At this year's High End Munich hi-fi show, Cambridge Audio revealed big news. In addition to showing off the Edge line and their newest streamers, the AXN10 and MXN10, the British manufacturer revealed a brand new product designed for old-school music lovers: the Evo CD.
Cambridge Audio fans with a large CD collection will be ecstatic to know that this product is fully dedicated to this physical playback method. The company, an industry leader in the UK for over 50 years, has always been committed to putting the music first. CEO Stuart George reiterates this with the Evo CD launch. "Get back to enjoying those treasured discs in your collection. With Evo now adding award-winning CD playback into the mix alongside streaming -- as well as the option to add one of our Alva turntables -- you can enjoy the music first, whatever format you fancy."
So, what exactly does the Evo CD have in store for us?
The previous Evo streaming amplifier releases, the Evo 75 and Evo 150, were a huge hit, and offered a versatile listening experience. They did not, however, allow for CD playback, which is the main purpose of the Evo CD. The new CD transport does not have a built-in DAC, so it's designed to be coupled with one of the prior devices. Ideally, this piece forms a complete audio system for Evo lovers. While some consumers may be wary about the Evo CD's limited features, the product makes up for it with unrivalled sound quality. The Evo CD isn't designed to be a versatile playback system -- it's designed to do one thing well.
Cambridge Audio claims that the Evo CD extracts as pure a signal as possible from your CDs. This is because it uses their S5 Servo, which has extremely fast disc detection and just about the best error correction on the market. Coupled with class D amplification from the Evo 75 or 150, this means a rich, clear sound that captures every detail.
Crafted using the same premium materials as the amplifiers in the Evo series, the Evo CD boasts a full metal loading mechanism and an aluminium top panel. The sustainable Richlite side panels are available in brushed wood or matte black.
Cambridge Audio is honouring the simplicity and quality of the compact disc with the Evo CD. For those who want to truly enjoy the CD listening experience, this new piece of gear is detailed and minimal in all the right ways. Listeners can even use the Cambridge Audio StreamMagic app to check out album art.
This new release is debuting for £999 in the UK. Check out the Evo 75 and Evo 150 amplifiers here at Selby.
Image credit: Cambridge Audio
