CD Player/Transport Reviews

Sidebar 1: Other Contenders

Since this report was written, I have auditioned two other contenders for "Best CD Player."

The Meridian MCD Pro and the NEC CD-705 both provide slightly better (wider, deeper) soundstage presentation than does the Kyocera. Both are a little more laid-back (less forward) than the Kyocera, the difference being great enough that personal preference is likely to be a strong factor in determining which to buy. (If you feel that CDs generally sound steely, you will prefer the NEC or the Meridian; if you prefer a more forward sound, as I frequently do, the Kyocera will appeal.) The Meridian has, by a small margin, the sweetest-sounding extreme high end of the three, but it also has the least neutral low end. Lows are slightly accentuated, slightly loose, and not as deep or solid as those from the NEC or Kyocera. The NEC is a veritable steal at less than half the price of the other two.

The Meridian MCD Pro was reviewed by Anthony H. Cordesman in Vol.8, No.6; Dick Olsher's report on the NEC is in the works. I would say that personal audition of all three is advisable prior to purchase of any one, and this is one case where the differences between the players is not subtle.—J. Gordon Holt