If we’re talking about the best CD players we have tested in the past decade, pound for pound, the Marantz CD6007 has to be in the conversation.

Not only is it a fantastic five-star performer, it has walked away with multiple What Hi-Fi? Awards over the years, too.

But the truth is, it’s a little long in the tooth. It launched back in August 2020 and, following a refresh of Marantz’s other hi-fi and home cinema electronics, it has always been a matter of when not if it would be replaced.

Following the recent unveiling of the CD 70, that time has come. That’s right, when current stock runs out, the CD6007 will be no more.

So what does its replacement have to offer? Should you be looking to swap old for new? We’ll cover all this and more below.

Marantz CD 70 vs CD6007 - Price

Given current market conditions, you won’t be surprised to hear that the CD 70 costs more than the CD6007 did when it launched back in August 2020. The size of the jump really depends on where you buy it.

The new model will set you back £499 | €600 | $750 | AU$1000 (exc VAT), compared with the £399 | €449 | $650 | AU$999 that you have to pay at the time of writing for its predecessor.

The CD6007 can regularly be found discounted across various territories now, though, and it’s unlikely we’ll see anything off the CD 70 for a while. So if you want a saving on a mighty fine Marantz CD player, the old model is the way to go for now.

Marantz CD 70 vs CD6007 - Design and build

The shift to Marantz’s more recent design language is quite obvious, but which you prefer the look of can only come down to personal taste.

Each player offers something different and although the CD 70 might appear the more modern of the two, there’s still a lot to be said for the more industrial and workmanlike appearance of the CD6007.

The CD70 has a chunky front panel with a main section that protrudes from the rest of the fascia and is flanked by textured surfaces on either side.

The CD6007 appears a bit more straightforward and uncompromising in its stance, but there’s still enough character in its appearance to give it presence on your hi-fi rack.

The CD 70 is the slightly larger of the two units, but the difference in dimensions isn’t massive – 10.9 x 44.2 x 35.1cm next to 10.5 x 44 x 34.1cm (hwd).

Inside, the CD 70 uses an upgraded power supply, which Marantz claims helps to reduce noise. The headline news, though, is that the CD 70 gets a new ES9020Q DAC chip compared with the older ES9010K2M chip found in the CD6007. The new model also gets an upgraded digital clock to reduce jitter (digital timing errors).

Marantz CD 70 vs CD6007 - Features

The dot-matrix display on both appears virtually identical, as do the buttons on the front – although the eagle-eyed among you will notice that their positions and functions have changed a little.

The CD6007 has its controls positioned vertically, with individual buttons for play, pause, and stop on the right of the unit, and eject, skip forwards, skip backwards and a button for switching to the USB input on the left.

The CD 70, by contrast, has its buttons positioned horizontally, on either side of its ‘porthole’. Skip forwards, backwards and one button combining play and pause sit on the right; input selection, stop and eject on the left.

Both offer a USB Type-A input to the left of the display and a 6.3mm headphone socket, complete with a volume-control knob positioned on the right.

A remote control comes with the CD 70 and looks very similar to the remote you get with the CD6007, but with a new finish. Look a little closer and you’ll see some of the labelling has changed, together with some of the icons used.

The rear layout of both machines is identical. There is an analogue output, plus optical and coaxial digital outputs.

File compatibility remains the same with both machines able to play CD, CD-R and CD-RW discs, while the USB input that features on each machine supports the same file formats: WAV, FLAC, ALAC, AIFF and DSD.

The CD 70 offers a choice of two digital filters for sound quality, similar to the CD6007, and also the option to turn off the digital outputs and the display if you’re not using them, both of which, Marantz claims, will help improve sound quality.

Marantz CD 70 vs CD6007 - Sound

We are about to put the new Marantz through its paces, so we’ll reserve final judgement on sound quality for when our review team has completed their testing.

On paper, however, Marantz has attempted to improve sound quality for the CD 70 through a number of design improvements, including the use of a new DAC and upgraded power supply.

If it can build on all the qualities of its predecessor then this could be a very special CD player indeed. In our Marantz CD6007 review, we called it a “crisp, open performer” and said ”larger-scale dynamics are delivered with verve and punch”.

Let's hope it doesn't stray too far from a winning formula.

Marantz CD 70 vs CD6007 - Initial verdict

Marantz has introduced a few new components for the CD 70, so we have high hopes for its new-generation disc-spinner. This area of the CD player market has shrunk considerably over the years and rivals are few and far between.

Of course, nothing is guaranteed, and we all know how much of a formidable performer the CD6007 has been over the years.

Will the new model be worth upgrading to if you're an existing CD6007 owner? As soon as we have spent enough time with the CD 70 and done all the relevant comparisons, you’ll be the first to know!

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End of an era as Marantz waves goodbye to two hi-fi classics and unveils new entry-level Model 70 integrated amplifier and CD 70 compact disc player

Is the humble compact disc about to experience a revival in the way vinyl records have enjoyed over the past few years? While there are some positive signs, we wouldn’t go that far just yet – but it is possible.

Perhaps more importantly, given that more than 200 billion CDs have been made since the format was launched in Japan in 1982, there remain plenty in circulation. There are many people, including us, who still have large CD collections and aren’t about to give them up any time soon.

In such circumstances, and if funds allow, you owe it to yourself to have a listen to the Gryphon Audio Ethos CD player. It is hugely expensive, of course, but shooting for the stars is never going to be a low-cost option.

Build & design

In the metal, this is a mighty impressive beast. We love that Gryphon Audio has been brave with the styling of the Ethos. The company could have easily made this into yet another rectangular box, but instead, it has chosen a striking triangular design that looks like little else on the market.

We like the sci-fi appearance and have something of a soft spot for top-loading CD player designs. There are practical issues with this kind of layout, though. The player can only be placed on the top shelf of your equipment rack, for example, but it also adds ritual to loading a CD that puts us in mind of using a turntable. That’s a good thing in our book.

The loading process is as follows. First, you raise the lid using the small gold lift bar on the attached arm, place the CD over the motor spindle, and then put a small magnetic puck over the centre to hold the disc in place. The lid is then lowered manually. Take care here, because its motion isn’t damped, so it can slam shut rather inelegantly. Gryphon provides a small coaster to place the puck on during the process, which is a thoughtful touch.

Once the lid closes, the Ethos’s transport whirs up to speed. While not overly noisy, it is still possible to hear the mechanism working even when we are a few metres away, something a conventional drawer-loading design would suppress better.

Overall build quality is excellent, just as we have come to expect from Gryphon. At this price, anything less would be unacceptable. The Ethos feels immensely solid and engineered to last decades. Fit and finish are straight out of the top drawer, too.

We even like the partnering metal remote. It is a small unit, but it sits well in the hand and is intuitively laid out.

Features & connections

As is fashionable, Gryphon’s engineers have allowed plenty of leeway for their customers to tweak this player’s sound. There are seven filter options for PCM and three for DSD music files. As is usual, these filters make subtle differences, and the best choice is down to taste and system matching as much as anything else. In our system, the Slow Roll-Off, Minimum Phase option works best for PCM. We left the Ethos on the default Filter 1 setting for DSD.

Then there are upsampling options, and the choice of whether the CD player processes the digital data stream in PCM or DSD. Once again, the differences are small, but we prefer the DSD option at the highest sampling rate. It sounds a touch more natural and fluid to us.

Lastly, there is a Phase-Invert switch. On the surface, this might sound like a fringe concern, but having come across recordings that have mistakenly been recorded out of phase, the ability to correct this allows the listener to enjoy a more focused presentation. It is a subtle effect, but in a transparent enough system, the benefits are clear.

This Gryphon doesn’t play SACD discs, so DSD recordings and high-resolution PCM can only be fed through the Ethos’s DAC via one of its digital inputs. It is equipped with BNC coaxial, AES/EBU and USB Type B connections, and is compatible with PCM files up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD512.

A pair of ESS Sabre ES9038Pro 8-channel DAC chips (one per side) work in full dual-differential, dual-mono mode, and sit at the heart of the Ethos’s digital module.

On the analogue output side, there are balanced XLR and single-ended RCA options. You will find the left and right channel outputs on opposite sides of the chassis, which is a result of Gryphon’s preferred dual-mono circuitry layout. This kind of arrangement tends to help stereo imaging and prevent unwanted interactions between the left and right signal paths, so improving overall performance.

Add fully balanced operation in both the digital and analogue circuits, something Gryphon has always done, and noise levels are even lower, leading to gains in dynamics and transparency.

Compatibility

The Ethos positively demands a top-class partnering system. We use our reference Burmester 088/911 MkIII pre/power combination driving a pair of ATC SCM50 speakers. We also try a pair of Fyne Audio F1-8 standmounters for a bit of variety. All cables are premium offerings from Chord Company and Vertere Acoustics.

The Ethos needs care in placement. A CD transport is a mechanical mechanism that is easily affected by external vibrations, so a level, rigid, well-damped support is essential.

Make sure it is absolutely level, too. This aspect is important, and Gryphon even provides a rather neat spirit level with the Ethos to help. The player has adjustable spikes that lock into place once everything is set. Such details matter.

Sound

We have long lived in a world where the standard 16-bit/44.1kHz CD specification has been seen as the minimum level of quality digital hi-fi, with hi-res PCM and DSD recordings being cast at the pinnacle of sound. The Ethos proves that there remains plenty of value in the original digital standard.

This player sounds natural in a way that still eludes most high-end music streamers we’ve come across, even if they are playing high-res music files. By natural, we don’t mean the kind of smooth and rich presentation some manufacturers engineer into their products to make them sound less ‘digital’.

Rather, Gryphon has gone for a subtle, unforced approach that rewards over the long term. It is a sound all about texture, physicality and body, rather than focusing on leading edges or the mechanics of the recording.

Play a large-scale classical piece such as Tchaikovsky’s Marché Slave Op.31, and the Ethos sounds wonderfully fluid, uncovering a massive amount of information, without sounding the least bit etched or clinical.

It conveys the scale of the orchestra superbly, delivering the music’s brutal crescendos with enthusiasm, while never losing its composure. We love this player’s sense of authority and its ability to organise the mass of information it uncovers into a cohesive and musical whole.

We can track low-level instrumental strands with ease, yet the Ethos’s sound also allows us to take a step back and just enjoy the spectacle. It is rare to hear a digital source component that combines insight with such a music-first attitude.

The player’s tonal balance is spot on. It is neutral without lacking in warmth and substance. No part of the frequency range stands out unnecessarily, and it all blends seamlessly to the extent that we have to work hard to split the presentation into distinct frequency ranges during analysis.

Stereo imaging is as crisp and precise as you like. We love the solidity of the presentation and the convincing way the Gryphon renders the depth of recordings (provided the recording has depth, of course). The soundstaging remains stable and locked in, no matter how complex the music gets. We find the control and grip of this player hugely appealing.

While the Ethos’s presentation is undeniably refined, there is no lack of bite when the music demands. Listen to Kendrick Lamar’s Humble, and we’re pleased to find that the Gryphon responds with plenty of attack and energy. The song’s bassline kicks with real power, and the player delivers rhythmic drive with conviction.

The story remains equally positive when we try out the player’s digital inputs. We use the digital outputs from our reference Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer, a Cyrus CDi and our MacBook Pro (loaded with Audirvana music software and plenty of high-res music), and regardless of source, the Ethos performs excellently.

While the sonic character of the digital inputs remains consistent with the player’s CD playback, the extra information of high-res files is easily heard. Yet, we don’t find going back to the humble compact disc any issue, so good does it sound. The Ethos sounds musically engaging and entertaining, regardless of the source.

Verdict

The Gryphon Ethos is an exceptional CD player. It is beautifully made and is a pleasure to use. While its price puts it out of reach for most people, we’re still glad it exists.

This player shows just what is possible with the original silver disc, and we suspect that it is way more than most people would imagine.

Review published: 6th July 2026

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 5

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Shanling has announced the EC Play, a portable CD player looking to take advantage of the format's blossoming revival with younger listeners.

With vinyl booming and even wired headphones making a comeback (thanks, Zoe Kravitz), Shanling has turned its attention to the shiny disc, with the EC Play promising a seamless blend of portability, ease of use and modern design for those trendy youngsters (and anyone else besides).

At the centre of the new CD player is Shanling’s active magnetic clamp mechanism, which continuously adjusts pressure on the CD to improve playback stability while seeking to reduce mechanical vibrations. The EC Play also makes use of a custom CD drive system for more accurate reading.

To get the most out of your CDs, the new player deploys a Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC alongside dual headphone amplifiers, which aim to let it offer a "natural yet fun sound". The amplifier stage, meanwhile, delivers up to 700mW of power at 32 ohms via a 4.4mm balanced headphone output to accommodate both sensitive in-ear monitors and more demanding headphones.

The EC Play comes with a choice of 3.5mm single-ended and 4.4mm balanced outputs, while a selectable gain setting allows you to match the power needs of your wired headphones. The new CD player also includes a 3.5mm coaxial digital output if you want to connect to your hi-fi system, speakers or a soundbar.

In addition to standard CD playback, Bluetooth streaming powers offer two-way wireless connectivity, meaning that you can either use the EC Play to beam your music to wireless headphones and speakers, or receive music streaming from smartphones and tablets. Receiver mode supports LDAC, AAC and SBC codecs, while the transmitter mode supports SBC.

The EC Play can also function as a USB DAC, supporting PCM files up to 384kHz/32-bit and DSD256 via a USB-C connection.

Portability is, naturally, the name of the game here, with Shanling's new CD spinner offering up to 12 hours of continuous playback while weighing in at a modest 418g thanks to its slim aluminium design.

The Shanling EC Play is available now in three finishes – Feather Green, Onyx Black and Moonlight Silver – priced at £209 / $199 / €220.

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Regular readers will probably know me as the one who got really into turntables recently; overhauling my home system (twice!) to make it vinyl-focused and running our annual Vinyl Week celebrations for the past few years.

But my vinyl obsession is really rather recent; it was CDs that I grew up with. Apart from a handful of cassettes from my childhood, my teenage years were dominated by CDs as I graduated from boy bands and pop divas to alt-rock and rap metal, to indie-folk-punk and beyond… CDs were the cornerstone of my musical education and I would pore over the little booklets (with their artwork, lyrics, hidden messages) while listening to my favourite albums on repeat.

Even through multiple house moves over the past 20 years, I've kept my entire CD collection. The favoured ones are preserved in their original jewel cases; the less-loved ones are still stored in those chunky plastic wallets that also hold many of my old DVDs.

I never had a dedicated CD player. It was either through a microsystem (a lovely Sony thing with twin cassette decks and radio tuner), a compact boombox, or through a Discman that I enjoyed my silver discs.

As streaming took over and then I got swept up by the turntable revival (obviously I blame my day job for the latter), CDs fell by the wayside. I still buy the odd CD – there are some albums I love so much I want them in various physical formats, from Tom Waits to Waxahatchee – while a tenner for a CD is a great way to support local musicians at a gig, even if I don't have the means to play it at home. They're cheaper and much smaller to carry home than a vinyl record, too, which helps.

Around the end of 2025 and early 2026, we were awash with a steady stream of new CD players and CD transports being launched. Physical media in general has been enjoying a resurgence, with both vinyl records and CDs enjoying an increase in sales in 2025, with CD revenue increasing by 3.1% last year to £99.6 million in the UK – its best since 2021 – according to the BPI.

I have looked fondly at the retro-tastic Quad 3CDT transport (designed to match the charming Quad 3 integrated amplifier); been puzzled by FiiO's compact and portable DM15 R2R CD player/DAC/headphone amp/CD ripper with Bluetooth; while Pro-Ject's CD Box RS2 Tube spinner even has a valve output stage to stand out from the crowd.

But it wasn't until NAD announced its new C 589 CD player last week that I really got excited. It may not be the prettiest-looking CD player around – from the press photos, it looks a rather plain, unadorned black box with a fairly ordinary display screen – but it's also a big reason why it has piqued my interest.

The C 589 may look unassuming, but CD players rely on rock-solid build quality across the board, providing a stable, noise-free basis for its optical laser to accurately read the data off the disc. Take our reference, long-running Cyrus CDi – a dinosaur in terms of design, but tremendously reliable and works without a hitch even after 12 years of use.

NAD doesn’t always shout about its designs, make lofty claims about its sound quality, or try to tempt you with superfluous features. From the legendary 3020 budget amplifier to the current Award-winning and talented NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module) streaming amplifier, there is some fantastic heritage and audio knowhow behind the brand, which further makes the upcoming premium CD player an appealing proposition.

It has a sensible complement of connections and its specification is straightforward, but what’s also interesting is that it has implemented a new digital filter technology called Qrono d2a, developed by MQA Labs (which is owned by NAD’s parent company Lenbrook). This advanced filtering tech aims to help refine the internal “top tier” DAC’s timing response, which should reproduce the original recording more authentically, along with better transient accuracy and “a more natural musical flow”, says NAD.

We have already experienced this processing technology’s effects in sister-brand Bluesound, whose Award-winning Node Icon streamer won us over with its rhythmically agile and dynamic performance. .

Bluesound's products have always been competent, but we found the flagship Node Icon (£899 / $1199) delivered music with a “spark” – a sense of liveliness, snappy timing and fluid dynamics that we hadn’t heard before from the brand. If the Qrono d2a’s deployment in the NAD C 589 means we could hear similar sonic traits in these areas – we could be on to a great-sounding CD player indeed.

And that’s not all. The CD player isn’t promising any fancy features (no SACD, no hi-res streaming), simply focusing all its attention on clean, accurate playback, reliability and ease of use.

It’s hard to tell for certain until we have a sample in our test rooms to try for ourselves, but those buttons look sensible and functional, while the display looks easy to read. NAD says the C 589 player is built to the brand’s “longstanding engineering philosophy of simplicity and value” – and that sounds just fine to me.

Really good CD players are few and far between these days, and there is clearly a space in between our Award-winning Arcam CD5 (£699 / $699) and the Cyrus 40 ST (£2995 / $3995) for a fresh recommendation at the £1000/$1500 mark. (Especially when the ageing Cyrus CDi is finally put to rest.)

At £1199 / $1399, the NAD C 589 isn’t a budget option, but it's not wildly expensive either.

Don’t get me wrong; I love my turntable system at home, but I’m not one to restrict myself to a single musical format. Be it vinyl, streaming or CDs – they are all valid and enjoyable ways of listening, be it at home or on the commute or at work.

CD remains a convenient, compact, affordable physical format that is also, most crucially, yours to keep forever. As I spend more time with my turntable, playing my small collection of records over and over again, I find myself wishing I could relive this same listening experience with my CD collection.

This NAD C 589 CD player’s combination of its advanced technology, the unassuming aesthetic, and the promise of reliable operation has plenty of appeal.

I can’t wait to get it in for a review to hear how it actually sounds.

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A full-fat, high-performance CD player from hi-fi specialists NAD? Count us in.

We last reviewed a disc player from NAD back in 2019 (the four-star, budget C 538). This new NAD C 589 CD player promises to deliver “uncompromised compact disc playback” at a more premium price.

This “precision engineered” player combines advanced digital processing with NAD’s “longstanding engineering philosophy of simplicity and value”, while offering a variety of connections so it can slot into any hi-fi set-up.

There is plenty of care taken in the digital-to-analogue conversation stage of the NAD C 589. The DAC stage is built around a “top-tier” ESS chip, promising low noise, low distortion and “excellent dynamic range”.

The DAC performance is enhanced by the implementation of Qrono d2a – a digital audio technology developed by MQA Labs and now owned by NAD’s parent company Lenbrook. This filtering approach aims to improve timing accuracy in the audio signal, and NAD saying the result should be greater clarity and imaging, better transient accuracy, and “a more natural musical flow”.

We have already experienced Qrono d2a's effect in the Award-winning Bluesound Node Icon, noting its capable rhythmic ability, so here’s hoping we hear more of that in the C 589 player.

NAD’s circuit design aims to deliver a clean, accurate playback, while the high-quality disc loader and transport mechanism are designed for a quiet and reliable operation. The C 589’s laser pick-up is able to read older or frequently played discs with no issue, too, says NAD.

The sturdy design is built to last, while the user interface with a display and remote control are all aimed to be user friendly.

In terms of connections, you get balanced XLR and RCA stereo analogue outputs, while AES/EBU, coaxial and optical outputs allow you to use the player as a dedicated CD transport if using an external DAC or the one in your amplifier.

“The resurgence of physical formats reflects a desire to reconnect with music in a more intentional way,” says Morten Nielsen, NAD’s Product Manager. “For many listeners, compact disc remains an incredibly rewarding format. With the C 589, we wanted to create a player that honours that experience while applying modern digital technologies to extract the best possible performance from every disc.”

The NAD C 589 CD player will cost £1199 / $1399 / €1599. That puts it slightly higher than the much-lauded, five-star Cyrus CDi, although that model is, of course, quite long in the tooth now. We can’t wait to take the NAD for a spin.

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What is a CD transport? How is it different from a CD player?

This album was the 1980s poster-boy for CD – but I massively prefer it on vinyl

Quad's range-topping Platina series launched last year with an integrated amplifier and the Platina Stream network music player, and now a CD transport joins this premium hi-fi family.

The Quad Platina CDT is designed to match the Platina Integrated amp in sound and visual design, and with its "superlative build quality and internal architecture that maximises the sonic potential of every disc" it promises to deliver a performance that CD fans will enjoy for years and years to come.

The Platina Integrated already has a good DAC inside it (an ESS Sabre ES9038PRO DAC to be exact), says Quad, so it was only natural to offer a matching CD transport for those with large CD collections.

As a CD transport, the Platina CDT focuses solely on the accurate reading and retrieval of the data from the CD, leaving the job of converting the digital data into analogue signals entirely to the amplifier's DAC.

The Platina CDT has an anti-resonance chassis and a shielding transport mechanism to reduce vibrations and interference, while every element of the unit has been "engineered for high durability, quiet operation and uncompromised fidelity".

Quad says the CD mechanism has been chosen for its build quality and disc stability properties, and is coupled to a custom-designed CD servo control system for "maximum precision and accuracy".

An ultra-precise master clock powered by its own ultra-low-noise regulator aims to reduce jitter and deliver excellent timing reference, while other components are carefully designed to minimise distortion, timing errors and ensure delivery of a "pristine" signal to the DAC.

The power supplies to the motor, laser servo circuits and even the display are also carefully isolated to ensure there is minimal interference on the signal path.

The Platina CDT is able to play audio CDs, CD-R, CD-RW and data CDs, while a USB-A port at the back of the unit lets you play a variety of hi-res digital files from a connected hard disk or media storage.

The CDT shares the same steel chassis, thick aluminium front panel (available in silver or black), 4.3in colour IPS LCD screen display and anti-resonance feet as the Integrated amp for a cohesive family look across the Platina range.

The QUAD Platina CDT will available from April for £1499 / $1999 / AU$3499.

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On 8th March 1979, Philips revealed the very first Compact Disc (CD) and CD player prototype to the press at Eindhoven, Netherlands. The CD player prototype had an LED display and four buttons, and a top-loading mechanism. It was called the "Pinkeltje" and it set in motion one of the most seismic shifts in the history of the recorded music industry.

Philips and Sony were both separately developing digital disc technology during the 1970s, and the two technology innovators from Europe and Japan joined forces to create the standard for the CD. Philips had the physical format for the discs, while Sony offered their expertise in digital error correction.

The first CD shown at this 1979 demo by Philips measured 11.5cm in diameter, but it was later standardised to 12cm. Why? To ensure the format was large enough to accommodate the entirety of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, which ran for 74 minutes.

Sony's inaugural CDP-101 player launched first in Japan in 1982, while the consumer-ready Philips CD100 launched in Europe a year later.

On 1st March 1983, the first CD players landed in the UK. By 1988, CD music unit sales surpassed those of vinyl albums.

It was a rapid music revolution and made good on the inventors' promise of being "the biggest step forward in sound reproduction since the invention of the gramophone" (What Hi-Fi?, June 1983).

The format's benefits over the established vinyl – compact size, long life, resistance to scratches and dust, low noise levels – certainly helped quickly win over music fans.

Sift through the pages of our What Hi-Fi? magazine archive for 1983 and you'll find dozens (maybe hundreds) of reviews of turntables, cartridges, tonearms, cassette tapes and cassette players. You'll also see news snippets here and there about the advent of CD and how the record labels planned to make albums available on this new digital format.

The coverage in the magazine is all-analogue until, like the proverbial London buses, What Hi-Fi? published a whole (free) supplement dedicated to CD players in the October 1983 issue.

In this special supplement we tested 11 new CD players, alongside technical information on the new format, CD album reviews, and opinion pieces arguing for and against the new format from respected hi-fi writers of the time, Dave Prakel and Alvin Gold.

The 11 player "supertest" featured CD players from Akai, Fisher, Hitachi, Marantz (which at the time was owned by Philips), Philips, Pioneer, Sharp, Sony and Toshiba, all of which were priced between £480 to £649 (today's equivalent being around £2100 to £2800).

We rated each disc player's construction, features and sound quality, with an overall rating (out of four!) based on our core ethos: value for money.

There were two camps of CD players: one that followed the 14-bit coding used by Philips that employed "oversampling" to achieve the lowest levels of noise and distortion (and were cheaper to make); while others followed Sony's 16-bit technique, which pushed component technology to its limits and tended to be more expensive to produce.

Reading through the reviews, it's the Philips CD100 that came out as the clear winner for sound quality.

We called it a "first-rate performer" that delivered a "smooth sound", a "wide dynamic range", natural voices and a "good driving punch". Philips was also praised for offering the minimalist, slimline size that befitted the nature of the new compact disc, which was one of the promised benefits over a cumbersome racks-based vinyl system.

Conversely, the Sony CDP-101 was heralded more for its "superb internal engineering" that allowed for servicing and repair, while it also offered a headphone socket and the one thing that none of the other players included: a remote control.

Last year, I was lucky enough to visit the Philips museum in the company's home town of Eindhoven where I saw first-hand that very first Philips CD100 from 1983. You can see the photos in the gallery above.

Also on display, under a glass case, was the early "Pinkeltje" protoype, looking a little worse for wear and, on top of it, a very worn CD disc that can only be the very first 11.5cm disc shown in that 1979 press demo.

Other prototype components were also on show, and it was incredible to see a piece of history that seems so recent – my teenage years were rife with CDs – and marvel at how futuristic and fully-formed the CD player was when it launched. No wonder that the adoption of the format spread like wildfire.

We all know how CD's story went. At the turn of the millennium, the CD was at its peak, accounting for 90% of the music industry’s revenue. But at the same time, another digital revolution was happening, the iPod, downloads and, eventually, the rise of music streaming.

We're celebrating 50 years of What Hi-Fi? this year, and the Compact Disc, since its inaugural prototype unveiling and release in 1983, is the dominant format of our history.

It's hard to think of just how innovative and impactful the Compact Disc and CD player were when they first launched, especially when today, there are so many formats (vinyl, CDs, digital radio, hi-res streaming, even cassettes) that sit alongside each other and can be consumed concurrently.

It's even more amazing to think that vinyl has come back with a vengeance and overtaken CD sales in revenue (if not by unit) by quite a margin.

In 1983, the jury was still out on the quality of CDs and CD players, and if this new digital format would (or could) really replace the analogue medium in terms of technical and musical merits, not to mention perceived value and and emotional enjoyment. I'll leave you with the words of Dave Prakel and Alvin Gold, who take either sides of the argument and ponder the Compact Disc's potentials and pitfalls...

[Below, click on the arrow sign on the bottom-left corner to read the full-size text.]

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The best CD players we've tested that you can buy today

We've seen a flurry of CD transports launch in recent months, which is good news for anyone serious about the medium of compact discs. CD transports differ from CD players in one crucial area, and it's definitely something you need to know about before you buy.

If you're wondering what exactly a CD transport is, how they work, why you should consider one and which are available, you've come to the right place. Read on, and we'll answer all your questions.

What is a CD transport?

A CD transport is basically a CD player without the DAC. CD players have DACs (digital-to-analogue converters) built in to convert the digital signal stored on a CD disc to an analogue signal that it can feed to your amplifier to relay the audio.

CD transports focus solely on reading the data off a compact disc, in the most accurate and error-free way possible, before handing the information over to the DAC.

Hence, a CD player just needs plugging into an amplifier to play an audio CD, whereas because a CD transport only generates a digital signal, it needs hooking up to a separate DAC first. This DAC can be an external unit or be built into your amplifier.

In other words, a CD transport won't produce the sound from your CDs without a DAC being connected first.

Do all CD transports lack a DAC?

They do. You might have seen Pro-Ject's CD Box RS2 Tube (pictured above) being touted as a CD transport that also has a built-in DAC, but that makes it a CD player.

Most CD players feature digital outputs, so it is possible to upgrade their performance with an external DAC. This can change the sound quite a lot.

Why would you buy a CD transport?

The main reason for buying a CD transport is if you already have a good DAC in your system, which means you won't need to pay for another one built into a CD player in order to listen to your CDs. This DAC could be a standalone unit, or built into your amplifier, a pair of active speakers or an all-in-one hi-fi system.

As a CD transport is a separate component to the DAC, any mechanical vibrations it generates by spinning the disc aren't transferred to the sensitive conversion circuit. This bodes well for sound quality.

Similarly, because the transport and DAC have their own distinct power supplies, it can mean less electrical interaction between the two, resulting in a cleaner sound.

So in theory, a CD transport and separate DAC could mean better sound quality. But that's not necessarily the case, as – with any device – it all comes down to how the technologies are implemented and how the products are tuned. Saying a CD transport and DAC will sound better than a CD player is a sweeping generalisation, and is not borne out in reality.

Check out our list of best CD players for the best options available (including a budget CD transport).

How much do CD transports cost?

As with most hi-fi components, prices vary wildly, from budget to mega high-end. One of our favourite budget CD transports, the Cambridge Audio CXC (pictured above), costs £499 / $599 / AU$1099. On the other end of the scale, those with much deeper pockets and serious hi-fi systems can look to the dCS Varèse Transport, which clocks in at £35,000 (around $47,000 / AU$72,000).

Of the products recently announced, the Mission 778CDT is the most affordable at £449 (around $600 / AU$886), while the Quad 3CDT comes in at £599 / $1099 / AU$1399.

There are other brand-specific transports, such as Ruark's R-CD100 (£249 / $349 / AU$499) and Cambridge's Evo CD (£999 / $1199 / AU$1999) that are designed to plug into the respective all-in-one systems.

What CD transports are available?

CD transports aren't a new category, though we have seen a few launch recently as physical media continues to see a small surge in contrast to streaming's dominance. Cyrus' CD t scored five stars and won a What Hi-Fi? Award back in 2015, though you'll struggle to find it in store nowadays as it is end of life.

Recently, the Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 Tube, TEAC PD-507T, dCS Varèse Transport, Mission 778CDT and Quad 3CDT have all piqued our interest. They cover different styles and – as we've already noted – a wide range of prices. We haven't reviewed these new models yet, but are looking forward to once we get review samples into our test rooms.

But if you're looking to add a CD element to your system, it's worth checking to see if you need a full-fat player or just a transport – there should be a CD transport for you whatever your personal style and budget.

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Pro-Ject has unveiled the latest device in its flagship RS2 range. The CD Box RS2 Tube is a CD transport with a built-in DAC and a fully balanced tube (valve) output stage. Versatility is the name of the game here.

Because CD transports only read CDs, not DVDs or Blu-rays, and tend to off-load the digital-to-analogue conversion process to an outboard DAC (or the one in your amplifier), they are able to focus all their energies on that one task. And that's very much the promise of the CD Box RS2 Tube, whose aim is "extracting every bit of data from your CD cleanly and reliably."

It does this courtesy of the SUOS DM-3381 Red Book CD drive, which is made of aluminium to minimise vibrations and mechanical interference. (SUOS-Hi-Fi, the company behind the drive, was set up by former Philips CD engineers.) Partnered with the BlueTiger CD-88 servo, it tracks the CD precisely and reduces read errors to feed the DAC with every bit of original data encoded on the disc.

Its fully balanced tube output stage employs two E88CC vacuum tubes to enrich the analogue signal. And with both fully balanced XLR and single-ended RCA connections, it gives you more versatility in your choice of partnering equipment.

Unusually, this transport does also feature a built-in DAC, which means the CD Box RS2 Tube is now effectively a CD player, too. It can plug straight into any amplifier with analogue inputs (either RCA or XLR), while the integrated tube stage can shape the signal from digital to analogue. But it has digital outputs too, if you would rather connect your own DAC and bypass the internal one.

So that's another tick for versatility.

It's also compatible with the Pro-Ject Power Box RS2 Sources power supply upgrade, and comes with its own aluminium remote control.

The Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 Tube will be available this month in a black or silver finish, costing £1749 (around $2300 / AU$3500).

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Best CD players: budget to premium options tested by experts

Quad's retro-modern CD transport promises to play your discs with “uncompromised fidelity”

FiiO's new portable CD player has hi-res Bluetooth and doubles as a DAC

Quad has unveiled a CD transport to pair with its Quad 3 integrated amplifier, which itself launched earlier this year, in June.

The Quad 3CDT follows the same 1960s-inspired retro aesthetics as the Quad 3 integrated amp, which in turn is inspired by the revived 33 / 303 pre/power amplifier duo. It has the same 30cm compact footprint as the amp, along with a minimalist front panel with the eye-catching orange-backlit LCD display.

It's a transport rather than a CD player, meaning it focuses solely on the disc transport mechanism and data-reading elements, and leaves the digital-to-analogue conversion process to the connected amplifier's internal DAC.

The 3CDT features an optical and coaxial output apiece and can be used with any amplifier with an internal DAC, but is naturally designed to pair with the Quad 3 and its ES9038Q2M Sabre DAC.

The 3CDT is designed for “high durability, quiet operation and uncompromised fidelity”, with care taken throughout its construction to reduce the effects of vibrations and interference.

Inside the transport is a high-precision CD mechanism and custom-designed servo control, which aims to deliver “excellent disc-reading accuracy and stability”. It has been optimised to minimise any read errors, jitter and other forms of distortion, ensuring that “a pristine signal” is sent to the connected DAC.

The internal architecture is engineered to “maximise the sonic potential of every disc you play”, with critical pathways isolated from each other to ensure a clean and stable data stream, while an independently powered, ultra-precise crystal oscillator serves as the master clock and offers a “rock-solid” timing reference.

Ultimately, the Quad 3CDT aims to deliver CD performance that is “free of timing errors, delivering audibly cleaner transients, tighter imaging and greater musical coherence.”

The CD transport supports the Red Book standard for CD playback, CD-R, CD-RW and data CDs, as well as discs containing FLAC, WAV, WMA, MP3 and APE encoded files.

Quad says the 3CDT is flexible enough to play “moderately damaged or dirty CDs that are often rejected by other CD players and transports.”

It will be interesting to see if it’s one of the CD players/transports able to play the controversial Lorde transparent CD without any fuss.

The Quad 3CDT transport is available from mid-December and will cost £599 / $1099 / AU$1399.

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Read the Quad 3 integrated amplifier news

The best CD players and transports for you

FiiO's new portable CD player has hi-res Bluetooth and doubles as a DAC

FiiO's latest portable CD player is a real step on from its predecessor. Because the DM15 R2R not only has way more features, it has a cool transparent look too, so you can see the compact disc spinning as it plays.

But those features are the real selling point. It plays CDs, naturally, but it can also act as a DAC and headphone amplifier for your smartphone or laptop-based listening, while Bluetooth streaming is on the menu. It can even rip CDs.

It has more headphone amplification power than the older DM13 model, too. Single-ended outputs now deliver 310mW + 310mW, while its balanced outputs rise to 1150mW + 1150mW. That gives it more capacity to drive more demanding headphones.

Inside is FiiO's custom R2R DAC, which is a fully differential, four-channel 24-bit resistor-array converter built from 192 precision thin-film resistors (48 per channel).

The hi-res DAC supports hi-res files up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and native DSD256, while the Bluetooth transmitter (powered by a Qualcomm QCC3095 chip) supports aptX, aptX HD and SBC as well as aptX Adaptive. It can beam audio wirelessly from both CD and USB inputs.

Three bass modes and eight EQ presets give you 24 sound profiles, including a 'Retro' one for what FiiO calls "a rich, classic analog flavour". While listening to a disc, you can rip tracks in WAV format to PC or Mac.

The battery lasts seven hours, or you can plug it into the mains using USB-C. There is also a USB-C input and a combined optical/coaxial digital input.

The mechanical controls and traditional volume knob continue the throwback feel, and the FiiO DM15 R2R comes in four finishes: Silver, Red, Black and White (the latter two will be released in late December). Price? It's yours for £250 / $249 (around AU$500).

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Read our Astell & Kern A&norma SR35 review

I spent a week with FiiO’s retro cassette deck and Discman to test their modern-day merits

If you’ve been eyeing up our list of the best CD players searching for a model that won't break the bank, we have some good news. Cambridge Audio's AXC35 CD player has dropped to £299 at both Amazon and Richer Sounds as part of their Black Friday sales, down from its usual £349 asking price.

The AXC35 earned a respectable four-star during our rigorous review, making this a great opportunity to pick up a capable CD player at a wallet-friendly price.

The AXC35 sits within Cambridge Audio's AX series, a six-strong line-up of hi-fi separates aimed at the more modest end of the market. At just 7.5cm tall, the slimline CD player shares near-identical dimensions with the five-star AXA35 amplifier from the same range.

Connections include line outputs and a coaxial digital output for hooking up to a separate DAC or digital recording machine, though there's no optical out or USB input. The dot matrix display is bright and pleasing, while five circular buttons handle the key functions, and a remote is also included in the box.

When we tested the AXC35, it demonstrated a dynamically adept performance across the frequencies. Playing Hans Zimmer's Angels & Demons soundtrack, we found the building bass and choral voices in 160 BPM to be quite open and easily distinguishable, with driving drum fills and layered cellos held in check and relayed with pleasing musical cohesion.

The player proved it wasn't afraid to go big either, delivering a capable performance from Prince & The NPG's Diamonds And Pearls that maintained its composure across faster time signatures.

Overall, the Cambridge AXC35 CD player presents enough clarity and detail for a perfectly capable, enjoyable sound at the price, and its slim, fuss-free build makes it an excellent choice.

At £299, it's a solid, budget-friendly solution for anyone looking to add CD playback to their hi-fi system.

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Read our Cambridge Audio AXC35 CD player review

Bag a Black Friday bargain on this five-star Cambridge Audio stereo amplifier

Black Friday 2025: our pick of the best deals on headphones, TVs, speakers, soundbars and more

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• LG C5 55-inch: lowest-ever price at Richer Sounds
• JBL soundbar: now better than half price
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• Sony headphones: now just £29
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals
• Vinyl: 3 for £66 at Amazon
• Wireless earbuds: Award winners now £75

The Cyrus CDi has an enviable record: this year, it has won an astonishing 12 consecutive What Hi-Fi? Award trophies in a row. That is undoubtedly impressive, but this feat alone isn’t enough to guarantee itself a place in our Hall of Fame of significant hi-fi and home cinema products.

It’s the CDi’s superb sonic performance, coupled with proven reliability of a terrifically built design that has worked without a hitch for the 12 years we have been using our review sample, that cements its everlasting impact in the CD-player category.

It was first reviewed in 2014 and got its first Award win that year, but we couldn’t have predicted just how much of an enduring product this Cyrus would be. In the past dozen years, CD’s popularity has waned and only recently has had a small but clear resurgence alongside vinyl; Cyrus has brought out two new CD players; and the CDi itself has yoyo-ed in price, from £995 to a high of £1495 and back down to £999 again.

Regardless of these fluctuations and new competition (especially from within), the CDi has remained steadfast: a terrific-sounding and reliable disc spinner that has defied trends and continues to do its main job to the highest standard.

Even though the CDi’s design looks rather dated, it’s hard not to be a little charmed and more than impressed by the uncompromising, sturdy build quality of this little beast. It follows the same functional and half-width chassis blueprint laid down by previous Cyrus CD players and amplifiers. The basic black-on-green display looks rather Jurassic compared with slicker, modern OLED screens (as seen on Cyrus’s newer, pricier 40 CD Award-winner), and its slot-loading mechanism makes such a racket when accepting a disc.

But who cares, when it all works so perfectly? The buttons are responsive and reliable, the screen is simple but easy to read, and the build quality could survive a nuclear blast – or at least, any knocks and bumps from multiple office moves. And during playback, the CD player is blissfully quiet.

The CDi has single optical and coaxial outputs, and the focus is purely on performance and reading the data on CDs as accurately as possible. Its clock stability and bespoke Servo Evolution disc-reading engine, which relies on reading data correctly the first time (rather than relying on error correction), all serve to deliver a performance that is beautifully precise, detailed, punctual and brimming with rare rhythmic talent.

Its dynamic agility and neutral balance delivers music as varying as complex Shostakovich compositions to sparse Joni Mitchell recordings to a modern hip-hop track with all melody, expression and integrity intact. Each layer of the composition is precisely unpeeled, there are buckets of detail, and there is articulacy and subtlety here that we would expect to find in more expensive players.

Altogether it delivers a captivating, toe-tapping performance. There’s power and punch when dealing with sub-bass and thumping beats, too. Simply put, the Cyrus doesn’t bat an eyelid with whatever music we throw its way.

We have played such a range of CDs, artists and genres through the CDi over the past 12 years. And each time, the Cyrus CDi ensures the music sounds both revealing and entertaining.

No, it may not be the sexiest product; but it is a testament to the solid engineering and dependable design basics laid down by Cyrus’s engineers that means this excellent CD player continues to perform so well, and has continued to delight us for so many years. A worthy, well-deserved entrant to our 2025 Hall of Fame.

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Read our full Cyrus CDi review

Check out all the What Hi-Fi? 2025 Award winners

What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025: new faces meet old favourites as five-star CD players keep the humble disc alive and kicking

Compact Disc’s star has faded, but I like it anyway

The introduction of the Michi Q5 had us pondering why a company like Rotel chose to launch a CD player rather than a music streamer in its high-end statement range. Given the popularity of Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz et al, it seems a surprising move until we remember that hundreds of billions of CDs have been sold since the format’s introduction in 1982, and many are still in use.

Music fans with huge CD collections are hardly rare, and they still need a dedicated player capable of making the most of their discs. Step forward the new Michi Q5.

The Rotel Michi Q5’s £5499 / $7499 / AU$9499 price tag is certainly hefty in general terms, but it may surprise many to learn that it sits on the lower end of the scale as far as high-end CD players are concerned.

Given the current state of the CD player market, there isn’t as much choice in this (or any) part of the sector as there used to be, but it is still not too difficult to find alternatives at far higher prices. The beautifully engineered Esoteric K-05XD (tested at £11,650 / $12,000 / AU$15,000) is a particular favourite of ours.

Design & build

Rotel clearly means business with its new Michi CD player. Just look at it. The bluff, no-nonsense exterior design exudes a mix of seriousness and lack of frippery we think high-end fans will admire, and though it may not be apparent from the accompanying photos, this thing is huge.

Does a CD player have to be big enough to dwarf most amplifiers on the market? Admittedly, the size impresses superficially, but we suspect not. Maybe Rotel just wanted to use the same casework across its high-end Michi components to take advantage of the economies of scale, but at least doing things this way gives a pleasing visual consistency across the products. What we do know is that this beast is beautifully made.

The quality of fit and finish is as good as it gets at this level. The casework is impressively rigid and well-damped; it has clearly been assembled with obvious care. Each panel aligns with a precision that’s rare in the world of high-end hi-fi, with its relatively tiny production numbers and resultant more ‘hand-made’ manufacturing processes.

The Michi Q5 is about as chunky as a typical high-end integrated amplifier, and coming in at 23.5kg it weighs as much as one too. Take a look inside and you will find a pair of toroidal mains transformers, which account for some of that weight.

This is a top-loading design, which does away with a conventional drawer-loading mechanism and adds to the feeling of interaction. It’s not quite the rich ritual experience we get with vinyl and record players, but it's far more engaging than using a typical music streamer, where a tap on a tablet or phone screen gets the music started.

The Michi’s beautifully made metal CD lid lifts off like a saucepan lid and fits snugly into position. It is a relatively heavy piece that features some lovely detailing and clamps down on the disc when put back in position.

When removed, it exposes the bespoke CNC-machined aluminium CD transport mechanism. This is an impressively quiet and responsive transport in use and it didn’t have an issue in reading any of the discs we tried, even some heavily scratched ones.

An ESS ES9028PRO eight-channel DAC chip sits at the heart of the Michi Q5’s digital circuitry. The ESS’s eight outputs are combined and split evenly between the left and right audio channels, a configuration that is claimed to improve resolution and reduce distortion.

This DAC chip is compatible with 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 files, which might seem excessive when the CD format is limited to 16-bit/44.1kHz datastreams, but that extended capability comes in useful when the Michi Q5’s USB-Type B, coaxial and optical inputs are employed.

The USB input is capable of carrying music files to those limits, while coax and optical are restricted to 24-bit/192kHz, as is usual.

Usability

Any CD player at this level demands a suitably talented partnering system, and the Rotel Michi Q5 is no different. We use it with our reference Burmester 088/911MkIII amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers for the bulk of the test sessions, though we also swap in PMC’s Cor integrated amplifier and Fyne Audio’s F1-8 standmounters for a change of flavour. The CD player’s well-balanced nature means that it works equally well in both systems.

The Michi Q5 exhibits some quirks in use, though. That metal CD lid may feel beautifully made, but it is a little heavy, and you need a place to put it down every time you change a CD. We wouldn’t advise putting it on the Q5’s top panel for fear of scratching either part, so you need somewhere else that isn’t dusty and won’t mark the lid with repeated use. A hinged lid design of some sort would probably have been more convenient in use.

The player’s on-unit control buttons are tucked away under the front panel. These can be a little awkward to operate if the Q5 isn’t positioned at the right kind of height. Admittedly, most people will use the simple but nice metal remote instead, so it shouldn’t be a major issue.

We’re less forgiving of the way our review sample displays album art and information on its colour TFT screen. It uses an online database to get that information, which is a neat way of doing things, but there are too many times when the song information is wrong.

Our sample usually gets the artist album and track number correct, but proves hit and miss with the song title. We’re sure that this is something that can be fixed with a software update, so over to you, Rotel.

All these things are annoyances to a lesser or greater degree, but they matter a lot less once we start listening to this CD player. It really is a capable unit that delivers a quality of sound from our CD collection that’s hard to better at this price.

Sound

The Michi Q5 sounds impressively clean and clear. If you value scale and authority, this player is happy to oblige. It has no trouble delivering the drama of Tchaikovsky’s Marché Slave Op.31. The music’s bold dynamic shifts are conveyed with confidence while retaining an admirable sense of composure; the Michi never sounds flustered, even when the music becomes demanding.

There is none of the grain or lack of purity that we hear in lesser machines, either. Each sound and instrument is rendered with delicacy and precision, while low-level instrumental strands are tracked with ease.

This is a detailed-sounding performer that has no trouble rendering instrumental textures or subtle shifts in intensity. It resolves plenty of information and has the organisational skills to turn it into a musically cohesive presentation.

Tonality? The Michi Q5 is about as neutral as they come, sounding as convincing in this respect as any player we’ve heard near this level. It has a lovely top-to-bottom evenness that, once heard, is hard to ignore when it is missing on other players.

Stereo imaging is good too. This disc spinner has a wide and well-focused presentation with a decent degree of depth (if the recording has it to begin with). We have no issue with image stability, and there is no sense of blurring, irrespective of how difficult the music gets.

Undun by The Roots shows that the Q5 can also shine with more rhythm-driven music. Here, it conveys the irresistible flow of Kool On effortlessly. It sounds expressive and enthusiastic, conveying voices with clarity and passion, while navigating the difficult balance between analysis and emotion well. Despite the impressive amount of insight, it still feels like the Michi Q5 always puts music and entertainment first.

The player’s low frequencies are impressively taut and agile, rendered with plenty of weight but never so much that it makes the presentation sludgy. Move up the frequency band and midrange clarity is excellent. Leading edges are crisply defined but never over-etched, while voices and instruments sound natural rather than forced.

The good news continues when we try out the Michi Q5’s digital inputs with our MacBook Pro (loaded with high-resolution music and Audirvana music playing software) and the digital output of our reference Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer.

We play a range of music from Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions and Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall, both in DSD, to Kate Bush’s 50 Words For Snow (24-bit/96kHz), and the Michi isn’t fazed at all. The insight and balance that we so enjoyed with compact disc is just as apparent here.

It doesn’t take long to realise that the Q5’s internal DAC circuitry is hugely capable and right up there with some of the best premium standalone digital-to-analogue converters on the market. It shifts between file types and differing resolutions seamlessly, too.

Verdict

Some people will baulk at the Michi Q5’s price, and that’s understandable. Given we are so far into the age of streaming, a high-end CD player certainly isn’t going to make sense for everyone.

However, if you are dedicated to the original silver disc and have a collection that justifies this kind of expense, we have no hesitation in recommending the Rotel Michi Q5 highly. It is an excellent performer, and those few functional quirks notwithstanding, we suspect it will prove a pleasure to own.

Review published: 10th November 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 5

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Also consider the Esoteric K-05XD

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Best CD players: budget to premium options tested by expert reviewers

If CD players are your thing, you're in luck. The five-star Cyrus CDi-XR has fallen from £1995 to just £1399 at Peter Tyson, a blissful saving of £600. Whichever way you slice it, that's a pretty terrific deal.

The slightly weird thing news, however, is that the CDi-XR isn't necessarily the Cyrus CD player we'd urge you to buy as Black Friday approaches. Brilliant as the XR is, we think you should consider the more standard Cyrus Audio CDi, the model that is still part of our test-room setup and still winning Awards after more than ten years in the business.

Oh, and it's currently down from £1495 to £999 at Peter Tyson, making it an outstanding buy.

Best early Black Friday Cyrus CD player deals

Cyrus revealed its ‘40’ range of hi-fi heavyweights earlier this year, including the outstanding Cyrus 40 CD disc spinner, meaning that older models are now collapsing in price.

The established CDi-XR, for instance, is a belting buy, a hugely talented performer that we claimed, after testing, “sets new sonic standards for the money”. That’s a pretty strong recommendation, and we certainly wouldn't dissuade you from picking one up at a very healthy discount. £600 off is nothing to be sniffed at.

For us, though, the more standard CDi represents even greater value for money. In terms of sound-per-pound performance, nothing can really touch the more affordable Cyrus CDi, so much so that we continue to use it as our reference CD player in our test rooms whenever we want to hook a system up to a reliable source.

It just does the job so well, and for £300 less than the CDi-XR. To quote from our review, the cheaper Cyrus has a “uniform, articulate and intuitive presentation that we’d expect from a more expensive player.” Its ability to dig out intricate details with utter precision and dynamic subtlety remains competitive even today.

It's also terrific with rhythms. A fluid, accurate and entertaining performer, its “pace and momentum are exercised with articulation and vibrancy,” while its dynamic agility can't be beaten unless you're willing to pay around a grand or so to get something that's a serious step up.

For us, then, it's the CDi to pick this Black Friday. Great pedigree? Check. Great sound? Great price? That's a check, too.

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Read our original Cyrus CDi review

"Vinyl records will be around forever" – the Tiny Vinyl founders on the black disc's enduring appeal

Our guide to the best CD players and CD transports for every budget

There was a time when the best CD players category was in danger of going slightly stagnant.

Perhaps the best way to think of the CD Awards category is one of peaks and troughs, or indeed stops and starts, like traffic moving through the M25 at rush hour: sometimes things are whizzing along nicely, at other times things can get a bit... static.

This year, we have movement! We’re not racing along in the outside lane at 70 miles per hour, but 2025 has seen a new entry join the established names that were threatening to monopolise this corner of the market.

Returning are old favourites, with all the models below proving you can get proper performance at a range of prices to bring out the best in your prized collection of shiny discs

An old warhorse continues to do battle

Once again, our go-to choice as the most affordable winner in What Hi-Fi?’s best CD players category is the Marantz CD6007, a low-cost legend which brings together excellent performance with a reassuringly functional build.

The CD6007 is our pick as the best player under £500, and as an entry point for would-be buyers seeking to get their CDs spinning without forking out a mountain of cash in the process. For that price and with this sort of performance, you really can't go wrong.

Arcam is having a very good year

Moving up a price bracket, we once again find the excellent Arcam CD5, part of the Radia Series which gave us the likes of the five-star A5 and A15 integrated amps (both of which have now been superseded by their A5+ and A15+ successors).

The CD5 has established itself as a firm favourite in the £500-£1000 category, cementing its reputation as a “tremendously talented player”. As we said in our review, the CD5 "deserves an audition if you’re still holding on to your beloved CDs and want to give them a new lease of life".

That’s three wins on the bounce for the CD5, and unless Arcam decides to give us a ‘Plus’ version, we wouldn’t bet against it making it four from four when 2026 rolls around.

Never leave us, Cyrus CDi

Once again, the Cyrus CDi is the next step up this particular ladder as the best disc spinner between £1000-£2000.

Few products in history have held onto their place with such a vice-like grip as the CDi – it’s a testament to the player’s quality that we still use one in our reference system to this very day.

At some point, the CDi will be ousted, but we're yet to find a player out there that beats the evergreen superstar for insight, entertainment and musicality.

It might look like a big old hunk of metal, but this is a supremely refined, wonderfully engaging operator that has been digging the detail out of our discs for years.

There's a new Cyrus in town

If you read our roundup of the Award-winners in this particular category last year, you may know all of the above already. Get to the new model, you’ll be (metaphorically) shouting at your monitor as you (again, metaphorically) curse our name to the heavens.

OK, we’ll stop beating around the proverbial. The five-star Cyrus 40 CD is our new pick as the best CD player over £2000, marking itself out as the only debutante on our esteemed rundown.

At £2995 / $3995 / AU$4999, it isn’t cheap, but thanks to the way it juggles subtle detail and rhythmic precision with punch, power and superb control, it’s more than capable of making you very cheerful.

Cyrus Audio’s 40 Series of products essentially marked a rebirth for the British brand, reimagining established products, such as the Cyrus 40 ST streamer and 40 AMP integrated amplifier, and making them shine for a new generation.

The 40 CD does just that for your CDs, and if you’re really serious about getting those shiny bad boys firing at their best, you need to consider taking Cyrus’ star attraction for a spin. It'll make you forget about your vinyl collection altogether...

So there you have it – a lovely blend of new and old, as well as the affordable and the premium, makes up our 2025 Awards rundown of the best CD players you can get your sticky mitts on.

Vinyl may be the one getting all of the attention – and there are certainly plenty of stunning turntables to match its continued revival – but the likes of Arcam and Cyrus prove that the physical media revival extends far beyond vinyl. Happy days.

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• We rate the best CD players

Cyrus knows how to make excellent, premium CD players, and the CDi-XR is just one model which has passed through our test rooms in recent years and received a five-star review packed with superlatives.

We originally tested it at £1995, and you can now pick up this super-talented disc-spinner for £1399 at Peter Tyson. That’s an extremely healthy £600 discount, which we think elevates the appeal of this machine to even greater heights. If you want top-tier audio from your CD collection, then the CDi-XR will deliver.

Packaged in the same half-width casing we’ve come to know and love from the brand, the CDi-XR launched in 2021, sitting above the Award-winning CDi. Since then, Cyrus has launched the 40 CD, complete with a new design language and a more expensive price tag – £2995.

And this is why we thought a £600 saving on the CDi-XR was too good to ignore.

It’s a hugely talented performer. In our Cyrus CDi-XR review we said that it “sets new sonic standards for the money”. That’s a pretty strong recommendation from our review team.

The player boasts an easy-to-read LCD display and a row of touch control buttons under the slot.

We found the touch controls on the front of our review sample could be a little bit hit and miss, but you do get a fully featured remote control in the box.

On the outpust front, there are optical and coaxial digital sockets and a pair of analogue RCA connections.

The internal DAC and power supply circuits have both been designed to extract the best performance out of the machine, and the proof is in the spinning – we said the CDi-XR, “renders sounds with great precision and paints low-level information with confidence”.

We were also huge fans of its "fine sense of musical cohesion and dynamic finesse" which elevated it above anything we'd tested at that level at the time.

It really is a supremely talented CD player and one that’s turned into quite the bargain, thanks to this £600 saving at Peter Tyson.

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Buying second-hand CDs is my favourite way of discovering new music sustainably

Remember the dCS Varèse Music System, the six-figure system that promised to go beyond anything that the brand had previously created? Now it has added a CD player, and as you would imagine, it is a suitably premium proposition.

The Varèse Transport plays standard CDs and SACDs, and is designed to look of a part with the system as a whole. The firm has been making CD transports for 25 years, so it has plenty of experience in the field.

The transport retains dCS's ethos of delivering ‘Only the Music’ – in other words, minimising anything that affects audio performance such as noise, distortion and vibration, while preserving all aspects of the audio signal.

dCS claims this is its quietest, lowest-vibration disc transport to date, with an all-new chassis design and the firm's bespoke ACTUS interface.

It plays Redbook CDs in their native 44.1kS/s format, and SACDs in their native DSD format. Hooking it up to the dCS Varèse Core component requires just one cable, yet provides bit-perfect transmission of audio signals, with asynchronous audio, control and timing all sent via the ACTUS interface.

This interface also lets the transport automatically sync to a master-clock signal – either that provided by the Varèse Master Clock, or if that's not present, the Varèse Core. So you don't need to manually configure the sync mode settings.

It can also be connected via the Varèse User Interface, Varèse Remote Control, or Mosaic ACTUS app, giving you more ways to control its playback.

Like other elements in the Varèse range, the Transport's top, sides and front chassis are machined from a single piece of billet aluminium. Constrained layer damping is between the chassis base and dress plates, while mechanism mounts are also milled from a single piece of aluminium with no joins or fixings. All of which should minimise interfering factors and preserve sound quality.

Inside is the same mechanism seen in dCS's Vivaldi Transport II and Rossini Transport, but with a new mounting method that further reduces noise and vibrations.

The dCS Varèse Transport is available to order now, with shipping starting at the end of September. It comes in silver or black. And the price? A cool £35,000 (around $47,000 / AU$72,000).

Which is relatively cheap, considering the Varèse Core, User Interface and Remote bundle costs £95,000, and the Varèse Mono DAC £90,000 per pair.

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Japanese hi-fi brand TEAC is expanding its Reference 500 series with the addition of a CD transport, the TEAC PD-507T.

It joins the UD-507 DAC/preamplifier, the AP-507 power amplifier and HA-507 headphone amp in this line-up of premium-made, meticulously engineered hi-fi separate electronics from a brand with respectable pedigree.

The PD-507T transport focuses solely on the CD mechanism and CD playback aspect, and needs to be connected to a separate DAC – such as the matching UD-507 DAC – to convert the digital files into analogue signals to feed into the amplifier.

The PD-507T features TEAC's proprietary CD-transport mechanism. This is manufactured in-house, and is designed to deliver “uncompromising reference-grade CD playback”. We are big fans of TEAC's five-star VRDS-701 CD player (£2499 / $3799), which uses the more premium VRDS transport mechanism to superb results.

TEAC says both the electrical circuit and the mechanical construction have been “fine-tuned” in this new CD transport to deliver a better sound quality than previous models.

This PS-507T uses the brand's long-standing CD-5020A transport, which has been used in broadcast applications successfully, says TEAC.

The main advantages of this transport is its rugged and reliable nature – an important aspect for the all-important CD mechanism's daily use and longevity. In the PD-507T, TEAC has used custom parts and a “specially designed drive circuit” that aim to deliver a more “refined” sound than before.

The transport mechanism has a semi-floating mounting architecture and the unit itself has a semi-floating top panel – both of which aim to provide a more open soundstage and tonality.

The PD-507T plays audio CD, CD-R and CR-RW formats, and has two digital outputs – one coaxial, one optical. There are separate power supplies going into each clock and digital output; you can also entirely turn off unused digital outputs to ensure a purer audio signal is being sent to the rest of your system.

As an upgrade path, there is the option to add on an external outboard 10MHz master clock generator – such as the CG-10M-X recommend by the brand – to offer “extremely accurate” clock signals to a DAC for even better sound quality.

Visually, the PD-507T features an amber-coloured OLED display to match its fellow Reference 500 series components. The unit is available in silver and black finishes. There are on-unit playback controls, a physical power toggle switch, and it comes with a remote control handset.

The TEAC PD-507T CD transport is priced at £1299 / $1700 / €1299 and will be available to buy in Q4 of 2025. TEAC says the PD-507T can be added to any high-quality system that already has a good-quality DAC and digital inputs, but naturally says it is compatible with the brand's matching UD-507 DAC, which costs $2099 / £1583 approx.

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Our guide to the best CD players and best CD transports across all budgets

It’s fair to say the world of affordable hi-fi has shrunk and changed dramatically over the years. Gone are the days of the What Hi-Fi? budget CD player supertest, when it was easy for us to round up ten or twelve affordable machines to pit against each other.

Now, what we classify as an entry-level CD player has moved up a couple of price points, and you’ll be lucky to find more than a handful of options on the market.

This has left an opening for an ambitious company brave enough to throw its hat into the ring. Step forward Fell Audio, a new hi-fi brand born in the UK and backed by retailer Peter Tyson, a business with over 50 years of experience in the market.

Given all the brands and CD players to have passed through its showfloor over the years, it’s in the perfect spot to gauge the market and rival products. Can this new arrival freshen up what has become a relatively stagnant market in recent years?

Price

The Fell Disc is sold through UK retailer Peter Tyson, and you’ll also find it for sale on Amazon UK with plans for a wider rollout later this year.

It retails for £499, which places it up against the Marantz CD6007, a five-star machine and multiple What Hi-Fi? Award-winner. The Marantz officially retails for £449, but is regularly discounted to £349.

The lack of competition at this level of the market means other rivals are few and far between. Alternative disc spinners are available in the shape of the cheaper, four-star Cambridge Audio AXC35 (£299 / $350) and the more expensive, five-star Arcam CD5 (£699 / $699).

Build

On the face of it, the Fell Disc is a neat and eye-catching design. The silver chassis and black/green display combo harks back to the golden era of ’80s British hi-fi.

The Fell Audio logo looks tidy too – the way it nods to the Fells region in the north of England with a small bevelled mountain arrangement on the top is a nice, subtle touch.

Unsurprisingly, the Fell Disc has been designed to match its Fell Amp sibling, so you have an overhanging frame which wraps around the top and sides of the player.

This does make the display recessed, though, and depending on where you place the player, the frame can block your line of sight.

Build quality is okay for the money. Placed next to the Marantz CD6007, the slimmer Fell looks modern, but the Marantz still has class and refinement in spades.

The CD6007 might lack the fancy touch controls, but every element of the fascia feels rock solid, and the CD loading drawer is super smooth.

Design & features

The Fell Disc’s minimalist fascia with its slot-loading mechanism and touch-sensitive control buttons provides plenty of shelf appeal, but the large, slightly cumbersome-looking power button looks a little out of place, in our opinion.

The touch-sensitive controls look nice, but we don’t find them enjoyable to use, and they are sometimes hit and miss in terms of responsiveness.

Another quirk we discovered during testing was the repeat control, which you touch once to repeat the same track and touch again to repeat the whole CD. Fair enough. For some reason, though, the button keeps flashing in the latter mode, and won’t stop, which is rather strange.

We are big fans of the slot-loading mechanism, which is smooth and quiet, which isn’t always the case with this kind of design.

As far as displays go, the Fell Disc’s looks clear, but we did come across some viewing angle strangeness. Depending on your vantage point, it can appear with a green background with black text and numbers (which looks great), or a dark green background with light green text. And at certain angles, there’s a clash of two greens which almost cancel each other out. Not the end of the world, but quirky, nonetheless.

The Fell Disc comes with a matching remote control which is reassuringly quick to respond and zips through tracks should you want to skip to your favourite track on an album.

In terms of features, the Fell Disc offers everything you’d expect from a player at this price. There’s a pair of analogue RCA outputs on the rear, and both digital coaxial and digital optical outputs should you want to feed the player’s digital signal straight into an external DAC.

Sound

To test sound quality, we use the Fell Disc with three different amplifiers: our reference Burmester 088/911 Mk3 pre/power combination, a price-comparable amp in the shape of the Arcam A5, and we also partner it up with the matching Fell Amp.

After all, if you’re looking to build a system from scratch, there’s a good chance you’ll try both Fell Audio components together for system synergy.

We start with the Burmester and feed the Fell Disc Daft Punk’s Get Lucky. First impressions are that you’re getting a big, broad sound with a lot of weight and power behind it.

There’s plenty of heft and solidity to the tune’s funky bassline, and there’s a satisfying sense of power behind the claps. You can imagine the Fell Disc grabbing someone’s attention straight out of the box.

But we switch to the Marantz CD6007, and the picture it paints is so much clearer. From the very first drum hit, there’s so much more zip and pizazz to the sound. The track sounds livelier and funkier, and just flows with greater dynamic contrast.

We switch over to Love The Way You Lie by Eminem and Rihanna, and it’s a case of more of the same. The Fell Disc communicates with the listener, but on a much more basic level. In isolation, it sounds quite authoritative and bold, but it’s also quite forward and relentless – there’s not much depth to the sound, space around the track’s different elements, or subtlety.

In the opening seconds of the track, played on the CD6007, you can sense the space around Rihanna’s vocal as it hangs in the middle of our stereo image. Through the Fell Disc, it doesn’t feel like there’s much dynamic differentiation or separation between her vocals and the piano.

It sounds flat, without much in the way of layering, which just isn’t the case when listening through the Marantz. There’s much more of a spark given off by the CD6007, with more layers of separation between the drum beat, the percussion that flits in and out of the image and Eminem’s vocal.

There’s weight behind each bass note as it slams into view, but dynamically, the presentation is quite stunted. The track has quite a few explosive punctuation points, but the Fell Disc fails to drive any of them home.

As Eminem’s vocals become more aggressive and angry as the track approaches its climax, it’s the Marantz CD6007 that conveys the shift in his emotions the clearest.

During testing, we do notice that you can get a small improvement in sound quality by turning off the display. In our experience, the effect is normally quite small, but in our opinion, here it does make the Fell’s presentation less noisy and a little clearer. It’s definitely something we’d recommend trying out for yourself.

We move from the Burmester to the Arcam A5 amp to give the Fell Disc a partner that’s more price comparable, and although the Fell feels more at home and less exposed, its shortcomings are still present.

Playing Nitin Sawhney's Anthem Without Nation, the Fell Disc struggles to deliver variance in bass notes - the CD6007 does a better job of communicating the different weights, textures and depths, and from the intro through the rest of the track, there’s a greater sense of freedom and space – the track sounds multi-dimensional through the Marantz and disappointingly flat and one dimensional through the Fell Disc.

During the first few seconds, with the hustle and bustle of the crowd combined with the newsreader’s voice over the top, the Fell has neither the insight nor clarity and separation that the Marantz brings.

In terms of dynamics, the crowd’s noise level is almost as loud as the newsreader's, which shows also a lack of subtlety and dynamic differentiation on Fell’s part. The presentation is congested, with the Fell Disc only scratching the surface of the information on the disc.

Finally, we take a listen to the Fell Disc with its matching Fell Amp sibling. Unsurprisingly, the two products match each other well in terms of maintaining a consistent tonal character.

The sound they produce is forceful and authoritative, but there’s still a major lack of subtlety, refinement and sophistication.

As a pair, they struggle for insight and clarity, unable to mould themselves to the dynamic requirements of different recordings.

Verdict

We have to say it was a brave and bold move for a new hi-fi brand to try and stake a claim to an area of the market that has seen a real lack of competition in recent years.

And to be fair, the Fell Disc’s powerful delivery does, initially, grab your attention. But the longer you play it, the quicker it starts to unravel, especially when placed up against the current class leader. It falls flat in several areas, which, unfortunately, makes it impossible to recommend at this level.

Review published: 4th September 2025

SCORES

• Sound 2
• Features 5
• Build 4

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Haven’t you heard? CDs are back! They’re not quite enjoying the same renaissance as vinyl, and they still haven’t managed to gain the quirky hipster cachet of cassettes, but the dear old compact disc is once again seeing a resurgence as certain corners of the consumer market turn their attention back towards physical media. Hooray!

This is, broadly, a positive thing, especially for an old chunk of coal such as myself who used compact discs as their primary source of musical enjoyment. First, you’d just have to listen to your CD on a CD player (odd, that), but then came iTunes and the chance to rip your discs into a digital format and have them forever preserved on your computer library or portable iPod. What a time that was. What. A. Time.

CDs may have gone out of fashion in the intervening years since online streaming completely took over, but I never quite lost the love of having a proper physical collection.

Shamefully, I only own one vinyl record (cue the comments), but I do have a reasonably healthy stock of fragile plastic cases to be spun or just admired from afar. There’s even a few knocking around our test rooms. Weezer’s Green Album, anyone?

A sustainable choice?

It was thanks to What Hi-Fi?’s inaugural Sustainability Week that I began thinking about my collection once again, and in particular the means by which I’ve gone about amassing it.

My preferred methodology has always been delving into charity shops – it’s cheaper and you’re helping good causes – but is that an environmentally sustainable way of getting music, especially when contrasted with other physical and non-physical alternatives?

In general, yes, but there are caveats. CDs are generally considered to be a less environmentally damaging format than vinyl, a format which often comes under fire for its inefficient and damaging processes.

According to the Vinyl Alliance, making a PVC record can put out around 1-1.14kg of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, while a CD will, per Julie’s Bicycle, generally put out around 0.2 to 0.6kg depending on factors such as packaging and size.

This does make sense. PVC resin production and the processes involved in making vinyl, including a greater size and even more associated packaging, make it environmentally challenging.

CDs are smaller, with most of the damage coming from production of polycarbonate and aluminium, not to mention the plastic cases themselves. Cardboard cases are far superior, as we all know…

Buying second hand only decreases the potential environmental impact of CDs – by the most basic logic, second-hand purchases negate the need to purchase a brand new item.

It’s not quite as simple as all that, as sometimes you may be buying a product that you wouldn’t have bought first-hand anyway, and transportation costs need to be factored in, but generally, second-hand is best. If not best, then certainly better.

Just make sure that you intend to keep what you buy, as simply chucking it away negates your positive impact somewhat. I’m planning on keeping my collection for the rest of my days, and once they’re done with, passing them on, donating them or even repurposing them for other uses.

Buying CDs second-hand does help front-end damage, but it’s important to factor in the eventual cost of their end-of-life impact. Polycarbonate doesn’t biodegrade for a long while, so most CDs and DVDs end up in landfill – you want to do everything you can to stop that from happening.

Fun for the whole family

If you do manage to get those environmental factors in place, there’s another great reason to go second-hand CD shopping: it’s fun! Quite aside from the good you’re doing helping out the charity section – my local CD store helps a local hospice – charity shops are a great way to find hidden treasures and, more importantly, expose yourself to new music.

Yes, you have the soulless Spotify algorithm to help curate music for you, but after a while, it will just throw up the same tired suggestions with little thought or care. Spotify is obsessed with getting me into Queens Of The Stone Age thanks to my love of ‘90s grunge and post-grunge. I’m just not having it.

Buying a CD is a different beast. First, you’re investing proper money, so there’s an incentive to get something good and to listen to it at its fullest. Second, if you have a decent player, you’re getting solid quality music that outstrips that which Spotify streaming can manage (16-bit/44.1kHz). Third, you’re interacting with people who actually like music.

My most recent purchase – last week, I snapped up Steven Wilson’s Transience – came about from being recommended the compilation by a staff member enquiring if I was into prog. Why not, I thought. I certainly need to get more into prog. It’s a pretty good album, too, albeit slightly tricky to get into upon first listen.

You then have the pleasure of expanding your collection, of watching your stock grow in real, genuine three dimensional space. That’s a feeling that streaming libraries can’t emulate, partly because they live solely online and partly because you never really ‘own’ your Tidal or Spotify collection. It’s just not the same.

Who's a lucky boy, then?

It’s also a great benefit that I have access to some serious gear on which to test my CDs. It wasn’t long ago that I was spinning one of my favourite albums, Soundgarden’s Down On The Upside, on the exceptionally talented Cyrus 40 CD.

That’s a wonderful piece of kit, and besides the great sound it makes, the whole ritual of using both the physical disc, the Cyrus itself and our reference system, is something that iPhone-based Tidal streaming can’t touch. If you’ve got a CD collection, you’ve opened up another product category to enjoy, with a host of potential candidates serving up various spins (pun intended) on that crisp ‘CD sound’.

I’ve got a few new discs that are prime candidates for the test room. We’ve always got some pretty talented CD players knocking around (and who knows, a new one may be around the corner), so it’ll be exciting to see what Supertramp’s Retrospectacle anthology sounds like when I have a few spare moments.

And if I'm not in our test rooms, any excuse to break out my family's twenty-year-old (at least) Sony CMT-EX1 player is more than welcome. Seriously, unless you've used one, you'll never know how satisfying it is to load a CD into that vertical disc tray and watch it spin through the unit's vertical transparent frontage. Amazing.

Done right, second-hand CD collecting is the perfect way to expand your musical horizons, both in terms of music and the products you’ll use, all while keeping one eye on sustainability and your own musical footprint.

Plus, you get the added benefit of experiencing physical media in all its glories, enjoying those rituals and routines – not to mention potentially superior sound – that you just don't get with digital files.

It’s always worth doing your own due diligence on any products you make or stores you patronise, but as an alternative to brand-new and throwaway purchases, second-hand CD shopping shows that sustainability and sonic satisfaction can live happily side by side.

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A few weeks ago, we brought you the news that Lorde's new album Virgin, which was released on a fully transparent CD, wouldn't play.

Fans reported (across BBC, Reddit and Amazon reviews) that the disc simply wouldn't play on their CD players, although a small portion of purchasers said it did work on their disc players.

I was immediately intrigued. Unlike vinyl pressings, which can come in various colours and levels of translucency, I've never come across a transparent CD before. My colleagues have mentioned they have come across some that are half-transparent (such as this Fugazi Furniture CD single from 2001), but these still have a section for the shiny reflective layer that allows the data to be read.

CDs have a shiny reflective layer that allows the laser and optical sensor in the CD player to read the data stored on the CD. Without this reflective layer, the laser's light will simply pass through the disc and not read the data, and therefore not play the disc.

Seems simple enough, right? There's no way this clear CD could work then. But what made me curious is that there were plenty of people who said that the disc played perfectly fine for them. So what's going on?

I bought myself a copy to find out.

I am lucky to have access to a bunch of old and new CD players in our What Hi-Fi? test rooms, and I have various disc players (Blu-ray player, PlayStation, external CD drive, and an older CD changer) at home. I couldn't wait to try the CD in all these players and see what worked and didn't.

Firstly, regardless of how silly you think the idea is, I have to admit the transparent CD looks quite pretty in person. It's extremely transparent. Not translucent – fully clear and see-through, with light fully passing through it.

You see it in the picture gallery above.

You can't even tell there is a CD in the case. Hold it at certain angles, especially outside in the sunlight, and it all but disappears.

However, there must be some kind of thin reflective layer in the CD for the data to be read, otherwise we can't imagine it would have ever left the manufacturing plant. Sure enough, I can see an ever-so-slightly grey-ish shade when holding the Virgin clear CD at an angle (especially indoors).

It is a very pretty piece of plastic (which is also recyclable, according to Lorde's site and shop listings). But, crucially, does it work or have I just wasted £12.99?

At work, I started off with a Cyrus CDi (a decade-long favourite and our reference CD player) and a brand new Eversolo Play CD Edition that we are currently testing, which includes a Hitachi-LG CD-ROM drive.

The tray-loading mechanism on the Eversolo accepts it and says it is "loading the CD information"... and then it isn't able to play it. The screen keeps trying to switch to the CD playing screen, but it keeps flickering back to the previous playback screen (which was playing Qobuz).

After about a minute of watching the screen flicker and go dark, I put the Eversolo out of its misery and concluded it just wouldn't play on it.

The Cyrus CDi wouldn't even accept the disc. The slot-loading mechanism on the CDi usually automatically draws the CD in when a disc is inserted halfway – I double-checked this with a 'normal' CD to make sure the CDi was working fine.

But when presented with the Lorde CD, it just would not budge. It physically stops the CD from entering. I even tried to forcefully push the CD into the Cyrus (which I wouldn't normally advise you to do in case it damages the CD or player), but the Cyrus simply would not accept the CD.

I tried both sides, just to be sure, but no luck. The copyright text at the edge of the CD can be seen in tiny white letters – it's the only way to tell which is the right side up.

I then brought out the newer Cyrus 40 CD that we reviewed earlier this year to see if it replicated the issue, and it behaved exactly the same as the CDi. How odd.

Since both these Cyrus models are slot loaders and are somewhat strict on the CD formats they play, I sought out the budget Marantz CD6007 – another reliable favourite that plays nice with more CD formats and which features a tray loading mechanism.

This one worked immediately: the Lorde CD was recognised and played without a hitch. Our sample of the Marantz CD player simply treated it like a normal CD and played through all 11 tracks on the album. Success!

Once at home, I then went around sticking the CD into various other disc players we have in the house.

I started with the PS5 and PS4, as the BBC report says that a customer used it perfectly fine on their PlayStation (they didn't specify which model) – but while they both take the disc, both deliver an "unsupported disc" message.

A reader has since correctly reminded me that neither the PS4 or PS5 can play audio CDs – so it clearly is an older PlayStation model that users have tried with success.

My husband (who by now is more excited about this experiment than I am), tried the clear disc in his 2000-era Technics SL-DV170 DVD/CD changer with a tray-loading CD mechanism. This one, interestingly, was hit and miss. The first time we tried the disc, the Technics said no disc was read. When we tried it again, it recognised it and played fully.

The only thing we could figure out, after trying many times, what was different was the orientation of the CD when placed on the tray. If the CD was rotated so that the copyright lettering was positioned on the right-hand side, it wouldn't work. If the lettering was positioned on the left side when placed on the tray, it played.

There is likely something else at play here, as the label on the CD would not affect playback (not least because CDs are read from the inside out), but this was the only way we could tell that something had changed. We tried multiple times and recreated the oddity.

I then tried the CD in a Panasonic DMP-BDT180 Blu-ray player, and that played without a hitch, although it didn't display the track names on screen.

And lastly, I tried a cheap Rioddas external CD drive connected via USB into both an Asus Windows laptop and an Apple MacBook Pro, and it was another success both times. The disc was recognised and started playing, with the media player program recognising and displaying the track names. My iTunes even offered to start ripping the CD, which it did easily.

It's a mixed bag of results at the end of this little experiment, then, with only four out of seven players I tried being able to play the transparent disc.

This is by no means a comprehensive test. There are more CD players in our work stockroom that I'd like to try this CD in (the Arcam CD5, a newer Technics, a Copland), and I'd love to try this clear CD in as many CD players and disc drives as I can find to get further examples, but that would be a hard task.

However, the players I tried were from a pretty wide variety: various manufacturers, different price points, old and new players, and different loading mechanisms (top loaders were the only ones I didn't have at hand).

That the CD even played without any issue on the Marantz CD6007, the external drive, the Panasonic Blu-ray player, and (intermittently) on the Technics deck means that the transparent CD still behaves like a CD – and that there is data on it that can be read.

But here's where it gets even more interesting. One Reddit user (Romando1) says they tried the Lorde CD on their disc players – Sony MXD-D3, Acurus ACD-11, McIntosh MVP 831 and even a Marantz CD6007 – but none of these players could read it.

So how could our sample of the CD6007 play it?

It could simply be that the CD isn't made to Red Book standards (a set of rules that defines, in very strict terms, what an audio CD is), that it goes beyond the tolerances accepted in manufacturing, or maybe there are variations in the sample.

We asked Cyrus about why its players wouldn't even accept the disc, and they replied back saying that this is because the optical sensors that see if a disc is being inserted isn't able to see the Lorde disc. Essentially, if what's being inserted into the Cyrus player doesn't resemble a disc, then it prevents it from entering.

Some users have mused that older CD players are more likely to play the Lorde CD while new ones can't – but we found this to be demonstrably untrue, as the Cyrus 40 CD is barely a year old, and our Marantz sample is from 2024.

Lorde and her record label Universal Music Group haven't addressed these issues of playback yet, and the Virgin CD is still available to buy in physical and online shops.

This certainly made for a fun experiment, however, and despite it having issues with playback, I'll still hold on to my copy of Lorde's transparent CD.

Whenever we get new CD players in to test at What Hi-Fi?, it'll be in my pool of CDs to try, just to see what happens.

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Here are 6 CD player buying tips for when you want to revive your disc collection

Vinyl pressing plants on surging demand, keeping it local, and whether coloured vinyl really does sound worse

Onkyo originally unveiled its Icon Series of two-channel products at CES 2025 with the launch of the P-80 network preamplifier ($1999), the M-80 power amplifier ($1999) and the A-50 amplifier ($1599).

The only thing it was missing was a CD-spinning source. That has now been rectified with the launch of the Onkyo C-30 – although there’s a surprise twist in the tale.

The C-30 features the company’s VLSC (Vector Linear Shaping Circuit) technology, which claims to remove pulse noise from the signal path for a cleaner analogue output from the player’s 24-bit/192kHz DAC.

It also claims the player has a low signal-to-noise ratio and a high-precision clock for accurate timing and imaging.

The design includes a “vibration-resistant, blast-finished aluminium front panel” which appears designed to fit in with the rest of the Icon Series. Around the rear of the C-30, you have analogue, digital optical and digital coaxial outputs.

Like the rest of the Icon Series, the CD player is available in Silver or Black. But, and here's that plot-twist we promised, the C-30 comes in at a much lower price point.

Retailing at just $349 (UK pricing TBC), this could be a budget option for anyone who wants to slot a dedicated CD player into their entry-level system.

Could we see a matching budget stereo amplifier launch at some point further down the line? We think it could make for a neat and affordable one-make system.

Onkyo is trying to make a bit of a comeback following its bankruptcy filing in 2022, when it was subsequently acquired by Premium Audio Company (the parent company of Pioneer, Klipsch, Sharp and others). Hopefully, the Icon Series can set it on the right track.

What do you think about Onkyo’s return to two-channel after its brief hiatus? Let us know in the comments below, and also let us know which product you’d like to see in our test rooms first.

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Our pick of the best CD players

Onkyo returns to hi-fi with the launch of Icon Series electronics at CES 2025

We've built a gold-standard hi-fi system that delivers sweet streams aplenty – and looks good, too

It's always exciting to see hi-fi deals during the Amazon Prime Day sales event, which runs all week from 8th to 11th July.

What's even more exciting is that these two deals we've spotted aren't just on any hi-fi products; they're on two budget hi-fi separates from a renowned audio brand – making them even more affordable.

Cambridge Audio's entry-level AX range includes the five-star AXA35 and four-star AXC35 CD player, and both these units are now each £299 at Amazon. That's £50 knocked off their respective usual £349 price tag, which makes them a rather good deal, bought separately or as a matching duo.

As Cambridge Audio's entry-level range, don't expect too many features and frills from either the AXA35 integrated amplifier or AXC35 CD player.

The CD player has a pair of RCA line outputs and a digital coaxial output – that's it. And the AXA35 amplifier is all analogue and doesn't have any digital connections, nor a USB port, not even Bluetooth.

But it doesn't matter, as both these units get the basics right and perform smoothly. Both units are slimline and look rather smart in their minimal styling and aluminium-clad chassis. The buttons are easy to operate, although we found during our tests that the included remote control needs to be pointed directly at the units to work best.

Sound-wise, both Cambridge units deliver a dynamically enjoyable presentation that is full of clear detail and good rhythm. In the AXC review, we said: "The driving drum fills and layered, pensive cellos are held in check and relayed with a pleasing musical cohesion as the player proves to be dynamically adept across the frequencies."

In our AXA35 review, we praised the amp's sense of lively drama and balanced sound. We said: "The dynamic swell of each wave of drums powers through the track like a powerful riptide. It’s a spirited sound, but by no means aggressive. There’s no harshness or brightness, nor is the amp’s sound coloured or tainted in any way."

Both units have stiff competition from the Award-winning Marantz CD6007 CD player and PM6007 stereo amp, which offer greater digital features, a more luxurious build and subtler, more precise timing. But that's at full price.

At £299 for the ACX35 and £299 for the AXA35, these two Cambridge Audio deals during Amazon Prime Day represent fantastic value for a pair of hi-fi separates. Don't miss out!

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Great savings on hi-fi systems at Richer Sounds

Plenty of hi-fi and audio deals at Peter Tyson

Check out all the home cinema package discounts at Sevenoaks

This five-star Cambridge Audio desktop DAC is also 20% off for Prime Day

Lorde's new album Virgin comes on a transparent CD, which is pretty cool, but there's just one catch – CD players can't play it.

That's according to fans who have taken to Reddit and TikTok to complain.

Videos show the CD being inserted only for the player to show the message 'No disc'. In some cases, the CD player spits the disc straight back out.

Some fans have reported that theirs do play, however, so there might be some differences between players.

CD players use a laser to read the information off the back of the disc's playing surface. For the disc to be transparent, the backing material must have been changed during production, which is likely what has caused the issue with some CD players.

The see-through version isn't a niche special edition, but the only CD copy available.

Some fans have also complained that when they rip the CD to digital files on their computers the tracks are plagued by distortion and clipping.

Both Lorde and her record label, Universal Music Group (UMG), have not yet commented.

Lorde opted not to release her previous studio album, Solar Power, on CD due to environmental concerns (the Virgin CD is touted as being made from recycled materials). So this edition will have been eagerly awaited by CD-player-owning fans of Lorde.

We have ordered a copy for ourselves and will let you know how we get on.

MORE:

Check out the best CD players

How to get the best sound from your CD player

Everyone is buying vinyl, but it isn't (and shouldn't be) the end for CDs – here's why

There are many of you reading this who still have a lot of love for CDs. We certainly do. If you don't find streaming to be sonically satisfying and haven't been swept up by the vinyl revival, then the CD is probably your format of choice.

If you have an existing CD collection or want to revive your old discs and prioritise getting the best sound quality out of them, then a good quality, dedicated CD player is what you need.

This is especially true if you don't already own a CD player or if your old disc player is long past its working stage.

There aren't as many CD players being made as there used to be 10-20 years ago, and what is available will have to suit your budget of course. But beyond a budget limit and knowing your system's requirements, what else should you look for when deciding what CD player to buy?

What's important when making your choice, are there certain specifications to consider, and how do you ensure it will work for years (or decades) to come?

Here are some practical tips and general advice to heed when thinking about buying a CD player today. You can also peruse our guide to the best CD players we have tested and highly recommend; but keep the following advice in mind – especially if you want to enjoy the best sound from your beloved CDs.

1. Don't skimp on the price

It may be tempting simply to use your old DVD player, the disc player on your PS5 or a cheap CD-ROM drive, but we wouldn't go for the cheap option here. If sound quality is your priority – and we think it should be – it will be much more rewarding to aim for something beyond "it will just work".

Blu-ray players, game consoles and CD-ROM drives in your laptop are multi-tasking tools that aren't purpose-built for dedicated hi-fi listening. They prioritise gaming, visuals, computational power; audio fidelity won't be prioritised here, and so they won't sound as good as a dedicated CD player.

You don't have to pay thousands to get good sound, either. At the bare minimum, we would recommend opting for a budget CD player, such as the Marantz CD6007 at £349 / $699. It helps that it has a rich hi-fi heritage behind it, and this Marantz is a long-running, Award-winning unit that delivers an engaging, insightful and large-scaled sound when playing CDs.

Go up the price ladder and you'll find options from Arcam, Cyrus, Naim, Technics, TEAC... but this well-built Marantz is a good place to start if your budget is strict.

2. Buy from a company that is likely to support it for years into future

Brands with a proven track record of servicing products are a sensible place to start looking when buying a CD player.

The biggest weakness of CD players is their disc drives, with the longevity of this disc mechanism always a point of contention. If your disc mechanism has any issues, you'll want to be able to contact the brand, who can service it with the right parts.

That sets it apart from a modern music streamer, which doesn't have mechanical moving parts. So if you want your CD player to last a long time, it is important to buy from a company that isn't a flash-in-the-pan or short-lived, or one with no ability to service their products.

Cyrus Audio, for instance, has a dedicated page on its website about product servicing. Look for similar support pages on the brands you are considering buying a CD player from.

3. Does it play the disc format you have?

Not all CD players are capable of playing every single CD format. All will play the standard CD disc, but if your music collection includes many CD-R and CD-RW formats, then you need to make sure that the CD player will support them.

This is especially true if you have a healthy SACD library – always double-check that the CD player can play this format, as it's not always the case that a pricier model will play all formats.

So before buying, do check the manufacturer's site and the technical specifications to make sure it can play the essential CD formats you have and will be using.

4. Don't get tied up with the latest and greatest DAC chips of today

DAC chips are important, but it is only a smart part of the CD player's circuitry and design and overall performance.

There are so many other things that contribute to the sound quality of a CD player, such as the analogue output section. How a product is tuned is also more important, and it is a cumulation of the components chosen and the engineers' testing that results in the player's performance.

The newest DAC chips don't necessarily sound better, either, as most aren't designed specifically for the hi-fi industry – they are designed for computing and gaming, where sound quality isn't as important as for hi-fi kit.

So it's best to look at – and listen to – the CD player as a whole and ensure it is delivering the audio performance that speaks to you most.

5. Digital inputs are handy

If you want to extend the usefulness of your CD player, make sure it has digital inputs. This gives you scope to plug in other digital sources – a streamer, computer, set-top box or even radio – and take advantage of your CD player's DAC.

This is especially true if you have invested in a very good quality CD spinner, as a dedicated audio source will likely have lavished more care on its DAC circuitry than other multi-tasking products.

For instance, if you decide you want to get into hi-res wireless streaming, you can opt for a network bridge (i.e. a streamer without the DAC) that gives you all the streaming essentials while your player handles all the digital conversion and analogue output for better performance.

Even budget options such as the WiiM Pro Plus streamer can benefit from better sound if you bypass its digital section and use the (better-performing) CD player's DAC instead.

6. Top, slot, tray – does the disc loading mechanism matter?

Honestly? Not a jot. This is entirely up to your personal preference, as the disc-loading mechanism has no bearing on the CD player's sound quality.

One method isn't better than another; it simply depends on what is currently available. As not as many CD players are being made as used to be at the height of their popularity, your choice might be restricted depending on what mechanisms are available for manufacturers to use.

Other aspects of a CD player – such as whether it has a display or not, physical or touch-capacitative buttons, how noisy the disc-loading mechanism is – are all down to personal preference rather than relating to sound quality.

Just make sure they all work properly, and deliver the satisfying experience you want when you use your CD player regularly.

MORE:

How to get the best sound from your CD player

Check out the best CD players we have tested and recommend

What is a DAC and why do you need one?

Cyrus Audio’s 40 Series of products has been a rebirth for the brand. The 40-year-old British brand’s 40 ST streamer and 40 AMP integrated amplifier have impressed us hugely with their immensely capable and entertaining performance for the money, all while retaining core hallmarks of Cyrus’ identity with a fresh outlook on design, too.

Can the Cyrus 40 CD player continue this run of success? You can already see from the star rating that it has, but, like its siblings, it’s not without some quirks.

Design & build

It will surprise no one that the Cyrus 40 CD follows the same design blueprint – and footprint – as its 40 ST and 40 AMP stablemates. The classic half-width chassis design that identifies a Cyrus product has been refreshed and modernised successfully. The brushed anodised aluminium body and glass front panel are made of a high quality and exude a premium quality feel befitting its price tag.

It feels reassuringly hefty, while the crisp text display with basic touchscreen controls is sleek and effective. The track information is easy to read from a distance, although you’ll have to get up close to read the smaller menu items.

In comparison, our trusty old Cyrus CDi – with the grey metal chassis and green display – looks positively Jurassic. But it’s not hard to see the familial link between the two, which we think is a terrific job done by Cyrus’ designers.

The innards of the 40 CD spinner have been designed to achieve the “highest possible performance”. The digital circuitry is based on a 32-bit ESS Sabre ES9039Q2M chip and HyperStream IV Dual DAC technology. Cyrus says that every component has been chosen carefully, while the circuit board layout has been optimised by the engineering team during the tuning of the DAC to deliver the best sound from this CD player.

As with the streamer and amplifier, there are eight digital filters available in the player’s menu. The differences between them are quite subtle, but it’s worth auditioning them to see which suits your tastes and partnering system the best. We find that the Minimum Phase or Linear Phase filter options (in Slow Roll-Off modes) are most to our liking during our testing, as they sound most natural with our reference system.

The digital and analogue stages also have dedicated power supply stages to minimise any unwanted interferences between the audio signals, different stages and system controls. Additionally, nine individual stage regulators further distribute power evenly within the 40 CD according to the demands of the player.

As with all other 40 Series products, you can add on the 40 PSU outboard power supply (which costs an additional £2495 / $3495 / AU$4499) as a performance upgrade path for the 40 CD. This offers an even cleaner power supply to the CD player, as well as offering dedicated power to the master clock and analogue section of the DAC.

Features & use

Cyrus CD players tend to be fairly light on frills and features, and we find it’s the same with the 40 CD. There are two RCA line level analogue outputs, and one digital optical and one coaxial output apiece. That’s it for connections.

There are USB-A and RJ45 Ethernet ports on the rear panel, but these are reserved for firmware updates only, not for audio playback.

The 40 CD plays CDs only – there’s no playback support for SACDs. At this price level, the excellent TEAC VRDS-701 (£2499 / $3799) offers digital inputs, support for DSD files and full MQA decoding, and even a headphone jack (but still no SACD playback).

Bucking the trend of many modern CD players, there isn’t even a USB input for hi-res media playback, and you won’t find any Bluetooth here either. We don’t find this to be a problem at this premium level however, as previous five-star Cyrus CD players and CD transports we’ve reviewed have also stuck with this pared-down, no-frills approach, keeping CD playback performance as the main focus.

The controls on the 40 CD are fairly simple in use: you can tap on the Cyrus logo to turn the unit on or off (a clever touch), while there are touch buttons for play/pause, skip forward or go back a track, and stop/eject.

There are times when we have to tap on the touchscreen icons twice to make the action stick, especially the play/pause button, which is a tad temperamental on our sample. We prefer using the included slimline remote control, which is functional and responsive, and makes using the CD 40 a breeze.

One feature that’s been removed is the repeat function. Cyrus says this was a result of streamlining the product and the remote control in particular. We find it a little odd that such an innocuous feature has been taken off, as we can imagine it’s one you might not think is necessary until you really need it. Of course, it’s no trouble at all to simply press play again if you want to hear an album from the very beginning, but it was always nice to have the option.

Sound

Once we start spinning CDs, however, we stop caring about any missed features and simply enjoy the Cyrus’ performance. Plugged into our reference system of the Burmester 088/911MkIII amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers, the Cyrus 40 CD delivers an assured and capable performance that’s impossible not to like.

Cyrus’ long-running CDi is one of our favourite CD players – it’s won a What Hi-Fi? Award for over 10 years running and is one of our reference sources in our test room. The new 40 CD is a step up in price, but it is a clear step up in performance in every single way.

The level of detail, clarity, stability and rhythmic precision here is fantastic, but Cyrus delivers it all with such ease that it’s at first hard to pinpoint exactly just how tremendously talented this CD player is.

We spin Norah Jones’ Feels Like Home album, and the sweet soulfulness of her voice on Sunrise, along with the delicate nuances and tones, is delivered with stunning detail and clarity. There is a naturalness and immediacy to her singing that grips you right from the start, with the leading edges of notes stopping and starting with precision as well. It’s a mature presentation where every note has its purpose and place, and instruments have body and texture.

Dynamically, it’s terrific. Quiet moments are contemplative and grab your attention with their emotional pull, just as much as the bigger crescendos thrill. We switch gears to Kendrick Lamar’s Humble and are met with an infectious sense of rhythm and sheer energy that drives the song. There’s punch and excitement and solidity to it all; a shapely, taut, grippy bassline keeps things moving at a snappy pace, while the top end has attack and bite without ever being wince-sharp.

Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue shows off the Cyrus 40 CD’s merits to the full. Here, Cyrus’s trademark agility and precision are put on full display, with the CD player marshalling the piece’s varying rhythmic patterns and dynamic swings with composure and verve. The piano playing is speedy, nimble, fluid and full of propulsive momentum; it sounds playful and characterful, while also revealing layers of texture and harmonies around every firm note.

The full spread of the orchestra is given ample space to flourish, and every instrument is placed precisely in a wide, open soundstage. We are swept up in the effusive, triumphant mood of the piece, having as much fun as Gershwin is having. It’s a compelling listen.

What’s admirable about the Cyrus 40 CD is that it gives every element equal billing; no frequency stands out more than the other; the agility and precision aren’t at the expense of emotion, depth or stability. It’s a sound you simply enjoy listening to rather than analysing, which is always a good sign in a hi-fi product.

The iconic bass notes in the opening to Led Zeppelin’s Dazed And Confused are resoundingly deep, solid and tactile, before Robert Plant’s wail cuts through like a knife. Stereo imaging is wonderfully stable and expansive, too. The drum patterns have a clear rhythmic structure, and the way it pans from right to left speaker is handled with utter precision and subtlety by the Cyrus.

It takes the textured electric guitar in Whole Lotta Love and balances it neatly against the more meaty, powerful drums, while even the woozy theremin elements in the song have more texture and viscera to them than we normally hear from such an ephemeral instrument.

Add the 40 PSU power supply and the CD 40 sounds more muscular, powerful and grounded than on its own. There is a greater sense of space and authority to the overall presentation, while the bass notes hit with deeper, stronger impact – it’s a much quieter noise floor, too. Gershwin’s orchestra has even more presence and the dynamic shifts are more dramatic and exciting.

While none of this comes at the expense of the 40 CD’s detail or precision levels, it does mean some of the Cyrus’s natural agility and fluidity that we like so much isn’t quite the main focus anymore.

Verdict

The Cyrus 40 CD is another confident and hugely capable product from the brand’s newest and premium range. It’s not without its quirks – some might want more features at this level and the touch controls could be more polished – but there are no doubts at all when it comes to its sonic ability.

It’s not a showy sound, but the way it handles every element of music with such precision, poise, subtlety and control is impressive. Simply put, this is a brilliantly engaging premium CD player to listen to. Pair it with an appropriately talented system, spin any CD in your collection, and we think you’ll have a terrific time.

Review published: 30th April 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 3

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Also consider the Cyrus CDi

Best CD players: budget to premium options tested by expert reviewers

Musical Fidelity has revealed not one but two enticing slices of audio gear at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025. While their official launches aren't set to happen for a few months yet, we do have the basic specs and information from the British brand's unveiling of its latest B1xi stereo amplifier and B1xCD CD player. Exciting stuff. 

The new B1xi is a Class A/B amplifier which houses oversized transformers for greater dynamic handling. The new amp packs 50 watts of power into 8 ohms, meaning it should be able to drive most speakers without feeling too much of the strain. 

There's a decent array of connectivity options, including a phono stage for hooking up your turntable alongside coaxial, optical, line in and HDMI ARC inputs. Bluetooth streaming capabilities plus a headphone port for direct listening without disturbing the neighbours are also onboard, all selectable via an array of front-mounted buttons, while a large, central control knob is on-hand for adjusting your music's volume. 

The new amp is joined by the B1xCD CD player, a tray load disc spinner which boasts various analogue and digital outputs. We chatted to Musical Fidelity about the new B1x in relation to the B1xi amplifier, and they assured us that while the former was built to work with the latter, it's flexible and capable enough to be paired with a variety of non-Musical Fidelity amps.

The new CD player houses various buttons underneath its loading tray, including play/pause, eject and playback controls. There's also a headphone input at the front, as well as a central digital display, although we're told said display's digital software is set for an upgrade before the spinner hits the market.  

Prices aren't official yet, but the B1x CD will likely retail at around £599, whereas the B1xi is set to retail around the £699 mark – we'll let you know if those figures change. In the meantime, we're excited to hear more about what Musical Fidelity's latest offerings are capable of, and we'll update this page as soon as we have more information from the British brand. 

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Who said CDs were dead and buried? Not us. If you still have a good CD collection but no way to play them, then you need a CD transport. There's no better time to be looking thanks to a Peter Tyson sale, which means you can get the five-star, Award-winning Cyrus CD t for just £799.

This price discount sees this superb device drop back to its lowest ever price. The deal is only for Peter Tyson VIP members, but that's free to sign up for, which means anyone can take advantage of the offer. The only thing to keep in mind is that you'll need a DAC or amplifier to be able to hear those golden tunes.

We wrote our Cyrus CD t review nearly five years ago but it still contains everything you need to know to help you decide whether this is the CD transport for you. And don't be fooled by this being a relatively 'old' product. It has a "near-faultless performance" and build quality that will last you a lifetime.

This model is a transport, i.e., there's no DAC inside as you would find in a standard CD player, which means you'll have to connect it to an external DAC of a decent calibre to make it work. This allows the Cyrus CD t to focus solely on reading the information stored on a CD disc, and this it does with astonishing accuracy and precision.

The slot-loading mechanism makes a lot of noise when you enter a disc, but it's silent during playback. It uses the same high-quality Servo Evolution disc-reading software as the higher-end CD Xt Signature transport and one that's used in the Cyrus CDi CD player (a current Award-winner for over a decade and a firm fixture in our reference system).

Play any CD and it sounds crystal clear, astonishingly nimble and with a staggering amount of detail. The CD t is a remarkably precise performer, combining clarity and authoritative control – but it never sounds clinical; it's wonderfully fluid and endlessly enjoyable. Dynamic nuance and an ability to reveal varied, subtle textures across the frequency range is another strong point, and we said in our original review: "Its level of transparency, clarity and insight is unrivalled at this price, and is an effortless and musical listen."

With this massive saving that brings the CD t back to its original price, this "exceptionally talented transport" is worth considering if you're planning to get serious about CDs. And why wouldn't you? Head over to Peter Tyson before this deal runs out.

MORE:

Read the full Cyrus CD t review

Our guide to the best CD players for all budgets

Read What is a DAC? And why do you need one anyway?

Black Friday is presenting hi-fi enthusiasts with an opportunity to save a third on an integrated amplifier and CD transport pairing.

The £1099 integrated amplifier and £550 CD transport in Roksan's new Attessa electronics range can be bought together for just £1099 this Black Friday at Sevenoaks, Richer Sounds and Peter Tyson, saving you £549 on the combined RRP of the individual components.

We haven't had the pleasure of these two components in our test room yet, but the network streaming amplifier in the Roksan Attessa family, which shares amplification DNA with the integrated model, did walk out of it with a four-star recommendation. Our expert reviews team called it "very likeable and enjoyable," which bodes well for the non-streaming version on sale here, and the transport for that matter.

Don't want the CD transport? You can buy the amplifier separately for £949 at Richer Sounds and Sevenoaks thanks to a £150 discount. The Peter Tyson deal, meanwhile, simply offers the CD transport as a freebie.

While we cannot heartily recommend components we haven't gone twelve rounds with in our test room, the Attessa Streaming Amplifier we have reviewed certainly gave us a positive first impression of the Roksan range, which launched only last year. It was actually on the cusp of a five-star rating, having impressed us with its lively, musical and easy-going presentation; for all its compelling energy and charm, we just wanted a little more dynamic expression and subtlety.

Roksan's 80-watt-per-channel (eight ohms) Attessa Integrated Amplifier shares much of the DNA of the Attessa Streaming Amplifier's amplification stage but simply goes without its BluOS wireless streaming platform. Still, the integrated does offer Bluetooth for wireless streaming, plus a phono stage and analogue RCA, optical and coaxial inputs.

As for the Attessa CD transport, it has naturally been designed as the perfect partner for the Attessa amplifiers for all your CD-spinning pleasure. It connects to the amplifier via a proprietary 'bus' connection that synchronises control for a fully integrated system that can be set up and operated via the MaestroUnite app. The player can also play MQA CDs that the integrated's coaxial connection can naturally decode.

A formidable CD and amplifier pairing? We wouldn't bet against it. Worth a punt in light of this £1099 Black Friday deal, we'd say.

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LIVE DEALS BLOG: I’m picking the best Black Friday hi-fi deals as they go live

Roksan's new entry-level Attessa range brings amps, turntable and CD transport

See our expert pick of the best stereo amplifiers and CD players you can buy

If all this recent talk of CDs and CD players rising in popularity is making you want to dust off your compact disc collection and give it a new lease of life, then you're in luck. The five-star, former Award-winning Cyrus CD t transport is now just £799 at Peter Tyson in the early Black Friday sales – the lowest price we've seen on this old favourite in ages.

This Cyrus is no new-age debutante. It has been around for over a decade – it won a What Hi-Fi? Award back in 2015 – and while we originally reviewed it at £750, the intervening years have seen that price creep up to £1295 or similar. This Peter Tyson deal sees the price go back to its near-original launch price, however, making it as good a time as any to snap it up if you're serious about getting the best performance from your CDs.

Yes, the Cyrus CD t may look rather old-fashioned, but the half-width design is solid, sturdy and reliable. We said this transport has a "near-faultless performance" in our original review, and that's the kind of performance (and build quality) that will last you a lifetime.

This model is a transport – i.e. there's no DAC inside like in a standard CD player – which means you'll have to connect it to an external DAC of decent calibre to make it work. This allows the Cyrus CD t to focus solely on reading the information stored on a CD disc and this it does with astonishing accuracy and precision.

The slot-loading mechanism makes a lot of noise when you enter a disc, but it's silent during playback. It uses the same high-quality Servo Evolution disc-reading software as the higher-end CD Xt Signature transport and one that's used in the Cyrus CDi CD player (a current Award-winner for over a decade and a firm fixture in our reference system).

Play any CD and it sounds crystal clear, astonishingly nimble and with a staggering amount of detail. The CD t is a remarkably precise performer, combining clarity and authoritative control – but it never sounds clinical; it's wonderfully fluid and endlessly enjoyable. Dynamic nuance and revealing varied, subtle textures across the frequency range is another strong point, and we said in our original review: "Its level of transparency, clarity and insight is unrivalled at this price, and is an effortless and musical listen."

With this massive saving that brings the CD t back to its original price, this "exceptionally talented transport" is worth considering if you're planning to get serious about CDs. And why wouldn't you? Head over to Peter Tyson before this deal runs out.

MORE:

Read the full Cyrus CD t review

Our guide to the best CD players for all budgets

Peruse all the best early Black Friday hi-fi and audio deals

Last year was the first time since 2016 that the What Hi-Fi? Awards’ CD category included anything other than Marantz’s entry-level and Cyrus’s flagship players. Indeed, Arcam entered the fray with a new mid-range spinner too marvellous to ignore, bringing the category’s winner count to three – yep, the CD category expanded in 2023! It’s perhaps not surprising, then, that this year remains stagnant. After all, based on the recent timeline we’re not due a shake-up in the category until 2030 – and who knows whether the humble CD player will still be alive, let alone kicking, then.

Our most affordable winner is once again the Marantz CD6007 (below), which combines impressive sound and features with likeably traditional casework, making it an easy recommendation for anyone looking to dust off and rediscover their CD collection without spending too much (anyone but an owner of the preceding CD6006, that is, as the CD6007 was a rather modest update on it).

CDs might be experiencing a soft revival (it’s hardly as potent as the vinyl one), yet we haven’t seen an explosion of new players this year exactly, and those we have come across have typically been higher-end affairs, such as the excellent TEAC VRDS-701 and Esoteric K-05XD. We did like Cambridge Audio’s CXC transport too… but a CD transport Award winner in 2024 seemed a little excessive.

We digress. Going up a price bracket we get to the Arcam CD5, which is part of the British brand’s 2023-released Radia Series that also spawned the Award-winning A5 and A15 amplifiers and which has doubled in growth this year with the addition of two streaming amplifiers and a standalone streamer. To quote our review, the CD5 is a “tremendously talented player”. And to repeat its conclusion, “there hasn’t been a seriously good, seriously capable and seriously fun CD player of this level in a very long time… the Arcam CD5 changes that.” It’s adequately featured, looks great and has an entertainingly punchy and authoritative sound. A deserved winner a second time round.

We’ve stopped counting how many years the Cyrus CDi player has won a What Hi-Fi? Award (10? 11?) as our premium player of choice. A repeat winner with that many plaudits may not be particularly exciting to announce as a 2024 Award winner, but who knows, if the CD uplift does pick up the pace, perhaps something will come along to beat it next year. Until then, this proven performer still sets the benchmark for entertainment and insight.

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Looking to get in on the CD revival hi-fi brands keep shouting about? Love the idea of being able to play high-quality Super Audio CDs (SACDs) as well as basic CDs? Then this Marantz SA-12SE deal may be just what you’re looking for.

The deal is live on Peter Tyson now and lets you grab the Marantz SA-12SE for £1599, a 50 per cent saving on its £3199 regular price.

This is the lowest price we’ve ever seen the Marantz SA-12SE sell for. Prior to Peter Tyson’s latest discount the lowest we saw it retail for was £2195 all the way back in May 2023.

The only slight caveat is that we haven’t had the unit in for testing yet, so we can’t personally attest to its audio quality.

However, given the deep discount and positive experience we’ve had with other recent Marantz players, including the Marantz SA-10 – which earned a perfect five-star rating when we reviewed it in 2018 – we are comfortable flagging the SA-12SE deal for our readers' attention.

The Marantz SA-12SE is technically impressive, being built on the Japanese audio brand’s proprietary SACDM-3 mechanism – which is bespoke made in-house and designed to optimise performance for both CD and SACD.

The inclusion of Marantz Music Mastering also lets it function as a DAC and play PCM signals up to 384kHz/32-bit, along with DSD256/11.2MHz.

For those unfamiliar, SACD is a specialist physical disc format launched in 1999 that was jointly developed by Sony and Philips that is designed to offer higher resolution audio, multiple channel support and longer play times than basic CD.

We’ve seen a number of other players supporting the format, including the even more premium, £11,650, Esoteric K-05XD we awarded five stars to in April, appear this year.

If that doesn't tempt you don't worry. Though the yearly Black Friday sales event doesn't officially begin until the end of November the Marantz discount is one of many early deals to have already appeared.

We’re expecting a series of hi-fi savings to continue to appear over the next month in the run up to the big day. We’ll be keeping track of all of them in our main best hi-fi deals guide, so make sure to keep checking back with What Hi-Fi? regularly.

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Ruark Audio – the brand behind the likes of the stylish Ruark Audio R410 all-in-one music system and the Award-winning Ruark Audio R1S digital radio – is back with something for fans of physical media. The Ruark R-CD100 is the brand's new CD player which, thanks to its smooth operation and signature design, aims to get the best out of your CD collection. You still have a CD collection, right?

Ruark is calling the R-CD100 a CD player, but it's more akin to a CD transport, as there is no DAC built-in and needs to be paired with one of Ruark's 100 Series of products, such as the Ruark R410, R610 or R810, to work properly. Once connected, the CD100 pops up as an option in the product’s source list, with signal processing carried out by the DACs built into the 100 Series product.

The CD player features a similar design to many of the company's recent constructions, with precision machined top and bottom plates coming together with a hand-crafted walnut cabinet to give the ensemble a "tactile and sleek aesthetic". It's not all about mere looks, either, with Ruark promising that the specially designed enclosure isolates the CD mechanism from external vibrations for improved sonic performance.

In terms of controls, the slot-loading R-CD100 offers an eject button alongside a power LED housed at the front of the unit. The new player is compatible with CD-DA, CD-R and CD-RW discs and features a USB-C connection at the rear.

Ruark is on a mighty hot streak at the moment and continues to impress us with products that merge robust, convincing sound with some of the most handsome designs on the market. Let's hope that the Ruark R-CD100 – available now and priced at £250 / $349 / AU$499 – offers more of the same.

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Revo has announced the launch of its new CD player and all-in-one system: the SuperCD. Crafted as a "tribute to music's timeless format", the new model combines streaming smarts with the functionality of a traditional CD player, fusing "old-school charm" with "high-performance audio".

The SuperCD utilises a 40 watt Class D amplifier to deliver what Revo describes as a "rich, full-spectrum sound", as well as dual 9cm balanced mode radiator drivers in pursuit of crisp, clear highs and deep, resonant lows. Conceived as a do-it-all box, the SuperCD can handle a range of traditional formats including CDs, DAB/DAB+, FM and internet radio.

Thanks to its modern-day smarts, the Revo supports wireless streaming from services such as Spotify Connect, Tidal and Deezer, as well as Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity. Further, the new unit's multi-room capabilities let you pair the SuperCD with other Revo devices for a synchronised experience across your home.

The SuperCD continues Revo's predilection for retro-modern as evidenced by its handsome wooden cabinet, aluminium covering and centred OLED display, putting us in mind of last year's fantastic, five-star SuperConnect Stereo radio. In addition to its extensive wireless functionality, the SuperCD offers a healthy array of wired connectivity options, housing an auxiliary input, optical output and playback via USB.

Per a Revo spokesperson: “We wanted to create a product that truly reflects the diversity of how people consume music today. The SuperCD gives listeners the freedom to enjoy their music in any format, without compromising on quality." The SuperConnect Stereo did just that, so maybe the SuperCD will boast similar levels of performance for CD lovers everywhere.

The Revo SuperCD is available now in walnut/black and walnut/silver colourways, priced at £569 / $799 / €599.

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Rotel's high-end Michi brand has a new addition to its lineup. The Michi Q5 Transport DAC launches today and joins the X3 and X5 Series 2 integrated amplifiers launched last year.

The company calls it a "Transport DAC" but the Michi Q5 is essentially a CD player with digital inputs and outputs, alongside the ability to handle high-resolution file playback including DSD and MQA.

At its heart is the eight-channel ESS ES9028PRO DAC (also present in its amplifiers) that aims to deliver as accurate reproduction of the audio signal as possible and with minimal distortion. The ESS DAC is configured so that its channels are split equally between the left and right audio signal paths, further promising "extraordinary detail retrieval" from your music as well as a wide soundstage. 

Inside, the Q5 has fully balanced circuitry and dual toroidal transformers, which aim to further reduce noise and inference from affecting the audio signal. The top-loading CD mechanism is crafted out of aluminium and is mounted on a custom floating spring assembly to ensure stability and minimise unwanted vibrations from adversely affecting sound quality.

There are RCA and balanced XLR outputs, alongside coaxial and optical outputs. This allows for the Q5 to be used as a CD transport, if you prefer to use an outboard DAC or the one in your amplifier.

The Q5 isn't just for playing CDs; it can also play hi-res digital files directly or from another source. It has optical and coaxial inputs (that can handle 24-bit/192kHz PCM files), while a type B USB port can handle up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM, DSD and MQA  files. There is an ethernet port at the rear panel, but this is for integration with automated systems and downloading album artwork, rather than facilitating any network streaming over your home's internet. The Q5's sleek, substantial build matches the rest of the Michi line and it has a full-colour TFT display to show off album artwork and information.

The new Michi Q5 costs £5499 / $6999 / €5999 and will be available globally from November at authorised retailers.

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Compact Disc’s star has faded, but I like it anyway

While Prime Day is just about to kick off at Amazon, Richer Sounds is having a flash sale of its own. There are some mega hi-fi deals to be had over at the established retailer, and this Roksan K3 CD Di discount is absolutely one you should check out if you're in the market for something to give your shiny compact discs a real boost. 

A very big cut to a five-star model, we can't think of a better CD player deal than this one. We tested the K3 CD Di at £1300, but this major slashing of roughly £500 drops that price down to just £799 at Richer Sounds if you're a VIP member (it's free to sign up). If you're not a VIP member the deal price is £899, but that's still a very worthwhile fall of £400. Either way, it's a bargain!

The best Roksan K3 CD Di CD player deal

A CD player with digital inputs and Roksan's excellent built-in DAC, the CD Di joined the excellent K3 range alongside the brand's sole-purpose CD player and the five-star rated K3 integrated amplifier, the latter of which is also on sale at Richer Sounds at the time of writing. 

The K3 CD Di offers optical and coaxial digital inputs and outputs, meaning you can plug in other digital sources to take advantage of the unit's onboard DAC. Like the rest of the K3 line, it's a bit of a chunky unit, albeit with that same sense of refinement and quality we also find in the integrated amplifier sibling.

Capable of handling data streams up to 24-bit/192kHz, the K3 CD Di is a genuine pleasure to listen to. Thanks to its bold, broad soundstage, there's so much scale and dimensionality to the performances on display, with rich-sounding instruments set within an awesome amount of space. It's not back-footed either, offering the sort of attack, snap and dynamism that makes music sound forceful, front-footed and, crucially, fun. 

For a deeply musical CD player with superb pedigree at a monumentally good price, we're struggling to think of how this deal could be bettered. Head over to Richer Sounds if you're keen to investigate further.

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With Amazon Prime Day just around the corner, a lot of hi-fi retailers are looking to hop on the summer sales spending wagon by offering some pretty tasty discounts on great hi-fi kit. And who are we to complain.

For anyone thinking of going big on their next system and in need a CD player as a source, the Marantz SA-10 disc player may already be on your shortlist – and if it isn't, it should be. While it's a few years old now (we reviewed it in 2018), it is still one of our favourites to recommend for anyone with thousands, rather than hundreds, to spend.

We gave it five stars back when we tested it at an eye-watering £6000, and now you can pick it up for £2000 less than that, costing £3999 with this deal from Peter Tyson – £3000 off of RRP.

The best Marantz SA-10 deal

When we reviewed the Marantz SA-10, we said that the company's top-end disc players have a tendency to become the stuff of hi-fi legend, and six years on from our review, the SA-10 certainly looks to be following suit. 

We say disc player, since the SA-10 also reads SACDs and music stored on DVD-ROMs. File compatibility from disc is impressive too, ranging from 24-bit/192kHz FLACs and DSD128 all the way to ALAC, AIFF and MP3s.

Disc drive aside you can also access the player’s internal digital-to-analogue circuitry through USB (type B), coax and optical digital inputs, plus you can play music from a USB memory stick or Apple device through a USB type A connecter. A plethora of options, as you might well expect at this price, and the SA-10 delivers.

The way the SA-10 performs is equally as impressive, with a stunning amount of detail and an organised presentation, that handles anything you throw at it with care and composure. In particular, we find the subtlety with which it expresses instrument texture and tracks small-scale dynamic changes to be superb, and certainly show the class of player with which you are working with.

It does plenty in the way of scale and authority, too, and there's a real solidity tp the presentation that never sounds cluttered or stressed.

Overall it is an incredibly refined performer, that has a sweet and smooth disposition yet always packs enough bite to satisfy. Considering it impressed us at £6000, the fact you can grab it now for £4000 is – sure – still expensive, but an incredible discount to snap up if this is the level of system you are building.

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Amazon Prime Day isn't for a couple of weeks yet, but no one told Richer Sounds. The hi-fi and TV retailer has slashed the price on two stunning five-star products from Musical Fidelity – the M2sCD CD player and the M2si amp.

The CD player is just £599 – that's £200 off the RRP. And the amp is £499 – a whopping £300 off. These are both Richer Sounds VIP Membership prices, but signing up is quick and easy, and more than worth it once you see the savings.

While they might be getting on a bit now, both of these devices are five-star performers. The M2sCD launched as Musical Fidelity's most affordable CD player, below the M3 and M6 models, and comes with a mains choke filter alongside its digital stream noise filter, a 24-bit Delta-Sigma dual differential DAC, and coaxial and optical digital outs as well as analogue RCA. It lacks any digital inputs.

Sonically, it's superb. It's a refined, musical listen, with plenty of agility and a fine sense of timing.

It's a similar story with the M2si – both devices are not what you would call feature laden, but in terms of sound quality they take some beating. The M2si is again solidly built, and aesthetically it pairs very nicely with the M2sCD. Its preamp section works in Class A mode for lower distortion, with a separate power feed to improve performance and reduce unwanted interaction with the power amplifier.

With 76W per channel into 8 ohms and up to 137W per channel into 4 ohms, it promises high sound levels with any price appropriate speaker. And that's what it delivers – its sound is large scale and full of authority and substance. There's plenty of refinement on show, and even the most complex arrangements don't make it sound stressed. Dynamic expression is a particular highlight, while its punch and power leave many similarly priced rivals in its wake.

With discounts this big, these are more tempting than ever. Buy them both, and you'll save a whopping £500. Why wait till Prime Day?

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Exposure Electronics is celebrating 50 years in the business, and to honour the occasion, it has announced the arrival of the new 3510 CD player, the final member of the 3510 family of hi-fi products. With CDs enjoying a similar, if not quite as profound revival as vinyl, Exposure is hoping to get you to dust off your old discs and get them spinning once again.

The new unit is kitted out with an internal dual mono PCM1704- 24-bit DAC designed "for high resolution and separation", while optimised audio output circuitry offers "multiple stages of supply regulation". There's also a high-stability crystal clock reference alongside a dedicated power supply regulator to the transport and audio stages which should help to avoid sonic jitter during playback.

The CD 3510 is conceived as a standalone model that can also operate as part of a broader hi-fi system. The 3510 offers SP/DIF, coaxial and a Toslink connection, but no HDMI out, so you could theoretically connect your player to other audio components such as a soundbar. 

Externally, the new CD player is constructed with an aluminium case and an extruded front panel which should, per Exposure, "control unwanted resonance and electro-magnetic fields". There's a supplied remote control as standard, while the CD display can be switched off using the remote control "for enhanced sound quality". 

Exposure recently announced the launch of its very first turntable in response to popular demand, and has shown its commitment to physical audio mediums once again with its latest 3510 CD player.

The Exposure 3510 CD player is available now, in a black or titanium finish, priced at £2500.

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It has been 20 years since Shanling last launched a CD player – a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it small run of 300 units for the CD-T300 back in 2004. Now, the all-new CD-T35 is here to pick up where that left off but this time round, it will be limited even further, to just 99 units. 

That’s all down to the availability of components that the company says are “crucial” to the history of Shanling and “critical” to its house sound.

This includes AKM’s AK4499EQ DAC, also used in Shanling’s M8 and M9 high-res music players. This flagship chipset was discontinued following a fire at the Japanese manufacturer’s factory in 2020, and Shanling has gotten its hands on the remaining units. 

The CD-T35 also includes the Philips CD-Pro 2 – a popular CD player that utilises linear tracking, runs an advanced decoding system for error-free disc reading and is housed in an overbuilt die-cast metal body.                                                     

Shanling says its audio engineers have also had to reach into their last remaining stock of its favoured capacitors, wiring and solder material, meaning this player truly is a shrine to the Shanling sound. 

Just like its predecessor, the CD-T35 has a three-legged design and a tubed output stage, made up of four hand-matched 12AU7 tubes that should add warmth and smoothness to the sound. 

There is also a custom I/V stage, with a dual split power supply divided between the digital and analogue sections of the player. Outputs comprise RCA, balanced XLR and digital coaxial, as well as a USB-B input for using the CD-T35 as a standalone D/A converter. 

However, the CD-T35 also has a trick up its sleeve – it is built on an Android-based operating system and powered by an octa-core Snapdragon CPU. This means the player can offer AirPlay and DLNA playback over wi-fi, plus access to streaming services like Tidal, Qobuz and Spotify.

Control is managed through the HD touchscreen on the CD-T35 itself, or via the Shanling companion app.

Want to listen through headphones? The CD-T35 has an optional headphone amplifier module, which offers a trio of headphone outs. This includes a single-ended 6.4mm, balanced 4.4mm and balanced XLR outs, with a choice of four gain stages that should be able to drive even the most demanding headphones.

This will set you back extra though, and the CD-T35 isn’t exactly cheap in the first place. The standard version will cost $17,000 (around £13,340), rising to $19,000 (around £14,910) when paired with the headphone amp section.

If that hasn’t scared you off, it’s available now.

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Now this system wouldn’t have looked at all out of place in a hi-fi enthusiast’s listening room a quarter of a century ago. But it comprises all new products for 2023, and we have to say goes a very long way in proving that there’s life in the old compact disc yet. 

The CD won’t ever engender the nostalgia and old-school affection of the long-playing record and those wonder-of-engineering turntables that audiophiles – and new fans of vinyl come to that – still really love; but it’s a better method of music replay than many in this new world of hi-res streaming and downloads will give it credit for.

The system

• CD player: Arcam CD5 (£699 / $699)
• Integrated amplifier: Arcam A5 (£749 / $699)
• Stereo speakers: Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 (£599 / $900)
• Total price: £2047 / $2298

Available music to buy is plentiful, the quality of playback is right up there with most streaming services, and considerably better than some we could mention. And, of course, it deals rather effectively with that old bugbear of streaming – you never truly own the music. The merry-go-round of artists that leave one platform and join another is a perpetual motion machine, it seems; so there is no guarantee that you will be able to find once again that old favourite you haven’t heard in months on your streaming platform of choice. 

That’s never an issue with the good old compact disc. You bought the disc, you own the music on it, and, unless you are remarkably careless – it is a really rather robust format after all – it will be yours long into the future. 

CD player: Arcam CD5

We can’t tell you how delighted we are to be able to have a pair of brand new Arcam products front and centre of this delightful trio of music makers. 

The Cambridge-based company used to dominate the CD player market at under £1000, but its place at the top of the pile has been usurped in the past decade or so by excellent products from the likes of Marantz. The introduction of the new Radia series of products, though, has seen Arcam catapult right back up to the top – as a glimpse at the 2023 Awards pages in both the CD player and amplifier categories will show you.

It has been years since Arcam brought out a new CD model, and you will have gathered by now that it has been worth the wait. The CD5 is a really mature, capable player – and a clear step up in terms of insight and subtlety from the entry-level Marantz CD6007 that sits a class beneath it in our Best Buys for this category. 

The design and build quality of the Arcam siblings are excellent – sleek and minimal and made to a high standard. The CD5 is reassuringly solid yet easy to use whether by the on-board buttons, or the credit-card style remote control. 

There’s a pair of RCA analogue outs, and one coaxial and one optical as digital options. It will play CD, CD-R and CD-RW discs, but not SACD sadly. It will also play music files up to 24bit/192KHz via a USB-A input.

Most importantly, when it comes to actually playing music, the Arcam CD5 is an absolute winner. It is agile and nimble, and the music flows with an assured grace and fluidity. It’s a confident performance that never strays too far into the analytical; this is fun stuff, delivering the music in a truly entertaining way.

Stereo amplifier: Arcam A5

And of course the CD player pairs with its amplifier sibling beautifully. 

Our amplifier Product of the Year for this year, the Arcam A5, made us a touch nostalgic as we started to review it. This is a welcome return to what Arcam used to do so easily – make a product that, remarkably, can be all things to all people. Its products over the past few years have always been easy to live with but somehow lost a bit of the fun along the way. 

Arcam has retained all the sensible features here, but it is also now a really great listen. The A5 has everything you could need as far as specification goes: three line-level inputs share back-panel space with a moving-magnet phono stage; digital inputs comprise a pair of coaxials and one optical – all capable of accepting music streams of up to 24-bit/192kHz. And there is Bluetooth 5.2 capability.

A lovely addition, to go with the aptX Adaptive codec support, is that the Bluetooth is two-way – so the A5 can accept a signal from a smart device, say, but it will also send a signal out to a Bluetooth speaker or a pair of headphones. Which, in this day and age, is a fine bonus.

And, like its CD5 brother, the A5 has a sweet nature that while full-bodied and smooth never errs far enough to rob the life from the music. As we say in its review, it shows impressive composure when the music gets demanding, never sounding stressed or cluttered, even when pushed to higher volume levels.

Playing Mahler’s 10th Symphony, we had no complaints about the stereo imaging either, with the Arcam delivering an expansive soundstage populated with sharply focused instruments. It is nicely layered too, giving a fine impression of depth to the presentation. Larger scale dynamic swings are rendered with conviction and there is a good dose of scale on show too.

The Arcam pairing, as one would hope and expect, works wonderfully together to create music that is truly entertaining to listen to.

Stereo speakers: Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3

Which could equally be said of the wonderful loudspeakers in this system.

In past iterations of the Bowers & Wilkins 600 series, we have tended to prefer the larger 606 over the entry-range 607 model – they were dynamically more subtle and the bigger cabinet allowed for bigger scale. In this iteration, however, the smaller B&W 607 S3 is the more fun listen; they are really rhythmic and entertaining in their musical reproduction. Which isn’t to say the 606 S3 is a disappointing speaker; far from it. Both 606 and 607 are 2023 Best Buy winners in the standmount speakers category. The 607 S3, however, is so special that it took home the Product of the Year Award. 

“But how do the new 607 S3 sound?” we ask in our full review of the speakers. “Incredibly fun. There’s clarity and refinement in the mix here – to a really admirable level – but we’re struck by just how entertaining, zippy and musical this new pair sounds right from the start. 

Instead of sacrificing dynamic expression and pure enjoyment for a more sophisticated and open sound, B&W has managed to meld these elements together into a capable package that’s simply hugely entertaining to listen to.”

Verdict

It isn’t always the case that three Award-winning products gel together so well. It is one of the quirks of hi-fi that system matching must be done with care: one slightly bright-sounding product can work wonderfully with a warmer partner; but stick two bright products together, and you risk running into stridency. 

In this system, though, the fun and enjoyment we get from the combination of the pep of the speakers with the full-bodied, sweet nature of the Arcam pairing, is truly memorable. And, of course, if you were keen on a bigger all-round sound, you can always swap the 607 S3 for their larger 606 S3 siblings. For us, though, this is the perfect combination of pace, precision and pizzazz to do true justice to any music. Enjoy.

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Yamaha has launched a 5-disc CD changer called the CD-C603 that not only sports a sound-first feature from the company’s amplifiers but also a CD-switching feature I wish I’d had back in 2005.

You don’t see many CD changers launching nowadays, with the nineties and early noughties very much the heyday for the multi-disc player, following their introduction in the car in the mid-80s. Perhaps you remember the 10-CD (!) Sony DiscJockey!

Yamaha’s new multi-disc machine accommodates half that many discs at one time, but it has a neat feature called Play X Change that allows you to change discs while another is playing. I wish my early-2000s standing CD tower from Argos – a poor man’s Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 9000, and similar to the one you used to see in supermarkets and music stores that allowed customers to ‘try before you buy’ new album releases! – offered such convenience, instead of very slowly grinding the spinning disc to a halt whenever the window cover was opened. Perhaps more sophisticated tower designs (like the B&O) could, but the functionality seems pretty attractive within a ‘normal’ CD changer format. As you can see from the image above, the disc tray opens fully, facilitating changing five discs at the same time.

The new CD-C603 also boasts a familiar feature called Pure Direct, as seen, pretty much as standard, on Yamaha amplifiers and receivers in recent years. This shuts down the digital audio output and turns off the display, reducing the noise interference they inherently cause. Yamaha is promising “sound full of dynamics and clarity” here, thanks to upgrades in the internal layout from previous designs which it says have targeted performance improvements.

Also flying the flag for performance are two design elements found in single-disc Yamaha players today. The first is the ‘Laser Pickup Floating Mechanism’, which pretty much is what it says on the tin: the laser pickup is isolated on a floating mechanism so that its delicate operation isn’t as affected by vibrations. The second is the ‘Intelligent Digital Servo’, which is essentially digital processing designed to detect and compensate for any signal, tracking or motor speed issues.

In addition to the playback of CD, CD-R and CD-RW discs, the CD-C603 also accommodates WAV and FLAC audio files up to 24-bit/96kHz through its front-panel USB input. Things are pretty standard around the back, with RCA outputs joined by an optical out and a remote in/out option.

Sure, multi-disc CD players have always been more complicated to make than the traditional, persevering single-disc alternative, and likely more prone to wear and breakage because of that, but if CDs ever do enjoy any sort of serious resurgence, surely they would make sense as the player to appeal to the convenience of the day – no switching discs every hour, just hours of music teed up. Almost like a playlist, without the shuffle.

Want a multi-disc changer in your life in anticipation (or regardless) of a CD comeback? The Yamaha CD-C603 costs AU$899 (UK and US pricing to follow) and is available in black or silver.

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Compact Disc’s star has well and truly faded. At its peak, at the turn of the century, just short of a billion silver discs were sold in the USA in a year. Fast forward to 2022 and that number had dropped to just 33 million, with the format suffering the ignominy of being overtaken by vinyl (41 million sales). Given that the CD was originally developed to replace records, that is some fall from grace. 

Of course, the success of streaming has played a large part in the downfall of the CD. How could it not? The major music streaming services – Spotify, Tidal, Amazon, Apple Music and Deezer – carry many millions of songs and most can deliver higher resolution than 16bit/44.1kHz CD-spec quality. So, given the convenience, choice and source quality we enjoy from streaming services, why am I writing this column in praise of a format that teeters at the edge of mass market extinction? 

Nostalgia has something to do with it, of course. I clearly remember when the CD was launched and all the excitement that went with it. Those early machines from the likes of Sony (CDP-101) and Philips (CD100) represented cutting-edge technology for the time, and though there was plenty of room for sonic improvement, the format was a clear step ahead of vinyl for the mass market. 

Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to hear some great players, from Ken Ishawata-flavoured Marantz products to ultra high-end beasts from the likes of Wadia and dCS, and they have all thrilled. But that nostalgia isn’t the driving force behind writing this piece. My rekindled appreciation is down to the stream of tasty CD players that have passed through What Hi-Fi?’s test rooms in recent months. 

Testing TEAC’s excellent and beautifully engineered VRDS-701 CD player was a true pleasure. The company had clearly taken a lot of care to make a player that made sense in today’s market, for those who still cling to their shiny discs for one reason or another. It is intuitive to use and offers a sensible range of features, including digital inputs that extend its usefulness. Most of all, it sounded right at home in our reference system, which is no mean feat considering that, at £2499 / $3799, it costs about the same as the cables used in that set-up.

Judging the CD player category in this year’s What Hi-Fi? Awards shone a light on Arcam’s excellent CD5, too, but also reminded me just how much I liked old favourites such as the Cyrus CDi and the Marantz CD6007.

Like most of you, I tend to use streaming – in my case from Tidal or from a fully loaded Naim NAS device – for most of my listening. Using the aforementioned CD players reminded me of the pleasure of reading printed production notes and just how nice it is not to rely on my phone or a tablet to operate my hi-fi source. 

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been frustrated simply because the battery charge on my device is low and I've had to wait a bit to use my music streamer conveniently again. Equally, having to wait a few seconds for the streamer’s app to make a connection has also become a bit of an annoyance. So, the lag-free response of a CD player to its remote is a real plus point. I like to use physical buttons rather than a touch screen to operate my hi-fi, too. It just feels nicer. 

The mechanical whirring of the loading tray as it glides in and the high-pitched whine of the transport mechanism reading the disc give CD players a character that totally silent streamers just can’t match.

While the ritual of actually loading the disc into the player and waiting for it to load serves to add to the sense of anticipation, for me the real appeal of the very best CD players is how good they can still sound. Put the aforementioned TEAC against any equivalently priced streamer and I’m confident it would be better than most alternatives, even if the streamer were fed with hi-res source material. There is a sense of stability and dynamic expression that the best-of-breed disc players have regardless of price point that makes most comparable streamers sound uncommunicative and mechanical.

But I don’t think that’s even the most important advantage of a CD player. Once you buy a CD, that music is yours. Provided you keep the disc in good condition it will last a lifetime and you can play it whenever you want. Given the relatively temporary licensing arrangements streaming companies have on quite significant proportions of their catalogue, it is pretty common for albums – and consequently tracks on my playlists – to disappear from the service for a while. While I understand the commercial reasons this happens, it doesn’t make things better when that song I absolutely have to hear isn’t available. It would always be accessible if I had the CD.

There is also the attraction of rummaging. Sometimes I look at my library of CDs a little unsure of what to play. As I dig through the collection it is not uncommon for me to pick something random that I never would have thought of if I didn’t see it first. That doesn’t tend to happen when I use a streaming service and the result is that, over time, the range of music I listen to has narrowed.

I would like to be clear that I am not pining for CD to return to being the mass market format of choice. It will never be that again, and that’s as it should be. Time, technology and formats have to move on, and streaming, while not perfect, is clearly a better proposition than compact disc for most people in most ways. But, given a good enough CD player and a matching disc collection, the original digital format still has a place for me.

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Established hi-fi brand Roksan is offering two of its finest models for some of the lowest prices we have seen in a long while. The superb, formerly Award-winning Roksan Caspian M2 integrated amplifier is heavily discounted at Richer Sounds and AV.com, whereas the (also formerly Award-winning) Roksan Caspian M2 CD player has seen its current price cut by more than half as part of a VIP deal over at Richer Sounds. Talk about early Black Friday steals.

The M2 integrated amplifier has fallen to £1649 (for the silver finish at AV.com), while the Caspian M2 CD player has plummeted to just £1149 over at Richer Sounds - that's more than half off the current retail price of £2325. All you need to do to pounce on the latter bargain is sign in to your Richer Sounds VIP account (or sign up for free) to take advantage of this astonishingly great deal. 

Both Caspian M2 products were originally reviewed at £1650 more than a decade ago – but that price has inevitably risen in the intervening years. You will normally find them around the £2000 mark (or higher) at retailers that still stock them.

It may be more than a decade old, but the Caspian M2 CD player is a multiple What Hi-Fi? Award winner, and remains a stellar premium choice for getting the most out of your disc collection. We can't see anyone getting close to this huge Richer Sounds discount, so it's probably best not to wait around for it to be bettered.

Roksan has made some excellent hi-fi products over the years, with its Caspian range one of its highlights. Both products are well over a decade old now, but this is a prime example of really great hi-fi products' enduring appeal, and how it's always worth checking out older products when hunting for deals. 

So, why should you be interested in either the Caspian M2 CD or the Caspian M2 integrated amplifier? Well, both are former What Hi-FI? Award winners, with the M2 CD combining refinement, bite and rhythmic ability with pleasing sonic composure and a reliable, top-notch build. It's a clever, well-made and sonically gifted platform for your CDs – you couldn't ask for much more for the premium price. We called it the "finest CD player available at anywhere near this price" in our review, as well as noting that "this Roksan has an immensely solid, well-damped feel that suggests it will be working for years to come." 

The M2 integrated amplifier, meanwhile, remains one of those amps that we still talk about fondly. In our review, we said it was "an exceptional amplifier for the money. It’s a big-hearted performer capable of drama and subtlety." The M2 is equipped with an independent analogue-output-stage power supply, an independent preamplifier-stage power supply and fan-powered heat-sink cooling that means it can be driven harder than before. Five line-level inputs (plus tape input and output) and a switchable balanced XLR input pair are also available. Its 85W per channel output (into 8 ohms) doesn't convey just how big and powerful it sounds, with high levels of transparency and large-scale dynamic swings delivered with ease. This is an amp that's immensely capable and sounds fantastic, even all these years on.

As Black Friday gets into full swing and we plough further into the cold, dark recesses of November, these great deals on the iconic Roksan Caspian products could be just the bright spark you (and your hi-fi system) need.

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We didn't expect a new entrant, let alone a brand new winner in the CD players category at this year's What Hi-Fi? Awards. It's been a fairly stagnant product category in recent years, that hasn't seen the same kind of trendy love given to turntables (a once nearly-extinct category as CD's star rose in the '90s) and further fallen out of favour in the last decade thanks to the rise of streaming.

But Arcam, just like it did in the stereo amplifiers category, has crashed the two-horse race between Marantz and Cyrus that's been the norm since the 2016 Awards. What's more, all three 2023 winners deliver a clear-cut step up in performance as you go up the price range.

The new Arcam CD5 won us over almost immediately: we like the smart, minimalist design, the simple but responsive controls and smooth disc tray mechanism that made listening to CDs quicker than pairing a device to Bluetooth, and the £699 / $699 pricing meant it slotted oh-so-neatly in between the budget Marantz and premium Cyrus players.

But we didn't give Arcam the "Best CD player £500-£1000" Award just for filling a price gap in the market, we did so because the CD5 is "seriously good, seriously capable and seriously fun". It's a tremendously capable CD player that packs in ample muscle and punch, has a fluid, dynamic and composed presentation, and is also well-balanced and wonderfully expressive with voices. We said in our review: "The CD5’s rich and likeable presentation delivers the essence of a song in the most entertaining way, while also ensuring it hits all the right hi-fi notes along the way."

• See all What Hi-Fi? Awards 2023 winners in every category

Arcam isn't the only headline-grabbing story here. The Cyrus CDi has the distinction of winning a What Hi-Fi? Award in the very same category (best CD player over £1000) for ten years in a row now. It got its first Award and Product of the Year wins in 2014, and hasn't looked back since.

We'd be impressed enough if the product itself was enjoying a decade-long lifespan, but the Cyrus CDi's stronghold in the premium CD player category is a testament to just how talented it is, even with competition from within (we still prefer it over the newer Cyrus CDi-XR) and other high-end disc-spinners. It's worth noting that while we originally reviewed the CDi at £995 over a decade ago, that price has risen to £1195 in recent years to £1595 now – not an inconsiderable sum, but such is the state of the rising costs of hi-fi these days. You'll have to fork out another grand or so for the TEAC VRDS-701 (£2499), which is the next genuine step up in performance from the Cyrus.

There simply hasn't been any CD player at this price to challenge its supreme musicality, its unerring precision and its terrific sense of control that makes every album played through it just sound... right. Even after all these years, we still use the half-width Cyrus CDi as part of our reference system in the What Hi-Fi? listening rooms – it's just that good.

Our assessment in the original review still stands today: "the rhythmic talent here is what really raises our eyebrows. Pace and momentum are exercised with articulation and vibrancy. We found ourselves entertained by the Cyrus’ dynamic agility and neutral balance in a way that’s rare at this price. Though fast and fluid, the sound is much weightier than any of the company’s previous models."

At the other end of the scale, you have the budget king in Marantz. There have been more products released at the high-end price point for CD players than at the budget end (as demand is fewer and far between), and Marantz, to its credit, has managed to keep the price of its CD player well below the £399 / $499 mark.

Various incarnations of this Marantz CD player have won in the last decade (notably, the CD6006 UK Edition took the Product of the Year crown from Cyrus CDi in 2017), and this current CD6007 model has won the "best CD player under £500" trophy since 2020. This model introduced various sonic updates from the previous generation (a new DAC chip, improved and quieter power supply, new components), as well as hi-res audio support up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM and DSD128. Build quality remains excellent, with the CD6007's polished design feeling and looking far more luxurious than you'd expect at this budget price. It's a similar story with the sound quality, with the CD6007 delivering crisp, insightful detail, a focused, open soundstage and bigger scale and punchier dynamics – it's a mature presentation that we feel is far beyond its affordable price tag (currently hovering at £339 in the UK - a steal!). 

The CD player category now having three winners reflects a better spread of choice for customers that still have and cherish their CD collection, with Marantz, Arcam and Cyrus all offering excellent performance at each price point. Will Marantz hold on to its Product of the Year trophy for yet another year or will the newcomer Arcam upset the balance? Find out all the 2023 Product of the Year winners (and the special category winners) on whathifi.com on 15th November evening (GMT).

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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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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