Digital Drive: REVIEW: Classé Audio CDP-10 CD Player/Recorder by Michael F

Model:	CDP-10
Category:	CD Player/Recorder
Suggested Retail Price:	$2995.00 CDN
Description:	Integrated CD player
Manufacturer URL:	Classé Audio
Manufacturer URL:	Classé Audio

Review by Michael F ( A ) on February 23, 2003 at 17:01:30
IP Address: 64.228.244.48

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This is likely the last big ticket player I`ll ever buy. Having spent the last three years with a Link II, speaker and amplifier upgrades justified a complimentary front end change.
Apart from the chasis and front panel, also shared by prior models .3 .5 and 1.5, the CDP-10 is a completely new design.
Coming in at a respectable 17.5 pounds, the player uses a Philips VAE-1250 front loading mechanism that will read CD,CDR and CD-RW discs, along with the Pacific Microsonics PMD-200 circuit will decode HDCD as well.
The power supply consists of eleven discreet stages of regulation and filtration isolating analog, digital and mechanical systems.
The digital section consists of dual Burr-Brown PCM 1738,24 bit 192Khz D/A converters for each channel. Signals are upsampled to 352 Khz.
Audio output remains balanced to the XLR connectors in Class A form.
The remote control supplied is a solidly built well laid out unit which also controls basic parameters of my amp, with a good operating range.
All these innovations would be essentially meaningless if the unit did not perform, and perform it does.
As a point of reference, I`ve either owned or auditioned the following players: CAL Icon II, Arcam Alpha 5, 7se, 8se CD-23, MF A3 and the MSB.
Of all the players the FMJ and MF players were clearly better than the lowly MSB, but I just couldnt justify the price difference given the rate digital technology has and continues to progress, until now.
Of all the players, the CDP-10 made the strongest first impression.
Straight out of the shipping carton, I knew this was a special player.
Break in was subtle but noticable in the three months I`ve owned it becoming a little more refined.
What struck me first was the amount of low end weight and impact.
That is to say, I`ve never heard my cd`s sound so powerful while retaining their rhythm and timing,and not at all slowed down.
Equally impressive were the upper registers. On recordings with substantial high frequency content, cymbals sound much more natural in their attack and decays, each with distinctly different tones, a quality I have not experienced till now, silky smooth, grain free and seemless.
Listening to vocals is an absolute pleasure. Set forward of the plane of the speakers, voices sound real as do piano`s, tonally correct and hang eerily in space between the speakers. Small changes in dynamics are obvious
as are greater ones.
Where previously images were placed, the CDP-10`s presentation connects the dots so to speak with an even more palpable picture.
With my limited command of the English language, words can only go so far as to describing what a fine player this is, I`m very pleased with mine.
If you are in the market for a player in this price range, I would recommend an audition.
Red Book digital is starting to sound good.
Happy listening.
Michael Fedenko
Montreal, Canada

Product Weakness: Cluttered, somewhat dim display.
Product Strengths: Overall, a solid performer.
Good synergy with rest of system.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Classe CAP-151
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	integrated
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Classe CDP-10 Magnum Dynalab MD-90
Speakers:	Dynaudio Contour 1.8mkII
Cables/Interconnects:	Mogami
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Classic Rock, Jazz, New Age
Room Size (LxWxH):	18 x 12 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments:	Typical living room furishings
Time Period/Length of Audition:	3 months
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	Cluttered, somewhat dim display.
Product Strengths:	Overall, a solid performer. Good synergy with rest of system.