Just purchased CTH-8550

[Orb]

Congrats Orb - I am very keen towards the integrated amd/cdp route and have had some good integrated amps including Gryphon, Acoustic Plan, Jadis, Audio Note and Naim. A Dartzeel amp is in my short list as well as the Boulder, did you considered the later?

Great selection, hopefully Microstrip will read this thread and contribute as well, and as Lloyd mentions there is the Vitus.
One other possibility that comes to mind is the Simaudio Evolution, I did not listen to it over here in the UK but that could be my loss.
I would had suggested Pass Labs, but I know Keith Howard was disappointed in it, due to being highly impressed by the Pass Labs seperate XA power amp.
Just remember to listen to both XLR and RCA on the Dartzeel, makes me wonder how many other amp setups have subtle audio differences between both.
This can be important as I love the Zeel using RCA, which is not as forward/explicit IMO.
Unfortunately being here in the UK I did not consider Boulder.

Cheers
Orb

[microstrip]

Great selection, hopefully Microstrip will read this thread and contribute as well, and as Lloyd mentions there is the Vitus.
One other possibility that comes to mind is the Simaudio Evolution, I did not listen to it over here in the UK but that could be my loss.
I would had suggested Pass Labs, but I know Keith Howard was disappointed in it, due to being highly impressed by the Pass Labs seperate XA power amp.
Just remember to listen to both XLR and RCA on the Dartzeel, makes me wonder how many other amp setups have subtle audio differences between both.
This can be important as I love the Zeel using RCA, which is not as forward/explicit IMO.
Unfortunately being here in the UK I did not consider Boulder.

Cheers
Orb

As I am currenly hosting the Sonus Faber Amati Futura, my friend who owns one CHT 8550 brought it for some lsitening some days ago. We tried several CD players, such as a Nagra and his decision was ordering an Audio Research CD8, as we have listened to mine. In his opinion it presented the best compromise in detail, bass control and a very airy sound. The Futura can present an impressive soundstage, particularly becuase te instruments and voices seem dinamycally free. The treble is tilted down, but seems to be astonishingly detailed because using the CD8 there is plenty of air around the instruments and the details seem natural - as he said they can take you by surprise.

[Orb]

Micro,
good to know info.
Thanks again
Orb

[Ricardo Nonato.'.]

Hello micro,

great information, here in Brazil still have some people who do not believe in the potential of darTZeel CTH-8550. Any people insist that it have no ability to extract some good bass of the any loudspeakers, and even spoke to would not get the integrated push the Amati Futura, at most the Cremona M.

I usually say: If you have not heard, you can not give opnion!

You have some more comments of this test?