D100 + MX121 (Pure Direct) vs D100 + C2300

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I was experimenting today with various combos. The "Pure Direct" mode on the MX121 is very good when used with the D100 as input. There is a very obvious difference between the "Stereo" mode and the "Pure Direct" mode. With "Stereo" the bass is too boomy. With "Pure Direct" the vocals are more forward and the sound is more natural.

So how does D100 + MX121 (Pure Direct) vs D100 + C2300 compare? It's very close! Just have to give the slight edge to the C2300. The treble and highs are tamed very slightly on slightly harsher tunes. But, honestly it's so close that I'm thinking of selling my C2300. I don't have a turntable in this room so can't take advantage of the great phono inputs. I also only have two connections - HDMI output from a PC to watch movies and USB output from a PC to listen to music.

I'm very impressed with the Pure Direct mode on the MX121.