CD/SACD-проигрыватели и транспорты — Line Magnetic LM-32CD

The LM-32CD is a vacuum tube CD player built by the Chinese valve specialist Line Magnetic Audio in Zhuhai, which presents it as a single box that combines disc playback with high-resolution decoding of files sent from a computer. It sits in the Audio Source group of the Zhuhai catalogue next to the LM-32DAC converter, and its European price is EUR 2,999.

Key specs that matter

An ESS 9036 chip performs the digital to analog conversion, while the USB section uses XMOS asynchronous technology over a high-speed USB 2.0 receiver and accepts signals up to 32 bit and 192 kHz. Two 6KZ8 valves form the analog output stage. The player offers both balanced XLR and single-ended RCA analog outputs, with 3 V from the XLR pair and 2 V from RCA. Four digital outputs are also provided - coaxial, optical, RCA and balanced. Line Magnetic states a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz within 0.5 dB, 105 dB of signal to noise ratio and total harmonic distortion of 0.0025%, plus a dynamic range above 120 dB. Discs load in about 5 seconds. The chassis is 430 mm wide, 335 mm deep and 145 mm tall, with a weight of 12 kg, and power consumption is 28 W on a 115 V or 230 V supply with a tolerance of 5%.

Engineering and use context

Reading is done by an original SANYO transport, chosen by the maker for stable disc tracking. Two separate transformers feed the digital and the analog circuits, keeping the two sections electrically isolated from each other. Ahead of the valves the signal passes through high-grade op-amps in porcelain-encapsulated packages, and the 6KZ8 pair then works as the last stage before the output sockets. A single button switches between CD and USB modes, which lets the unit act as a DAC for a computer library without any extra hardware. The front carries a VFD display, and every function can be run from the fascia or from the supplied remote handset. Because the rear panel includes digital outputs, the transport section can also feed an external converter if the owner later adds one.

Pairing

Line Magnetic promotes the LM-32CD as a matching source for its own valve amplifiers, and its output levels suit the line inputs of most integrated amplifiers and preamplifiers. The balanced connection is useful with preamplifiers that have XLR inputs or when a long interconnect run is needed. A laptop or streaming PC connected by USB turns the player into the only digital source a two-box setup needs.

Alternatives

Line Magnetic's Foshan catalogue also includes the AS-121, a CD player listed in the brand's Analog series.