I tried this player for about a week. I spend a lot of time burning it in. While I sent it back, I actually view it as a good player in its price range. I am an old analogue listener, and have difficulty listening to CDs. I found the player very smooth sounding, but for me listener fatigue set in too quickly (often very quickly). However, I suspect someone who only listens to CDs and is on a budget might find this player very acceptable.

I recently picked up the CD8A from Audio Advisor for $250. I had been using my Toshiba DVD for CDs. Never again! The increased depth, clarity, reduced sibilance and solidity of the transport make this a bargain. It also blows away my older Onkyo (now relegated to the bedroom). The remote is indeed cheesy. And the design spartan. But if sound for the money is your goal, this is a great deal. Five stars for value.

Very neutral & quiet, warm, and features (balanced inputs!)for the price

lack of low level detail

I've owned this CD player/transport for almost a full year now, and I've enjoyed it tremendously. The CD8a offers one of the best performance/price ratios available. Where else can you find a player with balanced inputs at this price (around $229)?

As a stand-alone CD player, it is extremely listenable. The midrange is nice and pronounced, and the overall presentation is VERY neutral. Furthermore, the CD8a is as quiet as a CD player can be. There is no listener fatigue even after long hours. However, all of this warmth and neutrality appears to be at the expense of detail, imaging, and soundstaging. Even though these are lacking, it is very minimal albeit noticeable.

As a transport, the CD8a is very stable. Information is solidly tracked. I've used it with (2) different outboard DAC's, a Soundstream DAC-1 and a Musical Fidelity X-24K, with excellent results. The warmth and neutrality that was evident in the CD8a as a stand-alone player was also there when used as a transport. There was no excessive brightness that seems to be the main complaint about many CD players that double as transports. The only drawback is the slow speed of the track find mechanism. If you want to forward to a track towards the end of the CD, you could be waiting a while.

Overall, the CD8a is an excellent value. As a stand-alone player, its performance is comparable to the best Marantz players like the CD63 and CD67. As a transport, its performance makes it an excellent low-cost alternative to expensive dedicated CD transports.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz CD63, Marantz CD67, AMC CD9,

Tube output section, remote, clear sound, great dynamic range

Skips a bit if jostled; inferior JAN Phillips tubes soldered to board

Purchased for $300 delivered with one year guarantee. At that price, it is half the cost of the new model, or of the competing AH! Tjoeb tube CD player. Paired with my other new AMC tube components (CVT1030s preamp, CVT2100S power amplifier), it sounds clear and full. Great bass and highs, superior to the Kenwood DVD player I was using.

Tubes are the same inferior JAN 12au7s that I replaced in the preamp. When the warrantee is up, I will replace the soldered tubes with sockets (it can be done) and better tubes. Until then, it sounds just fine.

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood DVD player

It's all been said

for this price, none whatsoever

I wanted to put together a true bookshelf system for under $750.00, but wound up at just under $900.00. I bought the CD8b from AA as a demo with a one cent promo shipping deal. I also bought a demo Musical Fidelity XA-1 and a set of MIT Terminator 5 IC's from them & picked up an Absolute power cord for $50.00 and a used set of 10' Transparent HP14-2 speaker cables for $40.00. The only reason I went over budget was because of the integrated piece, but I'm glad I did. Part of the reason for putting together this bookshelf system was to have music playing without the warm-up (and heat) of the main system (Pure Class A). It is almost embarrassing how good this system performs compared to my main system. Without a doubt, if I couldn't have my main system, I could live with this one. I chose the CD player section to post my review of the system because it is such a bargain. The quality is just amazing for $200.00, and I got it for $30.00 less! To put it into perspective, I paid more for my Meridian (used) than I did for this entire bookshelf system, and that includes the shelving & brackets! It sounds like a true quality stereo. I forgot to mention I'm using a 3 year old set of Infinity 2000.3 bookshelf speakers, and was going to replace them until I ran the MF XA-1. Plenty of power. I have experienced no problems with skipping or vibration, but maybe that's because it sits on its own shelf attached to the wall. The AMC CD8b is a true bargain in the overpriced world of hi-fi gear, and on top of that it is a real performer. Great detail, a decent soundstage and a sound that belies its price tag. When you play this you'll be grinning not just from the fantastic sound, but also from the bucks you saved. The only complaint I have is that the power cord is attached, because even a $50.00 upgrade like the Absolute helps. But after listening to this $170.00 CD player, my complaint faded into a murmur. Worth every penny at $200.00, and makes a joke out of other similarly priced gear. A real competitor with more expensive players, but taking into consideration the full retail of $400.00, it is only capable of so much, but it does it so very well.

Similar Products Used:

Sony, Pioneer, Nakamichi

Very cheap price, top notch build quality, smooth operating cd tray, metal front panel, coax digital out, detailed sound, plays CD-R's

Sound leans toward the bright side, soundstage is probably not the best.

This review is for the AMC CD8b

The first thing that impressed me about this CD player was its build quality. This is not your typical mass market piece of junk. The overall appearance is very understated and plain. However, when examined closely, quality details such as a sturdy metal face plate, sturdy case, and high quality buttons, are evident. Even the remote is solidly built. The CD tray also operates very smoothly.

The sound of this player is very analytical. The mid range and highs are extremely detailed. Compared to my old setup (Sony CDX-300 and Denon DA-500 DAC), I am hearing far more detail. Overall, the sound tends to be a bit bright. However, I have been listening to the player for only 4 hours. I am sure thatafter it is fully broken in, the sound will smooth out. Also, the bass is tight, but not very deep.

My only major complaint about this unit is that the soundstage is a bit narrow. However, I suspect that my Monster Cable Interlink 100's are the culprit. I will be replacing these with high quality cables very soon.

In summary, I would rate give this unit 5 stars because it offers so much for so little. The internal DAC in this unit is better than my Denon DA-500 external DAC. I am sure that this unit will also make a great transport when used with a high quality outboard DAC.

Similar Products Used:

Sony Mega CD changer hooked up to a Denon DAC

It has all been said before (see below)

None at this price point.

I am not going to repeat all that has been said in previous reviews. For the money (sale price $200) this is the best CD player you can buy. Super clean, open, detailed. Very
good soundstage. Very much a "best buy."

Similar Products Used:

Sony, Marantz, Technics

All the good things about this AMC CD8b has been said.

None so far. Will see how reliable it is as time goes by.

This review is for the current 2001 AMC CD8b model, not the 8a. I honestly don't know if anyone can find anything else better for the price. Smooth reliable Sony transport couple w/ TWO Burr-Brown 24/96 DAC for $200 !!!! I have auditioned some of the more expensive CD players like Arcam, NAD, Adcom, etc. and of course they all sound pretty good at the store but I can't say that they are better than the AMC since I did not have the opportunity to do a side-by-side blind test using the same equipments. All I can said is that I am very happy w/ the AMC.

I also have a new Harman-Kardon CD changer w/ two Burr-Brown 18 bits DAC and the HK is no comparision to the AMC. Actually, the HK's sound is not bad at all but the AMC is definitely better. The HK's transport also really sucks, extremely noisy and slooooow. Anyway, if you want the best CD player for a few hundred dollars, you really can't go wrong w/ this one. And for that price, don't even bother to buy from used market like eBay to save a few bucks (some idiots even pay more). It's not worth the risks. Audio Advisor is a great place to do business with and they have a 30 days money back policy so you REALLY can't go wrong at all. You just might have to wait for a while because AA always sold out the AMC. I had to wait for almost a month for mine.

I wish that there are more reviews of AMC products because they seem to be high quality and very affordable. Check them out at http://amchome.com. I wonder how the AMC CD6b w/ class A valve output and 4 (yes, FOUR !!!) BB DAC sound?

Spud.

Similar Products Used:

Harmon-Kardon CD changer
Onkyo Integra CD changer
Toshiba single CD/DVD player

musical, well built, easy to use

none

i'm using the AMC cd8a upgraded with valve outputs. linked direct via van den hul the source interconnects to a valve amp feeding klipsch klf20s. this certainly leaves the toshiba dvd previously used for dead. i find the sonic qualities slightly superior to the arcam alpha 5 which was certainly musical and full of detail but tended to be fatiguing in the treble. the amc 8a on the other hand boasts similar qualities in terms of air between instruments, imaging and soundstage as well as microdynamics but with a sweeter treble. it is in no way ``slow'' in presentation. i listen to a lot of jazz, particularly fusion and from low to high frequency, everything is presented with excellent balance. basslines pound when the recording has it and treble sparkles. cannot understand how serg gave it a single star -- for the price paid -- five stars easily

Similar Products Used:

marantz65mk2, arcam 5plus, philips850, toshiba 2109dvd

Presentation, Price

I am currently builing a system and needed a cd player. I found this at audioadvisor and was going between this and a reconditioned NAD. The reviews on this player put me over the top and I am very pleased with the results.

I have a Yamaha HTR 5230, Anthony Gallo Nucleus Micros w/the MPS-150 powered sub and RSHACK Video gold IC's. Despite the shortcomings of the sats, the benefits of this player are obvious,very, very clean. I a/b'd this unit with 2 1bit units (sony, Pioneer) and a GENICA cd/dvd player that has 24/96 DAC in it also. I also took care to burn this player in which made a major difference vs. out of the box.

What I noticed most was the width of the soundstage. At the same time that things were wider, they became deeper and more clear. I can now detect flaws in various recording processes.

If this is your budget range (2-300) buy it in an instant! I am hooked! I already got a friend to purchase one of these units (his was one of the players mentioned above)as it took about 5 minutes of listening for him to become convinced this unit is a good purchase.

I too wonder how the QUAD AMC unit sounds as there is quite a price difference and AMC seems to manufacture quality components at a reasonable price. Audioadvisor was a dream to work with as well. I exchanged several emails/phone calls with their salespeople in resolving this purchase and I could not be more pleased with their customer service.

Similar Products Used:

mass fi