Any Digital Impressions of the Caiman yet?

[The Vinyl Adventure]

i have to say these comments dont suprise me .. the linn majik ds is suposed to be better sounding the the cds2, and my caiman isnt that far off my majik with a whole bunch of god awfull cables involved

im not so sure about the cd5x/flatcap but when i had my cd5/flatcap i was wholy unimpressed with it as soon as the majik ds came on the sceen

my advice would be to sell the flatcap/cd5x whilst it still demands the cash it does now... i lost £80 on my cd5 in 6 months!

i have just aranged taking the caiman to uhes for comparison with all the linn ds range in a more controlled envrionment than my lounge ... its just a shame im crap at write ups really!!

[The Vinyl Adventure]

I've been in a bit of a quandry as to which way to go forward. High on the list is to upgrade the 202 to a 282 and P/X the CD.

well worth it!!!!!!

my next big upgrade is 82-282 + 180-250

i really like the 282!!

its the problem with naim kit... its good but its not great till its very expensive... good job it holds value eh

[chebby]

I suspect the What Hi-Fi? review of the Caiman will count for nothing unless:
a. They've suddenly employed people with a clue
b. They've turned into a proper consumer magazine and won't be giving the award to the highest bidder.

Cynical? Me? Never!

I recall a 5* review of the TC-7510 in WHF. (It is still there)

Do you think Stanley outbid his competitors on that occasion, or that WHF really might actually have a clue?

There have been many instances of WHF 'ripping' into products from some of their biggest, oldest advertisers and not just on some 'token' basis with obscure 'back of the brochure' items (to allay suspicious minds) but more than once on some quite heavy duty 'strategic' products from big companies.

[Covenant]

The Wolfson DAC really does make the Caiman a very different beast to the 7520. Plus of course what sort of digital signal you're feeding it with makes all the difference.

I suspect the What Hi-Fi? review of the Caiman will count for nothing unless:
a. They've suddenly employed people with a clue
b. They've turned into a proper consumer magazine and won't be giving the award to the highest bidder.

Cynical? Me? Never!

I glanced at the what-hifi review in Smiths today-wasnt it the bog standard 7520 they reviewed?

[chebby]

I glanced at the what-hifi review in Smiths today-wasnt it the bog standard 7520 they reviewed?

Yes it was the bog standard TC-7520 reviewed.

BUT it was Hifi World who have reviewed it this month (HFW, current September 2009 issue, group DAC test, page 18) and not WHF.

WHF are reviewing the Caiman soon.

[lovejoy]

I recall a 5* review of the TC-7510 in WHF. (It is still there)

Do you think Stanley outbid his competitors on that occasion, or that WHF really might actually have a clue?

There have been many instances of WHF 'ripping' into products from some of their biggest, oldest advertisers and not just on some 'token' basis with obscure 'back of the brochure' items (to allay suspicious minds) but more than once on some quite heavy duty 'strategic' products from big companies.

I'm not saying that there haven't been occasions when they haven't got it right, and writing a magazine on what is, at the end of the day a completely subjective topic must be a bit of a nightmare at times, but over 20 years experience of this mag, there have been countless examples of correlations between good reviews for what have been at best, mediocre products and large spends in advertising by the manufacturer in question. What Hi-Fi? never has, and never will be a consumer magazine (like e.g. Which) and should never be trusted as such.

Apologies, I'll get off my soapbox. It's the remaining scars of seeing so many people walk into your shop clutching a copy of WHF and treating it as the bible, with the guy in the shop, the devil.

[Labarum]

The Wolfson DAC really does make the Caiman a very different beast to the 7520. . . . giving the award to the highest bidder.

"Go, go, go, said the bird: human kind
Cannot bear very much reality."

TS Eliot

http://www.tristan.icom43.net/quartets/norton.html

[SteveW]

i have just aranged taking the caiman to uhes for comparison with all the linn ds range in a more controlled envrionment than my lounge ... its just a shame im crap at write ups really!!

Now that I can't wait to hear about. I will probably do the same myself at some point.
Just bought one of the last Caiman available (until the next batch??!)

Anyway...It was supposed to be a bit of a stop gap until next year when I can afford a system overhaul, which includes a DS ...(Akurate or Majik - to be decided).
However I have to say that I'm blown away by the quality of sounds I'm now getting. I am using via airport express to play itunes Apple lossless files as well as FLACs via Cog playing wirelessly through Airfoil. I now have two 7510 being similarly used elsewhere in the house, but the improvement with the Caiman is sublime.
Just a thought though..Is there a better way to get a signal from an iMac sited upstairs to the main system other than using wireless to an airport express. Ethernet? In other words, making it more like a DS ?

[lovejoy]

"Go, go, go, said the bird: human kind
Cannot bear very much reality."

TS Eliot

http://www.tristan.icom43.net/quartets/norton.html

Come again?

[Labarum]

Come again?

Should I need to?

I use the quote from Eliot to make Stan's point that reviewers are more interested in a sound that is pretty rather than realistic.

Humankind cannot bear very much reality. Was I so oblique?