C.e.c.

[Fusion]

I thought I'd create a thread about C.E.C. gear. Their belt driven CD transports get most of the focus. If I was buying a transport/DAC, C.E.C. would be at the top of my list for an affordable first step in my chain.

I have the C.E.C. AMP3300R integrated amp. It was a bit of an afterthought in my last two threads, where I focused more on other amps I had at the time. But I'll be damned if this thing isn't a keeper! The more I listen to it the more I love what it does. It is truly an impressive amp, and easily the best value I've come across ($550 on the used market).

C.E.C. claims their amps are single-ended, pure Class A, and utilize no feedback. Lofty (and perhaps unbelievable) claims for an amp that is rated at 64 watts with a tiny heatsink, is the same size as a typical British integrated amp, and has low power consumption at idle. Information can be found in the links I've attached at the end of this post as to how they accomplish this. Whatever the amp is doing, it sound incredible. Clean, open, dynamic, and well balanced top to bottom.

I now have to strongly consider whether I will keep both my amps or whether I'll have to decide between the C.E.C. and Audio Space.

Getting my ProAc speakers was a great move. The midrange presence is the best I've heard in my room. The top is open and clean, the bottom end is likewise very clean and punchy. Imaging is fantastic. Instruments and vocals sound right. In short, it feels like I am at a performance. Once I dropped these speakers into my system it was like a veil was lifted on the midrange. And like another ProAc user in these forums stated, the sound just seems to have a lot of life to it. I think I'm now officially part of the ProAc fan club!

Getting back to the C.E.C., the amp simply brings all of this out of my speakers. It did a great job with my Wharfedale speakers as well. I still have not tried my tube amp with my ProAc's - that will be interesting and they are in for a tough fight. I loved my old Naim Nait 5i, but I would have to say the C.E.C. beats it out, and beats other amps I've either tried or owned (Exposure 2010s2, Anthem 225, Simaudio i-1). That's some real high praise because there are some great amps on that list. And did I mention that the thing cost me only $550?!

http://www.cec-web.co.jp/service/pastproducts/amp3300r/amp3300r_e.html

http://www.candeias.com/english/lef.htm

 

[rcspkramp]

Wow, that integrated looks really nice. Great price as well. Is there a US distributor for these?

 

[Fusion]

It appears that C.E.C. is a pretty small player in North America. I believe Mutine is the distributor, but the comments on their site make it seem like they aren't able to offer much service right now as the owner is in semi-retirement and they are moving locations (though it says they will reply to serious inquiries that contain full contact info).

If you click on "Service Centers" you will find two locations that might also be able to provide info. I believe these are also dealers...one in Montreal, Canada and the other in California.

http://www.mutine.com/Index/indexen.html

 

[Art K.]

Looks like you got a great buy, Dan. Congrats. Also looking forward to your thoughts when you try the ProAc's with tubes.

 

[rcspkramp]

These products by CEC look very interesting. Going to have to do some investigation. I really like the specs, etc. on their big integrated.

 

[estreeter]

The Oz CEC dealer has details on another CEC amp:

CEC AMP5300R Integrated Amplifier. This new amplifier expands on the 3300 and 3800. AMP5300R produces 120wpc into 8 ohms. Usage of Class A circuitry, dual mono design, and a newly designed IGM volume control combine to create a sound that is hugely transparent and detailed, greater power for those difficult loads.

http://www.sonicartaudio.com/CEC.htm

Lampi is a huge fan of the transport mechanism in the TL51 series CDT/CDPs, although he has abandoned CD transports in favour of his own transport based on the (now obsolete) Squeezebox. It's a crying shame that the suits at Logitech couldn't see what a magnificent asset Slim Devices had left them.
Naim, Linn and others have spent countless dollars trying to make streaming audio a 'seamless' experience, and Logitech had it handed to them on a platter.

 

[slippers-on]

Congrats...and it looks nice and at a great price! Class A as well....Whats the sound signature like? And whats the performance at lower levels...still fully audible with detailed? Thats a brand I've never ever heard of before. Is it British...Japan...American? And of course you gotta have more pics for us...you have so much gear with your amps and speakers, you've spoiled me...so come on with the pics!:yes:

 

[Ths364]

I have seen some CEC stuff here, but for some reason I always thought it to be of Russian descent-just an on-the-fly assumption that was completely inaccurate.

 

[estreeter]

CEC started as an OEM based in Japan - you might not have heard of the company, but I guarantee you've heard of the people they manufacture for, although its difficult to see why TEAC would outsource a CDP.

http://www.cec-international.com/pages/s01.html

CEC was one of the leading suppliers of turntables and CD players in the consumer field with major brand OEM customers including Grundig, Marantz, Teac, Sony, Sanyo, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Alpine, Kenwood, Sharp etc

 

[Fusion]

Congrats...and it looks nice and at a great price! Class A as well....Whats the sound signature like? And whats the performance at lower levels...still fully audible with detailed? Thats a brand I've never ever heard of before. Is it British...Japan...American? And of course you gotta have more pics for us...you have so much gear with your amps and speakers, you've spoiled me...so come on with the pics!:yes:

As estreeter said, Japanese.

Ha! I don't know about so much gear...usually whenever I buy something it means something else is sold. But yes, I've had a lot of stuff come and go. I think that'll wind down a bit. I am set for speakers (love the ProAcs) and the amp will be one of the two I have discussed in this thread. There may be something happening on the CD player front later this year, and then I suspect that will be that.

I want to focus more on the software side of things...specifically vinyl. I'm going to buy the inexpensive KAB record cleaning machine so I'll be putting that to good use. I will digitize my vinyl collection, and also play around with some isolation solutions. And I can see myself upgrading my Rega table with Groovetracer mods and trying different carts. So yeah...I think there will be less swapping in and out of components and more in the way of tinkering with the ones I already have.

I will throw a pic up soon - for now the amp is on the floor in a place that I can't easily snap pics of, so once I get the Audio Space in the system I can move out the C.E.C. and get a good shot of it. :thmbsp:

 

[slippers-on]

CEC started as an OEM based in Japan - you might not have heard of the company, but I guarantee you've heard of the people they manufacture for, although its difficult to see why TEAC would outsource a CDP.

http://www.cec-international.com/pages/s01.html

CEC was one of the leading suppliers of turntables and CD players in the consumer field with major brand OEM customers including Grundig, Marantz, Teac, Sony, Sanyo, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Alpine, Kenwood, Sharp etc

Oh Snap! Yes! I remember them now....the turntables back in the day. Remember all those turntables that had that similar pliths and curved arms back then?

Yes like the Marantz tables and the Pioneer tables and so forth.

I do remember them...just didn't know they did CDP's. Most of those tables where the same with a little tweak or different spin on the same basic design. I think it was Bob_in OKC that said something about it a few years ago about it.

 

[estreeter]

Don't beat yourself up. slippers-on : the beauty of Alzheimers is that we get to meet new people every day !!

 

[slippers-on]

Don't beat yourself up. slippers-on : the beauty of Alzheimers is that we get to meet new people every day !!

lol! you're a funny dude!...not really, just thought I'd humor you a bit more.///you yungins, I tell ya!

 

[RPMz]

Speaking of CEC... http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0607/cec_cd3300r.htm
Way back in 2006 I was interested in buying a new CDP. With all the hype at the time I was hell bent on the new (at the time) Rega Apollo CDP especially with all the rave reviews it was getting. So I called up a local dealer that had the Rega and he told me to come by to hear it. He told me that he also has the CEC and Arcam and I could compare all 3 if I like. I said sure and drove downtown to meet him.

So I get there and he has an Rega Apollo ($975), Arcam CD73 ($850) and a CEC CD3300R CD Player ($690) side by side. He used the same cables with each unit played through the same system.

I listened to all 3 CDP's back to back to back for almost 2hrs and it was very apparent that the CEC was the better sounding CDP. It had the best bass out of the 3 and was a little more detailed then the Rega. The Arcam sounded the warmest but the CEC was the champ overall. The dealer told me that the CEC was the best sounding CDP under $3000.

Even though I had my heart set on getting the Rega after hearing the CDP's head to head to head I couldn't do it. The CEC spanked the Apollo thoroughly. I didn't end up buying the CEC. Soon after I had some car problems that ate up my CDP money and several months later (after I had saved up the money again) the dealer closed for good. He was the only CEC dealer in Canada.

I'm still kicking myself for not finding a way to buy the CEC at the time.
In your travels if you ever find a CEC CD3300R in good cond for a fair price do yourself a favor and at least audition it. You might be surprised.

 

[Fusion]

Speaking of CEC... http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0607/cec_cd3300r.htm
Way back in 2006 I was interested in buying a new CDP. With all the hype at the time I was hell bent on the new (at the time) Rega Apollo CDP especially with all the rave reviews it was getting. So I called up a local dealer that had the Rega and he told me to come by to hear it. He told me that he also has the CEC and Arcam and I could compare all 3 if I like. I said sure and drove downtown to meet him.

So I get there and he has an Rega Apollo ($975), Arcam CD73 ($850) and a CEC CD3300R CD Player ($690) side by side. He used the same cables with each unit played through the same system.

I listened to all 3 CDP's back to back to back for almost 2hrs and it was very apparent that the CEC was the better sounding CDP. It had the best bass out of the 3 and was a little more detailed then the Rega. The Arcam sounded the warmest but the CEC was the champ overall. The dealer told me that the CEC was the best sounding CDP under $3000.

Even though I had my heart set on getting the Rega after hearing the CDP's head to head to head I couldn't do it. The CEC spanked the Apollo thoroughly. I didn't end up buying the CEC. Soon after I had some car problems that ate up my CDP money and several months later (after I had saved up the money again) the dealer closed for good. He was the only CEC dealer in Canada.

I'm still kicking myself for not finding a way to buy the CEC at the time.
In your travels if you ever find a CEC CD3300R in good cond for a fair price do yourself a favor and at least audition it. You might be surprised.

Thanks for sharing. Your story seems to underline my experience with CEC, that being what you get for $1,000 is performance that competes with products costing substantially more. I've not had a better integrated amp, and I've had a few pass through my system costing $1,000 and up.

Which dealer was it, if you don't mind my asking?

 

[RPMz]

Which dealer was it, if you don't mind my asking?

Applause Audio on Queen st east. Closed now:tears:

 

[Fusion]

Applause Audio on Queen st east. Closed now:tears:

Ahhh yes. Applause moved to Stratford and was there until I think 2012. Now they seem to have disappeared. Never shopped there, only read about the store.

 

[tancrède]

CEC must be a good AB, but it's no Class A. A pure A will have heatsink 5 times that big.

 

[melody50]

I am considering CEC CD-5300, the year end sale is tempting it isselling for USD300, if any of members have any idea please let me know about the sound signature, since it is sale we will not get to audition...

 

[Amit_]

I am considering CEC CD-5300, the year end sale is tempting it isselling for USD300, if any of members have any idea please let me know about the sound signature, since it is sale we will not get to audition...

Where ? I am looking for CD5300 too