Digital Drive: REVIEW: Primare CD21 CD Player/Recorder by SirAnthony

Model:	CD21
Category:	CD Player/Recorder
Suggested Retail Price:	$1500
Description:	CD player
Manufacturer URL:	Primare
Model Picture:	View

Review by SirAnthony on January 09, 2011 at 20:49:05
IP Address: 69.62.234.5 Add Your Review
for the CD21

About six or seven years ago my CD player died. I believe it was a Teac. I bought it in the late 80's or early 90's. I remember paying about $300 for it which I thought was a lot of money at the time. Since the Teac died I have not had a CD player I liked all that much. I went through an Njoe Tjoeb CD4000, Jolida JD100, Phillips 963SA (unmodded), Cambridge 540 and a TRL modified Sony. None of them where very good. I did enjoy the Jolida the most overall. Really, none of them can touch the Primare with a ten foot pole.

The Cd21 is very engaging, clear and detailed. The upper mids really hook you in and keep you listening. The soundstaging is excellent. I started out with some audiophile disks like Eva Cassidy Live at Blues hall, K.D. Lang Hymns of the 49th Parallel and Madeleine Peyroux Half the Prefect World. Eva Cassidy's voice really projected and all these doscs sounded good. But I don't think this is what this CD player is best at. The CD21 likes to keep things hopping. In Roger Waters Amused to Death the sound effects where outside the speakers and piercing behind me. Spyro Gyra Point of no return sounded like I remember it but better. They were really jamming. The last thing I listened to was Led Zeppelin The Song Remains the Same. It's not exactly an audiophile recording but I heard texture in Page's guitar sound I hadn't noticed before. I really cranked it up like I haven't in awhile.

On the plus side... This player has great sound staging and presense. It really hooks you in and has very good detail and speed. There is also weight and substance behind the notes.

On the slightly negative side... CD's sound more compressed compared to vinyl. The noise floor seems higher. There is less dynamic contrast between soft to loud passages. The music just sounds a bit louder in general but I seemed to want to keep turning it up. Don't get me wrong, compared to other CD players this is the best I have heard by far. Digital just has a different character. Good but different.

This CD player sounds like I remeber CD players sounding just better. I think that is a good thing. I missed that sound for these few years. I'm definetly keeping the CD21!

FYI this CD player does not upsample but it does oversample. I have no problem with that.

Product Weakness:	See review
Product Strengths:	See review

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: ARC D76a Modified
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): AI Modulus 2D Modified
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Origin Live Aurora with Encounter arm
Speakers: Vandersteen 2CE
Cables/Interconnects: DIY silver int and VH audio power.
Music Used (Genre/Selections): All kinds
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	ARC D76a Modified
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	AI Modulus 2D Modified
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Origin Live Aurora with Encounter arm
Speakers:	Vandersteen 2CE
Cables/Interconnects:	DIY silver int and VH audio power.
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	All kinds
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner