Battel! Pioneer Elite PD-65 vs. Cambridge 640c

Battel!!!

Pioneer Elite PD-65 vs. Cambridge Audio Azur 640c....

Okay folks, you hear it first-

Sold off some extraneous gear and picked up a few new CDPs. One, the lovely Pioneer Elite PD-65, the other, a Cambridge Audio Azur 640c (first series).



Any guesses as to which one proved victor?

No DAC was used, and the gear running was a/d/s/ L1230s, a B&K EX-442 Sonata, Outlaw Audio RCA cables, PSE Studio One pre-amp, and 14 Gau wire.

Any wagers?

i'll put my money on the Pioneer. not because i know the first thing about either player, but on first glance the Pioneer strikes me as having the image of the underdog between the two.

I'm a big Cambridge fan.
I vote Cambridge.

If the Pioneer is one of their earlier tanks it gets my vote.

I'm going opposite of dingus, just because. go cambridge.

I'll go with the Pioneer.

c'mon people, its a war here,,,,, with dingus,,,, anyway the cambridge kicked ass, everybody knows it.

elroy

don't be so sure- it was closer than you'd think...

Okay, time to let the cat out of the bag...


I'm trying to juggle a lunchbreak and work whilst writing this- so it will unfortunately be a bit short.

The CD players both had their strong points, and weak points.

The Pioneer Elite features a stable-platter feature- basically a turntable-type thick platter that you mount the disc on upside-down. This is a great feature- less-than-perfect discs play quiet, and, well... stable.

This platter reduces wobble, which in effect reduces jitter.

Complaints heard were regarding the tray- it's plastic. But after trying it first hand, the stable platter did it's job- it played CDs without wobble, and no audible mechanical noise.

The Cambridge has a quiet loading tray- and quick at that. The disc is read instantaneous- and ready to play in a blink of an eye.

But, on two out of 20 discs I've tried- the two "less-than-perfect" discs, I could hear the player working. Very faint, but indeed audible. Maybe something I could combat with some Dynamat.

Both players read burned discs and scratched discs with ease.

But seeing the Pioneer was quiet during ALL playback of ANY disc, it gets the nod in this preliminary test.


Moving on to build quality....

The Cambridge is very well built, with a solid and thick front plate, quality components inside, nice board design, and torroidal power. Buttons are smooth and easy to use, and that tray operates quiet, smooth and fast.



But....


The Pioneer features that beefy platter and thick tray. It's also lined with copper, and the body features a form of injection-molded plastic that makes up a honeycomb frame, to keep the body vibration-free. A urishi glossy black finish and wood-look side panels finishes off the stunning exterior appearance.

Again, the Pioneer triumphs.



But, how do they sound?



This is where things get complicated.



The Pioneer uses the much-loved but a bit aged PCM63 chips from Burr Brown. And also, this interesting "Legato Link" setup, which acts as a dynamic range expander in a way, increasing primarily CD's low end, and claims of adding a bit of top end by some reviews (though others say bottom end only). It also claims to reduce CD harshness and provide for a more natural sound.. Some models- but I'm unsure if this applies to the earliest of the Legato link models- also resample the info for a reduction in phase shift.

The Cambridge benefits from years and years (a decade and a half) of chip advancement as well as op-amp and analogue stage and clock accuracy and... well, you get the picture.

Chips used are of the Wolfson variety- the first non-Burr Browns I've owned.



Well, heres where the Cambridge gets the slight leg up. The sound is even, natural and focused- and a huge reduction of any "digititis" is another reward to the listener. The sound can be a bit forward, and at extremes with certain recordings, a tad hot, but overall it's a very clean, accurate and honest presentation.



The Pioneer, on the other hand, is a bit looser. Bass was deeper, but not as tight. Vocals were lent a smooth, analogue-like sound, midrange a tad recessed (the lower-model PD-59 is rumored to have a slightly more forward midrange some folk prefer).

Where the pioneer chokes is it hits an upper-range ceiling at times- it's more apparent where the cd "flat-lines", or "tops out". Although the sound is typically smooth, like rolling hills, when you get to the mountains, they don't peak but represent more of a plateau- and you hit your head on this glass ceiling. It's slight, but present, and although you may be convinced you're listening to analogue from the low end to the middle , fatty section of the song, it's the top end that makes you aware it's a digital conversion, and brings you back to the reality that you're listening to a CD.




Although the lushness of the Pioneer may be lost a bit with the Cambridge, it's the ability of it to control the low end's bass (though not dipping deep as the Pioneer does), and the ability to reach the higher registers without breaking up, that champions the Cambridge.

And the cambridge also provides more detail. Not that the Pioneer is lacking- just that the Pioneer is a monocle, the Cambridge a magnifying glass.



My end impression?

The pioneer is lush, smooth and rich, but not the most articulate- and when it tries for that, it appears a bit stressed. But it's built like a brick sh**house, strong, and is ever so comfortable.

The Cambridge is a leaner machine, not as luxurious, but really down to business, very graceful, a tad delicate compared to the Pioneer (but surely no wimp), and very intelligible.


The Pioneer? Jayne Mansfield. The Cambridge? Audrey Hepburn (with a bit of Kathleen Hepburn's spunk).

Both fun to spend some time with, but in the long run the one that speaks better is the one that stays around longer.




One thing I need to note-.....


If one wants a stand-alone CD player, the Cambridge offers the best deal- slightly better sound.



HOWEVER- if one is looking for a transport, the Pioneer remains the victor. This was a statement piece by Pioneer, and shows it. Have an external DAC? Consider the Pioneer as one of the nicer available.

Very interesting review. I specially like the analogy between both cdp's and Jayne Mansfield and Audrey Hepburn...

I don't know the Pioneer model but i know quite well a few Cambridge's and i concur with you on that. They are extremely accurate and detailed.
It's a shame cd's nowadays having such a lousy sound.

Tanx for sharing.

This post has been edited by clint e. on September 30, 2008 04:11 pm

nice write up Paul. i knew the Pioneer would fare well.

so I win? whoo whoo

elroy

Elroy- you always win in my book.

So, it's Jayne Mansfield?

This post has been edited by hakka26 on October 01, 2008 10:29 pm

Nope.