Re: The Hi-Fi Chat and sales thread
What if anything positive has happened to CD design/manufacture in the last few years? How do contemporary players fare against older (now 'retro') designs, in the context I suppose that the medium is in its run-out groove phase (see what I did there...)?
Typical contemporary marketing for a £450 player:
With ten years of development and highly-reviewed predecessors in the form of the Azur 640C and 650C, the new Azur 651C has an impressive heritage.With twin DACs each channel has its own DAC to process its own information. This gives a more precise and accurate sound quality with improved stereo imaging. Also as before, the DACs come from the highly respected Wolfson Audio. This time, though, the 651C has used the latest WM8742 model for even greater performance than before. When combined with the Bessel, noise reducing filter, the new DACs help give the Azur 651C outstanding levels of clarity and transparency of sound. New to the Azur 651C is the selectable digital filter technology that had previously only been available on the famous DacMagic. A choice of Steep, Linear and Minimum filter choices allow you to tailor the sound to your personal preferences and room acoustics.Unlike most CD players at this price and, indeed, even above, the Azur 651C comes with a dedicated CD transport. Driving this transport is a highly sophisticated S3 Custom Servo.Just likes its predecessors, the 651C is comprehensively equipped. Complementing the gold-plated phono RCAs are both optical and coaxial digital outputs. Control Bus and IR Emitter sockets make it easy to incorporate the Azur 651C into home automation system. Even the mains the cable uses the highest quality IEC kettle lead connection, to allow for the use of upgraded and heavily shielded cables. Around the front, the comprehensive display features CD Text for easy CD track and album identification. As you'd expect from an Azur product, the sturdy, anti vibration chassis is smoothly finished and rounded off by a thick, aluminium front panel.If it's quality CD performance, pure and simple, you're looking for, then it doesn't get better in this class than the Azur 651C.
