"CONSONANCE" - Linear CD Players

What are "Linear" CD players?, using non-oversampling , filterless dac design as used by Zanden, Audionote, and 47 labs to name a few, a higher degree of transparency is achieved, coupled with a more musical approach with less smearing that gives digital a more natural feeling than other technologies can,to give digital sources a much needed relaxed delivery overall. Please click HERE for more info on this subject.

Mini Droplet CDP 3.1

Droplet CDP3.1 linear CD Player (Mini Droplet)

Droplet CDP 3.1 linear is an E88CC output tube, top loading CD-player. Wood, aluminium and ceramic sandwich chassis construction. Special made super-clock employed for further lower Jitter. 16 BIT, with your choice of over sampling at (FS 88.2KHz,FS 176.4KHz) or even no oversampling which can be selected at the push of a button on the remote. These 3 choices allow you to select the sound you find most personally satisfying. An SPDIF Digital input function allows you to use multiple input devices such as a computer or music server (such as a Squeezebox) or even the use of another existing CD player as a transport. The Droplet CDP 3.1's tubed DAC will give a much improved higher fidelity sound over the basic DAC that is included in these previously mentioned devices.The CD player also comes with special vibration absorbing feet for better stabilty and vibration protection.

Specification : DAC resolution TDA1543 0dBFS signal output: 2.5V RMS Output Terminals: Gold plated Tube RCA unbalanced Frequency response: Less than +/- 0.5 dB deviation 20Hz-15kHz FS:44.1KHz Less than +/- 0.5 dB deviation 20Hz-20kHz FS:88.2KHz Less than +/- 0.5 dB deviation 20Hz-20kHz FS:176.4KHz Signal-to-noise ratio More than 100dB Distortion (RCA) Less than 0.21 % 1KHz FS:44.1KHz Less than 0.14 % 1KHz FS:88.2KHz Less than 0.14 % 1KHz FS:176.4KHz Remote Control Philips RC-5 compatible IR system 36kHz modulation frequency Vacuum tube E88CC/6922 x1

Refference CD 2.2 [Linear] Triode

Availible in Cherry/silver, Black/Black wood finish or Black/Black alloy top finish.

This player has proved to be our top selling item over the past few years, putting more expensive and so-called high technology players to shame, the shere musicality that flows from this player has to be heard to be believed, and has to be placed at the top of anybody's wish list, especially recommended for analogue lovers!! The CD player for those that don't like CD's!!

Review from Stereo Times
Review from 6 moons.com
Review from Hi-Fi+ issue 46 pdf

FEATURES: Non-Oversampling, No digital filter J-FET/ Transistor analog filter, no op-amps,  6H30 TriodeTube output.
Sampling frequency: 44.1kH/88.2kH [selected manually]
2.35V Digital output:Unbalanced16bit/44.1kHz . 
SPECIFICATION:
DAC resolution : 16bit Philips TDA1543 X4
0dBFS signal output : 2.35V RMS
Output Terminals : Gold plated Tube RCA unbalanced
Frequency response : Less than +/- 0.5 dB deviation 20Hz-20kHz
Phase response : Less than 5 degrees deviation 20Hz-20kHz
Signal-to-noise ratio : More than 100dB
Crosstalk : Less than -100dB
Distortion (RCA) : Less than 0.12 %
Remote Control : Philips RC-5 compatible IR system 36kHz mod' freq'
Vacuum tube : Sovtek 6H30 x1
Dimensions / Weight : 21cm x 43cm x 33cm(HxWxD)/16kg(wood top)
Dimensions / Weight : 21cm x 43cm x 33cm(HxWxD)/18kg(Metal top)

NEW!!!
All-black finish with solid
alloy top plate.

CD 120 [Linear] Solid State

Availibele in silver or black finish

Non-Oversampling, No digital filter,no op-amps, J-FET/Transistor analogue filter,using a short signal pass with a minimal number of parts used in the analogue section
Sampling frequency: 44.1kH/88.2kH (selected via the remote)
Output voltage: 2.35V Digital output: RCA Phono

DAC resolution : 16bit TDA1543 X 2
0dBFS signal output : 2.35V RMS
Output Terminals : Gold plated  RCA unbalanced
Frequency response: Less than /- 0.5 dB deviation 20Hz-20kHz
Phase response : Less than 5 degrees deviation 20Hz-20khz
Signal-to-noise ratio : More than 100dB
Crosstalk : Less than -100dB
Distortion (RCA) : Less than 0.12 %
Remote Control : Philips RC-5 compatible IR system 36kHz freq'
Dimensions 8.5cm x 43cm x 32cm (HxWxD) Weight 10kg

Forbidden City - Orfeo

Avaible in black or Silver Grey

Review from Hi-Fi+ issue 55[PDF]

This upgraded version of the CD120 linear, using advanced Linear technology with carefully selected components, utilising dual differential dacs as used in the Ref CD2.2L, and with larger power supplies, achieves higher resolution levels.                                                                          
Shown here in the Silver Grey finish with the matching Tristan Integrated amplifier.

DAC resolution 16bit TDA1543X4
0dBFS signal output 2.35V RMS
Output Terminals =Gold plated RCA unbalanced
Frequency response Less than +/- 0.5 dB deviation 20Hz-20kHz
Signal-to-noise ratio More than 100dB
Crosstalk Less than -100dB
Distortion (RCA) Less than 0.12 %
Remote Control Philips RC-5 compatible IR system 36kHz modulation frequency
Dimensions  11cm x 45cm x 39cm (HxWxD)  Weight 18kg

Upsampling, Oversampling and Digital Filters.

Solid State vs Valve, Digital vs Analogue, SACD vs DVD-A, the arguments rage on, with one persons point of view seemingly contradicting anothers, which is right?, which is wrong?, are there any winners, and losers ?, or is it down to personal tastes at the end of the day ?, now we have opposing technologies in the digital world, Digital Filters vs Filterless Dac's, Upsampling vs No upsampling, Oversampling vs no Oversampling, how are we supposed to make a decision with so many opposing viewpoints??

There seems to be only one way to decide, and that is with your ears, if you like the sound of the latest technology with 24/192 upsampling[or more], with brick-wall fliters to block unwanted spurious noise, and beleive that the measured signal is of utmost importance, then that is what you are looking for, if on the other hand you trust your ears to make a buying decision , then the alternative "Simple" approach is worth looking out for, Is 16 bit/44.1 enough? Clearly not!!, but we are stuck with it for now, SACD/DVD-A are currently not taking the world by storm, so we have to make the best of 16/44.1.

This is an exerpt from the thoughts of  Ryohei Kusunoki ---  The choice of Philips's TDA-1543 to the non-oversampling DACs published on MJ was a pure coincidence, but anyhow the DAC chip had one unique quality: a very high output. This helped to use discrete passive I/V conversion circuit rather than IC chips. The discrete I/V circuit sounds much better than the ICs. The non-oversampling DACs have distinctive tonal quality, but I couldn't figure out the reasons in the early stages. I found the answer after listening to a DAC using eight DAC ICs to bring about 8-times oversampling without a digital filter. The DAC's sound clearly indicated that oversampling was not the culprit of sound degrading, but the real offender was the digital filter. Digital filters cut off signals beyond 20kHz with a very steep curve, but needs around 2msec of time to calculate the enormous data. I think this is the reason of "diffusion of sound coherence", [AKA Smearing]the characteristic tonal quality of the oversampling DAC. The new technologies are welcome and I'm quite interested in them. But if the reasons to alter the original CD format are to expand frequency range and dynamic range, I must say, they are barking up the wrong tree. This is why the new technologies can provide just a tiny improvement to the sound quality compared to using better quality capacitors and resistors.