STATUS - SOLD
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Description :
The Audio Note CD1.1x uses the Philips L1210 front-loading transport mechanism and a simple yet revealing DAC which is made with the Philips TDA1543 16 bit multi-bit digital to analogue converter chip. This player, like its bigger brothers, features no oversampling, no digital or analogue filtering. This makes for a highly effective sonic combination. The CD1.1x uses a single 6111WA miniature double triode with each half of the valve running a different channel, standard parts as dictated by it Level One status. The point of up and oversampling is to allow this filtering to be done with more gentle slopes, causing fewer problems within the audible part of the spectrum. But Audio Note thinks that doing away with filtering altogether is the best option, as the human ear cannot hear these aliases anyway and any attempt to remove them will deteriorate the sound. The output of the DAC chip is not filtered, the output stage consists of a single miniature valve, the output is AC coupled by a pair of chunky Audio Note tin foil capacitors and the connectors look like they are silver plated. The Audio Note CD1.1X uses a 6111WA miniature double triode, each half of the valve running a different channel. It is soldered in place, but has a very long life of about 100,000 hours, which represents over 11 years of continuous use so there is no real need for replacement. The main PCB has no more that 20 or 30 components on it, all very widely spaced including Beyschlag resistors, standard electrolytic capacitors, tin foil output capacitors.
It is rare to have a CD player that is as vibrant, energetic and life-like as the Audio Note CD1.1X. One of its main characteristics is the impact with which music is being reproduced. Bass is articulated and has powerful slam. The midrange is very detailed and transparent and both the bass and mids show excellent levels of texture, but the treble sounds slightly raw. It is not completely neutral, but it does not deviate from neutrality much. Piano is completely convincing and boasts great clarity and weight over its entire range. Separate notes in a chord are easy to distinguish. The presentation as a whole has a lot of power and drive and is extremely engaging. The soundstage is not overly wide, but the space it manages to project feels natural and correct. The Audio Note CD1.1X is more forward than most players, but feels enveloping rather than aggressive. Instruments and voices have good, stable and well focused locations within the whole room. The stage does not go flat in complex parts, and individual details are well preserved with decent separation between sources. The tight and precise bottom end helps to convey the acoustic of the recording and gives the performers a strong physical presence. It does have a brutal honesty which makes some recordings sound better than others. It is a very present player that can sound magical with good recordings, but will expose bad recordings with the same ease. Despite that, the Audio Note CD1.1X is a capable player that is fantastically vibrant, life-like and dynamic that will last for many years.
Specifications :
Type................................................Tube output stage CD Player
Tube Complement............................1 x 6111WA Output Stage
DAC................................................16 bit
Dimensions(w x d x h)......................45 x 27.5 x 10 cm
Weight............................................6kg
Miscellaneous :
Remote...........................................Yes
Made In...........................................UK, England
Condition.........................................9/10
Product Information :
http://www.audionote.co.uk/products/digital/cd_1.1x_01.shtml (Manufacturer's Website)
http://www.audionote.co.uk/news/article_dig_07-03_cd_players.shtml (Manufacturer's Website)
Reviews :
http://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/audionote_cd11x_e.html
http://www.avsite.gr/vb/archive/index.php/t-47667.html |
