CD-player Ayon CD-1sc
Are not going to cede ground and manufacturers of audio equipment. An example of this - the recently released CD-player Ayon CD-1sc. It combines the best solution, tried and tested in the field of audio over the past half-century. In particular, the latest digital technology and the lamp circuitry, with and in both the company's engineers have achieved this perfection.
In previous models used trucks Philips CD-Pro 2 with top-loading, for the new model as Austria has developed a mechanism that in the description of the player designated as "Stream Unlimited". Disc therein is also installed on the top and the floating washer is fixed on the inner side of the acrylic lid. Immediately thereafter, the reading starts, and after a few more seconds, the display shows the parameters CD - the number of tracks and the total playing time. Displayed as the level of the signal at the analog outputs, and this, by the way, deserves a special mention. Stepping adjustment involves changing the amplitude on the nests RCA from 0 to 2.2 V in the Low mode and from 0 to 4.4 in High. On balanced XLR outputs it twice, ie maximum value can be up to 8.8 V. There is also a very useful mode Direct Amp for connection to a power amplifier, bypassing the preliminary section. In this case, each time the player adjusts the output is automatically reduced to 40 dB, so that you do not accidentally damage the speakers.
Such a high output level managed to get by the fact that analog stages built on lamps 6N30. This dual triode Russian production in the Soviet era was designed for microwave transmission, respectively, has high reliability, is not afraid of vibration and has a guaranteed life of more than 10 thousand hours. For sound, he was "discovered" about 10 years ago and is now widely used in the components of the class High End, the benefit of the Saratov factory "Reflector" promptly resumed production. Single-ended output stages do not suppress even harmonics, which, according to G¸rharda Hirth, chief engineer of the Ayon Audio, helps to restore the original spectrum of a musical signal.
In the CD-1sc implemented and other principles Hearth: extremely simple circuitry and a short signal path, the lack of feedback, the minimum possible output resistance, the use of selected components of the highest quality, hand-assembled by skilled professionals and, finally, to control the output of each product.
Digital path is built on chip Burr-Brown, working in the format 24/192, with switchable upsampling from the panel. The player can be used as an external DAC - it provides inputs SPDIF, TosLink and USB, and the last two are able to receive a signal with a resolution of up to 24/96. There is also a coaxial digital output.
As you know, the sound quality of any device is highly dependent on how the power. Engineers Ayon always refer to this issue more than serious. Mains voltage passes through a filter that removes high frequency noise, and only then is fed to the "quiet" core transformer R-Core and separate windings for different sites. All in all, the source of 10 low-voltage stabilizers and rectifier anode voltage on kenotron 6Z4. On the back wall there is a neon lamp that lights up when the wrong phasing plug.
Printed circuit board with gold-plated tracks isolated from vibration mechanics. All datasheets audiophile grade - Teflon tube sockets, MKP film capacitors with a tolerance of 2%, and high-quality jacks RCA/XLR.
Player assembled in the housing of the 12-millimeter-milled aluminum, the drive is fixed on an elastic suspension. Control buttons actuator disposed on the upper surface are highlighted.
Display brightness can be adjusted by remote control, and if necessary, disable all. Console himself comfortable in a heavy metal case. Specific to management - and in addition it can be the player the DAC, pre or integrated amplifier - selected individual buttons.
Symphonic works in the collection "Tutti!" - a great music recorded with an incredible resolution for CD, but after countless plays really catchy very rarely. In the path of the corresponding class in the CD-1sc has the potential to become such an exception - its supply few people indifferent. At the beginning of the phonogram, before joining the orchestra, there is a feeling of a large hall, in which the smallest nuances betray the presence of the public. Sound powerful, with an extremely rich and complex spectrum, with stunning intelligibility even in saturated midrange. Due to this, created a dense wall of sound, absolutely uniform across the width of the stage. Orchestra shows a surprising consistency, music flows smoothly, with a relaxed and natural transition from piano to sudden bursts level. The only thing this model is inferior to the more expensive CD-5, which I also had a chance to listen to, so it is the formation of the lower register. Of course, the perception of bass strongly depends on the room, and on the capabilities of the speakers, but in this case somewhat weakened subsonic vibrations that create the illusion of movement of air in the great hall.
But it's really small quibbles, the whole CD-1sc has a set of qualities typical of a source of very high class. First of all, this is a harmonic resolution, no veil, which gives transparency and lightness even music Dream Theatre. Talking about the ease of perception, in fact it is a real avalanche of sounds, perfectly aligned rhythmically and spatially.
Sibelius works for violin and orchestra, the soloist Anne-Sophie Mutter. The player does not dries sound of the instrument, does not simplify it, but does not try to sugarcoat extra harmonics. And all this in combination with a stunning expression and skill of the performer. No dissonance, all musical accents correctly.
When you disable upsampling 24/192 sound is not as flawless licked, but does not lose emotion. The upper range of slightly darkened, it does not seem so bright and clear. And in most cases it is unlikely to be less - for the same Dream Theater, for example, more peaceful top is even more useful. It seemed to me that the original full-resolution CD Audio mid rough, but at the same time does not lose the tonal pattern of naturalness and detail, and pressure, brutality becomes even more. So that a button on the remote control 24/192 is not extra - fine tuning it to a specific genre.
The player is not very sensitive to the quality of the interconnect cables, but with a network's worth experimenting. The correct instance is able to make the top a little air and improve the fine focus of image sources in the scene.
Whatever may be said about the decline of CD-Audio, a real music fan is unlikely to abandon this format even if the system has a network of advanced media player or server. Still, for many material objects are more valuable than virtual.
