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#1
02-13-2011, 10:55 PM
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Cd 306/200
I started with a Cary 302/200 and found it blew away the Lavry DA10 DAC I was using at that time. When I had an opportunity to upgrade to a Cary 306/200, I could not believe the improvement. The presentation was so open with great detail and very refined bass. I now have two Cary 306/200s.
I have compared the Cary 306/200 to the MVP861 and the Oppo 83SE and found the Cary to be in a different league. Has anyone had a chance to compare the Cary 306/200 to the Cary 306 SACD Pro, McIntosh MCD500, MDA1000 or MCD1100?
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Home Theater: Sonos->MCD1100,Oppo 105D,Cary 306/200,MVP-871->SP3->C500T->MC501x3+MC402x2+MC252->PL300+F113x2+PL350+4xPL InWall+PL100,PL100 in games room,VPL-VW500ES, Shunyata Sigma HCx3, Shunyata Analogx2, Alpha HCx2, Alpha Digital, Wire World Silver Electra x8 Great Room: BDP-09FD,Sonos->MCD500->MX119->MC501x3+2xMA700s->PL200+PLC150+GRFX+F112,PRO-141FD Kid's Room: Sonos,Oppo 95->MX119->HCA1200mkii+4xMA700s->GR20s+FB210+GRLCR+2xGRFX,PRO-101FD Home Gym: Sonos->Oppo 105->MC252->GR10s+FB210,TC-P55ST60 Office at work: Cary 306/200, Michell Gyro SE w/TechnoArm+Meastro Wood->6900->GR10s+SB12-Plus Cottage: iPod,Oppo 95->Marantz SR7009->PSB Silver+ GRLCR+Silver FXi, MA700+PSB Mini in sunroom 
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#2
02-13-2011, 11:54 PM
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Chad.......I had the opportunity to audition the Cary 306/200 at a friends home, but that was at least six or seven years ago, so there's no way my memory could recall enough of the experience to make a comparison to the MCD500's that I own. What I do remember is being impressed with it's performance, and thought it sounded better than the McIntosh MCD7009 that I had at the time. My MCD7009 had a plastic drawer, and I remember being very impressed with the Cary's aluminum drawer. The 306/200 also decodes HDCD discs, a feature I like very much. My Linn Ikemi had that capability, as does a Denon DVD-2800 that I still use as a source for my HeadAmp headphone rig. I remember the Cary as being a heavy player, too, definitely not a box full of air. Cary was one of the early adopters of R-core power transformers, used for their lower noise.
As nice a player as the 306/200 is, I have to believe the DAC is getting a bit long in the tooth. Eight years of advances on the digital frontier makes any eight year old DAC a bit of a dinosaur when compared to what today's technology produces, although the 306/200 does use Burr-Brown DACs, and offers selectable 24-bit upsampling to either 96kHz or 192kHz. It would be very interesting to compare the Cary 306/200 to the MCD500 or MDA1000. The Cary may not be on the pitchers mound, but I suspect it still plays the infield. 
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Dan  STUDIO - McIntosh C1000C/P, MC2301 (2), MR88, Aurender N10, Esoteric K-01X, Shunyata Sigma spdif digital cable, Sonos Connect, PurePower 2000, Stillpoints, Furutech Flux 50, Michell Gyro SE, Michell HR Power Supply, SME 309, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Wireworld, Sonus faber Amati Anniversario LIVING ROOM - McIntosh C2300, MC75 (2), MR85, Magnum Dynalab 205, Simaudio MOON Neo 260D-T, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil, Aurender N100H, Shunyata Sigma USB cable, Micro Seiki DD40, Ortofon Cadenza Blue, Nakamichi BX-300, Sony 60ES DAT, PS Audio P10, Furutech Flux 50, Sonos Connect, Stillpoints, Wireworld, Kimber, PMC EB1i, JL Audio f113 VINTAGE - McIntosh MA230, Tandberg 3011A tuner, Olive 04HD, Sony DTC-59ES DAT, McIntosh 4300V, JBL 4312A Last edited by jdandy; 02-14-2011 at 12:03 AM.
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#4
02-16-2011, 03:56 PM
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Quote:
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Dan STUDIO - McIntosh C1000C/P, MC2301 (2), MR88, Aurender N10, Esoteric K-01X, Shunyata Sigma spdif digital cable, Sonos Connect, PurePower 2000, Stillpoints, Furutech Flux 50, Michell Gyro SE, Michell HR Power Supply, SME 309, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Wireworld, Sonus faber Amati Anniversario LIVING ROOM - McIntosh C2300, MC75 (2), MR85, Magnum Dynalab 205, Simaudio MOON Neo 260D-T, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil, Aurender N100H, Shunyata Sigma USB cable, Micro Seiki DD40, Ortofon Cadenza Blue, Nakamichi BX-300, Sony 60ES DAT, PS Audio P10, Furutech Flux 50, Sonos Connect, Stillpoints, Wireworld, Kimber, PMC EB1i, JL Audio f113 VINTAGE - McIntosh MA230, Tandberg 3011A tuner, Olive 04HD, Sony DTC-59ES DAT, McIntosh 4300V, JBL 4312A
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#5
02-16-2011, 04:15 PM
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Besides McIntosh, the other brand I buy is Cary. I have the 805AE mono block and the SPL-98 preamp. Love them both!
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Mike ~Your pet is your best investment~  Preamps/tuners:McIntosh C50, C46, MR88, MR73, C2200, C22ce, Cary SPL-98L Integrate amps:McIntosh MA6100, Denon PMA2000ivr Amps: McIntosh Mc602, Mc2000, Mc275 MK-V, Cary 805ae mono blocks. Speakers: JMLab Mezzo Utopia, Focal Twin6 BE, Tannoy Mini Autograph Headphones: Sennheiser HD800, Beyer T1, Denon D7000, Grado RS1i, Sony MDR-SA5000, MDR-Z1000, AKG K701, and many many more Digital Sources:Sony SCD-1 & SCD777es, CDP-XA7es, 2010 Mac Mini Music Server, Amarra Mini player, Musical Fidelity V-Link & M1 DAC, Apogee Mini-DAC & Duet 2
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#6
03-18-2011, 08:12 AM
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Quote:
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#7
06-21-2012, 10:59 PM
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I have not performed a direct A/B comparison but I have heard the McIntosh MCD500 and Cary 306 SACD Pro playing the same discs on separate occasions. Both are very competent, smooth and coherent players.
I would never call the Mac warm or rolled-off but it is fuller sounding than the somewhat lean Cary. The Mac miraculously restored body to Claire Martin's slightly raspy, thinly recorded vocals on Make This City Ours [1997 LINN RECORDS AKD066]. The Cary excelled at providing 3D images, bass texture, and is still somehow smooth. I never heard the 303T but from what I read I'm hoping it would provide the best of both worlds.
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#8
06-22-2012, 12:02 AM
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Stefan DR3... Welcome!
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Ivan FLORIDA MX136, MC1.2KW(10) MC2KW(2), MCD1100, MS750(2) MVP881, C1000C/P/T, MPC1500, HT-2 SUBS(2) HT3F(2) WS350(2) XRT2K, XCS2K, XR27(2) XCS350(2) JL GOTHAM v2 SUBS(2) SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, LUMAGEN RADIANCE SCALER, SONY VPH-G90U 4K PROJECTOR, STEWART 120" MOTORIZED SCREEN, CINEMA-TECH SEATING, WW PLATINUM CABLES Reference System: ACCUPHASE A300 AMPS, C3900 PRE-AMP, DP1000 CD/SACD TRANSPORT, DC1000 DIGITAL PROCESSOR, DG-68 DIGITAL EQUALIZER, T1200 FM STEREO TUNER, PS1230 POWER SUPPLY, HRS-SXR CUSTOM RACK w/ M3X SHELVES, TAD REFERENCE ONE MK2 LOUDSPEAKERS, WW PLATINUM CABLES CAPE COD MX150, MC501(2) MC1.2KW(10) MC2301(2) MR88, MVP881, MCD1100, MDA1000, C1000C/P/T, MPC1500, ESOTERIC K-01X 30th ANNIVERSARY (BLACK) SACD/CD PLAYER, G02-X CLOCK, HT3F(2) XRT2K, XCS2K, XR27(2) JL GOTHAM v2 SUBS(2) JL FATHOM F113v2 SUBS(4) SOUND ANCHOR STANDS(2) KALEIDESCAPE STRATO & TERRA SERVERS 80-TB, LUMAGEN RADIANCE SCALER, SONY VPH-G90U 4K PROJECTOR, STEWART 120" SCREEN, SONUS FABER STRADIVARI, SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, FORTRESS SEATING, WW PLATINUM CABLES Analog Rig: CLEARAUDIO INNOVATION WOOD, UNIVERSAL ARM w/ Da VINCI' CART, 2nd UNIVERSAL ARM w/ GOLDFINGER STATEMENT CART, HRS-MXR REFERENCE RACK-GLOSS BLACK w/ M3X SHELVES, AESTHETIX RHEA SIG PHONO-PRE, BRYSTON BHA-1 HEADPHONE AMP, WW PLATINUM CABLES Reference System: BURMESTER 911MK3 AMP(3), 088 PRE-AMP, 089 CD PLAYER, 100 PHONO PRE-AMP, 948 POWER CONDITIONER, ACCUPHASE DG-68 VOICING EQUALIZER, AVID ACUTUS REFERENCE SP TT, GRAHAM PHANTOM II SUPREME ARM, BENZ MICRO LP-S CART, GRANDIOSO P1X/D1X STACK, G1X RUBIDIUM MASTER CLOCK, N05 NETWORK PLAYER, SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, HRS-SXR CUSTOM RACK w/ M3X SHELVES, SONUS FABER AIDA SPEAKERS, JL FATHOM F113v2 SUBS(2) SOUND ANCHOR STANDS(2) WW PLATINUM CABLES Library System: GRANDIOSO M1 MONOBLOCK AMPS, C1 LINESTAGE PRE-AMP, K1X CD/SACD PLAYER, G1 MASTER RUBIDIUM CLOCK, E02 PHONO-PRE, SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, AERIAL ACOUSTICS 20T V2, AERIAL SW12 SUBS(2), CANTON REF K1’s, VPI HRX TT w/ SDS POWER SUPPLY, ORTOFON CADENZA BLACK CART, KLAUDIO RCM, SHUNYATA DENALI 6000/S v2, SHUNYATA OMEGA QR’s, WW PLATINUM CABLES Esoteric/Bryston System: ESOTERIC C02-X PRE-AMP, P-02X TRANSPORT, D02-X DAC, G02-X CLOCK, BRYSTON 28B3 CUBED MONOBLOCK AMPS(4), BRYSTON BHA-1 HEADPHONE AMP, SHUNYATA DENALI 6000/S v2(2) EVEREST 8000 POWER CONDITIONER(2) ALTAIRA CG & SG HUBS, AMR-DP777-SE DAC, SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, TAD REFERENCE ONE MK2 LOUDSPEAKERS, QUADRASPIRE RACK, WW PLATINUM CABLES Accuphase/Canton System: ACCUPHASE E800 INTEGRATED, DP570 CD/SACD PLAYER, T1200 FM STEREO TUNER, DG-68 VOICING EQUALIZER, PS530 POWER SUPPLY, CANTON REF K3’s, CANTON REF K5’s, SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, HRS MXR REFERENCE MAHOGHANY RACK w/ M3X2 SHELVES, WW GOLD CABLES
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