March 27, 2012

  • Adcom GCD-700, Part 14

    Ah, spring break 1987.  My family decided to drive down to SoCal, hit L.A. and S.D.  We Bay Area residents knew that SoCal's weather is hotter and drier.  When we arrived in L.A., temps hit 100.  When we watched the evening news, we learned that triple digits in March is hotter than normal. 

    Anyway, one new song I kept hearing was The System's "Don't Disturb This Groove."  While my mom and brother fried at Disneyland, my dad took me shopping in southern L.A. County.  All of the electronics stores had the new Sony Discmen.  Boy oh boy, did I want one!  At one record store, a TV was playing MTV.  I saw the video for "Don't Disturb This Groove," and it was as if it were filmed right there in an L.A. motel, just like the one we were staying at.

    When we returned to the Bay Area, the weather was sunny and warm, but nowhere near as hot as L.A.  I think I was at the Wherehouse out at 280 Metro Center, where I saw lots of Don't Disturb This Groove on CD.  Yep, that made me want a CD player even more!

    By the early 90s, high-end audio dictated that we get not a one-box CD player, but separate transport and DAC.  And that gave rise to digital cables.  Eventually, MIT came out with the so-called Digital Reference.  It was recommended for use with Spectral digital gear, but could be used with any brand.  The Digital Reference received mixed user reviews, and thus, didn't sell all that well.  But in hindsight, we now know that if the audiodharma Cable Cooker had been around in the mid-90s, the MIT Digital Reference would have performed at a much higher level. 

    With all my one-box CD players, I haven't been able to use the Digital Reference in a while.  So, just to be safe, I re-Cooked it for one day.  Don't disturb this groove, indeed!

    Most audiophiles who bought CD changers used them as transports.  To investigate the Adcom GCD-700 as a transport, I hooked up that Cooked MIT Digital Reference.

    Hmmm, maybe it's the DACs we're using, but this is not perhaps the best match.  The images seem a bit off, as if they aren't exactly where they should be.  It's kind of like opening a door, and the wind blows your belongings.  Or, a small earthquake jolts and topples a few pictures and supplies.  There can be a bit of grit to instrumental textures, as if everything is supposed to sound like heavy metal.  For some listeners, that's be a good thing!  And, true to the Digital Reference's character, drums have excellent pop.  Who knows?  If we were to use more DACs, perhaps the MIT Digital Reference would be the preferred digital cable for the Adcom GCD-700.