CD / SACD players and transports — Vincent CD-200

The Vincent CD-200 is a hybrid CD player from the German brand's tubeLine range, built as a half-width component and presented by the maker as the matching source for the SV-200 integrated amplifier. It was announced in July 2019 with a price of EUR 799, and the CD-200 is sold in silver or in black. Vincent currently lists it in its CD player range next to the CD-600, CD-S1.2 and CD-S7 DAC. The design pairs a solid-state digital section with a valve stage in the analogue output path.

Key specs that matter

A Burr-Brown PCM1796 chip converts the data at 24 bit and 192 kHz. Vincent quotes a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz within plus or minus 1 dB, harmonic distortion below 0.005 percent, signal to noise better than 93 dB and a dynamic range above 100 dB. The analogue output delivers 2.5 V, and channel separation is better than 80 dB. A front headphone socket of 6.3 mm has an output impedance of 100 ohm and supplies 160 mW into a 300 ohm load. Maximum power draw is 25 W. The case measures 210 x 95 x 305 mm and the player weighs 4 kg.

Engineering and use context

A Sanyo DA11 laser unit combined with a Philips servo board reads the disc. The power transformer carries two independent secondary windings, so the digital part and the analogue section each draw on their own supply. Each channel has separate filtering, amplification and buffering in the analogue path. Connections on the back comprise one pair of stereo RCA outputs plus an optical and a coaxial digital output, which allows an external converter to take over decoding if the owner prefers. Two 3.5 mm power-control jacks, one input and one output, complete the panel. The player is operated with an aluminium infrared remote handset, which can also control the SV-200 amplifier. There is no USB port, network connection or digital input, so the CD-200 works purely as a disc spinner with its own converter.

Pairing

Vincent designed the CD-200 alongside the SV-200 integrated amplifier, which shares the half-width case and the remote handset. Any line-level input on another amplifier can take the RCA output, while the digital outputs suit a separate converter or a receiver with coaxial or optical inputs. At the launch of the player the SV-200 carried a UK price of GBP 725.

Alternatives

The Vincent CD-600 is a full-width solidLine2.0 CD player that uses an ESS ES9038Q2M converter chip and offers XLR as well as RCA outputs.