German hi-fi boffins T+A (Theory and Application, not what you're thinking) have broken out a trio of new hi-fi components, with venerable compact disc very much at the centre. T+A says the CD will "remain one of the most important signal sources well into the future". It's not hard to agree.
Spearheading the charge is T+A's new E-Series CD player, dubbed the CD Player. T+A says it uses audiophile-grade components throughout, including a CD transport borrowed from the company's high-end 1250R SACD player.
Key features include a 24-bit Burr-Brown digital-to-analogue converter (DAC), heavy-duty Mabuchi motors and an RS232 port so you can integrate it into a multi-room audio system. The CD Player costs £1,100.
iPod-ready Music Player
The E-Series CD Player is joined by the T+A E-Series Music Player - a machine that brings the CD bang up to date. It does so by incorporating many of the features of the CD Player, but then adds 21st Century networking capabilities. T+A says the Music Player's specially developed networking board enables it to support Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB and iPod connections (with control), as well as Universal Plug 'n' Play (UPnP).
T+A is keen to point out that "the Music Player is not a computer. It is a high-quality audiophile CD player which has been expanded to provide supplementary capabilities, with the result that it can exploit other digital sources as a streaming client."
That means the Music Player supports streaming of MP3, WMA, WAV and LPCM audio and supports Microsoft Windows Media Connect Server (which is now built-in to Windows Media Player 11), Real Rhapsody and vTuner. The Music Player also includes an FM radio with DAB as an optional extra. The Music Player costs £1,500.
Power Plant integrated amp
Relaying your tunes from the CD Player and Music Player to your speakers is the Power Plant integrated amplifier. It can belt out a positively indecent 125W per channel at 8 ohms impedance. Pricing is pegged at £1,100.
All three components are available now. Visit Transparent Distribution to find your nearest stockist.
