Plinius CD-101

Plinius CD101 CD player. $4995

For almost a quarter century, New Zealand’s own Plinius Audio has been associated with one thing: amplification. Pre-amps, phono stages, power amps, and integrated models, all winning a loyal following and securing Plinius an enviable international reputation. A casual observer would be forgiven for mistaking the silvery object on my hi-fi rack for the brand’s latest integrated, the 9200. However, this particular shiny box of electronics won’t savage the national grid like its stablemates. It’s a CD player.

No, Aston Martin isn’t making tyres, Pizza Hut hasn’t launched a new range of burgers, and there’s no sign of a beer from Bollinger, so it’s not something in the water. What we have here is a bold move from a company that won’t be cut any slack just because it’s trying something new. Discerning owners of Plinius amps, delighted to find a matching source component, will be mightily irked by a digital dud.

What lies beneath?

Perhaps surprisingly, the CD-101 does not represent the very latest in upsampling voodoo. Under the sturdy top cover is a design that capitalises on the virtues of tried-and-true digital engineering, involving standard PCM DACs and synchronous oversampling. Don’t take this to mean the 101 is unsophisticated, however. This is no CD-player-on-a-chip from Taiwan – Plinius have gone to great lengths to implement a circuit design of their own, with great attention to power regulation, filtering, and clocking, built using quality parts to the company’s typical high standards.

Built tough

If the CD-101 sounded only half as good as it does, it would sell on looks alone. Clad in the new livery of the Plinius range, the 101 is an impressive creature. The front panel, a thick plate of aluminium, curves around the front edges to form the sides of the box, and if the player were a little larger it would make a terrific nuclear fallout shelter. Thanks to Plinius, when the balloon goes up, some CDs will survive to repopulate the Earth.

Round the back, the first thing you’ll notice is the disconcerting bright blue rear panel, but, on acclimatisation, the presence of balanced outputs becomes apparent. RCA sockets for unbalanced left and right channels and SPDIF-out are also found, and one less common item, in the form of a switch to select between a chassis- or floating-earth. This ‘ground-lift’ switch can help tame hum if it’s a problem in a particular system.

At the business-end, the CD-drawer chassis is machined from aluminium, and looks great, but the actual CD tray is that same old flimsy plastic thing you’ve seen 100 times before. Although the drawer gives the game away, there's little else to indicate the true nature of this piece of industrial art. No display, you see. To indicate track number, a white lights pulses through one in a line of pinprick holes in the front panel. Very cool, but not so very practical.

A remote prospect

The CD-101 comes with what Plinius describe as a ‘distinctive’ remote control unit. It is that. It’s a colossal square-sectioned aluminium extrusion, with big black round buttons and a blue LED. As a design statement, it’s extraordinary, and if your habitat is an assemblage of design statements, you might well love it. I found it needlessly cumbersome and not a strong visual match with the CD-101. It also struggles to make its presence felt when used at shallow angles. On the plus side, should your new CD player tempt thieves, you can bludgeon them into submission with it before phoning the police.

A player so devoid of controls demands a remote that doesn’t deter the user, something ergonomically-pleasing rather than credulity-straining. There’s no reason for it to be drab, as Shanling and Cambridge Audio have recently demonstrated. Furthermore, as the CD-101 lacks a display panel - of one of the few charms of digital devices – why not put a display on the remote itself?

Speaking the truth

When the rumour began to circulate that Plinius was working on a CD player, I speculated on what their engineers were using for a reference. Something from Wadia, Chord, or Meridian? A Naim, perhaps? Now I’ve heard the CD-101 in action, I wonder if the inspiration for the CD-101’s sound was, of all things, a speaker. I have in mind the legendary LS3/5a monitor, designed and used for years by the BBC and a host of dedicated hi-fi enthusiasts, a legend for its ability with the human voice, and proof that if a hi-fi component can get that right, nearly everything else will follow. Like the LS3/5a, the CD-101 gets voices right.

Contrary to popular belief, reproduction of singing and speaking is not something CD players do very well. Sure, even on cheap gear you can distinguish between Tenacious D (Jack Black) and The White Stripes (Jack White), but it’s a revelation to hear articulation, inflection, and emotion properly restored by a machine that knows its business. Set your thrash metal aside and charge the CD-101 with something imbued with irony, wistfulness, or longing, and just listen. Magic.

And the CD101 is no one-trick pony. Because it has such a facility with the toughest act of all, it sails through the remaining tests. Soundstaging is excellent – stretching beyond the speakers and reaching forward into the space in front of and around the listener. The player’s resolution is also to marvel at, but unlike so many other highly detailed CD players, there is no edge or fussiness about the presentation, instead there is an almost liquid quality to the sound. Everything is quite unforced, both neutral and natural.

Cynics in the audience might make another comparison between the CD-101 and LS3/5a – light on bass. They’d only be half right – the BBC speaker has nothing much to show for the low frequencies, but the CD-101 plays the full gamut right down to the foundation-shaking stuff. What it doesn’t do, however, is over-emphasise the low notes to give the player a ‘big’ sound. For this the company should be congratulated. If the CD-101 sounds thin to you, you’ve been tricked by the heavyweight aesthetic of the casework, or the manufacturer’s history with powerhouse amplifiers, into expecting subterranean rumbling from a piccolo.

Beginner’s luck

A big thumbs-up for Plinius’s new baby. The company has clearly understood how important it is to get it right first time. The CD-101 won’t be easy to come by, as demand will be stiff, but audition one when you get the chance. It’s just a shame the player looks so good, because when it’s running your eyes will close automatically and you will become, as the saying goes, all ears.

As three of the AudioEnz team had the opportunity to listen to the CD-101, comments from reviewer Michael Wong and AudioEnz Editor Michael Jones are included below.

Michael Wong says...

The eagerly awaited Plinius CD-101 is an excellent sounding CD player, guaranteed to bring a smile to music lovers and new and existing Plinius owners alike. The CD-101 matches the new Plinius physically and sonically, offering a warm and highly musical, yet detailed, alternative to the big name high end CD players.

Music is reproduced with a naturalness that is rare with digital source components.

In my system the only aural niggles were a very slight tendency to be a little too kind and laidback, (a touch more immediacy please) and a little leanness in the mid/lower bass in single-ended mode, slightly overcompensated when run with balanced cables. Somewhere in-between would be spot-on.

Sort out the few ergonomic issues and this could be as close to perfect as the pricing allows.

Michael Jones says...

There’s something about a really good CD player – and there’s no doubt in my mind that the Plinius fits that description. But before commenting on the sound, here are some thoughts about what I don’t like.

I’m a great admirer of people who go against the norm because they’ve found a better way of doing things. But doing something different merely for the sake of being different gains no admiration from me.

To me, Plinius are being different for the sake of being different with the ergonomics of the CD-101. The lack of a play button on the player, the lack of a display and the requirement that the player can only be operated from the remote control strikes me as being difficult. My guess is that the next Plinius CD player will operate more normally than the CD-101.

But to the sound. I had less time with the CD-101 than either Brent or Michael, but in that short period of time I was mightily impressed. Most CD players – even expensive units – have a (sometimes almost subliminal) roughness to their sound, like fine sandpaper. What struck me with the Plinius was how this roughness seemed to be gone.

The second aspect of the sound that struck me was the immense amount of detail that the CD-101 pulled off the CD. This wasn’t pushed forward at me like with hi-fi equipment often described as “detailed” or (shudder) “ruthlessly revealing”. Instead the detail was served up. I could choose to listen to it or not. Or focus in on part of the performance, if I chose to.

Voices were incredible. They seemed more audible and easier to hear the words than before, without being pushed forward in the mix.

It’s possible that the CD-101 is a touch lacking in bass power (that’s unusual for a Plinius product) but I didn’t have time to delve any further before the player went off to Brent for review.

I was very impressed with the performance of the Plinius CD-101. I’ve not heard a CD player that beats the CD-101 in the areas where it has its strengths. Well done!

http://www.audioenz.co.nz/2005/plinius_cd-101.shtml

Favourites: recommended CD players

Unico CD player. $3699

On paper the tube/solid state hybrid CD player encompasses the best of both worlds: all the benefits of digital technology with the smoothness and musicality of vacuum tubes. The reality with hybrids can be quite different. Most of the hybrids I have heard ended up having the worst aspects of each technology such as excess noise, unreliability and high frequency brightness.

A recent arrival to these shores is Italian company Unison Research, a manufacturer of predominantly tube based audio equipment. For over 15 years they have combined the renowned Italian eye for aesthetic excellence with good technical nous to produce an acclaimed range of products that pleases the eyes as well as the ears.

Parent company Unison Research established the affordable Unico range of mainly tube/solid state hybrid components: integrated and separate amplifiers, a CD player and an FM/AM radio tuner.

The stylish exterior starts with an elegant fascia of luxuriously thick aluminium, sparsely populated with the main transport buttons, a wonderfully legible, backlit LCD display and the wood and metal Unison Research logo. The main power switch has been banished to the left hand side of the cabinet, out of sight.

The rear is equally simple; a pair of RCA single-ended outputs, a pair of XLR balanced outputs, a pair of RCA digital In/Outs (enabled by a slide switch next to the sockets), a large heat sink and the IEC mains socket.

Fit and finish is exemplary, the only blemish being a loose IEC socket. The chassis and lid is made from heavy duty steel giving the player rigidity and freedom from a rattling lid. The remote control is carved out of solid wood with a slender metal panel holding the buttons. It is a piece of art, beautifully finished, carefully rounded to fit the hand and flat bottomed so that it can stand on it’s end.

Inside Unison uses a Crystal DAC chipset with Philips microprocessors. The transport is a CD-ROM drive, with glass (as opposed to plastic) optics and quality spindle motor. The disc tray is just like that on any computer drive, a cheap, thin plastic affair albeit on lapped steel guides and supports instead of plastic. The transport is suspended on rubber to reduce external vibration. Options include an oversampling board and user selectable digital filters.

The signal travels through a gain stage with two 5814 tubes (a milspec version of the ECC82/12AU7, one per channel) and finally to a mosfet output stage with proprietary power supply and precision non-switching regulators which can handle voltage variations of up to +/- 20%, hence the need for a rear heatsink.

Countdown to…

Switching the Unico on for the first time brings the large display panel to life. The backlighting comes on, the words “VALVE WARM UP” appear and a numerical counter counts down from 30 as the player undergoes a controlled warm up prior to playback.

For this review my usual Krell/Magnepan system was employed, with a Marantz CD-23 as reference CD player. No balanced cables were available so all listening was done via the single ended outputs.

...wonderful music

From the first disc there was a slight but definite tube signature: gently rolled–off highs, a warm, silky smooth midrange, reasonable bass extension and definition, coupled to good dynamics and soundstaging. Any sonic compromises seem to be cannily chosen as the music flowed with an ease and naturalness that made every disc listenable, even poorly recorded stuff like The Corrs.

Disc after disc was enjoyable in a way that eluded the universal disk players I’ve heard. Female soloists like Kiri Te Kanawa, Jennifer Warnes, Eden Atwood, Holly Cole and Norah Jones all sounded gloriously beguiling. Complex soundtracks by Herrmann, Sakamoto were reproduced with ease, losing only a little in nth degree detail and dynamic shadings.

When compared to the much more expensive Marantz reference the only real niggle to be found was with the Unico’s presentation. The Marantz can produce a huge acoustic bubble that puts the listener right into the performance. The Unico couldn’t quite manage that, instead the listener is outside the bubble looking in.

No oil leaks or breakdowns

Despite the above, the Unico makes listening to CDs a joy. Unlike some European audio equipment in the past, the Unico performed flawlessly over the review period.

For the money I can think of a few CD players that have more features but none that match the Unico’s musicality. And while it is not without flaw, the Unico CD didn’t make me want to switch back to my favoured source of music (vinyl records), which is what usually happens when affordable CD players come visiting.

I can’t give any CD player a much higher recommendation than that.

http://www.audioenz.co.nz/2004/unico_cd.shtml

Opera Audio Consonance Reference CD-2.2

Opera Audio Consonance Reference CD-2.2 CD player. $2570

In a remarkably short time Chinese hi-fi has progressed from cheap and nasty (although these are still available from the Warehouse and the many backyard importers advertising online via TradeMe, Ebay etc.) to OEM production for well known mainstream audio companies, to wholly producing established brands like Quad, Wharfedale and Cambridge Audio. Now we are starting to see indigenous brands like Aurum, Cayin, Shanling, ShengYa, Spark, Opera Audio et al being exported.

Opera Audio (no relation to the similarly named Opera Loudspeakers of Italy) was setup six years ago specialising in tube audio amplifiers. Now they have a large product line of tube and solid state amplifiers, digital playback equipment and even analogue turntables.

The Consonance Reference CD 2.2 is a Red Book CD player using a Crystal 24 bit/192kHz upsampling DAC with a Sovtek 6H30 tube buffered output stage.

Heavy wood

The Consonance weighs in at a solid 16kg, topped with real wood trim. The wood, embossed with the Opera Audio logo, looks and feels gorgeous, a substantial brushed aluminium front panel and chrome knobs imparts a classy, minimalist look. The smooth and silent centre mounted transport sits above a simple blue display. This is flanked by the two polished chrome knobs that operate like giant toggle switches; power and tray access on the left, transport functions on the right. These operate with a simple functionality. The usual IEC power plug, a set of RCA single ended outputs, a pair of XLR balanced outputs and a master output level control fills out the rear panel.

Basic functions plus remote volume control are duplicated on a neat metal cased remote, spoilt by the fitment of rattley little plastic buttons that are rather unpleasant to the touch. With this player there is no direct track access or any fancy programmable play modes.

Fulsome

Starting with the single-ended RCA’s the music that issued forth was as idiosyncratic as the cosmetics. Smooth, warm, very relaxed (perhaps too much so) and welcoming but decidedly soft, both tonally and dynamically. Treble was easy on the ears but not very extended or detailed. The bass was impressively fulsome, albeit modest in definition and articulation. Dynamics were muted with little snap and impact. The wide soundstage, with realistic height and reasonable depth was populated by performers and instruments with little dimensionality.

Multi-layered tracks like Madonna’s Ray of Light or Santa Esmeralda’s Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood (the epic 10 minute version from the Kill Bill Vol.1 soundtrack) sounded flat, lifeless and a tad confused. Big orchestral pieces like Herrmann’s On Dangerous Ground (from Citizen Kane - The Classic Film Scores of Bernard Herrmann) and John Williams’ great score for Star Wars Episode 1 just didn’t captivate, as these large scaled pieces should.

Despite these flaws, the Consonance remained pleasant listen to in a soft dreamy way, but ultimately unsatisfying as it was clear the music was incomplete.

Switching to the balanced outputs brought a much needed shot of life. Now the Consonance sounded more like a $3000 CD player.

The previously Prozac sound gained in lucidity. Strings and percussion now had a bit of bite, the bass gave up some of it’s bounty for tautness, instruments were less woolly and the overall aural picture had a bit more clarity and focus. These seemingly small changes all added up to a much more convincing presentation.

However the basic lack of dimensionality and modest resolution, remained, though in a less distracting manner. Throughout the listening sessions the Consonace showed an affinity for simply recorded music, often faltering when asked to unravel the complex, multi-layered mixes of more demanding recordings. Music was painted in broad strokes, missing some of the finer detail of other CD players.

The Consonance was surprisingly close in sonics to it’s compatriot the Shanling CD-T100 (heard last year). Both share similar circuit topology and sonic presentation, with the Shanling having more detail and the Consonance having better depth. Both tend towards a somewhat two-dimensional presentation and stumbled with demanding recordings.

These players get to the core of the music but neither was quite as complete or satisfying as the Unico hybrid CDP reviewed a few months ago or of other CD players at the $3000 mark.

The Consonance proved to be much more of a looker than a performer. In its favour is good build quality, style and sharp pricing. Music is reproduced with a smooth, easy nature.

This CD player’s foibles are of an omission rather than additive, making it more acceptable, especially in less revealing systems. So it’s a cautious take a look rather than outright recommendation for the Consonance.

http://www.audioenz.co.nz/2004/opera-audio_consonance-cd.shtml

Marantz CD-7300

Marantz CD-7300. $1599

A few years back, many Japanese hi-fi manufacturers had upmarket CD players that were incredibly well built – solid, heavy and with a feel that screamed “luxury".

I haven’t seen many CD players like that for a while, until I laid hands on the Marantz CD-7300. It’s not as big and bulky as those older players, but it feels very solid and looks very expensive. Plus – and this is important to some people – the CD7300 is made in Japan.

One welcome – and increasingly rare – feature on CD players is a headphone socket. Not only does the 7300 have a headphone socket, but also a volume control for the headphone output. Nice.

Looking in

Marantz normally use their proprietary HDAM (Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Modules) inside a lot of their equipment, instead of the more common op-amps, claiming that this achieves better sound quality. The 7300 also boasts ELNA capacitors, chosen for their sound quality, and Cirrus DACs.

The 7300 has some unusual features. While playing CDRs and CD-RWs is normal these days (indeed, it’s hard to find a CD player without this capability), the CD-7300 claims to play unfinalised CDRs.

When a CD is written on your computer, it normally needs to be finalised before the disc can be played. This involves writing a Table of Contents (TOC) on to the disc, which tells the CD player where all the tracks are. Once finalised, the disc cannot be added to.

So I tried it, writing a couple of audio tracks on CD-R from my trusty Macintosh. The 7300 could not only see and play the tracks, but the title information (showing the track name) also reproduced. This is great, I thought, until I tried the same disc in the other CD players (Arcam, Rega and Rotel) also in-house. They also played the tracks, as did my DVD player.

It’s still a good idea though. But beware: all of the players would only see the first session of recording. Add some more tracks on to the disc and they won’t be seen until the CD-R is finalised.

Another rare feature is the ability to alter the pitch of the CD by up to 12%. This option is available only from the remote. Pitch control can be useful to aspiring musicians.

Sound

Listening to the CD7300 it was immediately obvious that this was a quality CD player, but like the rest of the players under review it still had its own sound.

The CD7300 had a big, meaty sound with plenty of weight and body to voices and instruments.

For example, one of my favourite test pieces is the Cyrus Chestnut CD Revelation. You could clearly hear that the double bass is a big, vibrating instrument, while the piano had body and depth, as well as attack in its sound.

Jazz drummers can really make their instruments sing. Cyrus’ drummer, Clarence Penn, is no exception. His outstanding cymbal work is a highlight of this disc. The Marantz, with its delicate, detailed and revealing high end, brought this to life.

The one area where the Marantz well a little behind the other players is in pace and timing. The CD7300 always seemed a little “slower” sounding than the other three, but better in this regard than what I remember from some previous Marantz CD players.

The characteristics described above showed up in all of the music played through the Marantz. Steely Dan’s classic Rikki Don’t Lose That Number had a natural body and weight to voice and piano, while the percussion and guitar had an excellent attack.

While some modern hi-fi equipment is a little upfront in sound (possibly because it sounds more immediately impressive in a hi-fi shop, or because some magazines reward such a sound), the Marantz will be regarded by some as a little laid back in sound.

This is, I suspect, because Marantz is one of the few hi-fi brands that place an emphasis on reproducing the weight and body of musical instruments.

Conclusion

An excellent CD player from Marantz at an excellent price. The CD7300 majors on reproducing the weight and body of musical instruments, offering a viable alternative to other players.

http://www.audioenz.co.nz/2003/marantz_cd7300.shtml

Cyrus CD 8x and PSX-R

Cyrus CD 8x CD Player, $3295. PSX-R power supply, $1295.

UK hi-fi company Cyrus has a reputation for producing quality gear at a reasonable price. Cyrus equipment is in a league above some of the “budget” items reviewed in AudioEnz but is well below the price of true "high-end" equipment. But it still claims to have much of the top end sound.

Gilding the lily

The CD 8x is a revised version of the original 8. The revisions aim to improve resolution and particularly its stability as a disc transport to go with the matching DAC -X.

Cyrus have also taken this opportunity to upgrade the base plate in the player. The silver/copper alloy outer skin of the base closes off the chassis to protect the sensitive electronics within, to address the increasingly noisy electronic environment that we live in.

Looking good

The “singing shoebox” is one nickname for Cyrus equipment, in reference to their small size and cute dimensions. More than one visitor has remarked on the compactness and tidiness of being able to have two components side by side on the same shelf. We must start then by scoring the Cyrus highly on the domestic acceptance factor.

The other advantage of placing two bits of equipment on one shelf is that there is plenty of room for the upgrade process that Cyrus so easily encourages. The product is available in an attractive aluminium silver or black finish. I preferred the black as it visually disappears more easily.

Getting to know you

The equipment arrived well packaged and with a very helpful service from Auckland Cyrus retailer Smiths Sound.

In operation, the CD drawer has a solid feel and the display is clear to read without being obtrusive. I found the remote easy to operate and it will work from almost any angle and over a fair distance. It is good to rely on the remote as the CD player’s buttons are directly under the tray, making it difficult to start the player with the tray door open.

An honest player

The other reason for the Cyrus’s reputation as a “singing shoebox” is not just its compactness. This is a good all-round musical performer that is tonally very natural, if very slightly on the sweet side of neutral. It is difficult to take offence with this sound as it does not intrude or draw attention artificially to itself.

This is a sound that, without becoming euphonic, will take on almost any kind of music. I particularly appreciated the player’s ability to decipher kindly an elderly and demanding Maria Callas recording. The intricate guitar work of Antonio Forcione on Dedicato was laid out in a detailed, fast and insightful way that welcomes us deeply into his technique without being coldly analytical.

A similar balance of exposure and musicality was well held with Josh Ritter’s Golden Age of Radio. This talented young man could be followed musically and fully as he was brought so effectively into the room while still gently exposing his relative innocence as a performer. I used a 1987 new age recording called Ambience to evaluate the sense of size that was created of the Australian outback. This is indeed a CD player that can be both delicate while providing a large picture when needed.

On conventional hi-fi measures, the bassline on Patricia Barber’s Companion was covered with control, tonal accuracy and depth while still being agile. In the demanding reproduction of string sound with the Jerusalem Quartet playing Haydn, the tone walked the fine line between raw and sugary. The brushwork on Oscar Peterson’s We Get Requests had a well-resolved and natural air without undue emphasis. The music was all portrayed with an adequate sense of depth and width against a dark background of silence.

But wait – there’s more

Adding the PSX-R power supply keeps the overall sound similar. Is the extra expense warranted? You bet. The sound is tightened on all levels, better controlled, more detailed, faster and more powerful.

This is indeed equipment that "punches well above its weight" – particularly with the addition of the PSX-R – and is a capable introduction to high-end sound.

If you can push the finances beyond the worthy budget items reviewed at AudioEnz, then the extra cost is well worthwhile. Be warned, however, that Cyrus make the upgrade path all too easy and there is a seductive charm to the sound. The Cyrus CD 8x and PSX-R are a couple of pieces of equipment that are not being returned.

http://www.audioenz.co.nz/2005/cyrus_cd8x.shtml

Musical Fidelity X-T100 amplifier and X-Ray v8 CD player

Musical Fidelity X-T100 amplifier, $2999 (including PSU). X-Ray v8 CD player, $2499 (excluding PSU). Triple-X PSU $899 if purchased separately.

Musical Fidelity's X-series CD player, amplifier and power supply unit (click for larger image)

Musical Fidelity X-Ray CD player

Musical Fidelity X-T100 amplifier

Musical Fidelity Triple-X PSU

“Do you think you could make this one a bit less… ambivalent.” It’s shocking, I know, but that’s exactly what the editor said to me when he handed over the equipment for this month’s review.

Ambivalent? Me? Never! Well, maybe a bit. Sometimes.

I suppose he may have a point though. I mean, who needs ambivalence in a review? Surely what’s required is clear and unambiguous information. The unadulterated truth, with no place for wishy-washy vacillation.

In deference to the editor’s authority, I shall try to make this as unambiguous as I can. So, on to the new X-T100 amplifier and X-Ray v8 CD player from Musical Fidelity.

Rampant uncertainty

First impressions of the new X-series are bad, but in a good way. Oops, fence-sitting again. The packaging and documentation are distinctly homespun with cheaply photocopied manuals and plain boxes. Certainly, little money was wasted, but that’s oddly reassuring too. The money clearly went on the contents. Did I pull that one back from the brink, ed?

Build quality is on the sturdy side of solid. Unfortunately, the styling resembles an old Denon DM7 micro system. Particularly ironic given Musical Fidelity’s current advertising asks “Do you have a hi-fi system or just an overpriced music centre?”

Bring back the interesting and different look of the original X-series, I say. Quite unequivocally, as it happens.

On the other hand

What has been retained from those earlier X-series components is an external power supply designed to keep the big transformer away from sensitive audio stages. Definitely good.

Internally, the X-T100 has a valve-based pre-amp and solid state power stage that are closely related to Musical Fidelity’s expensive KW500 amplifier.

Ambiguously, the X-T100 amplifier is rated at both 50 and 80w per channel (depending on whether you’re reading the manual or Musical Fidelity’s website). However, I can say with complete certainty that it includes a pretty good phono stage as well as the usual line level inputs and tape loop.

Sitting on the fence

The X-Ray CD player is, well, a CD player. It has coax and optical digital outputs. But why would you bother since its finest feature is the classy on-board DAC? Certainly you’d be unwise choose it as a transport only, unless you happen to be looking for a transport with particularly slow disc initialisation.

There’s a system remote too, a rather plasticky affair that controls the amplifier, CD and a tuner. For added entertainment value the volume control is motorised, so you can watch it rotating as if my magic. Trivial, but fun.

Definitely in two minds

So what does it sound like? Here, I should make a confession. I’m going to be a bit, well, vague. Because I don’t really have much to go on.

Usually when reviewing use the equipment for a couple of weeks before sitting down for an organised listening session in which I take detailed notes about a wide range of music. As a result, I can tell you that I listened to two versions of the Messiah, Mahler’s second symphony and a bit of Vivaldi. There was definitely KT Tunstall on the list as well as Jose Gonzales… and the Gotan Project. Not to mention Elvis Costello, Adam and the Ants, The Specials and a few others from the same period.

Can I tell you much about them? No, I’m afraid I can’t. You see, after a few seconds I’d just get so absorbed by the music that I’d forget to write anything down.

Blowing hot and cold

I can tell you that my initial note says “50w????? never” because the amplifier really doesn’t sound like a 50w amplifier, it sounds much, much more powerful. I can also tell you that there’s a note about the CD player “++detail” because it just hoovers stuff off the disc.

Oddly, there’s no note that says “rhythm ++++” though there really should be. Similarly, I completely failed to make any note about the infectious energy that comes across.

I can also tell you that although the X-Series work well as a system, it’s the X-T100 that’s the real star. There’s nothing wrong with the X-Ray, it’s a fine CD player, but it’s the amplifier that makes this system sing.

And that’s the clear, unambiguous truth. I found myself getting completely carried away with the music. Not because I was analysing detail or image (though both are there in shovelfuls), but because I felt I had a direct connection to whatever it was the artists were going on about.

http://www.audioenz.co.nz/2007/mf_xt100-xray.shtml

NAD C541i CD player

NAD C541i CD player. $1049

Every day, somewhere in the world, someone reads a report about CD’s death at the hands of SACD, DVD-A, and MP3, usually in a glossy magazine with a pretty girl on the cover. That’s a shame, because CD replay technology is proving that 16bit/44 kHz has a lot more going for it than hard-to-please audiophiles suspected.

While painfully expensive CD players from Audionote, Linn, Wadia, and DCS have revealed new depths in CD, the best evidence that the format is finally coming of age lies at the other end of the market, in the form of NAD’s C541i. It’s nothing short of amazing that such accomplished sound should come from a box costing this little.

So, yes, I like the C541i, especially the ‘i’ for ‘improved’. I’m a regular user of NAD’s now-defunct C541, the hands down winner in its price range until now. When I powered up the updated ‘i’ version, with its new transport and revised Burr-Brown 24-bit DACs, I expected pretty much the same sound I was used to, with maybe a touch more treble refinement.

After 48 hours warm-up, I got that all right, plus improved resolution, better bass, and greater speed. The play-anything quality was still there, but that ‘i’ had lifted the performance of the 541across the board.

Listening to the 541i, you’re distracted from listening out for those musical effects you hadn’t heard before by the songs themselves. This NAD knows that music is ultimately about feeling, and it does an excellent job of communicating the emotion in everything from Björk’s Hyperballad to Elgar’s Lark Ascending. This is a quality buyer’s aren’t really entitled-to for under $2000, and it could come as a shock to folks who measure performance in dollars to hear CD’s played with genuine sensitivity by what is essentially an entry-level unit.

I was particularly impressed with the NAD’s handling of vocal inflexion and instrumental timbre, so vital in establishing a connection between the music and the listener.

The C541i has two features that will be of academic advantage to most users. Firstly, it can be integrated into a full NAD-based hi-fi system via the NAD link connectors round back. Secondly, the C541i is capable of HDCD (High Definition Compatible Digital) playback, which adds improved resolution and soundstaging to CDs mastered with HDCD.

Many of these are not advertised as such, including XTC’s Wasp Star, and, believe it or not, the cast album of the recently screened Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode, Once More with Feeling. Don’t ask me how I know this.

On the latter, HDCD plainly reveals the different acoustic spaces in which the vocalists and backing bands were recorded.

Good though it is, the C541i still comes a sure second to a competent vinyl replay system. My original US pressing of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours remained the preferred medium despite the 541i’s sterling efforts with a recent CD edition. But let’s play fair - this machine isn’t supposed to be the start and finish of CD reproduction.

Whichever way you look at it, the NAD remains an uninspiring grey tin. It has a certain business-like quality, but a little more structural solidity wouldn’t go amiss.

It should also be observed that the ugly end of your CD collection, the screechy, low-fi, turned up to 11 stuff, may be harder to bear through the NAD than via less revealing budget players. Band members usually have limited hearing above 8kHz thanks to those hours spent in front of their PA systems, so they shouldn’t be allowed near the mixing desk when albums are recorded. If they are, the results can be a little harrowing: as much as I like 808 State and the Chemical Brothers, the C541i still made me wish for tone controls on my amp.

And let’s not forget that NAD is not alone in this market segment. New CD players are appearing from the likes of Rotel, Arcam and Denon, any of which might offer more energy, sophistication, or insight. Whether they manage it for anything like the same price is a different matter altogether.

If you can’t audition its rivals, you can buy the C541i knowing that it does its work well, whatever your musical tastes, and should partner a broad range of amp and speaker
combinations.

http://www.audioenz.co.nz/2002/nad_541i.shtml

Audiolab 8000S amplifier and 8000CD CD player

Audiolab 8000S amplifier and 8000CD CD player. $1499 each

If you’re old like me and fear The Reaper, you may recall the name Audiolab, but if you’re young and mostly none the wiser, you can be forgiven for not having heard of them before. The story goes like this: Audiolab, established in 1983, was bought in the late 1990s by TAG McLaren, of Formula 1 fame. The company’s revised gear was badged as TAG McLaren for the next seven years, and while it was generally considered to be rather good, it was also rather expensive and failed to take the world by storm. TAG McLaren eventually decided to refocus its energies on building zoomy cars, so Audiolab’s old-guard stepped up to take the original product range back. Thus Audiolab, last featured in magazines still taking cassette decks seriously, re-emerges into the brave new world of the video iPod.

So, this new Audiolab is more or less the old Audiolab, but that might not be A Good Thing. The 8000S you see pictured looks suspiciously like the 8000S that AudioEnz reviewed in 1997, and if the same is true of the interior what we may have here is a 2006 review of 1997 product. However, we are assured that the amp was updated during it’s time as a TAG McLaren, and that Audiolab has further revised it for its re-launch. The 8000CD player, on the other hand, is an entirely new beastie, delivering what Audiolab describe as ‘something approaching the theoretical optimum for a CD player’. We shall see.

The hardware

Let’s start with the 8000S. This is a remote-controlled 60W integrated design of rare flexibility. On inspecting the front panel you’ll find the amp can be configured as a pre- or power-amp, so as to be extended by the addition of additional Audiolab amplifier units. There are six line-level inputs and three tape loops, so you better hit the classifieds in search of Nakamichis. It feels heavy and reasonably well-constructed, certainly better than your typical Japanese biscuit-box, but there’s nothing exotic about its form or materials. The manufacturer claims the amp can knock out up to 25 amps, which means loudspeakers are held on a very short leash.

The 8000CD continues the Audiolab theme of high audiophile feature-count. The back panel is a lot busier than most players, because there are two analogue outputs, both RCA, and three digital outputs via RCA, optical, and BNC interfaces. Almost disappointingly, there is provision for only one mains lead. Audiolab isn’t giving much away about the interior, but I can tell you the 8000CD uses 24bit 192kHz, 5th order delta sigma DACs by Crystal, which are said to be the latest thing. Explaining the weight of the beast is not one but two toroidal transformers, one for analogue duties and the other for digital. That’s certainly above and beyond. The transport also looks to be a high quality affair.

The sounds

From first power-up, and still cold, the 8000S immediately made an impression with its clarity and drive. A little lean at first, it warmed and proved to have a ferocious desire to make sure everything started and stopped exactly as the CD dictated, which meant firmly struck leading edges in the bass and added slap in the percussion. The midrange is presented with fine neutrality, so it doesn’t dominate the soundstage, but is seamlessly integrated therein, while the treble is clear and detailed, yet never obtrusive.

Transparency rates a special mention for this amp – new information about old favorites is revealed, and nuances of playing style become more obvious. Indeed, the only real flaw I would venture to identify in the 8000S, given its price, is its total lack of romanticism. This amp ticks like a metronome, and has no interest in euphony or rose-tinting – it plays entirely by the book. If your system veers towards a ‘cool’ sound, this amp won’t help.

If the quality of the amp was unsurprising, given its pedigree, the CD player was something else altogether. The last machine I heard playing with this degree of accomplishment cost over $5K. If you want a simple gauge of the 8000CD’s ability, just focus on the treble. CD players traditionally had to sort of make-up the high notes as they went along, thanks to the limitations of CD’s 44kHz sampling rate. Thus, treble is not CD’s strong point, but no-one seems to have told Audiolab, and the result is a player that can reproduce the finest detail at the top end with enormous precision and subtlety. To me this sounds like the effects attributed to upsampling, but that won’t be the case in something so inexpensive.

The (ex-)TAG Team

Together, these components are pretty much the complete package. They performed that rare feat of adding interest to tracks I would usually skip, and could there be a greater compliment to any audio system than that? In effect they’re adding to my music collection, so, if I were to be buying them, at these prices they’d virtually pay for themselves. Welcome back, Audiolab, we’ve missed you.

http://www.audioenz.co.nz/2006/audiolab_8000.shtml

Denon DCD-1500AE CD/SACD Player and PMA 1500

Denon DCD-1500AE CD/SACD player ($1799) and PMA-1500 amplifier ($2299)

You have to hand it to Denon of Japan for continuing to expend effort on two-channel audio when so many manufacturers have been distracted by multichannel applications. Denon have always been a name to respect in the stereo game, though in my experience value for money in Denon gear is at the expensive end in their digital sources and the cheap end for their amplifiers. In order to foil me, I've been commissioned to review two solid middle rankers in Denon's current two-channel line up.

The performers

I'll start by telling you this pair consists of the strictly stereo DCD-1500AE CD/SACD player, a couple of steps down from the range-topping DCD-SA1, and the 70-watt per channel PMA-1500AE. They look like they play for the same team, finished in brushed silver and similarly dimensioned from the front. Their faceplates feature a horizontal swell that is certainly distinctive, although it gives the units a strangely old-fashioned look.

I wasn't too excited about the rotary input selector switch on the PMA-1500AE: it indicates position with a rotating light that only makes sense if you're looking squarely at the knob. Other than that it's nicely put together and well equipped. It is amply provisioned for inputs, including two tape loops and a decent phono-stage. There are tone controls, but unless your system is somehow amiss, bypass these with the 'source direct' switch for a purer sound.

The performance

Source and amp don't just look good together. They are impressive in terms of timing and drive, and detail levels are also noteworthy. In terms of revelation, I didn't find new instrumental lines rising from the mix, but the spatial placement of instruments and voices stood out as well above average. This was true not only in the case of SACD playback, where a more palpable sense of air around performers is to be expected, but even in CD playback. This suggests the latest incarnation of Denon's proprietary 'Alpha' signal processing is still up to snuff.

My only concern is that I couldn't shake the slight tilt toward the upper frequencies. It's not that the system won't do bass, indeed all the thumping and throbbing seems present and accounted for. Rather it's as though the bass is set to 100 and the treble to 101. I lay this quirk at the doorstep of the CD player, which is extremely competent, but invests just a smidgeon too much energy to high frequencies. This might be a Japanese thing, as there seems to be a cultural preference for zing over there. I recall the European designed Denon stuff of a decade ago had a more neutral balance, and that is retained in the amp.

For its part, the PMA-1500AE plays not only with neutrality, but goes nice and loud – unfazed by the multi-tracked madness of the big finale on Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells 3 with the volume knob set at 12 o'clock. It's a very competent machine, devoid of serious foibles.

Reformatted

If pushed, I'd maintain the DCD-1500AE is a better CD player than it is an SACD player. I say this on the assumption that the SACD format offers improvements across the board (well, it should), although I confess I've yet to be sold on the format. When played on the 1500AE spinner, the improvements are only partial: things may sound different, but not necessarily better. However, this player won't be bought on the strength of its CD playback skills, good though they are, rather it's potential to play the higher spec'd format that will draw credit cards from their leathery dens.

The 1500AE pairing perfectly demonstrate Denon's long experience in the hi-fi stereo game. These products are entirely worth their asking prices, without giving away the farm. If carefully partnered with speakers and cables, the source will prove a fine CD player and a more than adequate SACD spinner. The amplifier is a subtle charmer, but it faces strong competition, and some have more obvious virtues, such as power output, or upgradability. I'd go for this duo if equipment-rack presence ran a close second to sound-quality on my shopping list, and I didn't want to be left high and dry if the world suddenly decides the future is SACD.

http://www.audioenz.co.nz/2006/denon_1500.shtml

Cambridge Audio Azur 640 CD player and amplifier

Cambridge Audio Azur 640C CD Player and 640A Integrated Amplifier. $899 each

On review as a team this month are two components from UK budget specialist, Cambridge Audio. One of them is very good, and everyone should have the other one. So, yes, they have my cautious recommendation.

We’ve got a little ahead of ourselves. The items so lavishly endorsed are two of Cambridge’s new Azur range of hi-fi components. You may be familiar with the high reputation of the company’s Classic Series, low cost items designed with an ear tuned for maximum sonic performance. That range gave us the award winning D500 SE CD player and it’s illustrious predecessors, but the fit and finish was never what you’d call robust. Without placing any additional strain on your wallet the Azur range seeks to rectify that failing, and ups the stakes in terms of audio quality.

Built to last

The standard of construction on the 640C CD player and 640A amp is encouraging. The casework panels are secured by small flush-fitting allen bolts, the front panels are aluminium plate, and the sides incorporate a wavy curvature. These are not flimsy articles. The CD player comes off a little better in this regard, with its blue LCD display and positive feeling buttons. The amp’s plastic knobs are not so inspiring, and on both the screen-printed Cambridge Audio logo looks a bit agricultural, but otherwise the look and feel belies price.

Amp it up

As an entry-level combo these deserve serious recommendation. For $1800 you’re getting precision, power, refinement, and versatility in proportions that six months ago would have seemed unobtainable for under $3000. True, the amp lacks a phono stage as standard, but it has five line-level inputs and can switch between two sets of speakers.

Tone controls are defeatable, and the resulting sound is detailed and uncoloured, unless it’s a mild tendency towards a shiny top-end. Soundstaging is good, if not remarkable, but the clarity of diction and instrumentation is a bit special for a sub-grand amp. Happily, it’s also fully drivable from afar thanks to the very classy system remote. While it doesn’t sound any bigger than its rated 65 watts per channel, it would be totally unreasonable to expect the 640A to be any better at its listed price.

Solo source

For me, however, the star of the duo is the 640C. It’s not just a good $900 CD player, it’s a good $2000 CD player. Really. This thing sucks information off your CDs like it was equipped with a vacuum cleaner, rather than a laser.

It’s no wonder when you consider the advanced digital technologies packed away inside the slender box. The DAC is the top-of-the-line two-channel contender from the Scottish boffins at Wolfson Microelectronics, and is able to cope with a data handling spec of a 24 bit word sampled at 192kHz. Cambridge Audio make no mention of upsampling, so perhaps the high performance of this player is explained by the ease with which a 24/192 DAC handles the pedestrian 16/44 CD standard. Or maybe it’s the care taken with power regulation, or the quality of the Sony optics, or the proprietary re-clocking circuit to minimize jitter? Maybe the acoustic damping in the chassis, also a feature of the 640A, plays an important role?

Doesn’t matter. The fact is the 640C is a revelation, and while it lacks something of the musicality or scale of much more expensive players, it really will impress the jaded audiophile who’s long-since lost interest in what’s happening at the cheap end of the market. Rotel and NAD might be justifiably nervous, but Naim and Meridian had better watch their backs as well if you can get 90% of their performance for 30% of their price.

The 640C and 640A are as much as I’d dare hope for in a sub-$2000 pairing, and must be the stand-out selection in their price bracket. If I was getting into hifi all over again, this is where I’d start.

http://audioenz.co.nz/2004/cambridge_azur.shtml