There are some people that live in the belief that CD is a dead format, whilst others are constantly building on their treasured collections and want to find a replacement should their faithful player go down and cannot be repaired. If you’re anything like myself you will use streaming services to decide whether you like the music before committing to buying the CD or vinyl.

Many who still buy CDs will often rip their purchases to a server (as do I). Personally, I haven’t used a CD player at home for some time. However, I have been fortunate enough to have access to some significantly good players, but somehow something was missing for me; whilst sometimes impressive, the playback didn’t sound “real” and lacked musical flow.

Yet another CD Player, right?

The Audio Note approach to CD Players is somewhat different. Importantly, they have an axiom in the design and development of all their equipment, that it must serve the music. The Brighton based manufacturer take Red Book CD players very seriously as a music source, believing they are still the best home digital source.

What’s it all about then?

The CD 2.1x/II Red Book CD Player is the second in a ladder of the five Red Book CD players offered by Audio Note. As usual they’ve applied their vast wealth of experience and research, to produce their own take on how CD play should best be implemented.

So, what is the recipe that Audio Note use?

Important, careful voicing and having a deep understanding of what is going on 'under the hood', using minimal processing, no oversampling and no digital or analogue filtering, to achieve a very articulate voice, the fundamental reason why many tracks flow so well from their products.

The CD 2.1x/II is essentially a component upgraded version of the CD1.1x, equipped with better custom produced Audio Note parts. The CD 2.1x/II was engineered around an economical version of Philips DAC IC, the TDA1543 (which dates back to the 1980s), and the Philips L1210 CD mechanism. The output stage is designed around the very musical 6111WA miniature double triode (valve), and an improved selection of bespoke components are used to raise the CD2.1x/II's specification; Audio Note 0.5W and 1W tantalum resistors, AN standard electrolytic capacitors, and AN copper foil coupling capacitors.

So, 16bit/44 hz CD replay, done thoughtfully and properly. This is how Audio Note view the equipment serving the music – good engineering and materials selection, thinking outside the box and applying learned solutions, and critical listening in voicing the product, to sound well rounded, insightful, and musical and as close to real life as possible. Audio Note’s intention is to extract even greater degrees of information and quality from Red Book CD.

What does it actually sound like?

Even early in our listening it was apparent that the Audio Note CD 2.1x/II Red Book CD player was musical and natural sounding. When it became fully run in we realised that there is a lot more music waiting to be discovered in those Red Book CDs.

We transitioned from just hearing the CD sound into listening to the music instead, now receiving the emotional sweep of the music in all its complexity, without any sign of sterility. A surprising musical journey and one that re-defined expectations. With the CD2.1x/11 the music was more real, everything had a proper shape and timbre, insight into musical interplay became apparent, as did dynamic contrasts. The music had more feeling, emotion, and reality – with immense listening satisfaction and an analogue naturalness.

We covered a wide range of genres of music including Dub, Americana, Rock and Classical.

It appears to be the case that there was nothing really wrong with CD all along, but sometimes CD players are not all they could be. Audio Note have found the magic.

Summary

The CD 2.1x/II is an exceptionally good player in its own right and deserves to be heard, with any equipment.

It really comes into its own in a full Audio Note System, in this case comprising the Otto Phono SE Signature SE or Cobra valve amps, and the ANK-/SPe speakers. A wonderful and immersive way to listen to music.

Available for demonstration now, come and have a listen!

Thanks for reading.

Rob & Jon - Audio T Oxford

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