Hi Bob

Over the weekend, I spent some time comparing the sound quality of the G98 with the LX-52/HD621 combination when playing CDs. Just as a reminder, when playing CDs from the G98, the sound was sent to a G68J, converted to analogue and then sent to a Naim NA-52 pre-amplifier, a Naim NAP-300 power amplifier and finally to a pair of Naim SBL speakers. With the Pioneer LX-52, the sound went to the G68J via the HD621.

The first CD was Crossroad Remastered - The Best of Bon Jovi. My favourite track was the rather dramatic Always. Starting with the G98, I would describe the sound as extremely well controlled with an excellent sound-field. The speakers filled the room and almost managed to disappear. Jon Bon Jovi's voice almost hovered in between the two speakers. There was plenty of detail from all the various instruments and, all in all, this was a very impressive performance from the G98.

Turning to the LX52, it was clear that the sound seemed to have a far wider soundstage and the range of sound was considerably improved. This meant that the treble was more open with a brighter sound delivering considerably more detail but not at all in a harsh or uncontrolled way. There was more depth and detail from Jon Bon Jovi and all the instruments accompanying him. The middle had more drive and the bass was deeper and slightly more controlled. All in all, this provided a more emotional experience from the performance.

Listening to the track for a second time is was clear just how much better the treble was. The cymbals, for example, really sounded like real cymbals with all the detail being faithfully delivered from the initial hit from the drummer to the gentle sound as they faded away. I wanted to listen to the rest of the tracks on the CD but decided it was time to move on.

Next up was a track called Un-Break My Heart by Tony Braxton`s album Secrets. I chose this track due to the extended base and detailed treble which, based on the previous track, should really highlight the differences between the G98 and LX52.

Starting with the G98, once again the sound was excellent. I doubt many people would listen to this and even wonder if the sound could be even better. Just as well really as that particular thought as turned out to be extremely costly.

Turning to the LX52, once again the greater detail along with the extended treble and bass are quite apparent. All this extra detail provided a more emotional performance from the rather lovely Tony and all the instruments. Some may think the sound a little bright but that`s because they have been exposed to far to much compressed music from their iPods and MP3 players. When listening carefully to the classical guitar in the middle of the track, it really sounded like it was being played right in front of the listener.

Next was a change of style and pace with an Original Master Recording from a rare gold CD of Guns N` Roses excellent album Appetite For Destruction. Predictably I chose Sweet Child O` Mine. Whilst aware that I had already decided which would sound better, I maintained an open mind, put the CD in the G98 and sat back to enjoy the music.

The performance from the G98 was extremely good. Really, it was. There was nothing inherently bad about the sound, the detail was very impressive and soundstage absolutely fine. All the ingredients were there and it came together very well.

Predictably however, the LX52 was even better. The opening classic guitar playing before the drums go to town was so much more detailed. The delicate echo from the guitar was considerably clearer. Once again, the expanded treble, more controlled middle, deeper bass and all-round greater detail lifted the sound to a much higher level. It allowed the emotion of the music (and isn`t that what all music is really about) to flood the room. Those guys really knew how to make a guitar sing.

The final song for the day was going to be Train`s brilliant Drops of Jupiter. I did seem to be in a reflective mood that day. Anyway, my favourite track was, of course, the same name of the album. As we would expect by now, the LX52 / HD621 combination represented a considerable improvement. No surprises there.

I had resisted the temptation to compare the sound from the LX52 direct to the G68J and via the HD621 up to this point but I just couldn`t stand it any longer. There was that good old feeling of excitement as I unplugged the Linn phono cables from my trusty Pioneer DVR-5100H DVD recorder and plugged them into the LX52.

Playing the Train`s track once again, but this time direct from the LX52 to the G68J was quite a surprise. It was much better than I had expected. Much better than it should have been actually. I was really surprised and struggled to tell the difference when playing the same CD via the HD621. The sound was top class whether or not direct from the LX52. In the end though, the HD621 did manage to lift the overall sound quality not due to a more extended treble or greater detail but because of a more controlled middle extended bass.

Going back to Bon Jovi`s track ‘Always`, and I`m pleased to report that the treble was a little on the bright side and the bass slightly laid back without the HD621. The bass guitar was more defined using the HD621 and the overall performance was, once again, improved using Meridian's seemingly magic switching box.

So, what about comparing the LX52 without that additional processing from the HD621 with the G98? Just based on the Sweet Child O` Mine (because time was moving on), yielded very little difference as far as I could tell. Possibly the G98 had more detail and a slightly more controlled and deeper bass. I`m clutching at straws here. I really wanted the G98 to thrash the LX52 but it didn`t.

Whilst there can be no doubt the G98 was a fantastic piece of kit and performed extremely well, the star of the show was the LX52 which can only be described as a superb player - whether playing CDs or Blu-ray disks. They say that you need a separate CD player to get the best from your CDs. They say that Blu-ray players are inherently less capable than comparably priced CD players. Well, the rules have changed and they are most certainly wrong.

Regards

David