Sound. Build quality. Nice display.

None for the money.

I bought the Cambridge D300SE based on Stereophiles thumbs up on the D500SE and,mostly,all the positive reviews given here. Auditioning everything that's out there is impossible. I have an old Kenwood THX receiver,and a mix of JSE infinite slope,Mirage,and Radio Shack speakers. The D300SE out of the box sounded better than my,admittedly,older NAD502. Intensive break-in results in a glorious sound. This player allows the music and recording to get through in a spacious and pleasantly revealing manner. I know the D300SE will be right at home when I upgrade my front end and speakers.

Similar Products Used:

NAD502

very well sounding! good finish and weighs at least 4kg! A LOT for your money!

high-pitched noise from the cd mechanism(almost caused me a headache and is very irritating in quiet parts of songs and with classic music). makes a clicking sound when changing track(just before it starts playing the track).

well. Ive been playing with it for 2 straight days now. It sounds very good. I have a set of Eltax Monitor III with a Technics SU-V4 (2x60W) and the sound is very crisp and detailed. Better than all other cd players I have ever own!

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer S207(semi-crap), old Sony(crap), old Samsung (crap)

bass, clarity, looks

No interconnect supplied (OK, so you ought to buy a decent one anyway)

I expect the product to improve as it burns in, but I'm already pretty impressed. I bought the SE version from make-someone-else-richer sounds after reading reviews on this site and I'm glad I did. It's not quite as good as my beloved Arcam Alpha 5, but it is a THIRD of the price. Base is fine, clarity acceptable, and while it's not the most attacking CD player in the world (not, I think, one for Thrash Metal fans) it resolves classical and jazz just fine. It doesn't come with a CD-to-amp cable and I would say it is just about worth a high-quality interconnect. At £150, this is a not-half-bad piece of kit.

Similar Products Used:

Arcam Alpha 5

See the review above. Remote unit is gorgeous, the cd player it self is upgradeable. The dial up/jog shuttle like knob is really cool looking.

There is no digital output on RCA jack.

This is a great cd player. I auditioned it with the following which I have at home: Creek 4330R Mk. II, MITerminator 4 interconnects, JMLabs Chorus 706. I noticed the follwing: Very strong centre image, alot of space around musical intruments, very smooth and non-fatigue sound. The highs are really delicate and life like.

Similar Products Used:

NAD 502, Micromega Stage 1, Pioneer DV535 VD Player.

no harshness whatsoever, rich and dynamic soundstage, articulated bass and usage is most definitely uncomplicated!

maybe a little to good for my speakers.. i would have liked a volumecontrol, but that is too much tooo ask for, i got a wonderful sound instead! -the musical fidelity player barely kicked the d300se's ass, honestly i didn´t expected differently.

[regarding the 300SE-model] My first impression was "jeez, looks cheap" (i did compare to my sad black boring looks my yamaha posesses..) but when i looked at the rear and discovered the goodies.. i´m overwhelmed, this is far more than any other CDP-maker will ever offer you for this kind of money, superb! under the break-in period the sound started to grow, and now it sounds very clear and analytic, it will easily conquer far more expensive players costing as much as 1000$ it reveals bad recordings, without remorse. under the lid, theres more goodies, coppershieldings everywhere, very high quality components, nice wiring and overall very neat buildt. the discsleigh is very smooth and, compared to my yamaha, very quiet. This CDP is a unbeatable bargain, and that is both price- and soundwise!!

Similar Products Used:

yamaha cdx-590 sony something rega planet musical fidelity

Tames harsh recordings. Gives some depth and air to everything. Nice and liberal bass.

Nothing really, but for me it's what it doesn't need. I could do without the program/repeat button and the shuffle button.

When I bought this unit, a few hours were already on because it was a store demo. I think I've given it enough to turns to break it in, but I'm not quite sure as yet. Anyhow, it softens up those old harsh recordings, especially those of the early digital era. Yes' "Union" sounded much more listenable than before, and the old "Uriah Heep" stuff was given a cracking of the whip, and tamed nicely. Newer recordings highlight bass, but overall, the sound is more spacious than before and the high end is smoothened out.I only have mass market stuff to put the D300SE up against, but all those components sound the same to me anyway. It seems that CD players are advancing faster with respect to technology more than speakers or amplifiers, so the D300SE is an excellent choice, since you will not have shelled out big dollars when it's time for an upgrade. Also, since it can stack up against other players costing up to 3 or 4 times as much, it can fit in with more expensive speakers and amplifiers. You can't miss.

Similar Products Used:

Mission Cyrus One StudioLAB i-5 speakers Mass market players (I'm too ashamed to say which ones)

Very open and natural sound quality. Refined treble and midband. Good build construction. The dim green display doesn't draw your attention in a late-night listening session.

Some may find the bass attack too slow or polite. The user controls and display are minimalistic (no heaphone socket, limited remote options) -- enough for me, but some people may find it too spartan.

This review is for the SE model (special edition): this budget player (£150) has a very smooth and refined sound. There is no harsheness or grain in the treble and midband which makes vocals sound excelent. This smoothness is not achived at the expense of detail: transients like guitar or harpsichord sound very well focused and precise, but not fatigating. The stereo image is absolutely amazing: very wide and very deep either thru speakers or headphones. I also have a second system with an Arcam Alpha 7SE and this player is on the same level -- in short: an absolute audio bargain!

Similar Products Used:

Marantz CD52mkIISE, Arcam Alpha 7SE

Sound, looks

-

A truly excellent player...sure you can get better, but for the price, this is the best out there. I use it with an old cambridge audio P50 amp and polk audio speakers. I haven't had any mechanical problems as yet (been 8 months or so). The jog dial is a bit weird at first, but it's a cool idea.

Similar Products Used:

Sony, philips

Open, detailed, musical sound (after at least 72 hour break in--maybe 100 for good measure)

No weakness considering it price class, but in an absolute sense it could provide better detail in the high frequencies

These comments refer to the 300SE (special edition). AudioReview does not appear to have added a separate category yet for this updated model. 1) The 300SE requires at least double the burn-in time recommended by the manufacturer. Although mine had a sticker on it suggesting a 36 hour burn-in, I hear significant improvement after 72 hours. The sound has become significantly more open and engaging. 2. I suspect that reviewers who found it "flat" or not engaging had either not burned it in sufficiently or were used to more brash CD players (any of the mass markter consumer brands will sound more "exciting" because of harshness in the high frequencies that is fatiguing in the long term.) 3. I compared the 72 hour burned-in 300SE with three other players: a Pioneer model 353 DVD player, an Acurus ACD-11 CD player, and the same Acurus via digital coax output to an MSB LinkIII DAC (with upsampling on). Compared to the Pioneer, the 300SE is far more listenable. The Pioneer has the high frequency brashness that I spoke about above and can sound exciting on an older rock album such as Pink Floyd's Animals, but the sound soon becomes fatiguing and on any other material is obviously too harsh in the high frequencies and lacking in the refined musicality of the 300SE. Compared to the Acurus ACD-11 (about $500 new several years ago) the 300SE again betters the other player, primarily in image focus and detail. The Acurus didn't suffer from the harshness of the Pioneer, but its imaging was more smeared out, perhaps due to the better jitter correction in the more modern 300SE. Compared to the Acurus as transport to the MSB Link III DAC, the Cambridge 300SE begins to show the limitations of its price range. The MSB Link III DAC (costing $500) is more open and restores detail in the high frequencies that aren't quite there on the 300SE. Snare drum brushes with the MSB DAC sound like individual strands tapping the drum while on the 300SE they lose clarity and sublety in detail. With the 300SE they still sounds like snare drum brushes, but they are not quite as realistic sounding as from the more expensive player+outboard DAC. This is not surprising nor is it to the discredit of the 300SE. In conclusion, I would rate the 300SE at the top of its price class and a very attractively priced upgrade to a mass market CD player. I bought it for a second stereo s

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer 353 DVD player, Acurus ACD-11, and MSB Link III DAC

Will not hurt your ears

Fails to produce frequency extremes

Fails to draw you into the music. Too clean.

Similar Products Used:

Rega Planet Marantz 63SE