The 99 series from Quad includes two CD players, and you'll have trouble distinguishing them from the front. It's another story from the back, as the more expensive 99CD-P adds inputs and other goodies, but the current contender is a perfectly straightforward CD spinner with phono socket audio outputs and a lone optical digital out.

But don't overlook the two D-type connectors, in and out, marked 'Quadlink'. Quad, like Cyrus, has embraced the one-brand system concept wholeheartedly and has made provision for 99-series components to connect together via short multiway cables that carry balanced audio as well as control signals. They also match visually, and in our opinion a rack of 99-series components looks much better than a single unit.

The bulk of the case is die-cast, common to all units in the range. It forms top and sides, from which the circuit boards are effectively hung. The transport is also fixed to the top and is a proper audio type with the usual advantage of quicker loading than CD-ROM versions.

Quad tells us that this transport is a new one for this latest model, with the most up-to-date error correction software. It's supported by Philips chips and a Crystal Semiconductor DAC - a relatively simple digital path eschewing upsampling and using well-established parts. In a similar vein, the analogue stages are based on a very popular op-amp with decent passive components.

The four front panel buttons actually manage to operate five switches, as one has top and bottom halves- we don't care for the feel much but the remote's fine.

This is a player that positively revels in the challenge of a really large-scale piece of music. In fact, the sound actually seems to get better - more solid, more 'present' - as the level and complexity increase. This is a rare situation, though not quite unique, but in any case we've no intention of arguing as it makes its own strong case for the 99CD-S's credibility.

With smaller-scale works, there's little if anything wrong with the sound, but it seems a bit lacking in impact and immediacy. One listener to this player put his finger on it when he said that the sound seems to "snap into focus" above a certain level and this seems a very apt metaphor.