Clarity, liquidity, tight bass, deep soundstage, reality.

None so far.

I decided to do it gradually, that is first to buy it with standard tubes and then upgrade if necessary. I bought the SuperTjoeb version with upgraded power cord, high perfomance feet and CD mat stabilizer. I'm paying a lot of attention to the power cords now after I switched to a custom-made power cord for my amplifier, plugged it directly into the wall outlet and heard the difference. The sound was way better than with my Pioneer Elite DVD player, but still after ~100 hours of break-in was too bright. I asked Kevin for an advice and he recommended Amperex 7308 tubes. After the upgrade the brightness was gone, the bass became tighter, the voice more open but not loosing liquidity. The overall impression was very pleasant, but I had one CD that didn't sound quite right. It was the Piano Concerto No. 2 by Rachmaninov with Helene Grimaud and London Philarmonia Orchestra. After 2 months of listening I decided to go further and ordered the upsampler. And that was the difference. Before I heard a "recording", now it's like I have real instruments in my room. The piano is so real, that I almost can feel strings vibrating, the voice is like the person sings right in front of me without a mike. The soundstage is wider and deeper. The Racmaninov's Piano Concerto sounded big and bold and clear. It was like a musical masterpiece over and behind my speakers, monolithic and yet I could hear any instrument if I wanted to. And if I turn around, I cannot tell if I have any speakers, just the sound coming from nowhere. I never thought the music could be so involving. I feel very reluctant to turn it off even when a have to. Now I think I should have ordered everything at once and saved on shipping. My system (besides the CD player): Musical Fidelity A308 integrated amp, JM Lab Cobalt 816S speakers, SignalCable power cord, interconnects and speaker cable.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer Elite 45 DVD player, Sugden Optima CD player, Arcam 9 CD player

Open sound, Clear, smooth and marvellous mid range.

The dim light of the screen that you will need a telescope to be able to read it.

Let me start this review by saying that i was looking for a CD player since many months. I have review many models from different companies like Arcam, Music Fidelity, Mcintosh, Rotel and so on, and did not seen any big and important improvement of the one i had untill i tried the Ah Cd Player. If i can desribe this wonderfull machine in one word it will be : MARVELLOUS. I have order the super version wich include the Upsampler, the shoes, 4 differents set of tubes,The CD Mat, the Rubber Rings (3 for each valve) and ofcourse the power cable. We need to be aware that this CD player will not perform as expected before at least 2 weeks of break-in period, and no serious listining should be done before the end of this period. At the beguining the sound will be little harsh, bright and bright but things will smooth down significantly. The details of each instruments is there, the soundstage is big and in 3D. I did not beleive my ears untill i return back using my old CD Player and realize how much details i was missing. Open sound but smooth treble and fantastic bass without forgoting the mid range jumping in the front of my speakers. It is very important to understand that the tubes choices depend on your system, the 3 best set of tubes sound i got in my system was : Siemens 7308, Simens E288CC, and the best of the best the Nos Russian Military 6H23N-EB. In my system the best sound i got is when i put the Nos Russian 6H23N. Please make sure to order the Upsampler when you buy this wonderfull CD player, it will put this machine in another league and will put certainly a smile at your face. Now the bad parts that bother me is the light from the screen, it is so dim that you will need a telescope to be able to read it, i mean what they were thinking ??? how can they put in the market a wonderfull CD Player with a horrible screen ???. Keep the good work kevin and continue the good customer service, but don't stop the improvement process on this cd player because it is realy worth it.

Similar Products Used:

Mcintosh Cd Player, Meridian, Arcam, Rotel & Herman Kardon.

I believe Upscale Audio stands behind their product. AH! makes great sounding components which offer incredible bang for the buck value. Fantastic soundstage and imaging. Great clarity and depth of sound.

None.

I had taken a leap of faith last year, and bought the Ah! CD player from Kevin Deal at Upscale Audio based on the positive reviews I read on it. I fell in love with the CD player immediately, and have enjoyed it more and more with increase use. As a result of the great experience with Upscale Audio and the AH! CD player, I decided to order the Upsampler for about $350. It arrived yesterday, right on schedule, and it installed with ease by simply following the directions. I LOVE THE UPSAMPLER. It takes what was already a fantastic CD player to a whole new level. It truly enhances the highs, midrange, and bass, even though it isn't even burned in yet. Another home run for Kevin Deal, Upscale Audio, and AH! Kevin spent time answering my questions on the phone, and made me feel very comfortable ordering the product. I'm thrilled.

Similar Products Used:

I used to have a Nakamichi CD player, but got rid of it because I had problems with the music storage system. I love the AH! product.

smooth midrange, detailed highs, but not brassy! wide soundstage, tube rolling a plus!

the long burn in, but not a weakness as long as you are aware of it! My mission on this post is to make you VERY aware of it! Have patience! (I need to take my own advice!!)

Since I have slowly (but surely) gravitated over to tube amplification in my system, I decided a tube CD player would complement it as a whole. I have Klipschorn speakers, and although I prefer horn speakers, they are not very kind when used with solid state equipment. Or at least with SOME SS equipment. So I started to do some research on tubed CD players, and was really impressed with all the positive reviews the AH! was getting. I found out (via searching the internet) that Upscale Audio was the dealer for the US of A, so I called and ended up talking to Jared. More on this later. I went ahead and decided to go whole hog, and ordered the player with the feet, CD mat and the upsampler. When it arrived, I popped the top and installed the upsampler and tubes, and hooked it up to my system, and sat back to listen. I was pleased with the sound I must say, but it wasn't as "different" or as great as I expected with all the reviews I had read. I even went as far as removing the upsampler a few days later, and reinstalling it, to see if maybe it was "faulty". It wasn't..but it certainly didn't knock my socks off either! I called Jared expressing my concern, and he said make sure I go the 200 hours of burn in. OK..got it..I did just that, I still wasn't noticing much difference at the 200 hour mark, so emailed Kevin at Upscale, who I had heard so much about. He said keep burning it in..and this is where I have to EMPHASIZE..he was right! I have to drill this into any of you perspective buyers..be PATIENT!! When it does burn it, it takes on a completely new sound! Might take 300-400 hours, like it did with me. Patience!! It becomes more detailed, yet smoother..and I know that's an oxymoron! But it does! As stated by another poster earlier, it goes from 2D to 3D..so so smooth! The bass is captivating, the midrange is magic! I am so happy that Kevin told me to keep listening..I was almost gonna send it back! Now i can't believe I actually had that insane thought!! I A/Bd it with my original CD player, at first, and well..I thought the old player sounded a bit better. But now when I A/B, there is no, and I mean a resounding NO comparison! The old player sounds muddied and blurred. I was never sure "burn in" was something real, I was thinking it was more "smoke and mirrors"..but time does make a difference with tubed electronics! And want to know the best part?? I listen a LOT, and every listening session gets better! Where is this thing gonna go?? As for my earlier statement, customer service seems to be Upscale Audio's Kevin and Jared's second nature. Jared was always understanding and patient on the phone, and Kevin answered all my questions via email long past normal working hours. These guys are out to please you, the customer..I'm sure they had heard my concerns a thousand times, but they treated me like the problems were unique to me. If you want great equipment with greater customer support, I suggest you steer towards these guys! I know my future audio equipment business will be with their establishment!!

Similar Products Used:

Adcom GCD750,nice but not close to the AH!

sound and price

none found yet.

After doing some research to find a CD player that fit into my budget, I decided on the Njoe Tjoeb 4000. It only took me a few seconds to be thrilled by my choice. I can highly recommend Upscale Audio, first of all. Kevin was great to deal with. Included were the tubes to install yourself, and another part to screw into the transport. While doing that stuff, I was having fun already!! So I put in a CD by Dee Carstensen, a live performance including harp, various percussion, cello, backround vocals. I was blown away by the depth i heard in the sound, which wasn't there with my previous player. I felt as though i had been listening to 2 dimensional sound all these years, and suddenly stepped into 3 dimensional sound. the live performance really did come to life, with space and clarity from highs to lows, and an exceptionally warm and detailed mid range. I have been enjoying and rediscovering my favorite cd's, and feeling much more involved when i listen. Hearing the human detail in people's voices...the sound, and the air and other noised enmeshed in that sound...is what i think really gets to me. I am not going into incredible specifics on every sonic aspect...i wouldn't even know what else to say. What makes me care enough to write about it...is listening to a piece of music that moves me. And that has become more possible now. I am using this player just the way it comes, with no modifications or upgrades. Although there are several ways to upgrade, don't think it doesn't sound good in its original form! The remote is simple and easy to use, and the layout of the player is simple and attractive. It just sits there and sings. If you have a limited budget, but find yourself having that "is this it??" feeling about your cd enjoyment, i would recommend giving this player a try.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha 660

solid mid range,detail,timbre and big soundstage.Ability to tube roll and tweek.

a little light but nothing a few brass cones and top hats won't cure.

I just purchased this player after an audition at Kevin Deal's Upscale Audio.It was playing thru Sonus Faber monitors ,Cary pre & amp (v12)w/Kimber Kable.I have to say that the sound was very impressive,big sound stage,accurate timbre and good imaging. I was really impressed. The only thing that I found to be annoying was a slight high freq. edge BUT after mentioning that to Jared (Kevin's associate) He assured me that it was a particular set of tubes that a customer wanted to here,he recommened Amprex tube s andthat's what I went with. I purchased the player with the upsampler and power cord. When I hooked up theplayer to my 8 watt set amps and ref.3a monitors I was even more impressed with the quality of the sound or rather music coming from this $1,200 player. It seemed to work especially well with set amp and my vh audio IC's and Nordost Blue Heaven 2's. The mid range was even better than what I had heard at Kevin's along with a big jump in the timbre accuracy of each instrument. Remarkable cdp!! I've owned or had in my system Philips 1000 SACD,Xindak SACD,Audiomeca Obssession,Audio Note 3,ARC cd3 ,and Naim cd5 which overall seems to be the player that it resembles most ,which is a big compliment to the Ah .I highly recommend it .

Similar Products Used:

mentioned above

Great sound with no listening fatigue, Excellent service by Kevin at Upscaleaudio.com

Based on a Marantz transport with a relatively light build. On the plus side, it is very easy to add/change parts inside.

I was in the market for a universal DVD-A/SACD player when I read some reviews on the AH! player. It sounded like a great way to get some new life out of my existing CD collection, and so I picked up the SuperTjoeb with Upsampler (I also upgraded the tubes out of the gate) from Upscale Audio. I am completely pleased with the performance on the Njoe Tjoeb 4000. It's hard for me to describe the sound other than to say it just sounds right. I was worried that the tubes would muddy things up a bit, and that is definitely not the case. I think this will put off any purchase of a universal player for some time. I must also give a positive review of Upscale Audio. About 8 months in, I had a problem with the drive in the player. It was probably just some gunk on the lens, but Kevin fedexed a new drive to me. I was able to swap it out with his help and my unit was back to 100%. I can't say enough about their customer service and support!

Similar Products Used:

Arcam, Marantz, Denon

Musical, smooth, and generally warm. Player allows you to stop analyzing your systems performance, and to simply listen to the music.

Being a fan of vintage equipment, it could be heavier.

This player is pretty much exactly what I wanted it to be, a simple, cd-only player that did not sound in any way digital. The unit is extemely smooth, and open in its presentation. The low end is not bad, though only a slight improvement over my Rotel RCD-950. Overall, the sound is very smooth, coherent, and well integrated. I would recommend this unit to anyone looking for a player under $1000.

Similar Products Used:

Rotel RCD-950, Sony DVP-S9000ES, Adcom GCD-575

Musical -- not sluggish. Pretty neutral, not dark and not bright. Good pacing ability (but not the best). Very good midrange. Very good depth layering. Good imaging.Good upper midrange/lower treble.Good transients. Instruments are fairly dimensional, even with the upper bass suckout. Very nice ambience retrieval capabilities.

Lightweight upper bass, slightly rough highs. Low bass nothing special, either. Power cord too short!!!!! Needs damping on chassis (Walker Audio resonance devices are very good here!) and better tubes: the Philips are unquestionably dark-sounding tubes. Put in Amperex 6922s (but you'll lose just a small amount of body, so use a richer interconnect: Discovery Signature or Shunyata Aries or maybe even Silent Source!). Slightly vague imaging focus.

The Njoe Tjoeb is a very good cd player. Not a godsend, but very, very good. In the non-upsampled form, I can hear how people would love it. I bought it after deciding to find a player in each of three price ranges: under $1000, $1-3k, and over 4k With the Njoe Tjoeb, I hear a reasonably open window into the soundstage. Maybe it's got that tube thing goin' on, because it's musically involving. It's got the beat, it's got the rhythm, and it's got the music. I can listen to this and not think about comparing it to other units I've had. The high frequencies are pretty open, although there's a definite ceiling that gives you the sense of the room, but not the boundaries (remember, NO upsampling -- yet). It gives you layers of musicians in good cds, but the placement is a little vague. But it does give you the sense of the composition: musicians playing together to create music. I saw one review where the guy thinks he must be in a funk. He isn't. He says he doesn't tap his toes to the music. He's right. The Njoe Tjoeb is a bit lightweight, I'd say from the lower midrange down to somewhere in the mid-bass. Cellossound lovely, but a bit disembodied. A lot of the rhythm comes from the upper bass/lower midrange, and if this part of the frequency is not "rich" enough, the sound lacks impact and body. It also makes instruments sound just a little "thin." but it definitely affects the toe-tapping part of our brain. The VTL amps were great in this part of the frequency, as is the JVC XL-Z1010TN CD player -- which I also have. The JVC has a lot more impact than the Njoe Tjoeb, although I'm not saying it's bad, just lightweight. It's still pretty good, especially for its price! I wish the imaging was a bit tighter, and the soundstage a bit clearer, but it is by no means a disappointment. It's just that, after an Arcam FMJ 23, and Miyabi Lab setup ($6,000+ I think), one can hear what's missing more easily. I think the upsampler will probably clear up the veiling, too. I hear a distinct scrim between me and the music, although it's more like a spider-web consistency than a cobweb consistency: thin and easy to see through. Good bass, excluding the upper bass in particular. Probably, if one plays rap music or processed music, it's more easily ignored, because music that works off of impact ("punch") in contrast to bowing (steady-state sound) just needs to have some impact. A cello and double bass depend more on a line than a drum, which is a staccato action. So, the Njoe Tjoeb has enough "kick" for it not to be noticed in some systems. Really good midrange; I can hear transients, although again, double bass, cello and smaller drums sound a little hollow (it's that lower midrange/upper bass deficiency). Throaty singers don't sound quite as throaty -- unless your premap or amp are a bit rich in that frequency (or your interconnect). When a singer hums, the hum gets a bit lost in the sound. Yo Yo MA's cello is positively undernourished in its lower registers. The upper midrange and treble are good, but just a little rough-sounding. Harmonics are okay, but this is where my amp isn't at its best, so... This is a really good player. It has more subtractive errors than additive errors, but it you like rhythm sections -- or Latin salsa - you might not find it as cool as, say, the JVC player, which is quite bountiful in the very frequencies that the Njoe Tjoeb cools its heels. I can't wait for the upsampler!

Similar Products Used:

JVC XL Z-1010TN, Philips 1000 SACD, Philips 963SA, Sony DVP 9000ES

warmth of tubes,price to performance ratio and the ability to tweak it to your delight.

are you kidding, for this kind of money this is outstanding.

the best bang for the buck digital front end i have ever heard. put up against front ends that cost twice as much and it will come out on top.smooth midrange, solid bottom and clean top. there is some magic in those tubes. this unit seems to cure some of the faults that some of us find in the digital medium that is the sterile digital sound. at this time i am using it with only the standard tweaks, power cord,shoes,mat and tube dampers and it is just a killer player. can't wait to try it with the up sampler.

Similar Products Used:

gw labs msb sonic frontiers audio alchemy