ANSWERED PLAYERS

The Winter Consumer Electronics Show, convened in Las Vegas this year from January 5 through 8, again set a record-101,665 attendees. Although the mood was upbeat, poor sales in the last quarter of 1984 kept buying on the cautious side.

It must also be noted that the vast majority of convention-goers were involved with telephones and other communications products, computers, video, and a heady and exciting new mix of audio/video products. Alas, in terms of audio, especially so-called "high-end" audio, it was rather a flat show, and there was some grumbling from the high-end audio enclave at the Riviera Hotel about the dearth of specialty audio dealers in attendance.

It is no secret that, whatever the reason, sales of high-end audio components in October and November of 1984 were among the worst on record.

Companies expecting a resurgence of buying at the WCES were disappointed. However, "hope springs eternal in the human breast," and most audio companies are optimistic that this slump is merely a temporary aberration. In these times, technology moves ever forward, and in spite of some market problems there were a number of interesting new products.

We are now into third-generation CD players, ones not only technologically superior to the original CD players, but dramatically lower in price. Some CD players list for $299, which usually means they are discounted to $249; there have also been some $199 "close-outs" on early models. Most industry pundits believe the $199 list-price player will be a reality at the Summer CES in June. Some degree of stability has crept into the CD player market, with most people accepting a "you get what you pay for" philosophy.

Thus, a number of companies have minimum-price, "bare-bones" players; a more expensive, step-up model, and finally a top-of-the-line unit, replete with all sorts of bells and whistles.

------- Mission DAD 7000

CD software is now generally available for $12.98 to $14.98 per disc.

This, plus the lower prices of the CD players, has led to a really dramatic upswing in the CD sales picture. Software factories are working around the clock to keep up with demand. Those who thought the CD was just another passing fancy will be really stunned when they become fully aware of the technological sophistication and exciting new applications of the CD format.

Some 30-plus models of CD players were shown at the WCES, and it must be admitted that many of these units are very similar, me-too products.

There are, of course, some notable differences, as I pointed out in my column on the Meridian CD player in the December 1984 issue.

It would seem that the British have a particular penchant for producing specialty CD players. In addition to the Meridian, there is now the Mission DAD 7000R CD player. The model that preceded it, the DAD 7000 (no longer available), was demonstrated at the WCES, but the associated audio equipment was so poor that no conclusions could be drawn as to its performance. Mission is a well-known British manufacturer of audio electronics and loudspeakers whose products have limited distribution in this country.

While the Mission 7000R undoubtedly uses some key parts OEM-ed by Philips, apparently much of their player is of proprietary design and manufacture. The Mission 7000R uses the Philips four-times oversampling system (176.4 kHz) with 16-bit resolution. The unit features two separate D/A converters, with Philips' transversal pre-D/A filter and analog post-D/A filtering of Mission's own design. The 7000R has full programming and readout facilities, and up to 99 tracks can be sequenced in any order. There is a front-loading, motorized CD drawer, as well as a wireless remote control. Mission claims the usual CD specs, including phase linearity of an impressive 0.5°, but maintains that their special chassis design and the use of "audiophile quality" parts produce a superior sound. Price of the Mission DAD 7000R is $749.

-------Artist's rendering, McIntosh MCD 7000

Cambridge Audio, another British audio manufacturer, will be producing the Model CD1 Compact Disc player, the most elaborate and expensive player from the U.K. The CD1 also uses the ubiquitous Philips four-times oversampling system. The unit has a Multiple Conversion system, using three, 14-bit D/A converters per channel in a "voting" arrangement-if one disagrees with the other two, its output is ignored. The filtering system uses three, linear-phase, shunt feedback filters. Switches allow selection of any filter or pair of filters-six choices in all-tailoring the sound to match the different filters used in recording various CDs. A volume control permits direct connection to a power amplifier, and there are serial, direct digital outputs. The Cambridge CD1 will be imported by the Michael Baskin Co. ( 4650 Arrow Hwy., F-4, Montclair, Cal. 91763) and will cost less than $2,000.

Not to be outdone by our British cousins, McIntosh has introduced a CD player, the MCD 7000 (by sheer coincidence, the same numerical designation as Mission's first CD unit). McIntosh also uses Philips' four-times oversampling technique, adding some proprietary ideas of their own involving "double digital filtering." Although some OEM Philips parts were used, most of this player is of McIntosh's own design. The MCD 7000's special anti-vibration motor has a PLL speed control which locks onto the phase as well as the frequency of the player's quartz master clock. Other provisions ensure that the motor's torque does not vary with speed. Synchronization-lock circuits are provided, preventing clicks and pops caused by the generation of "phantom" synchronizing signals. The player's single-beam laser pickup is smaller, lighter, and faster tracking than usual. An LED indicates when error concealment is taking place; on the rare occasions when discs are too . badly damaged for these techniques, "soft muting" fades the sound out until the data stream resumes. The unit also has 20-selection random programming, three-speed music search and indexing, and a motorized loading drawer. Very high-quality parts in the analog electronics, combined with the special features, are claimed to provide superior sound. The McIntosh MCD 7000 should be available in May, at a price between $1,200 and $1,400. Technics showed their third-generation, standard CD players-Models SL-P1 ($400), SL-P2 ($500, with remote control), and SL-P3 ($600, also with remote control). All feature advances in laser tracking, digital filtering and improved error-correction systems. However, pride of place must go to Technics' specialty CD players. For professional users (or for someone like J. R. Ewing) there is the $4,000 Model SL-P50. As you would expect in this type of table-top/console CD player, there are left/right VU meters and fluorescent displays that give all track information, including elapsed time and remaining time. There is an error-indicator light, a preview system which lets you hear a selection (through headphones or the built-in speaker) without generating an output signal, and many other functions, all remote-controllable.

Needless to say, access time is ultrafast-as little as 0.1 S with an optional circuit board-and access accuracy is 13.3 mS! Its very superior specs also include 96 dB of dynamic range and a 96-dB S/N ratio.

On the other hand, maybe J. R. Ewing would prefer the Technics SL-P15, the unique CD changer that would allow him to play from a selection of 251 CDs for those barbecues on the family ranch. Shucks, folks, the $1,500 base price is just pocket change for old J.R., and this machine could supply continuous music for 7 1/2 days before repeating a selection. (Now, that is a party!) True, the basic SL-P15 is only equipped to play 51 CDs in sequence (50 stored in its magazine, plus one temporarily loaded through the front). The full 251-CD capacity requires adding four, 50-disc Multi Compact Disc Player Units (SL-P15U), interfaced through a Multi Compact Disc System Controller (SH-C15); prices for these options have not yet been set.

Sony, co-developer of the CD format with Philips, has brought its considerable resources to the introduction of several third-generation CD players, as well as some other very advanced and specialized digital hardware.

These latter units, part of Sony's esoteric ES line of audiophile components, include :he CDP-520 ES and CDP-650 ES, which share a great deal of new Sony technology. Both units use Sony's Unilinear Convertor, a high-speed D/A converter with two-times (88.2-kHz) oversampling, single-clock topology to reduce beat-frequency intermodulation distortion, and high-order digital filtering. Sony claims this combination affords excellent phase linearity, almost total attenuation of noise, and a frequency response of ±0.3 dB from 2 Hz to 20 kHz. The digital filtering is claimed to hold bandpass ripple within ± 0.01 dB. These CD players also utilize Sony's VLSI CX23035, a very high-density chip which controls nine digital functions, heretofore requiring three LSI chips.

The new Sony CD players also use a newly developed, miniaturized, laser pickup assembly, less than one-third the size of previous designs. Sony has made a major effort in the reduction of vibration. thus the new laser pickup is combined with their new Linear Motor Tracking System, which uses a brush-less, slotless, non-cogging motor. This system eliminates the worn gear and reduction gears of conventional tracking mechanisms. Sony claims the combination of the new laser pickup and the Linear Motor System gives these CD players more precise tracking and the fastest access time in the industry-they can go from the first selection on a CD to the last selection in less than 1 S! The CDP-520 ES and the CDP-650 ES both have elaborate programmability and display functions, which are duplicated on wireless remote-control units. The CDP-520 ES, equipped with a subcode port for use with future generations of graphics-encoded CDs, will be available by the time you read this at a price of $600. Sony's top-of-the-line CDP-650 ES is a technological tour de force. Besides all it shares with the CDP-520 ES, it has a serial, digital output for connection to Sony's new, outboard D/A converter, the DAS-702 ES, in addition to the D/A converter and analog stages already built into the 650 ES. Sony claims the DAS-702 ES is a glimpse into the future of digital audio.

Initially, it will function as a super-fidelity D/A converter for the 650 ES. However, in the future, the unit will be suitable for use with PCM processors, PCM digital tape recorders, and PCM satellite-broadcast tuners. To handle these sources the DAS-702 ES has sampling frequencies of 32, 44.056 and 44.1 kHz, and the professional 48 kHz used in DASH and other studio recorders. Switching to the incoming sampling rate is automatic. The DAS-702 ES uses dual monophonic, ladder-type D/A converters and oversampling digital filters. Special attention has been given to internal shielding to prevent radiation interference with the power supply or analog sections. The DAS-702 ES will be available in late spring, and I have been told it will probably cost around $1,000. Back to the CDP-650 ES-the unit uses a copper-plated chassis, copper heat-sinks, and even copper washers on all screws in an effort to reduce the effects of magnetically induced distortion. There are separate power supplies for analog and digital sections and separate p.c. boards for digital, servo, audio and display circuits. Special floating subchassis and damping bushings are used to minimize vibration. As mentioned, the CDP-650 ES has a remote control for all program and display functions, and even for line-output volume control. Other nice touches are the use of polystyrene capacitors, 1% metal-film resistors, and the new Linear Crystal Oxygen-Free copper wire in the analog section. The CDP-650 ES will be available in late spring and the target price is, again, around $1,000.

Obviously, there is more than meets the eye (and ear) with CD technology. It has virtually unlimited potential in so many areas, all of which will ultimately impact favorably on its function as a prime music source. An example is Denon's new CDROM (read-only memory) system. The disc, in the standard 4 3/4-inch CD format, will be read with the same laser pickup, while a special interface unit will couple the system to a personal computer. This will afford a very high-density storage system, to say the least. Each CD-ROM has a storage capacity of 550 megabytes, equivalent to 500 to 1,000 conventional floppy disks (and there is no danger of magnetic erasure). More than 275,000 pages of text can be accommodated on one CD-ROM, so the format obviously lends itself to reference works, dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc. Since the CD-ROM will be produced in the same plant as Denon's audio CDs, eventually the higher utilization of the facilities should lower prices for music CDs.

I have reported on recordable CDs previously and am told that progress continues, with a fair possibility that such discs could be demonstrated at the 1986 Summer CES!

-----------

(Source: Audio magazine, Apr. 1985; Bert Whyte )

= = = =