The Myryad MC 100 CD player is a fantastic piece of gear... I've owned it since 2002 and I still don't feel compelled to get another simply because I've resided on a cloud of audio nirvana ever since that time.

I matched the MC 100 with a Myryad MI 120 integrated amp, Audioquest NRG 2 power cords, Acoustic Zen WOW inter-connects, and Transparent Plus speaker cables that lead to a pair of very nice System Audio SA 205 compact speakers.

I'm a bit of an audio snob and don't believe you need a million to get great sound... Kudos again, to the engineers and designers who brought all this fine and reasonably priced components together... Can't go wrong with the MC 100 or the MI 120 for that matter...

Open and Dynamic with full of details Airy High Warm Mid Tight Bass Beautiful face Built quality Nice Remote control

NONE Less availability in the USA

This review is for MCD 200, not 100. I am a big fan of American made amplifier and British CD player. MCD 200 plays along with my McIntosh C 32 Preamp, and MC 7150 power amplifier. To say it briefly, MCD 200 sounds wonderful! It has all the details. It sounds airy on its high. Mid range is the best of all! That wide, very open midrange is far better than 2K~3K CD players. Bass? Yes! Its bass impact is awsome! Not muddy, not murky. It just produces rock solid bottom. You can feel how drum rolls. Other British CD players like Arcam, NAD can't beat this Myryad MCD 200. They sound a lot similar, but MCD 200 has more detail and dynamic. Plus, it looks very good, and is built like TANK. Remote has very nice functions and easy to use. If you find this at good price - say under $900, try it. It will bring you new phase of music listening experience.

Similar Products Used:

NAD, Krell, Arcam, McIntosh, Rotel

Pretty.

A throughly bland performer, the only really *poor* player in the $600 to 1,800 range. You can do better at half the price, and the same at a quarter. Looks well-built, but is indeed flimsy. Overpriced product!

This is about the successor of the MCD100, the MCD200 (when will the people here update the database?). I tested the Myryad MCD 200 as part of an extensive audition for my stereo chain of Kef Reference 203 speakers and a German ASR Schäfer Emitter amplifier. Other products in the $600-1,800 range I auditioned included the Rega "Planet 2000", the Arcam CD 73T, the NAD S500i, the T+A 1230 and the Dynaco CDV-2 (tube player). First of all, the differences - in an A/B synch comparison on the same amp, volume-adjusted, were minimal - I cannot say that the Arcam CD73 at $600 was *worse* in any kind of way than the NAD S500i at $1,800. Mind, only direct comparisons are valid: if you audition the units one after another, you're lost, because your mind will tell you that there HAS TO be a huge difference, when in fact there is hardly any. Very small differences were notable: a slight midrange increase on the NAD, harsher treble on a Musical Fidelity A3.2, warmer sound from the Arcam. One single player did not make ANY impression at all: the Myryad MCD 200. At about $1,200, it was right in the middle of the range I auditioned, but it is the one play I'd say that was not worth even $600. It had no "odour" whatsoever, nothing you can put your finger. In other words, its most oustanding characteristic was a distinct lack of character. Some will consider this a bonus, i.e. if you regard neutrality as the most important factor in sound reproduction. I do not: In my book, each individual member of the chain must contribute SOMETHING to the overall picture. Warmth, detail, imaging, SOMETHING. The Myryad added nothing. If anything, it was "open" - meaning thin-sounding. Looks can be deceptive too: The Myryad looks cool and well-built, which in fact it is not. It's alloy front is of the "tin can" thickness, the transport looks weighty but is indeed flimsy, and the whole unit, for all its cabinet dimesions, weighs just over 6 kilos. So, evidently, the money is not spent on "value". It certainly isn't spend on sound, and this is why I suggest you'll buy any of the abovementioned CD players, except the Myryad. And since the sound differences are so small, think twioce whether you want to spend an extra $1,000 on built alone. If you like the Myryad, consider buying a Sony or Denon consumer player for a third or even a quarter of the Myryad's price. You'll get the same sound, and you can spend the rest on other equipment. In the end, because I was willing to spend around $1,500, I took the small Arcam's bigger brother, the CD 93T. It offers a dual mono structure with 4 upsampling 24-bit converters. Does it sound different from the small model, which has only one such chip and doesn't upsample to 192khz ("just" to 96khz)? Not really no.

Similar Products Used:

see above, plus Shanling T-100CD, Denon DCD 685, Marantz CD 67 SE, Harman Kardon HD 7400.

Solid build, great sound, detail, reliability, value for the money.

none at this price

I have owned krell, and NAD products for years. After I sold my Krell and my NAD, I was without a cd player. I happened across this fine cd player. I listen to Jazz and classic rock. The cd player is great in both venues. It plays all cds in fine order and offers musical satisfaction in these genres. The cd player is a fine piece of kit, offering a consistent sound regardless of price.

Similar Products Used:

krell, nad, rotel

About 6 weeks ago, I bought the Myryad MC100 (and a Densen Beat B100).The Myryad seems to be an honest CD player to me. No accentuated bass or
high etc. It has lots of Sony stuff inside. The analogue output stage is Class A
I love it's sound (of course I do, I bought the damn thing!!). The main player
I compared it with was the Marantz CD63 KI which is cheaper, so this comparison
isn't 100% honest.
Anyway, the myryad gives me great imaging. If you're looking for a natural CD
player, this is an option.

However, matching is as always important. I tried it
with Myryad MA100 amp, but that didn't do it for me. The densen Beat has better
timing and ritme.

No nonsense. Great detail and clarity. No hum or noise. Looks great with other Myryad products

Can't think of any

I've been using a Sony DVD-CD changer and was pleased with the sound. Then I purchased a new Myryad M120 integrated amp and a Myryad FM tuner. The purchases were based on my son's recommendation. He manufacturers hi-end speaker systems under the name of Hammer Dynamics (Hammerdynamics.com). When I received the unit and set it up I was amazed at the difference in sound. The only comparison I could make would be the difference between an AM and an FM radio. The Sony was more like AM and the Myryad a high quality FM.

My ears might me as critical as some probably because I'm getting old. However, the detail is very evident. I did discover that no system is any better than its weakest link. Now that I have the three Myryad components and the Hammer Dynamics speakers the only weak link left is my speaker wires. I'll be installing them shortly.

Yes, the Myryad is relatively expensive (over $1000) and caused some consternation when I found it was made in the UK. My experience with British motorcycles and automobiles colored my view. Now, I've discovered that the Brits do know their music and know how to make quality electronics.

Similar Products Used:

Sony CD-DVD

A while ago I posted a review about Myryads MC100.I have to post a new one.
I swapped my MC100 for a new one, reason why is not very interesting. At home I
immediately encountered a whole new musical experience, much more detail, more
base! But the increase in detail stunned me the most.
Turnes out myryad changed the design of the MC100. It no longer has a Sony
bitstream DAC, but a Crystal CS4390 24 bit 128 fold oversampling DAC.
I was told this (and checked it) AFTER I noticed the difference and asked my
hifistore how that could be so it much be a blind test (sort of).

I recently purchased the Myryad MC100 CD player to go along with the Myryad MI-120 integrated amplifier (my review of the amp is also listed on this site; twice actually, dang!). This CD player was purchased for the following reasons: sound quality when auditioned, compatibility with the Myryad amp, and price (I got 33% off the $1200 MSRP due to Myryad switching North American distributors).
I auditioned several CD players including the Rotel RCD-951, 971, the Rega Planet, the NAD 515 changer, and the Arcam Alpha 8. My ears are not so discriminating that I could tell the differences between the Arcam, Rotel 971, Rega, and the Myryad, but I know the NAD 515 was not in their league, detail-wise. I believe the Myryad produces a clean sound that has good detail and soundstage, but is not "bright" like many British units may sound (to Americans!). It is not as warm-sounding as the Rega Planet, but I did not want the added warmth as my speakers were chosen for that reason.

The MC100 looks great, has a solid build, loads very fast, and mates well with the MI-120 amplifier. The unit comes with a remote that has more functions than the console (which is spartan, like the amp -- I like this), and also has a "master" on-off switch in the rear that keeps the player from needing excessive burn in time (the master switch usually remains in "on" position and the unit is thus in stand-by mode when not playing). Others may like the dimmable display. While the instruction manual spec's say the unit comes with a one-bit "complementary" DAC, Myryad and the seller told me that in fact the DAC is a 24-bit crystal delta sigma. [The reviewer below makes a similar point. However, this point may be moot as some say the number of bits in the DAC is not necessarily equivalent to sound quality.] To me, the MC100 sounds very good, and while I would like to say it has "this bass, and that mid-range, and this treble," I cannot, for I am not yet that sophisticated a listener. So, my review is not coming from an audiophile. I do know that it is detailed with a great presence. Since I have only been listening to the MC100 for two weeks, I imagine the sound will get even better. The rest of my system includes DH Labs SilverSonic interconnects, Vandersteen 1C speakers, and Synergistic Research Alpha speaker wires. I paid $800 for this unit, and have to give it four stars (five would be reserved for completely blowing me away or for being even less expensive).

Open soundstage. Detailed. Involving.

Not enough dealers stock Myryad products.

I recently upgraded from the Arcam Alpha 7SE which I had for just over a year. It gets rave reviews in the UK hi-fi press and offers very good value for money.
However I wanted to see what spending $700 dollars more can give and I have to say I wish I had skipped the 1st step!
I auditioned it against the highly acclaimed 9SE and it was obviously a 'no contest' almost immediately.
Compared to the Arcam the MC100 was clearer, created a more open soundstage and was more realistic and punchy in the delivery of music.
It is the sort of improvement which made me come home and listen to all my CD collection again.
Whatever you do you must include this in your list of CD players to audition, it's not cheap but it is worth your hard earned cash in my opinion.
My set up is Amp. Biamped Myryad, Mission 752 speakers using Audioquest speaker cables.

Similar Products Used:

Arcam Alpha 9se

Very musical player, good soundstage just by itself, good build quality, looks like a million bucks, very low noise, excellent tone, good presence and honest reproduction. Extremely nice overall presentation.

Must be used with a very dynamic system because it is follows the middle ground of dynamic performance. The amp you use must be of high wattage and large transformers to deliver what dynamics the MC100 gives you.

This CD player has many strengths and no real weaknesses that I can find on my system. I will just make a quick list of its good qualities:

The detail is exceptional, tonal quality is exceptionaly smooth, build quality is very solid and appears to be excellent from the outside appearance, sound staging is definitely very good, and noise is non-existant. This CD player sounds outstanding.

This CD players dynamics are not very forward, but follow the middle of the road.

I would recommend the following complimentary components to take advantage of these extremely pleasing musical qualities that are not overly aggressive. I am using a McIntosh MC2205 amplifier (200W/ch) with no pre-amp. I immediately noticed the outstanding quality of the Myryad when I hooked the player straight up to the amp. The sound stage that one gets this way relies completely on the CD player. When my Rotel 971 was hooked up to the Mac in this manner, the sound stage was very lacking. Instruments blended together. The Rotel sounds very good now with my Marantz 2385 receiver where the receivers pre-amp section can create an enormous sound stage for the Rotel's music. But the Rotel does not have a great sound stage of its own. The Myryad, however, can stand alone with the Mac amp quite nicely. The sound stage is moderately large, with very nice detail and space between the instruments. This demonstrates the Myryad's quality in and of itself.

That being said, I think that an amplifier with plenty of power and dynamics will deliver the Myryad's music very nicely. I would also recommend interconnects that are open and not subdued, like Nordost Blue Heaven, Red Dawn or someting similar. This should work quite nicely.

I am looking for a pre-amp that will increase the size of the sound stage slightly, and also increase the musicality/warmth ever-so-slightly, but also retain all of the detail and clarity. If you have any recommendations, please email me. I am looking at a Conrad Johnson PV-10AL but haven't settled on it yet.

5 stars for the Myryad. It is an extremely honest, refined, and musical player and meets or exceeds my musical demands.

Similar Products Used:

Rotel RCD-971, Rotel 940BX