CD sales may be on the slide, but that hasn't stopped Ontario-based high-end amp specialist Bryston from releasing its first-ever source component, the BCD-1 CD player (£2,450).
At a time when the number of CD-only players on the market is shrinking, launching the BCD-1 is a bold move. Bryston has eschewed the high-resolution DVD-Audio and SACD formats and is said to be delighted with the response from its customers.
'State of the art' CD player
Bryston's James Tanner commented: "consumers are tired of uncertain new formats and just want a state of the art player for the thousands of CDs they already own."
The design brief was to create an exceptionally well-built and sonically outstanding player and Bryston has certainly pulled out all the stops. The BCD-1 is a hand-built player with a fully Class A output stage and an impressive 24-bit/192kHz Crystal CS4398 DAC.
Digital jitter - otherwise known as timing errors, the bane of all CD players - is said to have been virtually eliminated, too, through the use of a high-precision master clock in both the DAC and drive.
Although expensive, the fully remote-controllable player boasts Bryston's legendary build quality and fittingly, comes with a three-year parts and labour warranty.
The Bryston BCD-1 will be distributed in the UK by PMC Limited - 08704 441044.