Even though I am very familiar with my system already, I find that I am able to learn even more about it (good and bad) during these listening sessions...
Comments by componentMcCormack UDP-1: All I can say after Saturday is that I have COMPLETELY underestimated the capability of this universal player. I had read all the good and not so good reviews of this player and had the chance to directly a/b it to a number of digital sources
while it was still breaking in and it had always fared pretty well. These comparisons included:
1. EA modded Sony DVP-S7700 CD transport/Dodson DAC-263/Dodson "skunkworks" digital cable
2. EA modded Sony DVP-S7700 CD transport/Dodson DA-217MkII/Dodson "skunkworks" digital cable
3. Onix CD-1
4. Onix CD-1 (used as transport)/Dodson DA-217MkII/Dodson "skunkworks" digital cable
5. Esoteric DV-50 UDP (thru the high quality analog RCA outputs)
Some additional sources that I've heard in my system and a/b'd to some of the others above...
1. Audio Alchemy DDS-Pro CD transport / EA modded P-3/A DAC
2. Audio Alchemy DDS-Pro/ P-1/A / MW LII P-3/A DAC
3. AA DDS-Pro/Benchmark DAC-1
4. Denon 3910
Please keep in mind that the McCormack was 2 weeks new still breaking in all the while as I was conducting these comparisons. After the first 10 hours of burn in, I found myself preferring the sonic qualities of the UDP-1 over all the others above for Redbook. The UDP-1 was able to bring the superior highs of the Dodson DAC-263 and the engaging, musical qualities in the midrange that the Dodson DA-217MkII delivered and it was able to do it all in one nice, tidy box! While the DAC-263 had DVD-A capability, my DA-217MkII did not. With the UDP-1, I was now afforded DVD-A capability as well as SACD!
Since I was not entirely sure just how good the UDP-1 was, I decided to get the highly regarded and favorably reviewed Esoteric DV-50 to compare w/ the McCormack. I expected the Esoteric being a full $2K more in price to just blow the UDP-1 out of the water. After all, the TEAC with is specially engineered feet was built like a brick shat house tipping the scales at close to 50lbs while the slender, seemingly underbuilt UDP-1 weighed in around 20lbs.
The Esoteric up and oversampled everything to a variety of ungodly, headspinning rates while the McCormack didn't seem to do diddly squat for redbook.
As usual, one should never pre-judge any piece of gear
, and I was about to be "edumacated"!
Even with less than 20 hours of run time, the lightweight McCormack was beginning to flex its muscles easily exerting a seductive musicality in the midrange the the Esoteric was lacking regardless of which digital filter setting was selected. The highs were more detailed open and transparent and the bass more impactful, extended and dynamic. This lil' player was showing just how special it was for redbook which is the format most of my software happens to be on. This alone made the choice easy as to which one I would decide to keep. However, I also decided to compare hi-rez formats and here's where the DV-50 exerted its superiority over the UDP-1 which was still nowhere near being fully burned in (I did not know this at the time). On SACD, the preference swung in favor of the DV-50. On DVD-A, the differences were not so clear cut. Fortunately for me, I have the fewest number of SACDs in my collection so the choice was clear. Out went the DV-50 and the choice to keep the UDP-1 was made.
I began trying some of the tweaks that Peter Moncrief mentions regarding isolation cones. Unable to try exactly what he recommends, I place BDR cones under the UDP-1 - two in the rear and one in the front. Air, hi freq detail and transparency were all improved. I experimented with some power cords and found my Electraglide Reference Tri-glide to work best with it.
Over the next week or so the UDP-1 continued to improve, but I had no idea what level it had improved to until Saturday's listening session where I was able to benchmark it against the amazing Dodson DA-218 in a direct a/b comparison. After hooking up the Dodson DA-218 which I have now heard 4 times, I was expecting to hear a HUGE difference between the UDP-1 vs. the Dodson. While the Dodson 218 certainly plays on an impressively grand scale, the difference between it and the UDP-1 was not nearly as pronounced as the price tags would indicate. In fact, the McCormack was dropping my jaw due to how big it was playing! For hi-rez formats? the McCormack is "OFF THE HOOK" good! I have no doubt that it is now surpassing the performance of the DV-50 on hi-rez formats.
The Dodson 218 is still the BEST digital front end I have heard - PERIOD - and I'd still love to own one for redbook in the future, but right now the UDP-1 is not leaving me lusting for more which is high praise indeed! After all, the shelf space on my equipment rack for my digital source has been a revolving door for the past 5 months since I first heard the Dodson 218! I can safely say that my search for a satisfying digital source has come to an end! As an added bonus, this one box solution plays it all and comes at a perfect time as the shelf space vacated by my dedicated CD transport has given way to a turntable!
Another shocker was discovering just how capable the UDP-1 is as dedicated CD transport...
Folks, at $3.5K, the UDP-1 is a bonafide steal of a deal! it does redbook and hi-rez like no other player i've heard before!
Well, that was a lot more than I had planned to write.
Stay tuned for the next installment...
