CDS50 CD/SACD Network Player

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

Review

"The CDS50 is sensibly priced for what it does, and while it may not match the high-end in terms of format flexibility or sound quality, this remains a well-judged and competitive offering, if not a unique one in the sub-£1000 arena."

- Read the full review by HIFi News here.