First review here but had to give props to this cd player. On the used market it can be had for a steal. I believe this is partly because Creek is a sleeper brand (and not as 'sexy' as others -- maybe the plain jane casework?). All the better for your wallet. i have been amazed with the capabilities of this cd player as I continue to make refinements to it and my system. I'lll wager there is still more to be 'heard' from this unit than I am currently hearing, I have just yet to find how to coax the rest out of it. My advice: Small investments like putting it on a solid platform (mine is on 3" maple butcher block), quality footers (BDR mk3 cones -- awesome. Large brass 'mapleshade' type cones also good) and the best aftermarket power cord you can afford. I also use the balanced outputs.

Bottom line, if you invest in the various, 'normal' improvements most audiophiles would do to any component, you will likely be rewarded with phenomenal sound. The gains I've experienced from doing all of the above have been excellent and a complete very pleasant surprise!

Sound is dynamic, natural, and alive. Vocals are excellent, male and female are focused and real. Extension high and low is excellent as well (adding a Audio Horizons Transparency power cord yielded unbelievable bass extension). Again, taking the time to maximize the potential of this player is well worth it, as you may not truly hear its potential, I believe, unless you work at it a bit. It's worth it, though, considering that the sound you get and the money you pay are at odds with each other (in your favor!). If you can, also go balanced.

Highly recommended for the cost to performance ratio. Mine has been 99% trouble-free since I bought it used almost a year ago, and I use mine daily for hours at a time. The only glitch is that every once in a while it won't read a cd on first pass. Ejecting and loading again does the trick. A true sleeper of a cdp!

Steve at hi fi fo fum is great I really enjoyed him..but I know he worked with john allatt at FOR THE GROOVE...that is why I like him and his store..Hey Steve I know where john is ..email me at electronfreeway@yahoo.ca..I loved what you were wearing the last time I say you...

Clear and Accurate Non fatiguing

Modest but Sufficient bass. No complaints actually

I have an all Creek system.I replaced the CD43mkII with the CD53 hopeing for even beter performance. I can say that the improvements are noticable.It took 3 months to burn in! Now it sounds nice with all forms of music. It does a wonderful job of pace and resolution.Nothing about the performance is trite.Just honest,uncolored music reprodution.The mids and highs are special on this player.A very relaxed presentation throughout.Well recorded cd's are served best,while older recordings also sound enjoyable. It's a damn good CD Player. A bit expensive for Creek,but attention to detail by the design team is rewarded by a true high quality player. Upgrades are also possible in the future such as SACD,etc. Sounds best with an after-market powerchord. I have the sunrise II from sonic horizion. Also recommended. {$75 for a 2 meter PC}. I prefered it over other brands costing double.

Similar Products Used:

Arcam CD23t Cary 308

Strict tolerances with electronic components used. Design and build quality. Flexibility of outputs. Future upgrade options available.

A few months back I purchased the Creek 5350 SE integrated amp from Steve Thorne at Hi Fi Fo Fum (see review). Up until recently I had been happily using a Cyrus PCMII cd player. Due to some "non-electronic" problems with the player, I was placed in a position to look at a new cd player after many years. I had the opportunity to audition quite a number of good players (around the US$2000+ range) including the Arcam FMJ-CD23 and the Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 3-D. I found the Arcam to sound very similar to the Creek (in pretty much all aspects - dynamics, clarity, sound stage, etc.). The MF did "sound" a bit better but at more than double to price, I found it difficult to justify considering it over the Creek or the Arcam. I ended up choosing the Creek both for it''s audio qualities as well as the fact that it matches my 5350 SE. I picked up the player from Steve and when I brought the unit home, the most obvious thing that I noticed was that the CD 53 sounded quite better than my PCMII - there were details that I never noticed before on several recordings - in particular live recordings - it was like hearing my CD''s for the first time. I have to admit, I was not planning on spending this much for a CD player but after listening to various players in various price ranges, I am very pleased with the CD 53 and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a very high quality, audiophile grade CD player.

Similar Products Used:

Arcam FMJ-CD23, Talk Electronics Thunder 2/3, Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 3-D, Roksan Caspian and Rega Jupiter.

Sound Build quality Looks

None

The Creek CD53 is simply a fantastic machine and represents a tremendous value for the money. I''ve had a number of CD players over the years, including some that cost well over twice that of the CD53, and none compare. I also have the CD43MkII which is also a great player but the CD53 is even better. I know some people who have favorably compared the CD53 with current model Krell and Cary CDPs, which is no surprise. Since I have well over 1000 CDs, none of which are SACDs, the CD53 will certainly make me think twice about investing DVD-A or SACD, at least for the immediate future. I would highly recommend the CD53 to anyone looking for a good CDP in the $1-2K price range.

Similar Products Used:

Creek CD43MkII

Quality parts Sound Build Dac''s A/D conversion

Price in comparison to NAD''s & Lesser competitors.

The Creek CD-53 took a long time to finally hit the mass market late last year. It replaced in some respects the cd-43MkII which was a great spinner. The CD-53 has a great quality fit & finish & upgradeable parts within. It boasts a 24/192 dac...Unfortunately although excellent specs & dynamics NO cd''s playback 24/192 khz. All cd''s still playback 44khz/16 bit. The DSP tweaking in some Quasi-Upsampling players boast 96/24 resolution. The real way to actually HEAR 24/192 mastered media is DVD-Audio players & Limited 24/192 software. As a red book player the 53 is a non fatiguing listen after warm-up. It has got favorable reviews in the audio press & alike. Jazz & Classical fare the best with tight dynamics & sweet highs. Rock also performs well from the quality A/D conversion. There is no need to use this unit as a tranport only due to it''s great quality internal parts selection care of Creek. An overall excellent player bettered only by the Cary CD 303/200 & the Krell kav-280cd ..but at a higher price tag.

Similar Products Used:

Creek CD 43MKII Krell KAV-280cd Adcom GCD-750 NAD s-500......& Many Others..