TEAC VRDS-701 review

Premium price, premium build and an excellent sound Tested at £2499 / $3799 / AU$TBC

CD player: TEAC VRDS-701
(Image: © What Hi-Fi?)

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

If you’re in the market for a premium CD player this TEAC simply has to be considered

Pros

  • +

    Detailed, composed and controlled presentation

  • +

    Impressive sonic authority

  • +

    Digital inputs

  • +

    Terrific build and lovely to use

Cons

  • -

    Sound takes a little time to appreciate

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

While we enjoy the benefits of streaming as much as anyone, there is a certain hands-on appeal to CD players that we can’t ignore. More than that, we like to own our music and be able to play it any time we want. Given the relatively fickle nature of streaming rights and the slightly erratic stability of an internet connection, we still see a place for a high-quality CD player in our systems.

Of course, this far into the age of streaming, new CD player launches are thin on the ground, and what was once a raging river of new products has slowed to a mere trickle. So, when TEAC launches a premium player like the VRDS-701 we can’t wait to have a go.

Build & Design

CD player: TEAC VRDS-701

(Image credit: TEAC)

Those initials – VRDS – will mean a lot to hi-fi fans of a certain vintage and are more than some random letters that make up a product name. They stand for Vibration-free Rigid Disc-clamping System and indicate the use of TEAC’s proprietary CD transport design. There have been numerous versions of this mechanism found in products that range in cost from premium to ultra high-end but the basic idea is always the same, and that’s to minimise rotational vibration and other disturbances by clamping the entire surface of the CD rather than just in the middle, as pretty much every alternative does. The idea is that reducing these unwanted outside influences allows the laser to read the disc more easily and the result should be a better sound. We’ve heard enough TEAC VRDS-equipped CD players and transports over the years to find that is usually the case.

Look past the inclusion of the VRDS transport mechanism and there is still plenty to admire in the ’701. This is a beautifully made player with a pleasingly chunky casework that weighs in at a considerable 11.1kg. We particularly like the precise feel of the two small control dials – one governs the volume of the headphone and line output and the other, the play and skip functions of the transport. The large display is easy to read from a distance and is pleasantly crisp.

Don’t be fooled by the TEAC’s metal feet. They may feel loose but are in fact rather elaborately engineered multi-piece affairs that are designed to disperse vibrations. The VRDS transport is lavished with similar attention, being fixed to the chassis with what TEAC calls a floating mounting to decouple it from the chassis and minimise the transfer of mechanical vibrations.

Features

CD player: TEAC VRDS-701

(Image credit: TEAC)

Look around the back of the 701 and you will find both balanced XLR and RCA line-level outputs, a trio of digital inputs in the form of a coaxial, optical and, unusually for a product such as this, a USB-C socket. If you decide to use the 701’s internal DAC section with an outboard source then you will find that it is a capable circuit that is compatible with 32-bit/384Hz PCM files and 22.5MHz DSD. MQA decoding is on the menu too.

There is also the option of adding an external clock. This kind of feature is more common in the studio world than in domestic equipment, but having tried various outboard clocks in the past it can be a useful avenue to investigate when the urge to upgrade strikes. Of course, the more usual path to upgrading an integrated CD player is to feed its digital output into an outboard DAC, and the VRDS-701’s coax and optical digital outputs allow that. Note that TEAC also makes a transport-only version of the 701 for those who want to follow that route from the off.

TEAC VRDS-701 tech specs

CD player: TEAC VRDS-701

(Image credit: TEAC)

Type Integrated 

SACD? No

Outputs Balanced XLR, RCA, coaxial, optical

Inputs Coaxial, optical, USB-C

Remote included? Yes

Dimensions 11.1 x 44.4 x 33.3 cm

Weight 11.1kg

Finishes x 2 (black, silver)

This player is a joy to operate. The VRDS is as reassuringly mechanical sounding as we remember from older TEAC products and the player responds swiftly to commands. The supplied remote handset has a neat metal finish on the top plate and is pleasant to use. 

Take a look at the extensive set-up menus and you will find that this is a tweaker’s delight, given it has a wide range of output, upsampling and digital filter options. It is worth playing around with these provided the rest of your system has the transparency to reveal the subtle changes in sound. After spending a few days trying the various options, we end up switching off the digital outputs (giving the sound a little extra precision and clarity), upconverting the input into the DAC by four times the sampling rate (rather than the maximum of eight times) and get the internal DAC chip to process PCM datastreams in DSD. All these things add up to giving us the kind of fluid and expressive sound we like. Of course, your system or tastes may lead to other choices, but the differences are small enough that it is impossible to actually spoil the overall sound. 

Sound

CD player: TEAC VRDS-701

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

A CD player of this standard positively demands a high-quality partnering system. The bulk of this test was done with the TEAC feeding our usual reference system of Burmester 088/911 MKIII amplifier and ATC SCM 50 speakers. But, we also use more price-compatible products in the form of Naim’s SuperNait 3 integrated amplifier and PMC’s Prodigy 5 speakers. The VRDS-701 shines regardless of the partnering system.

This player proves something of a slow burner for us, so be careful not to make snap judgements after a short audition at a dealer. Its sonic signature doesn't brim with sparkle or go out of its way to make your discs sound exciting. This is a more analytical tool than that and prefers to let the recording take the spotlight. If that’s innately energetic as The Heist by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis is, then that’s what you will hear. This TEAC is all about control and composure. It has excellent detail resolution, particularly in the bass where it defines the texture of low notes better than any rival we’ve heard and also adds grip and agility to the mix. Move up the frequency range and you will find a natural and unexaggerated midrange that deals in a high level of clarity and precision. But, there is enough delicacy on offer to render the dynamic nuances that communicate the emotions in a voice beautifully.

There is plenty of slam when the music demands and surefooted rhythmic drive that gets the most from infectious tracks such as Thrift Shop. Any edginess in the recording is revealed without the player making a meal of things, and it is this refinement that allows the TEAC to perform well across a wide range of recordings. 

Next, we try an old favourite test disc in the form of Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet. This is a demanding recording with wide-ranging dynamic swings and dense instrumentation but none of that fazes the TEAC. It stays calm and organised, not allowing the music’s sonic fireworks to throw it out of its stride. We sit back and marvel at the player’s authoritative presentation and the way it renders scale. Put it up against the similarly-priced Cyrus CDi-XR and the differences are marked. The Cyrus is a front-footed player that is all agility, resolution and excitement while the TEAC is more focused on analysis and control. The 701 presentation is also significantly more muscular in its approach, though given an appropriate recording lacks nothing when intimacy or subtlety is required.

CD player: TEAC VRDS-701

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

The TEAC pulls well ahead of the Cyrus when it comes to features. The Cyrus is a standard integrated CD player and doesn’t have digital inputs. We try those of the VRDS-701 and are impressed. Everything we like about the player’s sound with CDs is still apparent through any of the digital inputs. We connect our MacBook Pro (loaded with Audirvana media playing software and plenty of high-res files) and like what we hear. Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall (24-bit/96kHz) brims with energy and charges along with its infectious rhythms, rasping horn section and Jackson’s ever so distinctive vocal delivery. There’s everything we would want here from thrilling dynamic shifts to a driving beat. Detail levels are high, and as with CD replay, we can’t poke any holes in how all that information is organised. This TEAC sounds effortlessly cohesive and musical. The story remains positive no matter if we listen to the intimately recorded Here’s The Tender Coming from folk group The Unthanks, where the TEAC’s unforced yet expressive midrange comes to the fore, or rock out to Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones.

Verdict

CD player: TEAC VRDS-701

(Image credit: TEAC)

If you still have a large collection of CDs and really want to hear exactly what is stored on them we can’t think of a better way to do it at this price level than this TEAC. It is superbly made and a real pleasure to use. Those who admire fine engineering will be impressed by the care taken in the casework construction and the obsessively designed VRDS transport mechanism. In an age where most companies are happy to buy cheap off-the-shelf mechanisms, we’re happy that TEAC hasn’t taken the easy route. Will CD ever make a mass market comeback? Never say never, while machines as good as the VRDS-701 are still around there is always a (tiny) chance.

SCORES

  • Sound 5
  • Build 5
  • Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Cyrus CDi-XR

Also consider the Cyrus CDi

Read our Bryston BCD-3 review

Best CD players: CD players for every budget

What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

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  • Dom
    Its not a pretty machine is it.
    Reply
  • podknocker
    I don't understand the rack unit handles, when this is not really where it will be used.
    Reply
  • PrazVT
    Really - a $3800 CD player? I didn't read anything in that review that makes me think this kit is worth > 25% of that MSRP. It's all profit margin and marketing hype for the "have more $$ than sense" crowd. Oh and by the way! You can pair this CD player with other insanely overpriced kit! Give it a rest WhatHifi.
    Reply
  • PrazVT
    "This player proves something of a slow burner for us, so be careful not to make snap judgements after a short audition at a dealer. Its sonic signature doesn't brim with sparkle or go out of its way to make your discs sound exciting. This is a more analytical tool than that and prefers to let the recording take the spotlight."

    In other words, it's just a regular CD player in an over-built case.
    Reply
  • Gray
    podknocker said:
    I don't understand the rack unit handles, when this is not really where it will be used.
    Makes it look more expensive (if the price didn't tell you).
    Plus, the handles make it easier to pull the thing forward (as you do, maybe 3 times a decade).
    Reply
  • manicm
    podknocker said:
    I don't understand the rack unit handles, when this is not really where it will be used.

    It weighs over 11.1kg. Not your grandma's CDP.
    Reply
  • manicm
    PrazVT said:
    Really - a $3800 CD player? I didn't read anything in that review that makes me think this kit is worth > 25% of that MSRP. It's all profit margin and marketing hype for the "have more $$ than sense" crowd. Oh and by the way! You can pair this CD player with other insanely overpriced kit! Give it a rest WhatHifi.

    And yet many will spend the same amount on a turntable. Give a rest and all that???
    Reply
  • manicm
    PrazVT said:
    "This player proves something of a slow burner for us, so be careful not to make snap judgements after a short audition at a dealer. Its sonic signature doesn't brim with sparkle or go out of its way to make your discs sound exciting. This is a more analytical tool than that and prefers to let the recording take the spotlight."

    In other words, it's just a regular CD player in an over-built case.

    Teac are using their own in-house transport. So it's not just a regular CDP. And by the review it has an excellent DAC as weill with USB-C and optical inputs.
    Reply
  • manicm
    podknocker said:
    TEAC transports and DAC choice usually mean great things. I'd love to hear one, but no CD player is worth this.

    Case, PSU, circuit boards, optics, servo, transport, DAC, caps and resistors, display, remote control, packaging, shipping, profit.

    This stuff has been around 41 years and there are no new technologies going into CD players. It's old tech and £2500 is totally absurd.

    The Red Book standard entered a technological dead end about 20 years ago and it cannot be improved.

    There are no new technologies in turntables either. Linn would make a direct drive turntable - still old but less common - but don't on cost grounds, and how much do they charge???????

    And again, this Teac has its own bespoke transport, and going by the review an excellent, accessible DAC.

    Sometimes I stream, sometimes I prefer CD.
    Reply
  • ja_kub_sz
    I've had one of these units for over a month now.

    Sounds crazy... But it's excellent! Not kidding, this thing is nuts.

    I've paired mine with the Teac 10MHz CG clock and just on face value alone CDP $3,300 and clock $1,800 (5k yes I know), but it's a preamp, CDP, and it's clocked DAC is an exceptional performer.

    I have a T+A DAC200 which is $7,250 (DAC Preamp) and this Teac combination will leave 99% audiophiles wanting nothing more. It's that good. Has all the features of the DAC200 and almost indiscernible performance and sonic character. Also more filters and upsampling to boot.

    Also as a transport I A/B tested it against my Innuos Statement with EtherGen switch+fiber and honestly it was extremely hard to tell the difference when comparing streaming to what the VRDS was sending through. Micro-dynamics and vocal detail nods to the Statement, but again oh so close, however this was with my Tambaqui. So again spend 15k on a S-tier streamer or just use this as a transport with clock for your CD's. Can't say enough good things about it.

    Now with that all said, yes a $3,300 CDP, but if you're a believer in DAC's of said price this one's a steal for all that you get.
    Reply