avmentor review ATC's CDA2 Compact Disc Preamplifier
http://www.avmentor.eu/reviews/atc_cda2.htm
Overview
The new CDA2 CD/Pre-amp/DAC is hand built by ATC Loudspeaker Technology in the UK. As ATC’s first source component the unit comes with added digital to analogue conversion and pre-amp facilities. The CDA2 is housed in a rugged yet elegant chassis, complimenting the rest of ATC’s range of outboard pre and power amplifiers.
The pre-amplifier design is taken from the company’s very successful CA2 pre-amp and uses discrete components throughout to give very low distortion and noise and an extremely wide and flat frequency response. There are two line level analogue inputs and two digital inputs. One analogue input is equipped for RCA/phono connections and the second RCA/phono and 3.5mm jack. Both digital inputs are equipped for coaxial and Toslink connectivity giving a total of 4 digital inputs. Fully differential (balanced XLR) and single-ended (unbalanced RCA/phono) outputs are provided for simple connectivity with a wide range of power amplifiers and active loudspeakers. The discrete output stage is capable of driving 9V r.m.s. (unbalanced) and 18V r.m.s. (balanced) into 100 ohms with no signal degradation allowing the use of long output cabling where required.
The discrete headphone output is specified to drive a very wide range of headphone sensitivities and impedances. It features very low distortion noise and extremely wide and flat frequency response for best possible performance.
The DAC utilises a Wolfson chipset and is compatible with 16 to 24 bit word lengths and sample rates up to 196kHz. Excellent digital clock recovery ensures signal integrity is maintained even with poorer quality digital sources and long cable runs between external sources and the CDA2.
The chassis is constructed from a combination of steel and aluminium and uses constrained layer damping to control panel resonances. The front panel is machined from an extruded section of 13mm/0.5” aluminium alloy with a brushed and anodised silver finish.
Billy Woodman, ATC’s Chief R&D Engineer comments, “the new CDA2 CD/Pre/DAC presents ATC customers with the potential for maximum input flexibility in a single unit, and all the audio and aesthetic benefits of a single brand system.”
Specifications
Pre-Amplifier
Maximum Output Level: Phono 9.2V r.m.s. XLR 18.4V r.m.s.
Line Input Sensitivity (For 2V Output): 640mV
Input Impedance: 13k8 Ohms
Output Impedance: 10 Ohms
Frequency Response (-3dB): < 2 Hz - > 280 kHz
Total Harmonic Distortion: 1 kHz <0.001% (-100dB), 10 kHz <0.0015% (-96 dB), 50 kHz <0.002% (94dB)
Crosstalk (10Hz – 20kHz): >90dB
S+N/N Ratio: > 97 dB (Wide band) > 105 dB (DIN) > 110 dB (IEC “A”)
Overload Capacity: 13dB
Absolute Phase: Phono Zero Degrees, XLR Zero Degrees, Pin 2 Hot
XLR CMRR (100Hz - 10 kHz): > 60dB
CD Player
Distortion: 1 kHz <0.002% (-94dB) 10 kHz <0.003% (-90dB)
Frequency Response (+/- 0.1dB): 20 Hz – 20 kHz
S+N/N Ratio: >100dB (IEC “A”)
Digital Inputs
Distortion: 1 kHz <0.003% (-90dB) 10 kHz <0.005% (-86dB)
Frequency Response (+/- 0.1dB): 20 Hz – 20 kHz
S+N/N Ratio: >96dB (IEC “A”)
Supported Word Lengths: 16 to 24 Bit
Supported Sample Rates: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 192kHz
The unit is supplied with an IR remote control. The CDA2 is covered by a six year warranty (1 year CD mechanism).
RRP £2050
http://www.atcloudspeakers.co.uk
http://www.atcloudspeakers.co.uk/dow...anyProfile.pdf
http://www.atcloudspeakers.co.uk/studioDriveUnits.php
http://www.atcloudspeakers.co.uk/clients.php
Website: www.musicraft.co.uk (new heavily revised site online in due course)
Please call 01332 346284, 07727 272443 or email info@musicraft.co.uk
Hours of business are Monday to Saturday 9am-9pm, Sunday 10.30am-4.30pm (please call before travelling)
***** Musicraft - Clearance + Special Offers list http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=18540 *****
Thanks
Rick @ Musicraft
Musicraft supports ATC (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Birmingham and Worcestershire's exclusive main ATC dealer http://www.atcloudspeakers.co.uk/dow...anyProfile.pdf http://www.atcloudspeakers.co.uk/studioDriveUnits.php http://www.atcloudspeakers.co.uk/clients.php), Chord Electronics (http://chordelectronics.co.uk/chord-...ier-design.asp http://www.chordelectronics.co.uk/clients.asp), Naim, Dynaudio (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire's exclusive Dyanudio dealer http://www.dynaudio.com/eng/prof/users.php), Exposure, NAD, Pioneer (Kuro) HD Televisions, Monitor Audio (Derbyshire, Nottinghamashire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire's exclusive Platinum Series dealer http://www.monitoraudio.co.uk/products/platinum), Yamaha (Pre Eminent) http://www.yamaha.co.jp/english/prod...ide/index.html, Grado, DTS, Dolby Laboratories, QED, Van Den Hul, Soundstyle, Apollo, Goldring, Onkyo, Denon, Black Rhodium, HiFi Racks, Rega, Proac, Focal http://www.focal.com/, Plinius (Derbyshire, Notttinghamshire, Leicestershire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire's exclusive Plinius dealer http://www.pliniusaudio.nzld.com/index.asp), Audiolab, Densen.....