Digital Drive: Head to Head: Creek CD 50 MkI - Cambridge Audio Azur 640C - Rega Planet 2000 - Roksan Kandy MkIII

Common Equipment
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Quad 21L Speakers
NearSota Interconnect & Speakerwire
- (same interconnect used for both CD Players)
NAD C350 Integrated
FT Audio LW1S2 Passive Pre-amp (Bypassing the NAD's Internal Preamp)
Kimber Silver Streak (with twice as much wiring as normal) between the LW1S2 and the NAD C350)
Skylan SMP3300 Equipment Rack
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Components In Testing / Comparison
- Creek CD 50 MkI
- Cambridge Audio Azur 640C
- Rega Planet 2000
- Roksan Kandy MkIII
- Toshiba SD430V. *My Current Player*

All these players, with the exception of the Cambridge, were burned in as they were dealer demos, prior to my experiences with them. The Cambridge probably could have used some additional burn in time.
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Recordings Used
- Jazz at the Pawnshop
- Evanescence
- Linkin Park: Hybrid Theory / Meteora
- Kebb Mo (Dealer Provided Title Unknown)
- Norah Jones: Feels like Home
- Propellerheads: Decksandrumsandrockandroll
- David Bowie: Space Oddity
- Live: Throwing Copper
- and many many many more.
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A note regarding the recordings. I wanted to use some reference quality recordings but I also felt it very important to make a comparison based upon the many different kinds of music that I listen to on a regular basis. As you will see as you walk through this LONG post with me :) - I have narrowed it down to two players and will provide an update on that comparison either later today or tomorrow. As I will have more time to compare even more music.

On Saturday one of my local dealers brought over the Creek CD50 mkI the LW1S2 and The Silver Streak/another run of NearSota so we could do a fair comparison.

First we compared the Creek and the Toshiba SD430V straight into the NAD C350 - without using the passive pre-amp. The difference was there but was not significant. The Dealer and I had been debating for a long time whether it was my DVD player or my pre-amp section that was the weakest part of my setup. So the next thing we did was place the LW1S2 into the system.

Now the LW1S2 needs a lot of break in time on each individual input (200 hours recommended) as only 1 input had been burned in we put the Toshiba on the burned in input and the Creek on the non-burned in input. We felt this would give the Toshiba a slight edge as we felt, that the Creek probably would be better, and it should be for the price difference. Now - wow - you could definitely hear a difference. It was a remarkable change from using the integrated's built in pre-amp. Immediate differences: Creek had a much wider soundstage, the singers actually had height now, the depth of the presentation had been improved remarkable. On saturday the Creek was running on a raw input, not burned in, and at that point the Toshiba 'may' have had similar to slightly better rhythm depending upon who in the room you asked at the time - and it certainly had better bass. After a few days of burn in the Creek is now significantly superior in all of these areas so it was definitely the input that was holding it back.

A&Bing the Creek and the Toshiba and the Creek was immediately idenifiably suprerior to our ears. We played some rather nice Piano recordings as well and my friend brought his girlfriend over, who is a Pianist, to lend an ear - she didn't expect to be ableto hear a difference but as well remarked on the Timbre of the Piano being more accurate on the Creek than the Toshiba and that the timing seemed accurate. As well she had some previous experience in Jazz bands and the like and was very impressed with the Creek for she could place the entire drum kit on the stage and each instrument - a feat she could not repeat with the Toshiba. For the first time, my speakers disappeared with the Creek & LW1S2 in the system - and it was a magical experience.

Advantage Creek CD50 mkI

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Monday night another dealer came by - admittidly the Creek had been on all day and the other players were just warm but it was still possible to make a comparison. All of the players we compared against the Creek were placed on the input with more burn in time, and all following tests were conducted with the LW1S2 in the system.

I would characterize the Creek's presentation as forward, but that is something I enjoy and that definitely put the Rega Planet 2000 at an immediate disadvantage. The build quality of the Planet 2k is superb and it is very asthetically pleasing as well. The rhythm and soundstage were very comparable to the Creek, I felt the height presented was similar as well. However, something was missing - namely - emotion. Listening to vocals it simply seemed that the Creek brought the singers right into the room - the speakers disappeared you could hear the emotion and tension in the voice of the singers. This seemed to be glossed over with the Rega - everything took on a very enjoyable and very listenable but too laid back to relaxed too smooth - almost surreal. I've been told Rega has a house sound, and I'm sure it is to some people's taste - not to mine though. Especially with things like Linkin Park and Evanescence where it didn't really seem able to keep up and its not so much that the player was confused with more complex passages as that it blended the different instruments together to the point where it was more difficult to place and enjoy them - than with the Creek.

These 2 CD Players simply have radically different personal characters, but I very much enjoyed listening to the Rega - but for my system and the type of music I listen too - the Creek was superior. However, I would recommend the Rega Planet 2000 to anyone looking to tame an aggressive system or looking for a laid back player. I think that someone looking for that would find the Rega Planet 2000 perfect.

Advantage Creek.

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The Cambridge Audio Azur 640C. First the build quality was much better than I expected, a good quality remote fairly well laid out which had a substantial feel and the player felt quite well built as well. I also felt the display on the 640C was easily readable and quite well implemented. The Azur shared the forward presentation of the Creek and we were quite impressed with it - especially for less than half the price of the Creek. The Soundstage was not nearly as wide as the Creek and the depth of the recording, Jazz @ the Pawnshop, seemed to be removed. It was much more difficult to pick out the ambient details of the recordings on the Cambridge but it was still quite an ejoyable listen. The Creek had better rhythm and This player received the least playtime of all the players in this head-to-head comparison. It was very good but clearly not in the same league as the Creek - nor should it have been for the price difference between the two. However, I would consider it a very good piece and probably could have lived with it - a must audition in its price range.

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Roksan Kandy mkIII

After determining that the Cambridge wasn't quite right - and the Rega wasn't my style of player - the dealer went and grabbed a Roksan Kandy mkIII for comparison to the Creek. The presentation of these two players is very similar - forward and I enjoy that. These two are very very close in many respects. Initially the soundstage was much much shallower and less wide than the Creek's however as the player warmed up this improved and the differences became more subtle than dramatic. The Roksan still throws a little less wide soundstage than the Creek and the height does appear to possibly be a little lower than the Creek's. The impact and dynamics of the Roksan was less than that of the Creek. We added a Gutwire Basic Clef to the Roksan and it was much improved - almost on par with the Creek (with a standard power cord) at that point.

I have the Roksan Kandy mkIII till Friday and the Creek till the 24th of May (or so). I'm going to spend some more time and will post a followup within the next few days to this post regarding the comparison between the two - I will also expand my music selection on the both of them and see how the Gutwire affects the Creek and so on.

If anyone has any questions while I have these units in my home please let me know.

So far... advantage Creek - but the Roksan Kandy mkIII is cheaper - and very close. Time will tell, update coming within the next 48 hours :)

Nathan Klassen

Head to Head: Creek CD 50 MkI - Cambridge Audio Azur 640C - Rega Planet 2000 - Roksan Kandy MkIII - Toshiba SD430V(LONG)