A CD Player for the Masses

Magnum Electronics is known for its affordable equipment and good sound. But you know something, there are a lot of companies known for affordable equipment and good sound. Being affordable and sounding good just doesn’t cut it anymore in a world of electro bargains and techno marvels - especially in the arena of digital electronics. A top-notch loudspeaker still costs a few bucks because the hardware has to be there, and no matter what, the right hardware including quality drivers are not cheap. With a power amplifier good sound requires a hefty power supply and no matter what, large transformers and quality filtering are not cheap. But with digital equipment, some pretty good equipment and in the case of the MSB Link DAC, amazing equipment can come in for under $400. At this point in time, it’s incredibly difficult to distinguish oneself in the digital field without being a Panasonic or Sony.

And then there is the Magnum CD2020 for around 800 bucks US. Some people love the Rega, maybe you like something else. But of all the CD players that I’ve heard to date including the Planet, and the CAL Icon, the CD2020 is the closest thing to a high quality separates system for under or even close to a thousand dollars.

LJ Linton wrote what I thought was an incredibly insightful review a few months back on the Planet. He pegged the sound of that unit pointing out that the softness of its presentation is seductive and analog-like, but beneath the sonic seduction a regular CD player lurked. It’s a neat little machine to be sure, but under the make up was a sound I wasn’t crazy about. I prefer the truth to the pretty little lies the Planet tells.

The CD2020 is one of those devices that is brutally honest, and it resolves as much information as the big boy separates. Its tonal balance strikes me as nearly dead-on as I’ve heard. It’s not thick, not thin, but clean and articulate without being overly etched. It doesn’t smear and images are extremely intact; it’s goofy good for the money – you hear everything in a natural context. Good enough to be my only machine. Then why isn’t it my only machine? Compared to the heavily Bartha modified MSB gear I own, the CD2020 lacks the nth degree of dynamic slam and timbral completeness found with the separates. A potential drawback I see is it’s not being able to play 24/96 DADs.

In a world full of rave reviews of undistinguished equipment, the Magnum CD2020 stands out from the rest of the field. Brutally honest, while still being able to express the emotion of music, the CD2020 doesn’t rely on smoke and mirrors to make music that moves, with this machine it’s reality that captivates.

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