best performance to price of any player, i have heard.
detail in a life like manner

a tad bit lean

I have owned some very good cd players over the past 7 years (Naim CD5X & Audio Aero Capitole Mk.II SE) and the 840c definately is in the same playing field even though it only cost 1/3 of the Naim & 1/6 of the Capitole. 2 years ago it was unthinkable that you could get a player for $1400 New, that combined both excellent detail and natural tone, timbre,& prat. The detail and space between the players is exceptional. It is as if each individual player or orchestral section has a soft spot light on it simultaniously, all in a very natural, harmoneous mannor. The only slight (very slight) drawback is that the music is a little bit lean for my tastes.
I was able to compensate for this by using a tube pre amp which fleshed out the sound and added that last bit of body to the music; bringing the overall sound to a very life like holistic state.
Simply a remarkable player and a "Giant Killer" audio bargain! I definately recommend an audition if you are in the market for anything under $3000.
See The Absolute Sound review by Rob Harley, it gives what I think to be a very accurate description.
Current System: Audio Zone Amp 1; Dared tube pre amp; Wharfedale EM97 speakers or Omega single driver speakers.

Similar Products Used:

Sony SCD333es, AA Capitole MkIISE, Naim CD5X

Sweet, natural presentation.
Highly detailed in an unobtrusive way
Big, steady soundstage. (with the right CDs)
Awesome price/performance ratio.

I'd love to have some more bass-precision, but for the money it's still spot-on!
The design is so-so... If that matters to You.
Very sensitive to cabling, the surface it stands on etc. Try Supra Sword for interconnects, that really supercharged mine! Also experiment some with sorbothane feet under it, this too worked wonders in my room.

I was listening around for something nice to replace my much-loved Marantz CD-17 KI with. That old Ishiwata-tinkered player really had everything I needed in a player - smooooth yet dynamic, refined yet punchy. So it was with some sadness that I finally had to put it to sleep (3-year old nephews with inquisitive minds and strength to match don't mix well with fine audio gear...I really don't want to talk about it!)
Anyhow, after scanning the media for a select number of candidates, my grand tour of the local HiFi-peddlers ensued.
This was my shortlist:

Rega Apollo
Cambridge 840
Cyrus CD6s
Cyrus CD8x
Marantz SA7001KI
Vincent CD S 6 Mk II
Primare CD 21

The Marantz just didn't do it for me like it's ancestor had, the Vincent would probably not be a good match with my Electrocompaniet/Dynaudio gear, the Primare was just to "nice" I thought. The little Cyrus was OK, I guess, but ultimately not near what I was looking (listening) for.
It's bigger brother CD8x was really nice in many ways; detailed, bold, "musical" but still failed to impress me enough.

So 2 were left for a final shoot-out:
The quirky Rega and the sober Cambridge.

Initially I figured I could live with both of them, the Rega with it's lucid, enveloping sound or the Cambridge with it's truthfullness and detail.

After some back-and-forth, to-and-fro pondering though, it dawned upon me: What had impressed me so with my sorely missed CD17KI, I once again heard in the Cambridge! The smoooth detailing was there, only more so, the gutsy strut was there, only more so. That old "rightness" about the sound was there, only more so.

What I was hearing was an updated version of "my" sound! It was like falling in love again with an old love, if You will.

So I bought it, the Cambridge 840c. Turns out it blended in purrrfectly with my gear, my room, my music. And I won't let my nephew near it this time!

Check it out!

Similar Products Used:

Marantz CD17KI
Cyrus CD8x
Rega Apollo

beautifully made.
digital imputs to upsample your other players like cd, md, dvd or i pod.
digital output so your cd to md recordings are as perfect as can be.

sound is great.
i heard ray charles and natalie cole singing fever as a duet, and if you closed your eyes, you could feel that they are in front of you singing side by side.
its soo natrual and detailed.

i purchased the product and after 12 hours of use, it broke down.
extremly dissapointed, i called up the dealer from whom i purchased the unit and he was very sorry for all this.
the next day, it was replaced with a brand new unit and since then, its a joy.

remote is more for other c.a. products, rathers then for the cd players only.
i would have thought that this top of the line cd player would have had a different remote compared to the other azur ranges, but they are all the same.

i was looking to upgade my yamaha cd player (which is still very good and i have been very happy with).
i saw the c.a. 640 v2 and was quite impressed with the over all package.
when i went back to the store to actually purchase the product, i saw the 840.
very impressed with its finish, looks and above all simplicity, i did an a/b comparsion and even though the price difference between the 640 v2 and 840 was more then double, it was worth every penny.
immediately, you could hear the difference between the 2 players, and not that the 640 v2 was bad by any standards, its just the the 840 was outstanding.
i have only had it for a month, and i am really happy i decided to get this model.

the sound is detailed, open and above all natural.
when you listen to your old cd's, you have a grin on your face, as you hear things you never heard before.
its soo detailed.

Customer Service

after the incident of it breaking down and being replaced the next day.
im a happy man...

Similar Products Used:

it was a toss up between the naim and audio analogue.
in the end, i chose the ca 840, as i feel that in the price range, it was the best overall.
dont get me wrong, im not saying this is the best cd palyer you can buy.
what i am saying is that in the price range, nothing at all even comes close to this.
i feel even if you were to spend double the money, it would make no difference.
its the best you can buy. thats it.

3 Dimensional sound staging
Fast read
Clarity
Opening and enhancement of mid-range

Remote is well built-but it is more of a universal for other Azur product line. My harmony cannot turn it off and on-just play tracks. This probably a Harmony issue.

Recently I set out to find a true 2 channel source for my cd collection. I've been using the Denon 3910 universal. Reading reviews I decided that this would would be my direction. Up scaling to 24/384 I had to hear. I stopped by the local upscale audio store and the sales person was ga-ga about the Cambridge line-up. He was kicking himself because he had purchased the 640, and now this 840c had come out. They were out of them-but surprisingly Tweeter has just begun to carry the line. I listen and was convinced.

Out of the box it is sturdy well built. I hooked it up and immediately started my A/B comparison to the Denon 3910. The soundstage of the Cambridge was fantastic. Imaging and blended. The Denon could not keep up. The Denon is no slouch either. I tested high rez 2 channel against cd layers -still the Cambridge sounded better, more open with softer mid to highs. My wife, who is a professional classical musician, allowed me to test her ears as well. She did not know which player I was using -she could pick out the 840c easily as sounding better.

I'll keep the 3910 for my SACD/DVD-A as well as the movies.

Apparently if you have a IPOD you can up sample high quality material from the player. Nice feature when I ever make that purchase.

Customer Service

Not used to date.

Similar Products Used:

Denon 2800
Denon 3910

Equipment used:
Def Tech 7002 Speakers
Lexicon LX-5 amp 400w bridge fronts
Denon 3806 as a pre-pro