CD/SACD-проигрыватели и транспорты — Audio Note CDT Two/II

The CDT Two/II is a CD transport from Audio Note (UK), the second version of the original CDT-Two and built to the company's Level 2 criteria. Audio Note arranges its products in levels from Zero to Six, and in the transport range the CDT Two/II sits above the CDT One/II and below the CDT Three. It plays only Red Book CD, and Audio Note says the aim is listening performance, not specification figures.

Key specs that matter

Inside is a Philips CD Pro2LF, custom-modified by Audio Note, reading discs with a three-beam semiconductor laser at 780 nm. The power supply uses three separate mains transformers. Digital signals leave through a transformer-coupled 75 ohm RCA output and a 110 ohm XLR output for AES/EBU. Maximum power consumption is 35 W. The case measures 142 mm high, 300 mm wide and 428 mm deep, and the transport weighs 7.5 kg. Mains input is 100-120 V or 220-240 V at 50 or 60 Hz, with an anodised aluminium or black acrylic front panel.

Engineering and use context

Compared with the Level 1 transport, which uses a front-loading Philips mechanism, the CDT Two/II moves to the Pro2LF drive. Three separate mains transformers split the supply between different sections of the unit, so the load from the motor and servo stays separate from the supply to the digital output circuits. Inside, the digital signal travels from the mechanism to the output stage on Audio Note AN-V silver cable. The digital output transformer is wound with silver wire on a thin laminated core. A thin lamination reduces eddy current losses in the core, which matters because an S/PDIF signal contains frequencies in the megahertz range. The transformer also breaks the galvanic link to the converter, so ground currents cannot flow between the two units through the digital cable. Audio Note tantalum resistors and custom electrolytic capacitors are fitted throughout. The CDT Two/II uses the same case size as the Level 1 transport.

Pairing

Audio Note's practice is to match transport and DAC levels, so a Level 2 converter from the same maker is the planned partner. Both the RCA and XLR outputs are available, so it also connects to converters from other makers with coaxial or AES/EBU inputs.

Alternatives

The Audio Note CDT Three is the next level up in the transport range, in a case of the same size and weight class.