Introduction

Every so often I get to review a product that sets itself apart from the “other guy” stuff. You know, the mass produced stuff that we often see in the brick-and-mortar stores. The special products are ones that are intelligently designed and built to exacting standards. It’s sort of like comparing a Mercedes to a Chevy. Nothing wrong with a Chevy, but just slamming the door on the Mercedes can make you go, “Whoa! Now that’s quality”! Cary Audio Design has been making beautifully designed and built audio equipment since 1989, and many of you may know them as being a leader in vacuum tube amplification and such. Cary, in fact, also makes a few solid state components. The CD-500 is an example of their quest to achieve a high performance product with some leading edge technology that offers quality and value.