THE AUDIO AERO PRESTIGE VRS THE AUDIO AERO CAPITOLE
The Prestige is better sounding than the Capitole.
What a relief.
You know, we really like the Capitole (especially me). So much of the competition that is supposed to be ‘better’ sound like a lot of digititus to me: heavy on the detail, light on the music.
But the Prestige had sounded pretty darn good at CES… but that was over a year and a half ago. And there had been rumours that they had made some changes since then…
But, no, all is OK. This thing really sounds pretty good.
In comparison with the Capitole:
A tighter denser soundfield. More solidity. More coherence. More transparency. More real.
More detail but NOT at the expense of the music.
More midi and micro-dynamics. About the same macro-dynamics – which has always been one of the premiere features of the Capitole.
Warmth is about the same, … well, maybe a little less. Still has that analog-like romantic tinge to it.
Tighter in the bass. Much. Much more detail. Which is a good thing… and it was one of the few weaknesses of the Capitole that its bass did not have enough detail for some people, but….Actually I am hoping and anticipating that the bass loosens up a little more over time (the Capitole took awhile too, about 6 weeks or so). Just a little. There is this balance – between detail and control in the bass yet a natural looseness that makes it all sound real – can’t describe it, but you know it when you hear it (the Audio Note U.K. Kegons amplifiers got it in spades).
Just one compaint.
Why do all these SACD players have to be so SLOW? Yes, they have to scan the disc dozens of times to determine which kind of redbook format the CD is recorded in, and then to determine if it is also an SACD. But, geez.
No, it is only marginally slower than the Meitner. And not as bad as the Sony SCD-1 as I remember it. So it is not unusually slow. What IS unusual is for the person putting in the CD (for exmaple, me!) to be of the patient, I’ve got 5 to 10 seconds to spare, variety of audiophile.
So, ***drum roll please*** …
Presenting the New World Champion of the Single Box Players (and it even plays SACD)….. The Audio Aero Prestige.
I like it.
Having lived with the SCD-777ES, I guess the speed (or lack thereof) of the Prestige doesn’t bother me a whole lot. But then, when I had my 777 (just about the same player as the SCD-1, definitely just as slow) I didn’t mind it either. I’d put in a disc, hit play, walk to the fridge, grab a drink, hit the lights, and walk to my chair… and just then, the music would start.
Yeah, it isn’t so bad.
Though when I am REALLY hyper, I can put on a CD, and while the player is giving it the old 3rd degree, seeing if it good enough to play, I decide that I want to hear a completely different CD instead.
Then, after popping out the first CD, before a single note is heard BTW, the second CD is put on. Then while THAT one is getting scanned a few thousand times I decide…
Rinse and repeat.
Ah, just having fun. And it still ain’t as bad as having to clean LPs… and waiting for them to dry… 🙂