 This is not a typical test. Although I try to make every test different from the previous, to avoid being “typical” I cannot escape a certain formatting, a template. To avoid losing the most important factor for the test – the sound – one cannot make too many changes to the test conduct. Some kind of diversity is brought by using rhetoric is acceptable, while used wisely, but it does not change the main scheme. )
One of the main rules we adhere to, is to test devices that are in production during the test. From time to time we have a flashback and recall some interesting devices from the past (like the KEF LS5/3a), but in general we concentrate on the here and now. The goal of the test is the promotion of most interesting products available in audio stores, knowing how much they cost and how they look like. And my last words do have sense (although it happens that I sometimes talk something that doesn’t) what is shown by the case of the CEC system. Because for the first time we test a device that is not there yet, the price is unknown, and the final external design (of the converter) is yet to change. But you should forgive me that. When I learned, that the just shown in Japan split player TL1N/DX1N will be in Poland I could not allow me not to listen to it. And when I listened, I came to the conclusion, that I must share my knowledge, because even when the final product will be better, the general knowledge coming from the test, looking at the thing as they happen, possibility to take part in the lead of audio stream and not the tail is worth breaking the rules. Or maybe not breaking them, but modernizing them. Because the system I am talking about did not exist at the time of the test. The drive section had the serial number 001 and some cosmetic changes to the enclosure were still before it, and the converter had no serial number at all, as it was a complete prototype placed in the old converter enclosure. The whole electronics mounted based on the old DAC will remain the same, but the enclosure will be changed to match the massive, very modern looking drive. The proof for the non-existence can also be found elsewhere – while you are reading these words, no product had its premiere yet – the transport is to be shown in January and the converter in February. Exciting, isn’t it? This Japanese company, founded in 1954, although offering amplifiers besides the CD players, was known for their… turntables. Even though now, the main offerings are CD players, their concept is based on the analog. All remaining CD and DVD drives are of the direct drive type, meaning the disc is placed directly on the motor shaft. This solution was used in turntables for some time, pioneered by Technics and JVC (even until today they still manufacture those like that), mainly because the rotational speed could be controlled much better. But the idea was abandoned quickly, because it turned out, that the vibrations of the motor are transferred directly to the disc and thus to the needle, and this caused much graver problems than the speed stability. And this is why 99% of the current production is the belt drive turntables, with a belt transferring the rotation from the motor to the platter. SOUND )
I mentioned that before – one of the main causes to present this player is the sound. This is not a typical test, more a step taken in that direction, something like an introduction, but the basis of it is listening. And the Japanese system does things, that are not easy to expect from it. This the first digital device in this price range that evens or even surpasses that what is offered by my Lektor Prime Ancient Audio. I know, this sounds incredible, but it is just like this. Until now, the Prime could compete wit devices like Accuphase DP-800/DC-801, dCS La-Scala/Delius or EMM Labs DCSD SE/DCC2 SE (all tested in “Audio”), and also with the top Lektor (until recently) from Ancient, the model Grand. All devices from the similar (I mean up to 50000zl) price range were more or less competent, but in general, for me, this was not the same league. Only two devices impressed me until now, so that I can say without doubt that they significantly better than the Prime – this are the Jadis JD 1 Mk II/JS1 Mk III and the new Lektor Grand SE AA (I just had a very intensive listening session, and – tasty!). I do not say that I listened to everything and my opinion has absolute value, but in the boundaries of my experience this just looks like this. The CEC player is different. The main listening session, those when I make notes, I always start listening to my system. This is my reference point – for more and for less expensive systems. This is a fixed point, repeating for all devices, costing 1000zł or 100000 or more. Switching to the CEC there is no earthquake, the heavens did not burst open, and the angels did not sing only for me. But one thing was clear from the beginning: this is an outstanding product. Its sound in terms of timbre can be described as slightly shifted towards the warm end. All recordings, starting with the ones from FIM up to the recordings from Tool had a slight signature, that could be named “analog”, if not for the fact, that in the digital world this means slight sacrifice of the detail and dynamics for the coherence and fluency. That was with the Accuphase and EMM Labs, similar was also the Sondek CD12 LINN, and Akurate CD. Here “warm” does not mean warming senso stricte, but tells about sounding with a full, mature sound. Mature, meaning rich in harmonics, not leaping to the front, with a backbone of rhythm and attack surrounded with the flesh of timbre, depth and consonance. This is not the ideal of course, but a step in the direction, where my references are – Jadis and Ancient Audio. )
I’ll tell now about a certain danger that is associated with this, namely the sound being brought a little closer. This is not a “flaw” but rather a characteristic that you have to keep an eye on. When I switched from the AA to the CEC with the Mel Tormé disc Mel Tormé Sings Fred Astair (Bethlehem Records/Victor Enterteinment, VICJ-61457, K2HD, CD) I had to turn the volume down immediately. The sound on this disc, recorded in 1956, is very nice, but it has cut frequency borders, and the remaster exposed mostly the full midrange and upper bass. And the latter is responsible for such a big fleshy sound. The contrabass sounded in a strong, fanciful way on the Japanese player. And in reality, it is a bit quieter, and the voice is not so far to the front. But this is just a small inconvenience. When we deal with a beautiful recording done in a comparably well done way, like the brilliant, dedicated to Winston Ma (the owner of FIM) piece Autumn In Seattle Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, from the disc FIM Super SoundsI II (First Impression Music, FIM XR24 067, XRCD24), then it is just splendid. Melancholic, slowly developing composition, had a very good support in the mid and low frequencies, and thus was devoted from nervousness. The piano did not have such precise and dense attack like from the Ancient, but the difference was not big. The most important thing is, that the CEC sounds like that while showing incredibly much detail in every recording, elements that are not in the first plane, as they are not the main part of the music, but are responsible for the spectacle, live event feeling, and not a studio cut event for keyboards. This was the case with a copy of the master tape of the disc Chwile... of Bogdan Hołownia (Sony BMG, 5052882, CD-R). The first track, W małym kinie starts with a quiet piano, accompanied by percussive instruments. You can clearly hear the studio there, movements of the musicians, slight murmuring of Hołownia, etc. On the original disc issued by Sony, this can be heard very well, as the final tonal balance is shifted in that direction, and frankly speaking the sound is a bit brightened. Fortunately I have a CD-R copy of the master tape made just after the recording, when the disc was to be issued by Not Two. Fortunately, because in this version we have much better drawn depth of the piano, low registers, etc, but the mentioned extra musical elements are less visible. And the CEC showed them, polished and dusted them, making them an important suffix to the music. It was the same with the recordings from the film American Beauty (Dreamworks, 450 210-2, CD), especially from Because performed by Elliott Smith – between the subsequent phrases the moment of editing was audible, when the voice track was cut and long reverb remained. Even more – when the á capella voices enter, one can hear some kind of “dirt” on the lower frequencies. With the best players, also with the CEC, it can be heard that this is the background sound coming from somewhere. It can be the imprint from the next track (if the recording was analog) or the sound coming from headphones. Elliot is not an outstanding singer and he cannot sing á capella. But if he wears headphones, then later only his voice can be reproduced without the instruments. This is probably what happened here, and the Japanese player reproduced that without malice but clear. But it is not about listening to the details, but I showed this as an example, that the sound is full and detailed. I could risk the statement, that it is a bit juiced up, meaning energetic and full, if not the fact, that in general, like with Seattle... from Tsuyoshi, and Lontano from Tomasz Stańko Quartet (ECM 1860 9877380, CD) the sound was relaxed and not pulled out. Those two tendencies, strong first plane, being energetic and the tendency to hold this off will accompany us for the whole time. )
Now I wanted to talk about the stage – this is the strongest point of this device. Ancient players are brilliant in that matter, and just on building that stage, its depth, most of the competing devices, regardless of their price, are defeated. The CEC – I will not fear telling this – proposes a better filled stage, with better fluid between the players, than the Prime. The difference is quite visible, and the Prime is the master here. It is not even about bringing the instruments out of the background, but about the flawless transitions between the planed, or better said, getting rid of the planes, and introducing a seamless, broad stage into the listening room. And how fantastic are all the sounds recorded in counter phase, surrounding the listener – even on such a strong disc like the 10 000 Days from Tool (Sony BMG, 819912, CCD) those elements were perfect, because they were strong, stable, dense and without washout or dissolution. Please listen to your discs, and you will see, that most of them have that element, but it goes unnoticed by most players… DESCRIPTION Similar to the tested some time ago CD player C.E.C. TL51XR, the newest player is based on a belt drive setup. This is a split device, with the converter in one enclosure and the drive in the second. Because only the drive enclosure was final, so I can say something only about that one: it is made from solid cast parts, screwed together in a way that they form a thick, rigid hull. Its shape was adjusted to fit the tastes of broader public than the previous version. The drive is a toploader, with a manually operated dust cover and a very large, covering the whole CD puck. The outputs on the back cover are: optical TOSLINK, coaxial RCA and the balanced AES/EBU. There is also one more connector called Superlink (made based on a RS-232 socket) and the system was tested using this link. It allows for passing on sound information and clock data. After opening the enclosure we see the drive. It is made very solidly, with heavy elements, a bit like a gramophone, with a large central bearing consisting of a solid bronze cradle and a shaft. The spin is transferred from the motor by means of a rubber belt. Another motor and belt are responsible for moving the laser pickup unit. Against appearances, it works quick and reliable. Interestingly, the power supply is of the impulse type, similar to Linn devices. )
The converter was placed in an enclosure borrowed from the older version. And seemingly the electrical setup of the DX1N is based on the former converter, as suggested by the markings on the PCB. In the soundpath we find first the asynchronous upsampler AKM AK4125 converting the signal to the 24/192 format and then the burr-Brown PCM1792 converters – one for each channel. The whole analog circuits are enclosed in CC-Tech modules, that are a similar concept to the HDAM from Marantz. Those are separate PCB modules, plugged into the mainboard by means of gold plated pins, with specialized circuitry on them. The output is coupled by a DC-Servo, without capacitors. The whole path is balanced, thus the presence of XLR and RCA outputs. In the power supply we see a battery of small capacitors. Interesting enough, we get the option to switch between various levels of oversampling, or even turn it off.
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