CD/SACD-проигрыватели и транспорты — Orpheus Lab Absolute SACD Player A Zero PC

The Absolute SACD Player is the Super Audio CD source in the Absolute Line of Orpheus Lab, a brand designed and produced by Mectronic Sarl. Orpheus Lab lists this machine under the code A Zero PS, and the line also holds a CD player, a discrete preamplifier, a stereo power amplifier and an integrated amplifier. Its conversion circuitry is taken from the company's Heritage series, from which the multi-DAC approach is inherited.

Key specs that matter

Supported discs are Super Audio CD and standard CD, with CD-R and CD-RW copies also accepted, read by a D&M drive. For computer audio a USB Type B socket takes PCM up to 384 kHz and 32 bit and DSD up to DSD256, and AES/EBU and S/PDIF outputs carry up to 192 kHz and 24 bit at 5.0 V peak to peak into 110 ohm and 0.5 V peak to peak into 75 ohm. Analogue outputs are balanced and unbalanced, giving 4.8 V RMS and 2.4 V RMS at the highest setting from output impedances of 100 ohm and 50 ohm. THD+N stays below 0.0004 percent, or -108 dB, at 1 kHz and 0 dBFS, crosstalk is lower than -124 dB in either direction, and dynamic range exceeds 124 dB. The chassis is 440 mm wide, 420 mm deep and 148 mm high, and the player weighs 22 kg with its power supply.

Engineering and use context

Conversion follows what Orpheus Lab calls an 8-2-1-1 topology in true dual mono form. Eight synchronous DACs per channel run in current mode and are arranged in two clusters, then recombined, a method intended to lower the output noise floor. After current to voltage conversion the signal passes the in-house Revival Filter, whose design centres on phase optimisation, and then an output driver. An ultra-precise quartz oscillator clocks the transport and converter. The output attenuator uses metal film resistors of 0.1 percent tolerance, and a mute circuit cuts the outputs automatically when it senses a drop in mains voltage. The power section can be set for 100, 115 or 230 V AC within 10 percent, draws a maximum of 100 W and needs less than 1 W in standby.

Pairing

The three selectable output levels, called High, Med and Low, set in the digital domain inside the DAC, let the player match preamplifiers or integrated amplifiers of differing input sensitivity without overloading them. The balanced output suits fully balanced preamplifiers, while the digital outputs can feed an external converter, and a computer or streamer can use the internal DAC over USB.

Alternatives

The Orpheus Lab A Zero PC Absolute CD Player uses a TEAC CD-only mechanism with a four-DAC 4-1-1-1 converter and weighs 11.6 kg.