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Grant Fidelity's $3,200 Impression II weds CD player, tube amp and overkill

by Darren Murph posted Sep 9th 2009 at 6:58AM


See that? That's a $3,200 CD player, which will be impossible to justify for pretty much anyone not featured on Joan Rivers' newest TV show. Designed and produced by Grant Fidelity, the CD-1000 Impression II packs a high-end Sanyo CD drive, tube analog output, tube headphone amplifier and a rather basic display screen, while the "anti-vibration aluminum chassis" tries as hard as it can to look both unorthodox and absurdly expensive. It's hard to say if your burnt MP3 discs will actually sound better on this thing (okay, so they won't), but at least you can rest easy knowing that shipping on this 50 pound beast is completely gratis.

[Via OhGizmo]

Emotiva's ERC-1 reference CD player ships next month for $399

by Darren Murph posted Mar 15th 2009 at 9:52AM


If you're lovin' that post-modern / art deco look that Emotiva has going on, and you're a sucker for all things audiophile, we've got just the thing to make you $399 poorer. Said outfit has just revealed that its ERC-1 reference CD player will be arriving next month, and aside from the unmistakable design, it'll also bring along Burr Brown OPA2131 Op-amps, an Analog Devices 1955 DAC and a 24 bit-processor. You'll also find (well, you will if you crack things open) separate and sealed power supplies for each working mechanism, which supposedly ensures noise-free listening. Oh, and then there's the glowing blue CD slot, which is totally worth four bills in and of itself.

Marantz shows off CR502 all-in-one music system

by Darren Murph posted Feb 25th 2009 at 10:38AM


While Marantz is still generally sticking to its bread-and-butter AV receiver offerings, there's nothing wrong with a little diversion every now and then to see just how successful a new initiative can be. The CR502 micro audio system possesses two stereo amplifiers, each of which pack 25-watts of power. There's a built-in CD player, a DAB radio tuner and a nice array of inputs and outputs (USB 2.0 included) to complement the clock radio function. Of course, that whole "Marantz" logo helps explain the lofty £499 ($718) price tag, but if you've got it to blow, your night stand will thank you ad nauseam.

[Via Stuff]

PS Audio debuting world's first HRx disc player at CES

by Darren Murph posted Dec 30th 2008 at 3:01PM


Oh, brother -- yet another high resolution audio format to worry over. Just when you thought you could pick up Denon's forthcoming universal Blu-ray player and be done with it comes HRx. The format, which is hyped up by Reference Recordings and is literally high-res WAV files toasted onto DVD media, cannot be played back in traditional DVD / DVD-Audio decks. Instead, you'll need PS Audio's PerfectWave Transport Memory Player. Until now, folks (all three of them) have simply been ripping the files onto PCs or music servers for playback, but the item you see above will indeed handle CDs and HRx DVDs, the latter of which delivers 24-bit, 176kHz sound. There's no mention of a price or eventual release date, but something this specialized just can't be cheap. We mean, it just can't be.

NAD rolls out two-channel components for CES

by Steven Kim posted Dec 26th 2008 at 7:30AM

NAD C 725BEE stereo receiver
Swinging to an opposite extreme from its $1,600 T587 Blu-ray deck, NAD is aiming for the budget-conscious stereophiles with the Classic Series set to appear at CES 2009. In the lineup are three amps, a pair of CD players, a stereo preamp and even an old-style stereo receiver. Trickle down tech from the top-of-the-line Masters Series components in the form of Class A gain modules, beefy chassis construction and other goodies is promising, but you know these pieces can't carry rock bottom prices with that kind of circuitry. Still, NAD has always been about "audiophile approved" sound at a fair price, and the spec-obsessed would be wise to consider the power ratings as conservative. If you've still got a foot in the redbook two-channel world, hit the link for details.

Yamaha brings the style with A-S700 / CD-S700 audio components

by Darren Murph posted Oct 9th 2008 at 7:36AM


About this time last year, Yamaha treated us to its CD-S2000 SACD player and A-S2000 amplifier, both of which sported that timeless look that was just too dazzling to hide away in some AV cabinet. This year, the outfit is keeping with the trend by introducing the equally stunning (and even more silver) A-S700 amplifier and CD-S700 CD player (pictured after the break). The former features 90-watts x 2 of RMS power and gold-plated RCA inputs, while the latter includes a Burr Brown 192kHz/24bit DAC and a USB port for playing back MP3 / WMA files. Both units are destined to hit Japanese audio shops next month for ¥73,500 ($730) and ¥60,900 ($605), respectively.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

Continue reading Yamaha brings the style with A-S700 / CD-S700 audio components

Yamaha introduces four mini audio systems, all with iPod docks

by Darren Murph posted Oct 2nd 2008 at 6:03PM


We sure hope you're an iPod owner if you're looking seriously at any one of Yamaha's latest mini audio systems, 'cause every last one of them packs an inbuilt dock front and center. Kicking things off is the MCS-1330, which features 60-watts of amplification, an integrated CD player, two speakers and a few other inputs for non-Appleites. The MCR-330 and MCR-230 only seem to differ in connection type, with both units packing 40 total watts of power and a USB socket. The CRX-430 finishes things off with 50-watts of RMS juice and a built-in CD player. The whole lot should ship by early December and will range in price from around $300 (CRX-430) to $1,233 (MCS-1330).

[Via TechDigest]

Bryston's hand-assembled BCD-1 CD player

by Steven Kim posted Sep 6th 2007 at 12:03PM

Bryston BCD-1 CD player
You read that headline right, CD player. No SACD, DVD, and certainly no format war-bickering HD DVD or Blu-ray. Just the most "perfect sound forever" Redbook audio the Canadians at Bryston can deliver. This player has high-end pedigree: premium DAC's, separate analog and digital power supplies, discrete op-amp Class A analog stage, and the usual output jacks + XLR and AES/EBU. If all the nuts and bolts in the kit aren't enough to let you know you've got a high-end piece of gear, then the 18 pounds of heft will. A cool $2395 puts the last CD player you'll ever need to buy in your rig.

Opera Audio's Ping weds CD player, amplifier, and USB connectivity

by Darren Murph posted Jun 10th 2007 at 5:43AM


These days, it's not often that a CD player makes you take a second glance, but Opera Audio's Forbidden City Ping is just one of those devices. The interestingly-styled box consists of a Linear Concept CD player meshed with a 100-watt Class A amplifier, AM / FM tuner, and a USB port for streaming tunes in from your PC. The "three-in-one" audio system also sports a 16-bit TDA1543 DAC and the ability to recover the current time from the USB port to display on the front-panel LCD. The Ping comes in black with your choice of red or silver accent plates, and while we're not sure of the asking price just yet, we'll go ahead and assume that this thing is more suited for the affluent set judging by the company's reputation.

[Via AudioJunkies]




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