This is a fine CD player. I am using it, borrowed from a Friend He being away on business for some time. I have used it for just about 3 months so far. The sound is clear - functioning is smooth. I enjoy listening to it playing Classical and Jazz recordings. Rock... I still have a better experience with Solid State. As most of my listening sessions are in the Classical world this unit does very well.
Now knowing how well it plays and the fact it pairs - looks so well along side my tube Integrated - I definitely desire(d) it. No, my Friend does not want to part with it besides a CD player is something I would never buy USED.
Though there are not many HDCD discs - I would still have liked this unit to have that technology within. I guess expecting it to play SACD is asking too much - but it would have made it an automatic buy for me. I felt it kind of odd though that the Prima Luna Prologue Eight CD player (a source device) is priced at or higher priced than its matching line of components. CD players have moving parts - eventually even the best will fail - so I do not get the price. And the Prima Luna site has it priced at $2499 AND $2999 - but I guess they will say the unit for $2499 was before they made the Super clock boards standard.
Did not expect it to be hard to get - At a reasonable price! If I were in Europe - or if the units in Europe were 120 volts I would pay app. $1900.00 and YES that is with the Super clock board within. And YES from an Authorized dealer.
Apparently the dealers here are playing hard to get - with the sales of this PROLOGUE CD unit as it is clearly being marketed hard. But the person on the phone is more focused on trying to make me feel - I really need this 'unique' (their words not mine) that there is nothing to compare it to - to the point I should pay the high price. The Young man did not seem to understand I had already reviewed their site prior to the call knowing the asking price - while He was quoting $500.00 more with a snobby 'take it or leave it' upscale attitude.
Any way - IMO - the DIALOGUE models are just so much more appealing with their full size look though with a full size price.
I guess I will bide my time - after all there are several good choices out there - no sense in losing focus just because of cosmetic appearance! Can not allow this CD player to be the 'center of the universe' of MY reference SYSTEM.
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This is absolutely the best ever tube-based cd player for the money, you think you are there with the musiciens,
incredeble detail, a wide open soundstage and crispy mids, you never get tired of listening, you just won't to listen to al your cd's, one after another.You can change the original tubes for better ones and get to an even higher level, for me it deserves 6 stars!!!!!!!!!