Review of Audionet "ART" CD Player

[analog2004]

Absolutely impressive cd player! I have been looking for the perfect cd
player for about the last two years. The Audionet ART is not perfect but
very close. First, what I don't like: It's not balanced and the remote
doesn't feel as sturdy as I would like to see it in a player for $4k. It
could be a tad more forward in the soundstage. But what it does extremely
well: It's fun to listen to cds again! It sounds remarkably analog, with

a very wide soundstage and a very realistic tone. The construction is
german, it's built like a tank though it looks like it was designed by the
folks at Bang and Olufsen - the visuals are superb! I would be hard
pressed to name one other player under ten grand that sounds that musical!
The nearest competition comes from Audionet: My next purchase will be the
audionet dvd player (tongue in cheek called VIP) which I heard at
Blinkhighend in Cambridge. Sad to say, even the cds sounds a tad better on
that one, but it also costs considerably more.

[woodman]

Absolutely impressive cd player! I have been looking for the perfect cd
player for about the last two years. The Audionet ART is not perfect but
very close. First, what I don't like: It's not balanced and the remote
doesn't feel as sturdy as I would like to see it in a player for $4k. It
could be a tad more forward in the soundstage. But what it does extremely
well: It's fun to listen to cds again! It sounds remarkably analog, with

a very wide soundstage and a very realistic tone. The construction is
german, it's built like a tank though it looks like it was designed by the
folks at Bang and Olufsen - the visuals are superb! I would be hard
pressed to name one other player under ten grand that sounds that musical!
The nearest competition comes from Audionet: My next purchase will be the
audionet dvd player (tongue in cheek called VIP) which I heard at
Blinkhighend in Cambridge. Sad to say, even the cds sounds a tad better on
that one, but it also costs considerably more.

Are you perhaps a shill ... pimping for this AudioNet company? $4K for a CD player? That is totally absurd, and anyone that actually KNOWS anything about electronics manufacturing would have to agree with that statement.

[E-Stat]

Are you perhaps a shill$4K for a CD player? That is totally absurd, and anyone that actually KNOWS anything about electronics manufacturing would have to agree with that statement.

Or choice "B", cares little about sonic performance.

rw

[N. Abstentia]

There's just no way in h-e-l-l that player sounds $3700 than say a used Adcom/Arcam/Cambridge/Rotel player.

And I SERIOUSLY doubt it sounds $3900 better than a 5 disc Sony from Best Buy to 99.9% of normal humans. It may sound better, but $3900 better? No. I'll put another $100 with the first $100 and pick up a used Arcam.

[E-Stat]

And I SERIOUSLY doubt it sounds $3900 better than a 5 disc Sony from Best Buy to 99.9% of normal humans. It may sound better, but $3900 better? No. I'll put another $100 with the first $100 and pick up a used Arcam.

I would definitely agree with your statement concerning the masses with their mid-fi HT systems.

It all depends upon your priorities and level of exposure. I find it very amusing for all the folks here who speculate on equipment that is outside their experience.

rw

[plextor guy]

Absolutely impressive cd player! I have been looking for the perfect cd
player for about the last two years. The Audionet ART is not perfect but
very close. First, what I don't like: It's not balanced and the remote
doesn't feel as sturdy as I would like to see it in a player for $4k. It
could be a tad more forward in the soundstage. But what it does extremely
well: It's fun to listen to cds again! It sounds remarkably analog, with

a very wide soundstage and a very realistic tone. The construction is
german, it's built like a tank though it looks like it was designed by the
folks at Bang and Olufsen - the visuals are superb! I would be hard
pressed to name one other player under ten grand that sounds that musical!
The nearest competition comes from Audionet: My next purchase will be the
audionet dvd player (tongue in cheek called VIP) which I heard at
Blinkhighend in Cambridge. Sad to say, even the cds sounds a tad better on
that one, but it also costs considerably more.

blah, blah, blah..

[Poss]

There's just no way in h-e-l-l that player sounds $3700 than say a used Adcom/Arcam/Cambridge/Rotel player.

And I SERIOUSLY doubt it sounds $3900 better than a 5 disc Sony from Best Buy to 99.9% of normal humans. It may sound better, but $3900 better? No. I'll put another $100 with the first $100 and pick up a used Arcam.

At that kind of money I would look for a previously loved Levinson/Wadia/Audio Research/Sonic Frontiers and so on ( yes, people sometimes "upgrade" from this level of performance).

New stuff from Naim/ Classe and others just as ilustrious could be had somwhere around this kind of money and they would at the very least be built as any $4000 fetching CD player should.

Just my two cents ( now that doesn't buy much eh?)

Peace!