Over three decades
after it was launched, new CD players continue to appear. Let’s checks out five
affordable models
At the ripe
old age of 32 years - and counting - the ubiquitous little silver disc
continues to spin. Who’d have thought it? Will there ever be a future format
that lasts this long again? I think not. Compact Disc continues to satisfy so
many of us because it was able to gain traction before any rival formats
arrived. For nearly 15 years, it was the only digital audio game in town.
CDs are
easy to play, don’t require any fiddling around and can sound really rather
good if done properly. Indeed, just like vinyl towards the end of its expected
life, CD has suddenly become quite palatable.
Of course,
SACD and DVD-A arrived at the end of the last century, expecting to usurp it.
But the hapless powers behind it ensured that the public got confused and stuck
with what they knew. The format war between the two incompatible new hi-res
formats put the public off, just as the old video cassette wars of the early
eighties. Wasn’t it Einstein’s definition of madness to do the same thing
repeatedly, but expect a different outcome?
The joy of five
The five
models tested here range in price considerably, but all share the wealth of
knowledge that we’ve amassed over CD’s long lifespan. Designers know all about
the need to minimize jitter and use decent DACs. Discoveries made by high-end
companies some 20 years ago - such as Meridian with jitter and dCS with upsampling - have seeped
down into basic CD player best practice, and are found in most machines here.
Cambridge Audio Azur
651C
Many regard
this machine as far more capable than it has a right to be at this price point.
Its design is surprisingly slick and it now has a rather attractive brushed aluminium fascia.
Exposure 1010CD
From a
company that made its name with high-quality amps in the eighties, this
attractively styled deck has some serious engineering inside and promises a lot
at the price.
Quad Elite CDS
Stretching
way back to the 66, Quad's spinners have always been popular, with a smooth,
musical and engaging sound. The Elite CDS also sports the latest 24/192 upsampling DAC.
Rotel RCD-1570
Undeniably
one of the best looking machines here, the slot-loading disc mechanism is a joy
to use. But don't let its looks confuse you; serious attention has been paid to
its sonics.
Teac CD-H750
This
company's silver disc spinners have acquired a great reputation over the years,
and more recently Teac has done very well in the field of mini components too.
Are these
latest budget boxes good enough to sway you into updating your existing player,
or simply buying another one? Read on to find out...
