Jolida,arcam,shanling,mutual fidelity

larry777

I have been researching cd players and would like to get comments regarding the sound and build quality of the following models. Jolida Music Van Mk IV and Shanling CD-300 both new from TimAudio for $819. Arcam CD-36 or CD-37 used for aprox $700 to $900 and the Musical Fidelity A5 used for $800-$900. Both the Jolida and Shanling tip the scales at over 30 Lbs each. Both the Arcam models and the M/F A5 are a lot more money when new compared to these Chinese Players so do they offer more for the money. Labour cost is an obvious factor, but are the Jolida and Shanling as good as the Arcam and M/F A5 ? Which player or players would you pick and why ?

dorokusai

Arcam. I've owned a couple players and while not flashy or a jaw dropper out of the box, they settle in with a lot of gear easily. When you spend some time with them they become more engaging and interesting.

I'm not a fan of MF transports as I've read and seen many failures across their lines. Shanling has never done anything for me sonically or aesthetically and Jolida's running a bad reputation coupled with a boring presentation. In addition, the price is too high since it will immediately drop after your purchase.

RuSsMaN

Another vote for Arcam. I ran a CD73 for a couple years, wish I still had it, and will be in the market for another soon.

larry777

Thanks for the comments. Arcam seems to be the preferred cd player from my short list ,so I will be keeping my eye open for one of their mid to higher end models. I will buy used as they are very expensive new. Arcam always seem to get very good reviews when I search the net....even on their lower and mid level models. Even entry level is expensive, which obviously reflects sound quality. Does anyone have another recommendation for a different quality CD Player ?

tonyb

Arcam is a great cdp, MF as Mark points out is hit or miss on the transport reliability. Look into Rotel, or if on a budget, look for a used pioneer avi59 or 79, they are universal players but their cd performance is quit good and can be had well under 2 beans.

larry777

As Arcam seems to be the preferred brand, I picked up the Arcam CD-192 from Audiogon. I didn't receive it yet, but i'm sure it will be a nice upgrade to my system. The one which will be replaced is a Technics 5 Disc player I bought around 1991 or 1992. It may not be like night and day,but I hope the difference is very easy to notice. The seller told me it came from a store that closed its doors about 2 yrs ago,and it was rated as 9/10 on the Audiogon site...so it should last me for awhile. It looked brand new in the pictures.