This is the first experience I've had with an outboard DAC and I'm sure you can get great results from the others you have listed. I just can't compare them for you. Maybe someone else here can help us out with that. I'd like to know how it stacks up too.

OK, I was the guy who started the thread and I'm certainly enjoying what I'm "hearing" about the 840C, but you guys are getting way ahead of me here!

I have a couple questions:

Are you using the 840C as a DAC with another player/transport, or are you using it as your CDP and using it to upsample another piece?

I have an Oppo DV-981 which I use for movies only. I like my old Sony better for music. The Oppo appears too bright for me on CD's. Would I be able to use the 840C and the Oppo together so I can get the great 1080P video upscaling through the Oppo, but use the 840C for the sound?

I have a lot to learn, not the least of is to figure out all of the connection possibilities . . . RCA, XLR, coax, digital, toslinc, RS232, HDMI (versions galore), DVI, yada yada . . . .

I'd say based on the feedback thus far, the 840C would be a good choice for me, since I'd like to stay around $1,500 for a CDP. Seems like the next jumps are to $3,500 to $5,500 and up (Essoteric, EMM, etc..). I'd rather upgrade my power and preamps first. Thoughts?

THANKS!!!!!

JM

[FatJ]

OK, I was the guy who started the thread and I'm certainly enjoying what I'm "hearing" about the 840C, but you guys are getting way ahead of me here!

I have a couple questions:

Are you using the 840C as a DAC with another player/transport, or are you using it as your CDP and using it to upsample another piece?

I have an Oppo DV-981 which I use for movies only. I like my old Sony better for music. The Oppo appears too bright for me on CD's. Would I be able to use the 840C and the Oppo together so I can get the great 1080P video upscaling through the Oppo, but use the 840C for the sound?

I have a lot to learn, not the least of is to figure out all of the connection possibilities . . . RCA, XLR, coax, digital, toslinc, RS232, HDMI (versions galore), DVI, yada yada . . . .

I'd say based on the feedback thus far, the 840C would be a good choice for me, since I'd like to stay around $1,500 for a CDP. Seems like the next jumps are to $3,500 to $5,500 and up (Essoteric, EMM, etc..). I'd rather upgrade my power and preamps first. Thoughts?

THANKS!!!!!

JM

Yes. I do use it to play CD's, but because I am lazy I must have some type of digital storage device for my music. I've converted most of my collection over to a hard drive based system that stores everything in the FLAC format. Searching through the posts here and just googling you can find more info on this lossless audio format that takes up less space than the full CD. My storage system is an Escient (http://www.escient.com) Fireball. It rocks :rocker: A lot of folks here talk about the Squeeze Box and seem to like it. From what I can gather it stores the music on your computer and allows you to bridge it to your stereo. It seems like a more affordable option that is quickly growing in popularity. It's probably what I would have gotten if we didn't sell Escient :D

The unit has two digital inputs that you can use for any source that has a digital coax or fiber optic output. Your oppo can hook right up to it. It's only designed for stereo though, so if you have surround sound you'll want to take that digital feed directly to your receiver or preamp.

The connections can be a bit overwhelming at first but we're all here to help you out. I'd say the most confusing one is the HDMI. They may all look the same but each device has a version and there are huge differences from one to the other.

I think you've found a great player and that you'll be as pleased with it as I have been.

[Crawdaddy]

No. The 840C doesn't decode FLAC files (99% sure). I've never tried it myself and I don't remember seeing anything that would lead me to believe otherwise. I suppose I could try ripping some to a CD but I feel confindent that it will read no disc. I do store all of my music in the FLAC format on my Fireball though and it is what I'm using for the majority of my listening. It decodes the FLAC file and then spits it out digitally to the Cambridge to be converted to analog.

Sorry, I'm confused. So your Fireball reads the .flac files off your computer harddrive and then translates the digital files into another digital file format...like .wav, I assume? Then sends the .wav files to the 840C for DAC?

I know it would be a lossless to lossless conversion, but I've been conditioned to believe that any extra steps are not a good thing. Any thoughts?

No offense but I'm wondering if a computer sending .flac files directly to a DAC that then converts .flac files to analog would out perform the harddrive > fireball > 840C combo? Anyone with more computer audio skills than me have an idea??? :confused:

If lossless to lossless conversion is no big deal, then I can really see this unit offering something really special. ;)

[FatJ]

The fireball takes the CD, ecnodes it in FLAC, and stores it on it's own hard drive. Then when you want to listen to the CD it will decode the FLAC file and output the same signal that you would get it you were to pop the CD into your CD player. You can use the DAC in your source by using the analog connections or you can send it digitally to the receiver (or multi ch preamp) and use the DAC inside that unit. Some people prefer to use a stand alone DAC in order to surpass the quality of the DAC built in to either one of those units. The DAC doesn't encode or decode the FLAC format. It just converts the digital signal to analog. I think that's where the confusion is coming in.

So... in a nutshell. The 840C has a nice DAC built in and unlike most CD players, it allows you to utilize that DAC by itself via the digital inputs on the back. You can run any digital source into it and get a nice, clean, pure analog stereo signal in return.

I hope that helps. I know I'm not the best teacher...

[music again]

[QUOTE=FatJ;

So... in a nutshell. The 840C has a nice DAC built in and unlike most CD players, it allows you to utilize that DAC by itself via the digital inputs on the back. You can run any digital source into it and get a nice, clean, pure analog stereo signal in return.

I hope that helps. I know I'm not the best teacher...[/QUOTE]

FatJ,

Maybe you should consider the teacher position at least part time . . . .that was a very concise explanation of how the 840C DAC inputs work. I now understand it . . . . I hope! So I should be able to connect my Oppo 981HD to the 840C to get the sound like I would get, if I was playing a CD in the 840C. I do like the video upconversion (1080P) of the Oppo unit, but don't care all that much for the sound. This way I can have the best of both worlds, for under $1,7,00!

I'm getting closer and closer to purchasing the 840C!

Thanks everyone.

JM

[Crawdaddy]

Then when you want to listen to the CD it will decode the FLAC file and output the same signal that you would get it you were to pop the CD into your CD player.

Hmm, so the Fireball translates the .flac (or MP3, or WMF, or Ogg, etc) into a .wav before outputing to the DAC. Interesting. I suppose if it's a lossless to lossless translation then it should work just fine. I still wonder if you would enjoy superior performance from a DAC that decoded .flac directly. :confused: Academic question I guess.

Anyway, thank you for the clarification. Sounds like a really nice unit. Cheers! :cheers:

[Lotus]

Did you get the 840C in the end? What do you think?
I have just bought it and I would like to get your pov.

[music again]

Did you get the 840C in the end? What do you think?
I have just bought it and I would like to get your pov.

I did not purchase the 840C, but then again I didn't purchase any replacement CDP!

I instead bought a Sanders 2 channel amp and a Cary SLP-03 pre-amp! I may go with the Sanders mono blocs next. I'm saving the CDP for last.

I will be curoius what your review on this unit will be like. I have only seen one person who didn't like it and that was on another forum. Other than that it usually gets great reviews. "Sounds" like for the price, it's well worth it!

Joe

[Rich]

Joe,

Congrats on the Sanders amp and the Cary preamp. I think that is a great combination. I have the monoblocs and love them with my Summits, but I think the improvement over the esl stereo amplifier is just incremental from what others have said. Better dynamics and transients due to a little more headroom, and perhaps a lower noise floor. With that amp and preamp, you will definitely benefit from an upgraded source now.

[Burke]

Joe,

I agree with Rich, spend your money on the source or acoustic treatments before upgrading to the mono blocks, the difference between the ESL stereo and mono blocks is there but small compared to the difference you would hear in an upgraded source of a room full of acoustic treatments (my last expense made a significant difference),

--burke

[music again]

Joe,

With that amp and preamp, you will definitely benefit from an upgraded source now.


Rich,

I do agree. It's a toss up right now. It sounds crazy, but it also has to do with the physical set up of the system. I have a Salamander Synergy twin and would like to go to the triple to give me more room for equipment. Putting a mono bloc on either end on the bottom, and a power conditioner in the center would balance things out, plus I'd have shorter speaker cables and power cables . . . eventually. I was thinking (if I could get this past my wife) of putting the pre amp ON TOP in the center, with the CDP ON TOP to the right and my old Rega Planer 3 TT to the left. That would give me room inside for something else (tuner?) and keep the equipment spaced nicely. The tubes get more room to breathe too. Even though the Sanders amp generates virtually NO heat, the cary tubes do give a "warmth" (heat) that I can do without inside the cabinet. I even leave the door open now in the summer.

So my madness is more physical than better sound. However, it's a very expensive (for me) way to get to that end. It probably makes a lot more sense to upgrade the CDP :rolleyes: Roger offered to give me 100% of what I paid for the 2 channel amp if I upgrade. I didn't ask what the time frame on that offer is though. :D

Joe

[music again]

Joe,

I agree with Rich, spend your money on the source or acoustic treatments before upgrading to the mono blocks, the difference between the ESL stereo and mono blocks is there but small compared to the difference you would hear in an upgraded source of a room full of acoustic treatments (my last expense made a significant difference),

--burke

Burke,

GREAT to hear from you! Seriously . . . . I have on my to do list to give you a call. REALLY. I've got issues I can't figure out. I was going to start a new thread but . . . .

It has to do with what I perceive as a "thinness" of sound on the left side of the sound stage. As you know I had the Summits "fixed". They only replaced one pannel. DA! They made such a big deal about matching panels, and then only replaced one. I have just over 200 hours on the "new" Summits.

I do not think it is the room. Unfortunately, I got the new Sanders amp AND the Cary AND the fixed Summits all at the same time! That is making it difficult to pin point the issue. I'm leaning toward the pre amp as the culprit, but who knows? What I do know is something is NOT right. The soundstage is much fuller to the right side. The emotion is just not there anymore. :( I even swapped out the Summits side to side and the sound remained fuller on the right side. Again, I had Vantages and Summits in the exact same spot and did not have this issue. There are book cases behind me now however . . .

Joe