If you read my Positive Feedback review of the Audio Note (UK) CD 4.1x Red Book CD player (HERE) you know I was really impressed by its musical and sonic charms.
More than that, exposure to the Audio Note (UK) CD 2.1x/II and CD 4.1x Red Book CD players actually changed my life in very positive ways, something that I am still rather in awe about.
I mean, how often do audio components change one's life? Well, the CD 2.1x/II and CD 4.1x opened up whole new worlds of listening and learning for me that I'd been mostly overlooking, which had a dramatic impact on my enjoyment of audio and exploring new music.
My Tannoy Westminster Royal SE loudspeakers with the Audio Note (UK) CD 4.1x CD player and Meishu 300B integrated amplifier.
My first "new world" of listening was realizing how truly satisfying digital playback had become in recent times. The CD 2.1x/II and CD 4.1x Red Book CD players had a very musical and analogue-like playback quality that reminded me more of good vinyl playback than anything digital.
My second "new world" of listening was realizing that the CD 2.1x/II and CD 4.1x Red Book CD players had opened up the entire recorded music canon of Planet Earth for me to listen to, from the earliest acoustic era recordings (1877 to 1925), to the latest digital recordings (1975 to today), and everything in-between.
Music from every era of the recordings arts was now available for me to explore, as albums from all the eras are available on Red Book CDs to listen to, which I've found to be both exciting and very edifying. As much as I love good vinyl playback, the listening choices across the eras of the recording arts are really limited compared to what's available on CD.
That's where my heart and head were at when the Audio Note (UK) CD 5.1x Red Book CD player arrived here at Jeff's Place.
Audio Note (UK) CD 5.1x Red Book CD player (top left), and CD 4.1x (bottom left).
So yeah, I'm pretty excited about the arrival of the CD 5.1x, which is Audio Note (UK)'s top of the line Red Book CD player.
I love integrated audio components. Long time readers know I'm a big fan of integrated amplifiers, like the Audio Note (UK) Meishu Phono Silver Tonmeister 300B SET integrated amplifier (reviewed HERE), for example.
Audio Note (UK) Meishu Phono Silver Tonmeister 300B SET integrated amplifier.
Yes, you can get great performance from separate components, but the level of performance of integrated amplifiers like the Meishu exceed that of most separate components, and from a cost perspective, you get a lot more performance for your dollar than you do from separates. A win-win situation.
Well now you can add CD players to my list of integrated components to love, both for their level of performance, and for their comparative value compared to a quality transport and digital-to-analog converter (DAC) separates combination.
Generally speaking, I also like having fewer components in my audio systems, which makes setup and optimization of performance easier, and reduces the number of interconnects and power cords needed. Another win-win.
The Audio Note (UK) website says this about the CD 5.1x:
"Level Three Red Book CD Player. The CD5.1x is a completely new machine which elevates the one-box CD player to hitherto unknown levels of performance. Never before has it been possible to achieve such quite astonishingly superior levels of digital replay from a single chassis, integrated design."
"The CD5.1x features the top-loading Philips CD Pro 2LF CD mechanism, which we custom modify and improve in-house, bringing the performance of this already excellent mechanism up to a standard that is truly in a class of its own."
Power supply side of the CD 5.1x.
"The power supply is a valve rectified and regulated design, using a 6X5 and ECL82."
Interior view of the CD 5.1x.
"The analogue output stage uses a combination of 1 x 5814a and 1 x 5687WB valves, feeding a pair of our world-renowned output transformers, using SHiB cores with copper primaries and secondaries. A mix of our own 0.5 Watt and 1 Watt non- magnetic Tantalum resistors are used in all critical areas, as are our own custom Audio Note (UK) foil / Mylar and electrolytic capacitors. The CD5.1x uses our own in-house designed and manufactured digital transformers; silver wound for the Transport side and copper wound for the DAC side."
Analog output side of the CD 5.1x.
Rear view of the CD 5.1x.
Around back you'll notice there's two pairs of analogue RCA outputs so you can connect to a recording device, as well as an integrated amplifier or preamplifier, and one pair of XLR balanced analogue outputs.
As for technical specifications, I'll have more detailed information to share with you in a future article, as I've asked Darko Greguras, the digital design wizard at Audio Note (UK), to tell us more about the CD 5.1x's design, and how it compares to the CD 4.1x.
My first surprise with the CD 5.1x was when I unpacked it, as the CD 5.1x weighs more than a lot of integrated amplifiers at 16.8 Kg / 37 pounds. For comparison sake, the CD 4.1x weighs in at 11 Kg / 24.3 pounds. The CD 5.1x is one substantial component!
I've got the CD 5.1x installed in my primary music system now, and it came to me already run-in, so I'll have some first listening impressions for you before too long.
Here's a LINK to the owner's manual for the CD 5.1x.
The Audio Note (UK) CD 5.1x Red Book CD player's price is $30,850 USD.
Much more to come on the CD 5.1x!
The next articles in the series about the Audio Note (UK) CD 5.1x Red Book CD player:
First Listen: Audio Note (UK) CD 5.1x Red Book CD player! - HERE.
Inside the Audio Note (UK) CD 5.1x Red Book CD player! HERE
As always, thanks for stopping by, and may the tone be with you!
