CDS50

Our most advanced cd, digital audio and network streaming player yet

In a sense, digital audio doesn’t exist. You’d have to be a particularly dull superhero to possess ears that can decode

the millions of 1’s and 0’s that make up your CD collection or iTunes library. Whatever the source – be it a laptop,

CD player, smartphone, USB stick – the result is just a vibration in your speakers. In other words, it all winds up analogue in the end.

Arguably, when playing from a digital format, the most vital component is the DAC, or Digital to Analogue Converter.

We’ll spare you the bulk of the science, but this is what translates that otherwise lifeless binary code into audible sound energy.

Bit-depth, meanwhile, is a key measure of audio quality. So, if you’re listening to a 24-bit WAV copy of your favourite

album through a DAC that only converts to 16-bit, there’s a good chunk of detail going to waste right there.

That’s why we’ve included 32-bit DACs on the entire HDA range – the most commonly used bit-depth in digital recording

– so you’re guaranteed the full aural picture of whatever the artist intended.

Specifications

Analogue Audio Output Digital to Analogue Conversion ESS9038 32-bit/192kHz Delta-Sigma DAC

Signal/Noise Ratio (Awtd) 118dB unbalanced, 122db balanced Harmonic Distortion (1kHz) <0.0008%

Frequency response 10Hz – 20kHz ± 0.5dB Output Level (0dB) 2.2Vrms unbalanced,

4.5Vrms balanced Output Impedance 47Ω unbalanced, 600Ω balanced

Minimum Recommended Load 5kΩ RMS Jitter < 20 psec Digital Inputs

Supported sample rates Optical 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz

Coaxial 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz

Bit depth 16-bit – 32-bit Digital Interfaces USB USB 2.0 High Speed (480Mbps)

Ethernet 10/100Mbps Wireless 802.11b/g/n General Mains voltage 110–240V, 50–60Hz

Maximum power consumption 20W

Dimensions (W x H x D) (including feet and control knob) 433x87x283mm

Weight (net) 5.3kg Weight (gross) 7.3kg

Supplied accessories Mains leads Remote control 2 x AAA batteries Wi-Fi Antenna