Arcam CDS50
£699/$749
Key features Plays SACD, CD-A, CD-R and CD-RW • USB input • 32-bit DAC
If you want the freedom of streaming, but can’t quite bring yourself to consign your extensive CD collection to the attic just yet, then Arcam’s new CD/SACD Network Player offers the best of both worlds. It plays all disc formats, including SACD, CD-A, CD-R and CD-RW, and supports a wide range of audio formats, including FLAC, WAV, AIFF, OGG, MP3, AAC and WMA. The only thing it doesn’t do is Bluetooth, but you can connect the system to your home network and stream music services through Arcam’s Musiclife app (which is free to download from the App Store).
Optimum audio quality
The sturdy unit measures 42.9 x 28.3 x 8.7cm and features a front-loading CD drawer, basic playback controls and a round power button which emits a pleasing ‘clunk’ when it fires up. The digital display is similarly minimalistic.
The sound quality is dictated by the amp and speakers that you connect the CDS50 to
(we used Arcam’s companion piece SA20 amp connected to a set of Revel Concerta2 M16 speakers), but the CDS50 contains hardware that processes the sound for optimum output quality. It features a 32-bit Digital to Analogue Converter (DAC), which translates the binary code into audible sound energy at a high bit-depth, meaning that none of the sound detail from digital formats is lost.
The CDS50 also proudly boasts the total
harmonic distortion + noise figure of 0.002%. So connect this high-end player to comparable kit and all of your music will sound exactly how the artist intended and you will doubtless hear detail and texture that you have never noticed before. You’ll certainly have fun revisiting your favourites and getting to know them afresh in startlingly richer depth.
Stream music
The only thing we didn’t like about the CDS50 is the setup menu system. The instructions for connecting the unit to your Wi-fi are painfully vague and it is all done through the supplied remote and the letterbox digital display on the unit itself. It’s in no way straightforward and will take a little time, patience and head-scratching before you successfully connect. Of course, once you do, the audio streaming possibilities are endless, from compatible apps, such as Deezer, Tidal and Napster to your own itunes library. We should also mention that you can bypass the Wi-fi connectivity issue by going for a wired ethernet connection but, seriously, who wants to do that in this day and age?
If you are intending to use the CDS50 primarily as a CD player then we would recommend going with the Super Audio CD (SACD) format that offer a much higher resolution of audio than ordinary CDS (comparable to
24-bit music files). We preferred the versatility of streaming whatever audio takes our fancy and the CDS50 is compatible with UPNP and CIFS audio streaming standards. You can also connect USB devices and play audio from them. Thanks to the optical and coaxial digital inputs on the back of the CDS50, it can also be used as a standalone DAC, meaning you can connect your TV, set-top box or games console to it and enjoy a boost in sound quality. Perfect for audiophiles who want to get the very best out of their CDS while opening the doors to high-end audio streaming.