CD/DVD Players

The DVD-Audio vs. SACD conflict was raging by 2002. Many manufacturers first pledged their allegiance to one format, but quickly realized that they needed to support both new hi-res disc formats. Because this was before the age of so-called “universal” players, most businesses offered a choice of two models that were essentially the same. For […]

Even in 2004, CD players seemed to be nearing the end of their useful life. Because of the onslaught of DVD-Audio, SACD, and even universal machines, less and fewer people sought outdated, unreconstructed CD separates. Those who did were discerning audiophiles who realized that even the best DVD spinner couldn’t play 16-bit Compact Disc as

Prices began to drop within a few years after the first SACD players arrived. You didn’t have to spend £5,000 on Marantz’s groundbreaking SA-1 any longer. Suddenly, DVD players with SACD compatibility became available for a tenth of the price, and the Philips DVD 763SA was the cheapest serious Super Audio Compact Disc spinner by

Despite costing only a few hundred pounds more than its predecessor, the 2019 8300CDQ was sleeker and more complex in terms of build, finish, and functionality – plus it had MQA, which Audiolab thought was a useful new feature. This should help the player remain future-proof, but DSD playback, which is finally gaining traction among

The metal-cased Brennan hard disk music server, which was released in 2008, included a hard drive, slot-loading CD player, and 60W per channel amplifier that was designed to work with the optional BSB50 loudspeakers (£59), although it could also be used as a hi-fi source component. The 320GB hard disk was large at the time,

While inexpensive DACs are a dime a dozen, excellent Compact Disc transporters are hard to come by. Given that there are billions of CDs in circulation, you’d assume there would be a demand for new silver disc spinners, even though new music sales are down in this format. The Audiolab 6000CDT is a £379 integrated

The DVP-S7000 was one of the most famous and thrilling first generation DVD players, having been released in March 1997 in Tokyo, Japan, and arriving in the UK six months later. It was outrageously overengineered, like with Sony’s ‘first’ ever product – CDP-101 CD player, TCD-D3 DAT player, etc. With just one glance inside, you’ll

Sony’s first CD recorder was released in late 1998 in the company’s native market of Japan. It was a surprise at the time, because Sony had previously stated that MiniDisc was a competitor to Philips’ (then) new CD recordable format, and that as a result, no CD-R machines could be expected! It was odd because

The Philips CD100 – and with it the new Compact Disc format – was released on October 1, 1982, and it came at a good moment for the music industry. The once-dominant LP format was on the decline; seven years earlier, it had sold a staggering 91.6 million discs in the United Kingdom, but by

This machine has recently received a lot of attention, and it is quickly becoming collectible. Of course, it has every right to be, as the world’s first commercially available CD player and not only Sony Corporation’s first silver disc spinner. It was first released on October 1, 1982, at a cost of Y168,000, but only